Obit: Birkett, Wayne George (1928 - 2020)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Birkett, Haas, Zarnke, Abel, Buettner, Bollert, Knapton, Wuethrich

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/01/2020

Birkett, Wayne George (30 June 1928 – 27 March 2020)

Wayne G. Birkett, age 91, of Greenwood, passed away at Clark County Rehab & Living Center, in Owen, on Friday, March 27, 2020. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Wayne George Birkett was born on June 30, 1928 in Thorp, the son of Wilmer George and Katherine Alena (Haas) Birkett. He was raised on the family farm in the Town of Reseburg, where he attended Reseburg Elementary School. In 1942, his family moved to Colby, where he graduated from Colby High School in 1946. Wayne then entered the U.S. Army on June 4, 1946 and served 13 months overseas in the Philippines and Korea. He received his honorable discharge on November 4, 1947. After he returned home, he went to work at various cheese plants before becoming a licensed Cheesemaker in 1950. On May 27, 1950, Wayne was united in marriage to Verna I. Zarnke at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in March Rapids. He worked at the Pauly Cheese Plant, in Loyal, until August 1952, when he moved to Marathon, to manage the Pauly Cheese Plant there for 16 years. In 1968, they moved to Greenwood where Wayne managed Greenwood Milk Products, which later merged with Land O' Lakes. He and Verna had the amazing opportunity to travel with Allen and Nell Wuethrich to Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, and the Fiji Islands to observe new/modern automated cheese making and butter production. He retired in 1993 after 25 years at Land O' Lakes. In retirement, they enjoyed traveling and spent 9 years as "snowbirds" in Lake Havasu, AZ. Wayne also enjoyed his morning trip to the Greenwood Cafe to shake dice, drink coffee, and "shoot the breeze" with friends. He and Verna would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this year on May 27th.

He was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Greenwood where he served on church council and was on the dartball team in his younger years; a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club and served on the Land O' Lakes Board of Directors in Minneapolis, MN for 14 years. He also played slow pitch softball in Greenwood until he was 40 years old.

Wayne had many interests, but especially loved spending time with family and friends, and playing sheepshead, pinochle and solitaire, putting puzzles together, and going to the casino.

He will be dearly missed by his wife, Verna, of Greenwood; one daughter: Darla (Scott) Abel of Greenwood; one son: Rick Birkett of North Haven, CT; 6 grandchildren: Brian (Tara) Abel, Steven Abel, Eric Abel, Paul Abel, Brittan (Joe) Buettner and Elyse Birkett; 4 great-grandchildren: Kai Abel, Roman Buettner, Noelle Buettner and Naomi Buettner; one sister: Blanche Bollert of Kirkland, WA; one sister-in-law: Nancy Birkett of Burlington; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents; 2 brothers: Willis and Donald Birkett; and 2 sisters: Wilma Knapton and Esther Birkett.