Obit: Punke, William "Bill" (1904 - 1988)
Contact: Ken Wood

Surnames: Punke, Paul, Riemer, Pickruhn, Fleske, Schneider, Hoernke

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Wood Co., Wis.) Tuesday, 5 Apr. 1988 P. 10 C. 2

----Punke, William (8 Jan. 1904 - 3 Apr. 1988) P. 10 C. 2

ATHENS - William (Bill) Punke, 84, Athens, died Sunday evening at the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Wausau.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Athens. The Rev. Gary Paul will officiate. Burial will be in the Salem Cemetery in the town of Hamburg.

Visitation will be at the Kraemer Funeral Home in Athens today after 3 p.m. and Wednesday at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of services. The Rev. Gary Paul will officiate at a Scripture Service at 8 tonight at the funeral home.

He was born Jan. 8, 1904, in the town of Frankfort, to Gerhardt and Margaret Punke.

He married Hilda Riemer April 30, 1930. She died Nov. 12, 1984.

William, his wife, and his twin brother Carl took over their father's farm in 1926 in the town of Halsey. They farmed there until Carl's death in 1983. William's son, Donald, and a grandson, Mark, now run the farm.

He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Athens, its Church Council and Board of Trustees for six years. He was elected Halsey town supervisor in 1940, and town chairman in 1942, serving 32 years. He served on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors from 1943-73 and was chairman of the Highway Committee for many years. In 1984, he was recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for his 30 years of work as a fire warden. He also was a member of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Wisconsin. He was elected treasurer of the Joint School District No. 1 in the town of Halsey, where he served for 20 years. From 1947-72, he was a member, director, vice president and president of the Athens Cooperative. From 1954-84 he was a member of the Board of Directors of Wausau Mutual Insurance Co. and a vice president there for 14 years.

He is survived by one son, Donald of Athens; one daughter, Mrs. Jerome (Carol) Pickruhn of Marathon; one brother Arnold of Edgar; one sister, Mrs. Elsie Fleske of Crave, Canada; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Hilda; six brothers, Gerhardt, Philip, Rudolph, Herman, Carl, and Bernard; and three sisters, Maria Schneider, Meta Hoernke, and Louisa Hoernke.

Biographical Information

Social Security Record

Name: William Punke
Birth Date: 8 January 1904
Social Security Number: 387-16-1785
Place of Issuance: Wisconsin
Last Residence: Marathon, Wisconsin
Zip Code of Last Residence: 54411
Death Date : 3 April 1988
Estimated Age at Death: 84