July 3, 2008
Medford community mourns passing of HJ Koester
by Mark Berglund
A leader in the Medford business and military community passed away this week. Funeral services for Harold "HJ" Koester are Thursday, July 3 at 11 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. His son, Patrick, will officiate at the service. Visitation is Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Hemer Funeral Home and Thursday at the church, beginning at 10 a.m. Interment of his cremated remains will take place at Medford Evergreen Cemetery II at a later date. Pallbearers will be George Jessick, Marty Heier, Gary Waldhart, Les Hirt, Wally Ertl and Kenny Weidenfeld.
Koester worked for Weather Shield Manufacturing for the past 34 years as a Company Ambassador.
“H.J. Koester has been the ‘ambassador’ for Weather Shield for the past 34 years. As a sales manager, then marketing manager and finally as a customer trainer, he touched the lives of so many people, literally hundreds of thousands of people; including customers, salespeople and employees - people from all around the country. H.J.’s enthusiasm for working with customers goes unmatched. He will be fondly remembered and missed very much by everyone at Weather Shield.” Lee, Mark and Kevin Schield, Weather Shield Mfg., Inc.
He is fondly remembered by his employers and coworkers and the many others whose life he touched over the years.
“I will miss H.J. a lot. He was my mentor. H.J. was so knowledgeable in so many areas, but especially with the history of Weather Shield. He could tell great stories. H.J. taught me a lot, and I will never forget the time I spent with him in the training department. I loved him like a father,” Gary Waldhart, Weather Shield corporate trainer
HJ Koester was a military man with a career spanning 43 years. He joined the Medford National Guard unit in 1952 and eventually rose to a colonel. He was commission to the Wisconsin military academy in 1960 and was a 2nd Lt. when the 32nd Division was activated to the army during the Berlin Crisis. He became commander of the Medford unit of the 724th Engineer Battalion in 1967 and he served in the role for four years. Koester was also qualified in armor, leading to his promotion to battalion commander in that area. He was a graduate of the United States Army War College.
"He got along with people really well," said fellow guardsman and unit historian Don Albers. "He was laid-back compared to some of the other commanders. He was always ready to have a beer with the troops," Albers said.
Albers said one of Koester's leadership strengths was an ability to delegate authority to his other officers and the non-commisioned officers. Albers said Medford was designated as a selected reserve force unit during Koester's command, which meant a heavy training schedule.
Koester was also active in the community's civic organizations. He was a member of Medford Lions Club, Medford Area Volunteer Fire Department for over 20 years, Medford American Legion Club, charter member of Medford Jaycees, and 50 year member of Medford Masonic Lodge. He was a Taylor County EMT, Boy Scout leader and in 1996 received the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award.
Albers said the organization of the local Jaycees took place in the basement of the old Medford armory. One of the club's biggest projects in the early days was building a clubhouse on Second St. which now serves as an apartment building.
Hirt served with Koester on the fire department. They shared social outings as their families were growing and still got together for their coffee group and poker games. "He liked to play poker," Hirt said.
Koester was born January 20, 1934 in Medford to the late Edwin and Elsa (Pinsch) Koester. He grew up on a dairy farm in Medford and attended Pleasant Heights Elementary School in Medford, was a 1952 graduate of Medford High School.
On October 15, 1955 in Medford he married Suzanne Bruegl, who survives. While residing and working in Medford for most of his life, he also worked as an independent contractor for Sears, then for Ackeret Brothers, and also for Retail Credit Services as an investigator.
In addition to his wife, survivors include five children, Patrick (Sheree) of Dallas, Texas, John (Teri), Randy and Heidi (Marc) Lemke, all of Green Bay, and David (Jeri) of Medford; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in his name to the Medford Field of Flags.
Just about every year at Christmas, the family would all get together and cram into their living room. He loved to patiently watch as all the kids and grandkids opened their Christmas presents in rotation. He would only ever ask for Cologne as his gift, and among his gifts he would always unwrap his cologne with pure excitement and exaggerated surprise. And every year at the end of gifts during the lull, he would pull out his cologne and say "Wow, this is totally awesome," and proceed to spritz himself (and the surrounding area) with an overwhelming sample of his new gift. Only that was just enough for him to smell it, but quite potent for the rest of us. Yet it never made us clear the room, he was so magnetic, even in a fog of Polo.
-- Amanda Koester, (Green Bay, WI)
Granddaughter