1934-2023 Helen V. Leu, age 89, of Abbotsford, passed away with her loving husband by her side on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 at the Colonial Center in Colby under the tender care of hospice. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Abbotsford. Interment followed at the St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Colby. Father Timothy Oudenhoven officiated. Visitation was held from 9 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at the church. A live stream is available for those unable to attend on the Maurina Schilling Funeral Home Facebook page or website. Helen was born on Feb. 10, 1934, the daughter of Carl and Margaret (Ohlinger) Apfelbeck in the Town of Hull. She was united in marriage to Duane “Butch” Leu, Sr. on Dec. 28, 1960 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Colby. Helen worked at Wonder Wash Car Wash, Marathon Electric, Badger Baskets and Motorola. She also took care of her children, including her grandchildren. Helen played the guitar and sang with her sisters at Whispering Pines Dance Hall in rural Abbotsford. Most importantly, she loved and cherished her family. Helen is survived by her husband of 62 years, Duane “Butch” Sr.; four children, Lisa (Allan) Eisner of Rib Lake, Duane “Duke” (Kristina) Jr. of Stetsonville, Lance (Jodi) of Medford and Linc (Tiffany) of Mosinee; a daughter-in-law, Lisa Hince; 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She is further survived by seven siblings, Arnold (Evelyn) Apfelbeck of Medford, Lucille Weber of Ill., Caroline “Pat” (Roy) Boneske of Athens, Agnes Weber of Antioch, Ill., Raymond (Marlene) Apfelbeck of Rib Mountain, Robert Apfelbeck of Mosinee and Dorothy (Dave) Kramas of Darien; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Lonnie Sr.; her grandson, Landyn; eight siblings: Gilbert, John, Leon, Bernice Miller, Claude, Hubert, Rosemary Chris, and Andrew. Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. Paid Obituary 132311

1937-2023 Arlene E. Fallos, 85, of the Township of Greenwood, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 at her home, surrounded by family, under the care of Hope Hospice. A memorial service for Arlene will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, with Father Jayanna Kanna officiating. Burial will follow at Historic St. Ann’s Cemetery. Visitation will take place at Good Shepherd Catholic Church on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. Arlene was born on Sept. 25, 1937 to Leonard and Lorraine (Griffin) Thums in the township of Greenwood. She graduated from Rib Lake High School in 1955. She then attended Taylor County Normal School for one year. After school she moved down to Milwaukee, where she worked at Allis Chalmers. She met her husband, Claude Fallos on New Year’s Eve 1958 and they married on June 28, 1958 in Waukegan, Ill.; he preceded her in death on Dec. 17, 2007. They moved to Rib Lake in 1960, where she worked at Gem Products for 18 years and the Rib Lake Nursing Home for 21 years, until her retirement. In her spare time Arlene enjoyed gardening, sewing, making quilts for her family, riding horses, her cat, Sylvester, and making the best apple pie. She also enjoyed spending time with her large family at family gatherings, holidays, and birthdays. She instilled the importance of family and strong work ethics on each of her children. Arlene is survived by her children, Pamela (Richard) Weinzatl of Ogema, Mark (Sherri) Fallos of Rib Lake, Blanche (James) Wellman of Medford, Rodney (Brenda) Fallos, Rhonda Ziembo, both of Rib Lake, Claudette (Robert) Maxwell of Dwight, Ill. and Sheila (Daniel) Schneider of Rib Lake; 27 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren; brother, Robert (Sandy) Thums; and sister, Phyllis (Mike) Kolecheck. Arlene is further survived by other family and friends. Arlene was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Claude; great-grandchildren, Marcella and Rylan; brothers, Richard and Douglas; sister, Alice Corbrisier; son-in-law, Joseph Ziembo. In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Arlene’s name may be given to Hope Hospice. Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. Online condolences can be left at www. hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 132379

1949-2023 Beulah M. Tinsman, age 73, of Barron, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at her sister’s home on Hospice, in Menomonie, after a short fight with cancer. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the pavilion in the Glen Flora Park with Dan Erickson officiating. There will be a visitation and sharing of memories one hour prior to the service. Beulah will be laid to rest in the Glenview Cemetery, Glen Flora following the service. Beulah was born April 28, 1949 in Ladysmith, daughter of Harold and Ruth Tinsman. Beulah enjoyed being outside, doing many activities. She loved taking her younger nieces and nephews to her farm and let them feed the animals and all her dogs and cats!! Later in life, she fell in love with camping and trail riding every summer with her brothers, sisters and many nieces and nephews! Beulah loved working with her hands all her life, first with the farming chores and later sewing in an industrial setting. She worked at a sewing factory in Chetek for many years and later moved to Barron and worked for Big Bike Parts in Rice Lake for 25+ years. Beulah will be greatly missed by her siblings, Arthur (Caroline) Tinsman of Jump River, Susie (Tom) Amerson of Apache Junction, Ariz., Duane (Elaine) Tinsman, Hannibal, Gloria (Duane) Johnson of Cameron, Yvonne (Dan) Erickson of Menomonie, Sue (Roy) Tinsman of Glen Flora, Jane (Kim) Mincoff of Conrath, Margie (Dale) Woellner of Withee and Irene (Dick) Jenness of Ladysmith, friend Kay Wilbert of Barron; and many, many nieces and nephews. Beulah was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Ruth Tinsman, brother Roy Tinsman, and brothers-in-law Duane Johnson, Jerry Peet and Dick Jenness. Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, Wisc. is assisting the family with the arrangements. To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com. Paid Obituary 132398

1933-2023 Shirley A. Luedke, 89, of Westboro, passed away at home on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. A memorial service for Shirley will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 at the First Lutheran Church in Westboro, with Pastor Travis Rogers officiating. Burial will follow at Northside Cemetery. Visitation will take place at First Lutheran Church in Westboro on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 from 10 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. Shirley was born on July 16, 1933 to George Sr. and Esther (Pipkorn) Walters in West Allis. She graduated from Westboro High School in 1951. She married Clement C. Peterson on July 16, 1952 and he preceded her in death on Dec. 22, 1982. She then married Richard Luedke on Nov. 12, 1983 and he preceded her in death on Feb. 4, 2001. Shirley began working on the family farm in Westboro. She then went to work for Cooper Cheese in the mid 70’s and Golden Age Nursing Home, as a nurse’s aide, in the late 70’s. She began working for the Taylor County Health Department, as a home health aide in 1982. She worked there until her retirement in 2002. She was also an active member of First Lutheran Church in Westboro, where she taught Sunday school and was a member of the Ladies Aide. In her spare time she enjoyed crocheting, making afghans for her children, watching the birds, and rosemaling with Audrey Punzle. Shirley is survived by her sons, Mark (Irma) Peterson and Timothy (Jacky) Peterson, both of Westboro; grandchildren, Carl (Vicky) Peterson, Nikki (Ron) Reinl and Tyler (Susan) Peterson; great-grandchildren, Brent, Clint, Vanessa, Ava, Brycen, Ella, and Hannah. Shirley is further survived by her brother, Larry (Janice) Walters; sister, Joanne (Dennis) Larson; nieces; nephews; and other family and friends. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands; granddaughter, Quinn Sommer; brother, George Walters Jr.; sister, Jan Meyer; daughter-inlaw, Roberta Peterson. Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. Online condolences can be left at www. hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 132429

1927-2023 Marion Meyer, age 95, formerly of Holcombe and Dorchester, passed away peacefully at Stoney River in Marshfield on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. She was born on May 30, 1927, in Ogema. She worked as a nursing assistant at Medford Hospital where she met the love of her life, Arthur, and they were married 60 years. Together they started Meyer Lumber Co. of Dorchester, along with two of Arthur’s brothers. Marion initially worked in the office and even did the books at home on a card table with a borrowed typewriter. In 1977 they retired and moved to Holcombe. Marion very much enjoyed living on the lake in Holcombe. She loved visits from her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She enjoyed playing cards, water skiing, pontooning, fishing, gardening, and trips to the casino. Marion swam every day in the lake during the summers and could be seen scraping the snow off the roof into her 90s. Marion was blessed with many friends and neighbors who continued to watch over her after Art’s passing. Marion was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; her parents, Marie (Dahl) and Alvin Nelson; brother, Conrad Nelson; and sister, Irene Knippel; daughter-in-law Karen Meyer; and her beloved cat Benny. She is survived by her three children, Bruce Meyer, Duane (Jane) Meyer, and Marcia (Joey) Garcia; five grandchildren, Holly (Drew) Martin, Amy (Erich Kliewer) Meyer, Daniel (Cassie) Meyer, Joey Garcia Jr, & Kody Meyer; seven great-grandchildren, Braxton, Delaina and Cadence Meyer, Avery and Bodhi Martin, and Marlo and Norah Kliewer. Funeral service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund is being established for Marion’s favorite charities. Paid Obituary 132341

1932-2023 Gerald T. Johnson, 90, of Medford, died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 at Comforts of Home Assisted Living in Hudson. A celebration of life will be held at a later date and will be together with his brother David, who passed away on Oct. 12, 2022. He was born July 1, 1932 in Medford to Kearny and Sophie (Sperl) Johnson. He grew up in Medford and Merrill. Following high school, he joined the U.S. Army National Guard, serving from 1951-1954. On June 20, 1964 Gerald married June K. Hodd in Abbotsford. They resided in Medford where Gerald worked at the Medford Creamery, Harvey Co. and then Weather Shield. Gerald was a lover of travel. In his post high school years before marrying, he did the majority of his travel, but he and June went to many places as a family as well. He made it to all 50 states. His favorite trip was a cruise to Belize. In his younger days he spent a lot of his time with the Johnson family on lake Esadore and was an avid water skier. Later on, he purchased his own family cabin on lake Esadore. He always loved being near and enjoying scenic waters, and being in nature. He liked his little cabin to sit and watch the wildlife. In the late 90’s, he and June became snowbirds, escaping the snow and cold to their small lake home in northern Florida. He and June were also big polka dancing fans and followed the Don Frodl orchestra. They once even had the orchestra play on a pontoon boat on lake Esadore which drew quite a following of boats at the time. He was very much a lover of antiques and especially antique cars. His pride and joy was a 1941 Studebaker. He and his brother Don even built a race car together. Even though he had many other interests, Gerald’s passion was woodworking and stonework. He was a lifetime artist and true craftsman. He took pride in each piece he made, mostly he liked to build tables from live edge boards, boats, ships, and clocks. Family members have many cherished items he has crafted over the years. He will be dearly missed by his wife, June of Medford; children, Darla (Mark) Weber of Medford, Wayne (Laura) Johnson of Harshaw, Laura (Daniel) Lang of Venice, FL; siblings, Laverne Johnson of New Berlin, Bonnie Wagner, Barb Metz, both of Medford; grandchildren, Sadie Keesy, Nicole (Tom) Thorson, Cody Lang; step-grandchildren, Ian (Kellie) Weber, Nathan (Mikaela) Weber, Nathan (Melanie) Myhre, Derek Procknow; great-grandchildren, Ailey and Amara Wulf, Brooklyn Thorson; step-greatgrandchildren, Pacey, Silas, Kennedy and Emerson Weber; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers, Raymond, Donald and David Johnson. Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. Online condolences can be left at www. hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 132393

1948-2023 William “Bill” Nelson, 74, of Medford, passed away on Jan. 8, 2023. A committal service will be held at the VA cemetery near Union Grove, on March 17 at 11 a.m., a meal hosted by his daughters will follow at North Cape Lutheran Church in Franksville. Bill was born to Carl and Frances Nelson. He grew up in Racine, and attended Horlick High School. He joined the Navy, serving our country for four years, three in the Vietnam War. He was awarded with a Vietnam Campaign Medal and the National Defense Service Medal along with nine bronze stars. He was proud to be a veteran and advocated for veteran rights up until his final days. He later moved to Medford, spending the rest of his life there, working several jobs in the area and doing what he loved most, working in the scrapping industry. Bill is survived by his three daughters, Tammy Lee Nelson, Kimberly (Keith) Bahrs, and Georgette (Blake) Teschner, his step-son, Steve Nelson; also many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. He is also survived by siblings, Al (Carol) Nelson, Dee Jump, Chuck Nelson, and Lloyd (Diana) Nelson. He was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; siblings, Marlow Nelson, Donald Nelson, and Carol Jean (Nelson) Lawrence; a brother-inlaw, Earl Jump; and grandson, Michael Ligman. Paid Obituary 132312

1936-2023 John Joseph Poncek, 86, of Westboro, died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 with family at his side, at his home where he was also born and lived his entire life. John fought a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease for 23 years. A memorial service/celebration of life will be planned and announced more toward spring. John was born Nov. 1, 1936 to Bruno and Josephine (Kolodziejczyk) Poncek. He attended Westboro Schools. On June 3, 1967 John married the love of his life, Prentice native Geraldine (Bleck) Poncek who survives along with daughters, Joan (Jason) Steliga, Cynthia (Jay) Thums, Kris Poncek, Kimberly Poncek (Orlando), Karyn (Brad) Gebert; as well as grandchildren, Mariah, Hope, Jayden, Sonora, Nicholas, Mattie, Jolie, Kella, and Orlando. John was a kind hearted, good natured, hard working man who always had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and was loved by many. He worked on road construction, at Omark Industries/Prentice Hydraulics, and eventually took over the family dairy farm and farmed 40 plus years. John was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Prentice, a past member of the Westboro Sportsman’s Club, and a supervisor for the Town of Westboro. John loved his family, loved his friends and loved to Polka. He also very much enjoyed joking around, his Pontiac cars, Johnny Cash music, sporting events, his 350 tractor, hunting, snowmobiling and family gatherings. It brought John immense joy to be surrounded by family, extended family and friends while reminiscing old stories, creating new memories, and embracing family traditions. Other survivors include sisters Margaret Boyd, Evangeline Culbertson, and Julia Kampa. In-laws Judy (Fred) Heizler, Janice (Allan) Niemi, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by grandsons, Jay Rolland and Edwin John Thums; an infant brother, Jan; and other siblings, Nellie (Merwin) Krause, Bernice (Paul) Johnson, Joseph (Eleanor) Poncek, Mary (John) Korienek, Sophie Poncek, Anna (Harold) Wennerstrand, Betty (Leroy) Lennartz; nieces, Margaret Scharski, Donna Congemi, Jackie and Ellen Poncek; nephews, Henry Krause, Donald Sliwa, Bernard and Edward Poncek; father and mother-in-law Gerald and Rose Bleck; and brothers-in-law, George Sliwa, Roy Kampa, Tom Culbertson, Thomas and Daniel Bleck. John’s family wishes to extend a huge thank you to everyone who ever assisted in his care in any way, especially Hope Hospice and all those associated. Their compassion and dedication was exceptional. Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time. Online condolences may be expressed at MWCS.WS. Paid Obituary 132272

1990-2022 Andrew James Clark died on Dec. 9, 2022 after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction. Funeral service will be announced at a later date. Andrew was born on Oct. 10, 1990 at Medford Memorial Hospital, the son of Bryan and Karen Clark. Andrew was a 2009 graduate of Gilman High School. After high school Andrew helped on the family dairy farm and held down a number of jobs. Andrew had a real passion for animals, going out of his way to rescue and care for wild and tame animals. He loved music, he enjoyed playing guitar, singing and writing songs with his brothers. Andrew loved spending time with family, and friends. Other hobbies Andrew enjoyed included cooking, skateboarding, weight lifting, making videos, and fishing. Andrew is survived by his loving family, his parents, Bryan and Karen (Wojcik) Clark; his brothers, Justin and Coltyn; and grandparents, Keith and Dawn Clark. Preceded in death by grandparents, John and Gloria Wojcik, Gilman; and great-grandparents, Alva and Laura Clark, Gilman, and Lowell and Goldene Hartzell, Gilman. In lieu of flowers the Clark family ask that you donate to your local homeless shelter. Paid Obituary 132111

1953-2023 Mary J. Peissig, 69, of Curtiss, died Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 at Marshfield Medical Center after a brief battle with cancer. A celebration of life will be held on June 9, 2023 at the Munson Bridge Winery, one of Mary’s favorite places. She was born March 13, 1953, in Marshfield to George and Monica (Egle) Schreiner and grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Medford High School in 1971. On July 3, 1971, Mary married Dell Peissig. They resided in the township of Mayville where they farmed until 1991. They resided on the farm until their deaths. She loved to crochet, knit, and sew. She donated a lot of her crafting to local charities. She also loved to cook and bake, especially with her grandchildren, and also made her own wine. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed spending time outdoors. She traveled during her retirement, including trips to Trinidad, Antigua, and Hawaii. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family. Dell preceded her in death on Nov. 25, 2015. She is survived by three children, Jessie (Nigel Gomez) Peissig of Fullerton, Calif., Erik (Lovey) Peissig of St. Francis, Minn., Ryan (Laura) Peissig of Oshkosh; her brother, Dennis; and her sisters, Rita, Lolly, Dorothy, Georgene, Callie, Mutzie, and Linda. She is further survived by her grandchildren, Rio, Iva, Emmalynne, River, and Isla. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her brother George; and her sisters, Angie and Millie. Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. Online condolences can be left at www. hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 132084