Marie Margaret (nee Kohlbeck) Wenzel, 100, of Stratford, completed her earthly journey on June 28, 2023. Born June 3, 1923, to Joseph and Anna (Grall) Kohlbeck, she was the fourth of five children. She grew up on the family farm northeast of Hewitt in the Town of Marshfield. Marie attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Hewitt. Upon completion of her education, she first was employed as a domestic housekeeper and later at the Johnson Garment Factory in Marshfield. Marie met the love of her life, Alfred L. Wenzel, through his brother, Leo, whom she had been dating. When Alfred joined the military service, they continued their courtship through letters and just on furlough. Alfred was so concerned that this pretty young lady would be taken from him that he sent Marie an engagement ring and proposed through the mail. She accepted, and on May 29, 1946, six months after his honorable discharge from the Army, they were married at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Hewitt, a love story that lasted more than 69 years. Following their marriage, Alfred and Marie farmed with his parents on an 80 acre dairy farm south of Stratford. When Louis and Anna moved to Stratford in 1948, Alfred and Marie purchased the farm where they continued to live until they retired and moved into a new ranch style home in Stratford in 1982. Their son, Dennis, rented the farm until the fall of 1984, at which time it was bought by Leick Farms, Inc. Marie was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Stratford, PCCW and the Rosary Altar Society. Her interests included gardening, cooking, baking, canning, playing cards, throwing darts, playing bingo and attending family athletic and academic activities. She was an avid Brewers fan. She enjoyed playing softball with the family, always hitting the ball for the kids to retrieve! Her family thoroughly enjoyed her exceptional baking and cooking skills, often without the need of a recipe, especially her homemade bread, sweet rolls, doughnuts, cookies, pies, and everyone’s favorite, her Maple Nut Cake with penuche frosting. The basement shelves were lined with hundreds of quarts of canned goods every fall, and she was especially renowned for her sweet dill pickles. Dad was known as a master story and joke teller, but Mom could hold her own in that category. Among some of her favorites were these: “What is in a honeymoon salad?” Answer: “Lettuce alone!” “What did the girdle say to the hat?” Answer: “You go on ahead; I’ll bring up the rear!” “What did the ceiling say to the wall?” (Dad’s answer): “I’ll meet you in the corner!” Mom outdid him with, “Hold me up. I’m plastered!” After Dad’s passing on September 8, 2015, Mom continued to live in their home in Stratford until she could no longer carry on independently. In October 2017, she moved to an assisted living facility in Marshfield where she looked forward to almost daily visits from family, relatives and friends. Marie’s 50 descendants include eight children, 18 grandchildren and 24 greatgrandchildren: Dr. Edward Wenzel of Onalaska; Richard (Judy) Wenzel of Rozellville and their two children: Jamie (Heather), Taya (AJ Schoenfuss), Daxtyn, Zayden and Kollyns of Hewitt, Julie (Matt) Schillinger of Rozellville and Macie of Eau Claire and Marah of Rozellville; Mary Jean (Rodney) Passehl of Edgar, and their three children: Kelly (Chad) Erickson and Ashley and Preston, all of Edgar, Tracy (Christopher) Freund and Kayla and Dylan of Marathon, and Ryan (fiancée Karlin Stalder) and his son Trent, of McFarland; Roseann (Forrest “Speedy”) Johnson and their three children: Patrick (Megan) and Averi and Mila, Michael (Kimberly) and Mason and Kennedi, and Kristi (Les) Ormond and Jackson and Jaegar, all of Stratford; Dennis Wenzel of Stratford and his two sons: Ryan (Laura) and Jacob, Joel and Livia of Machesney Park, Ill., and Danny (Jodi) and Ellie and Henley of Stratford; Karen (Terrance) Fischer of Marshfield and their two sons: Bradley (Lisa) of Neenah and Christopher of Marshfield; Alice (Steven) Niehaus and their three children: Lisa (Bill) Frey, Benjamin (fiancée Ciara Heckel) and his children, Weston and Devyn, all of Marshfield, and Chad (Hanna) of Brookfield; Leon Wenzel of Medford and his three children: Matthew (fiancée Kayley Blaha) of Eau Claire, Brienna (fiancé Tyler Goltz) of Green Bay and Cameron (fiancée Cayden Nuernberger) of Altoona. Futhermore, Marie is survived by a sister, Margaret (late Edward) Grassl of Marshfield, sisters-in-law: Alice (late Sylvester) Fischer, of Marshfield and Sr. Margaret Wenzel, FSPA, of LaCrosse, as well as many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a daughter, Carol Ann, in infancy in 1947 (a blue baby that lived for five days), one brother, Richard (Elsie), two sisters: Helen (Lawrence) Strupp and Martha (Joseph) Steckler, and inlaws: Raymond (Rose VandeLoo and Marie Mader Daul), Walter, Agnes (Victor Neuwirth and Peter Meyer), Marie (Ludwig) Grassl, Leo (Mildred Kurtzweil), Loretta (late Norman) Tritz, Sr Dorothy Wenzel, FSPA, and Donald (Rose) Wenzel. A Mass of Christian burial was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 3, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where a visitation was held from 9 a.m. until service time. St. Joseph’s Parish Council of Catholic Women recited the rosary at 8:45 a.m. Fr. Sengole Vethamanickam presided. The service was livestreamed online at www.facebook.com/rembsfuneralhomes. Burial was in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Town of Eau Pleine. The honor of serving as pallbearers belonged to her beloved granddaughters: Julie (Wenzel) Schillinger, Kelly (Passehl) Erickson, Tracy (Passehl) Freund, Kristi (Johnson) Ormond, Lisa (Niehaus) Frey and Brienna Wenzel. In lieu of flowers, the family will provide an opportunity for memorialization through donations at a later date in honor of their mother. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Father Sen and Mary Drexler for their compassionate visits, blessings, and invaluable end-of-life counsel. The family also extends a heartfelt appreciation to the assisted living facilities that provided unwavering care for Marie. The staff at Promedica Hospice, including Miranda, Julie, and Donna, deserve special recognition for their kindness, professionalism, and outstanding service. Their unwavering dedication, exceptional caregiving skills, and genuine care brought immense comfort to Marie and her loved ones. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.rembsfh.com. Paid obituary 138909

George Hubert Stauske, 75, Athens, died Monday June 26, 2023, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. He was born April 2, 1948, in Wausau, son of the late Hubert and Edna (Zarling) Stauske. After high school graduation, George attended Northcentral Technical College, graduating with a degree in welding. He then returned home to the family farm and became a lifelong farmer. After selling the milk cows and keeping just the young stock, George went to work for Meyer Lumber and later Welcome Dairy. Finally retiring from outside jobs at the age of 66, he still maintained and enjoyed the farm animals. Survivors include his sister, Lois (Kelly) Bunkelman, Athens; nephew, Steven (Jessica) Bunkelman, Athens; great-nephew, Brendon Bunkelman, Athens; two nieces, Suzanne (Brandon) Barber, Phillips and Sabrina (Dylan Weiler) Bunkelman, Athens, and his close friend, Grace Mueller. He was preceded in death by his parents. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 9, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 Elm Street, Athens. Rev. Mark Schwalenberg will preside. Burial will be in the Athens cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Sunday at the church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Athens. Lois and her family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, who were with George and attended him this last week of his life. Lois would also like to thank all the wonderful neighbors who assisted George during the past 10 years. Your kindness was appreciated and will not be forgotten. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Athens, is in charge of arrangements. Paid obituary 138756

Rodney “Rod” R. Pohlman, age 59, of Owen, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 19, 2023, at the Marshfield Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford. Interment to follow at Pine Hill Cemetery in Curtiss. Family and friends are welcome from 4 until 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30, and from 10 a.m. until the time of service Saturday all at the funeral home. Rod was born on November 29, 1963, the son of Robert and Karen (Beckman) Pohlman in Madison. He graduated from Colby High School. On May 4, 1984, Rod was united in marriage to Renee Foster. He farmed, drove milk truck for Stuart Mews and drove truck for the past 23 years for Wisco Feeds. Rod enjoyed gardening, deer and turkey hunting, fishing, listening to Johnny Cash and George Jones, watching the Packers, Brewers, Badgers and NASCAR and collecting toy tractors. He especially loved driving his Wisco “Papa” truck. Rod enjoyed his coffee at Jackie’s at OW Sports in Owen then going for rides. He was goofy, quirky and a jokester. He connected with everyone and especially loved talking to all his farmer friends on his route and hanging out with his Wisco family. Most importantly, Rod loved and cherished spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Rod is survived by his wife of 39 years, Renee; three children: Rhonda (Christopher) Reinhart of Marshfield, Rosie (Josh) Zastrow of Kronenwetter, and Rebecca Pohlman (Roger Hattamer) of Loyal; seven grandchildren: Michael and Kaitlynn Reinhart, Koda and Bentley Zastrow, McKayla Hattamer (fiancé, Kyle Mork), Weston and Makenzie Hattamer. He is further survived by his parents, Robert and Karen Pohlman of Owen; three siblings: Kim (Dale) Williams of Stetsonville, Curt (Mary) Pohlman of Loyal and Dawn (Kenny) Schmitt of Cadott; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, his Wisco Feeds family, other relatives and friends. Online condolences can be made to www.maurinaschillingfuneralhome.com. Paid obituary 138602_2

Juliann Talley, age 77, of Stratford, passed away on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at Vita Care Assisted Living. She was born on July 15, 1945, in Oelwein, Iowa, the daughter of George and Virginia Jamison. She married James Talley on November 27, 1965, in Oelwein, Iowa. Juliann graduated from Oelwein High School in 1963. After graduation she attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she received a degree in business administration. She worked in various secretarial positions in Black River Falls. Juliann enjoyed camping, playing bridge and attending her children’s sporting and school events. Juliann is survived by her husband, James Talley; her daughter, Lisa (Chuck) Foley; her son, Jim (Karin) Talley; her son, Jeff (Tara) Talley; her brother, Alan (Barb) Jamison and their three boys, Eric, Scott and Mark; and seven grandchildren: Brandon, Mikayla and Ryan Foley, Nicholas and Hayden Talley, and Morgen and Maya Talley. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Virginia Jamison, and daughter, Jaime Leigh in infancy. A graveside service will be held in her hometown of Oelwein, Iowa, on October 14 at the Woodlawn Cemetery. The family would like to thank Rachel and the staff from Moments Hospice, the staff at Just Like Home and the staff of Vita Care for all of their support, guidance, friendship and care of Julie. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to Moments Hospice or Vita Care Assisted Living. The Buswell Funeral Home of Black River Falls is assisting the family, 715-284-2231. Paid obituary 138599

Janice I. Lang, age 78, of Marathon, passed away on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Janice was born in Wausau on May 21, 1945, to Leonard and Helen (Hornung) Kummerow. She graduated from Marathon High School. On October 24, 1964, she was united in marriage to LeRoy Lang at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Marathon City. She was a dedicated wife, mother and homemaker. She worked a variety of jobs to include pharmacy technician at Stieber Drugs and clerical at Marshfield Clinic. She was a member of both Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cassel and of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Marathon City. Her hobbies included playing her favorite card games like Sheepshead and rummy with family and friends, tending to her beautiful flower gardens, special vacation in Mexico doing some sport fishing, going to Laughlin and Las Vegas, or just spending time with family at their cabin. Those who will cherish her memory include her loving husband, LeRoy; her sons: Daniel (Laura) Lang of Venice, Fla., and Craig (Christine) Lang of Edgar; her daughters: Jodi (Dennis) Hinderliter of Medford and Joanne (Joe) Schreier of Edgar; her grandchildren: Nicole (Tom) Thorson, Cody Lang, Miranda Lang, Heather (Chris) Guden, Heidi (Taran) Brodziski, Breanna (Tyler) Socha, Bret Murkowski, Shauna (Tom) Szymanski, Becca Hinderliter, George Hinderliter, Oscar Hinderliter and Lucas Schreier; her great-grandchildren: Brooklyn, Henry, Isabelle, Amelia, Ivan, Emmett, Charlotte, Landon, Levi, Briggs and Briar. She is further survived by her brother, James (Glenda) Kummerow of Merrill; her twin sister, Patricia Furger of Marathon and her sister-in-law, Laura Kummerow of Wausau, along with many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Helen Kummerow; her daughter, Jenny Lang; her granddaughters: Andrea, Kristine and Jessica Hinderliter; her brother, Dennis Kummerow; and brother-in-law, Ralph Furger. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cassel with Rev. Joseph Nakwah presiding. She will be laid to rest in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Marathon. Family and friends are invited to gather on Thursday at the church in Cassel from 9 a.m. until the time of service. The honor of pallbearer belongs to: Cody Lang, Miranda Lang, George Hinderliter, Oscar Hinderliter, Becca Hinderliter and Shauna Szymanski. If desired, the family is accepting memorials in Janice’s name yet to be determined. Janice’s arrangements are under the care of Life Tributes Funeral Home, Spencer. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www. lifetributesfuneralhome.com. Paid obituary 138418

Marie C. Riehle, 98, Athens, passed away on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital. She was born November 25, 1924, in the town of Halsey, daughter of the late Leo and Rose (Salzman) Mallak. On October 18, 1944, she married Lawrence P. Riehle at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens. He preceded her in death on January 20, 2011. Marie was a longtime member of St. Anthony Catholic Church, where she volunteered for many church functions. She was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and a Eucharistic Minister. Marie was a member of the Senior Citizens Club, the Forest View Card Club and the Homemaker’s Club. Among her favorite pastimes, she enjoyed making candy and other sweet treats at Christmastime, gardening, taking care of her family and friends and helping anyone in need whenever she could. Survivors include her daughter, Sharon (James “Mike”) LaPointe, Wausau; two grandchildren: Aimee Pritzl, Weston and Michael (Cory) LaPointe, Weston; three great-grandchildren: Elizabeth, Katie and Benjamin Pritzl; two step great-grandchildren: Rocky and Mari Rybarczyk; and many nieces and nephews. Besides her parents and husband, Lawrence, she was preceded in death by her grandson-in-law, Patrick Pritzl; two sisters: Barbara Rauen and Rosella Silber; and seven brothers: Lawrence, Harold, Frank, Clarence, Leonard, Joseph and Raymond Mallak. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens. Rev. George Graham will preside. Burial will be in the Calvary Cemetery, Athens. Visitation will be on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Anthony Catholic School in memory of Marie. Marie’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Country Terrace in Tomahawk for the staff’s compassionate care and assistance that was given to her during her stay with them. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Athens, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com. Paid obituary 138318

Rita R. Boser, 95, of Edgar, went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on May 27, 2023. Rita was born January 31, 1928, in Edgar, to parents Matthias and Mary (Wirkus) Boser. She worked as a secretary at Marathon Electric from the age of 19 until she retired. She also worked on the family farm, milking cows and doing the chores. Rita was known as a “cat lady” because she adored all the farm cats, making sure to feed and love each and every one of them. She was a devout Catholic and loved the Lord. She could be found at 10 a.m. Mass at St. John’s with her mother and father every Sunday. She took her parents on trips throughout the years, visiting Oregon, Milwaukee and several other places. In her younger days, when she was done milking, on Saturdays she and her niece would go beer drinking at Prochnow’s and Rib River Ballroom and maybe have ONE beer. Her love for polkas still remained in her recent years. There are fond memories of Mike picking her up and dancing to polkas and bringing her a beer. She loved and appreciated her family dearly. Rita’s favorite thing was going out to eat, especially eating deep fried shrimp and fries! She enjoyed attending nieces and nephews weddings, baptisms and family get-togethers. Our family will truly miss her. Rita is survived by her many nieces, nephews and extended family. She will be deeply missed by her niece, guardian and caretaker, Shirley (Arlowe) Erickson, and another niece, Karen Stoiber. She was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings. A Mass of Christian burial was held Monday, June 5, 2023, at 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Edgar. Visitation was from 9:30 a.m. until the time of Mass. Father Alan Wierzba presided. Burial followed in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rita’s memory to the church are appreciated. We wish to thank the staff at Our House and Interim Hospice for their care over Rita. Paid obituary 138056

Sarah Jo Mucha, age 47, of Edgar, died peacefully at her home on Friday, June 2, 2023, with family at her side. After a courageous three year battle with cancer, she is now at rest in the arms of Jesus. Sarah Jo Heier was born June 10, 1975, to John and Teresa (Ellenbecker) Heier of Athens. On April 26, 2003, she married Glen Mucha at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Milan. They made their home in Edgar and together they were blessed with three beautiful daughters, Jessica, Kendra and Laura, who were the loves of her life. Sarah attended Athens Elementary and Athens High School, graduating in 1993. After graduation, she attended classes at UWMarshfield, worked at Eastbay in Wausau, worked in the office at S.D. Ellenbecker, provided in-home daycare for family and friends, and in July 2015, worked as a high school administrative assistant for the Edgar School District until March 2023. One of Sarah’s favorite things was spending time with family and friends, whether it was for birthday parties or gatherings, going to the family cottage on Lake Nokomis, taking long pontoon rides, sitting around the campfire, and taking trips with the family camper to various campsites. She loved attending her girls’ sporting events, concerts, and school plays. She also enjoyed playing cards with her close friends. Sarah loved the Edgar community and was always willing to help whenever there was a need. Sarah’s faith was extremely important to her. She was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Edgar, she enjoyed listening to Relevant Radio, prayed the rosary and the chaplet every night with her family, and taught CCD classes. Sarah is survived by her parents: John and Teresa Heier; her husband, Glen; three daughters: Jessica, Kendra and Laura; her sister, Jaclyn (Matthew) Woller, and brother, Jonathan (Jill) Heier; sisters-in-law: Carla (Allen) Beck and Brenda (Bob) Kempf; nieces and nephews: Kenzie, Jackson and Parker Woller, Hattie, Piper, Maverick and Drake Heier, Kristen (Chad) Waechter, Kaitlyn Beck, Morgan (Matt) Gannon and Alex (McKenna) Kempf; along with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Sylvester “Fat” and Hattie Ellenbecker; paternal grandparents, George and Christina Heier, and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Carl and Janet Mucha. A special thanks to her home caregivers: Aunt Mary Ellenbecker, cousin Julie Guden and best friend Betty Domka. Also, a special thanks to Mary Knoeck for her weekly visits and communion; Father Al for his continued prayers, home visits and blessings; Morgan Mueller, colleague and friend, for all the help and support through Sarah’s journey; and all of the other amazing Edgar School District staff for meals, monetary gifts, prayers and support. Lastly, we would like to thank the community, family, and friends for the continued love and support, prayers, gifts or helping in any way to make Sarah’s last months special. Sarah touched the lives of so many people and made a lasting impression on everyone she met. Sarah was a light in the world that will never be forgotten. Her beautiful smile, contagious laugh and heartwarming personality will be missed by all who knew her. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at St. John Catholic Church, Edgar. Rev. Alan Wierzba will preside. Burial will be in St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Wuertzburg. Visitation will be on Monday, June 12, 2023, from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the church and again on Tuesday from 9 a.m. until the time of service at the church. The rosary service will begin at 8 p.m. Monday evening. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Edgar, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com. Paid obituary 137685

Thomas G. Hollatz, 74, Stratford, passed away on Saturday, June 3, 2023, to be with his Savior. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023, at Grace Lutheran Church, Town of Green Valley with Rev. Paul Vander Galien presiding. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at Rembs Funeral Home in Marshfield and from 10 a.m. until service time at church on Friday. Tom was born on March 5, 1949, in Marshfield to Walter and Lorraine (Olson) Hollatz. He attended McKinley Grade School and Purdy Junior High School and graduated from Marshfield Senior High School in 1968. Tom was a farmer and worked part-time at the Pea Vinery, bartended, and hauled milk for Teska. After he retired from farming, he was employed by SNE Enterprises in Mosinee and later cooked for a restaurant business. Tom also managed Austin’s Angus Acres. Tom enjoyed playing pool, going up north to the cabin, restoring the farm house, spending time with his son, and being with his family members and friends. He is survived by his son, Austin (fiancé, Molly Gross) Shelley of Stratford. He is also survived by his siblings: Dennis (Sherie) Hollatz of Auburndale, Karen (Edmund) Beining of Sheboygan Falls, June Ottelien of Stratford and David Hollatz of Stratford. He is further survived by several nieces and nephews, who he loved very much. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Lorraine (Olson) Hollatz, brothers: Keith Hollatz and Wayne Hollatz, and brother-in-law Ronald Ottelien. Condolences may be sent online at www.rembsfh.com. Paid obituary 137693

Virginia “Gin” Schulz, 89, died Wednesday, May 24, 2023, under the care of Interim Hospice at Copperleaf Assisted Living of Marathon. She was born on February 23, 1934, in Schnappsville, daughter of the late Frank and Agnes (Socha) Cichon. On November 30, 1969, she married Charles “Chuck” Schulz. They celebrated 49 years of marriage before he preceded her in death on February 4, 2019. Gin retired from Wausau Insurance and enjoyed gardening and traveling, especially to Las Vegas and Hawaii. She had a gentle spirit and friendly smile. Gin enjoyed cooking, especially her specialty, chili. She had a sweet tooth and always had mini candy bars and a cold beverage on hand for visitors. She grew up with a neighbor from Schnappsville, who became her best friend and remained a lifelong friend, Rita Bonin, who preceded her in death. Survivors include her sister-in-law, Clara Cichon; step-children: Cheryl (Roger) Hubing and Lon Schulz, and nine nieces and nephews. Besides her parents and husband, Charles, she was preceded in death by Lon’s spouse, Suzanne (Suzy) Schulz, and brothers: Alois, Alvin, Ervin and David Cichon. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 16, 2023, at Holy Family Catholic Church, Poniatowski. Rev. Alan Wierzba will preside. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of service all at Holy Family Catholic Church, Poniatowski. In lieu of flowers, a memorial is being established. Paid obituary 137686