1933-2021 Donna B. Rohrick, 88, of Medford, passed away on Sunday, Apr. 4, 2021 at her residence, under the care of Aspirus Hospice, surrounded by family, after a short battle with cancer. Medford High School. She married Bob J. Rohrick on Feb. 7, 1953 and together they had three children. He preceded her in death in 2001. Donna enjoyed crafting, sewing, dancing, and playing cards. She loved her family and friends and spending time with them was very important to her. Donna is survived by her children, Debra (Brian) Harder of Centreville, Mich., Bruce (Madelyn) Rohrick of Houston, Texas, and Thomas (Nadine) Rohrick of Anchorage, Alaska; brother, Carl (Lorraine) Nelsen of Wausau; devoted partner, Valerian Troyanowski of Medford; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren. She is further survived by nieces; nephews; and other family and friends. In addition to her husband, Bob, she was preceded in death by her parents. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Donna’s honor. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. A memorial service for Donna will take place at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Apr. 8, 2021 at Hemer Funeral Home, Medford Chapel, with Pastor John Hazen officiating. Burial will take place at Medford Evergreen Cemetery II at a later date. Visitation will take place at the funeral home on Thursday, Apr. 8 from 11 a.m. until the time of service at 12 p.m. Due to COVID concerns, masking will be required at the funeral home. Donna was born on Mar. 22, 1933 in Marshfield to Jens and Pearl (Francois) Nelsen. She graduated from Paid Obituary 103124

Reports of Area Deaths acek 1947-2021 A gentle, kind friend to all who lived a life of service to others, William “Bill” J. Wacek, 73, passed away on Sunday, Mar. 21 at his Medford residence after a brief battle with cancer. Service information can be found at Bill’s online obituary at Hemer Funeral Service, www. hemerfuneralservice.com. Bill was born on May 28, 1947, in Medford to William and Verna (Smedegard) Wacek. He was a graduate of Westboro High School. Upon graduation, Bill enlisted in the Navy and briefly served on the USS Arcadia before being honorably discharged. After working at American Motors in Milwaukee, he returned home to Taylor County where he devoted his time to serving customers at Northern Auto, later Carquest, where he worked as a delivery driver, salesman and manager before his retirement. During this time, he also briefly drove school bus for the Rib Lake School District. Upon his parents’ deaths, he continued working the family farm in Westboro. Bill enjoyed farming and tractors, working with his hands, successfully fixing anything mechanical, watching Lawrence Welk on Saturdays and his daily phone calls with his sister. He was united in marriage to Mary Schumacher on May 26, 1979. She survives him. He is fondly remembered by his son, Mark (Beth) of Menomonie; and his two grandchildren, Zach and Miriam, who enjoyed their visits with him. He will always be known as the world’s best brother by his sister, Jane (Howard) Rokus of Saukville, and a beloved uncle by his niece, Laurie (Doug) Arendt of Grafton. He is also survived by cousins; and numerous friends, including his Westboro friends/neighbors. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; many aunts and uncles; and a stillborn son, Thomas. His extended family thanks Jeremy Voda, who was an immeasurable help to Bill, along with the staff of Hope Hospice, in his final days. Bill will be remembered for his deep, quiet, Lutheran faith, his love of tractors and his dislike of Chinese food. Please join his son, sister and niece in celebrating the things that made him the most happy by considering a memorial to North Central WI Antique Steam & Gas Engine Club, Inc., PO Box 272, Edgar, WI 54426. Paid Obituary 103100

1945-2021 Maynard Eugene Purgett, age 75, of Abbotsford, passed away on Monday Mar. 29, 2021 at his home under the tender care of Hospice surrounded by his loving family. tilling business with his wife for over 30 years. Maynard enjoyed being outside in his younger years. Together they traveled the United States on their motorcycle. Most importantly, he cherished his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Maynard is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rox-Anne; two sons, Scott Purgett and Todd Purgett both of Owen; 11 grandchildren, Elizabeth, Emily, Benji, Erica, Nichole, Bryce, Bailey, Natasha, Kelsey, Jessica and Zacharey; and 15 great-grandchildren. He is further survived by his sister, Nadine Churkey of Stevens Point; and a brother, Mike (Roxane) Purgett from Greenwood; 11 brothers-in-law and sisters-inlaw, Jacqueline Suthard, Paula St. Clair, Linda Bruner, Bryon Thorson, Mark Thorson, Rhonda (David) Thorson, Brenda (Fazi) Behroyon, Wayne (Jackie) Thorson, Phil Moran, William (Lena) Thorson, and Susan Thorson; nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Wayne and Norman; and a sister-in-law, Merry Beth Moran. Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. A Memorial Service will be held at the home of Maynard and RoxAnne at 12 noon on Saturday, Apr. 3 officiated by Pastor Bruce Jahnke. Following the service there will be a luncheon; all are welcome. Maynard was born on Nov. 28, 1945, the son of the late Ray and Eleanor (Wood) Purgett in Stanley. He lived on the home farm north of Owen. Maynard drove milk truck, worked at the whey plant in Owen and farmed with his father for many years. He married RoxAnne Thorson Mar. 6, 1965 at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Withee. They started their life on the home farm for two years before moving to rural Abbotsford. Maynard worked for PCA of Colby for 43 years. He also started his own lawn mowing and garden Paid Obituary 102885

1969-2021 Rhonda Kay Jakel, age 51, of Curtiss, passed away on Friday, Mar. 26, 2021 at her home surrounded by her loving family under the tender care of hospice. A Memorial Service was held on Wednesday, Mar. 31, 2021 at 7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Abbotsford. Rev. Donald Bruce officiated. Family and friends were welcome from 4 p.m. until time of funeral Wednesday at the church. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford was entrusted with the arrangements. We encouraged those in attendance to abide by the Covid-19 guidelines by sanitizing, wearing a mask (if able) and social distancing. Rhonda was born on Apr. 1, 1969, the daughter of Larry Cooper and Dianne Bargenquast in Marshfield. Rhonda worked at Aspirus Hospital in Medford for 25 years as a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Rhonda was united in marriage to Thomas Jakel on Oct. 21, 1995 at Christ Lutheran Church in Abbotsford. Her most important thing in life was raising and loving her children. Rhonda loved taking family vacations and especially loved being on any beach. She loved playing violin, collecting and decorating her house that she loved with antiques and photography. Most importantly, Rhonda was a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Rhonda is survived by her husband, Tom; her two children, Jesse and Josie; four sisters and two brothers, Laura (Daniel) Murray, Chris (Brittney) Esselman, Lindsay Brandner, Cassie (Tim) Schafer, Carrie Korth and Larry Cooper, Jr. She is further survived by her mother, Dianne (Ray) Esselman; her father, Larry (Linda) Cooper; many nieces; nephews; other relatives; and many friends. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Ralph and Evelyn Bargenquast; and her great-grandparents, Willard and Meta Brunner. Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. She received a degree from Midstate Technical College in Marshfield in Respiratory Therapy. Paid Obituary 102828

1940-2021 Helen B. Obscherning, 80, Medford, a former Town of Deer Creek resident, died on Friday, Mar. 26, 2021 at Marshfield Medical Center where she had been a patient for the past nine days. Funeral services for Helen will be private family only graveside services at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Apr. 1 at Zion Ev. Lutheran Cemetery, Stetsonville with Rev. Richard Russow officiating. Pallbearers will be Dave Fischer and Jeff Jaenke. Helen was born on Sept. 12, 1940 in the Town of Ogema, Price County, the daughter of Nicholas and Astrid (Westberg) Hallberg. She attended Ogema elementary schools, was a 1958 graduate of Prentice High School, and was a 1994 graduate of NTC-Medford with a degree in information processing specialist. Her marriage took place on Sept. 22, 1962 in Ogema to Alfred F. Obscherning and he preceded her in death on Aug. 17, 1990. They farmed in the Town of Deer Creek from 1962-1990. She also worked at Stokely USA in Merrill, US Forest Service and Copps IGA both in Medford. She moved to the City of Medford in 2001. She enjoyed reading and flower gardening. She was a member of Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, Stetsonville and its Ladies Aid. Surviving are her children, Gail, Lynn and Leland Obscherning, all of Medford and Brent Obscherning of Mosinee. Also surviving are two sisters, Esther Johnson of Phillips and Annette (Ronald) Larson of Prentice; a sister-in-law, Mary Vircks of Lander, Wyo.; a brother-in-law, Will Petrill of Minn.; nieces/nephews; and great nieces/ nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; siblings, Rune Hallberg, Louise Barr and Lillie Malovrh. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 102900

1940-2021 Audrey A. Cypher, 80, Medford, a Town of Hammel resident, died on Friday, Mar. 26 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital where she had been a patient for the past day. at St. Louis Catholic Church, Dorchester to Gerald “Jerry” G. Cypher and he preceded her in death Apr. 26, 2013. She worked at Marathon Cheese in Medford for many years until retirement. She enjoyed traveling, camping, fishing, Green Bay Packer games, cooking, baking, gardening, feeding the birds, sewing and spending time with her family. Her Christian faith was very important to her. Surviving are her children, Jerry (Janet), Jeff, Greg (Michelle) and Lori Ann Cypher, all of Medford; eight grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Also surviving are her siblings, Bruce (Vera) Jensen of Dorchester, Vera Thorson of Dorchester, Sandy Jensen of Dousman and Dean “Jack” Jensen of Glidden. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and siblings, Beaulah Fischer, Charlene Hundrieser, Donna Goessl, Verna Meyer, Marilyn Meyer, Glen and Gene Jensen; along with Valgene, Lydia and Marvin Jensen all in infancy. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. A public visitation for Audrey was held from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 31 at Hemer Funeral Home, Medford. Private family only services will be held at a later date at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Holway with Rev. Amy Heinz officiating. Interment of her cremated remains will be at Pine Hill Cemetery, Curtiss. Due to COVID concerns, masking was required at the funeral home. Audrey was born on Sept. 18, 1940 in the Town of Mayville, Clark County, the daughter of Arthur and Margaret (Ulrich) Jensen. She attended Hilltop Elementary School, Town of Mayville and Abbotsford High School. Her marriage took place on Nov. 8, 1958 Paid Obituary 102827

Reports of Area Deaths 1941-2021 win on the slots. During the spring and summer, she loved digging in her flower beds and watching her beautiful flowers blossom, especially the lilies. Kathy was an avid football fan, always cheering on her Green Bay Packers, but also knew more football stats than most men… she kept up on her football! Kathy loved being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Nothing made her happier than spending time with her family and all of her grandchildren. She was their biggest cheerleader in everything they did… and always with the best, most loving hug that only a mother and grandmother can give. Those who knew Kathy will always remember her love for life. She always made time for the ones she loved and never missed a birthday, life event, or special occasion. She will be missed every single day by all that knew her. Kathy is survived by her beloved husband, Gerald; three daughters: Renee Wurzer of St. Louis, MO; Roxanne (George) Komanec of Bloomer, WI; and Kelly Thompson of Chippewa Falls, WI; seven grandchildren, Amanda, Amy (Mike), Bryan (Kathryn), Alexandra, Jerald, Kennedy, and Cody; seven great grandchildren, Avery, Cannon, Jaxyn, Milaney, Abygail, Rexlynn, and Vivienne; her sisters, Betty, and Jeanne; and her extended family; and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Beatrice and Eugene; granddaughter, Krystal Komanec; sister, Patricia LeDuc; son-in-law, Leon Wurzer; brother-in-law, Michael “Mick” Hansman Sr.; and brother-in-law, Ed Hawkinson. During her final weeks on this earth Kathy was surrounded by her husband, family and many friends. Cards, flowers and love poured in for the woman who was so special to many. We will miss you every single day, but we know that you will always be with us cheering us on and supporting us from above. Cremation Society of Wisconsin is serving the family. Online condolences may be left at www.cremationsociety- wi.com. Kathleen (“Kathy”) Louise Riegert, 79, of Chippewa Falls, Town of Tilden, died peacefully on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at her residence surrounded by family. A service will be held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Tilden on Friday, April 16 at 11:00 a.m. with lunch to follow. Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services. A burial service will be held at a later date at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Kathy was born Sept. 27, 1941 in Chippewa Falls, the daughter of Eugene and Beatrice (Witt) McDonald. On July 9, 1960, Kathy married her tall, handsome sweetheart, Gerald T. Riegert of Stetsonville, WI at St. Charles Catholic Church in Chippewa Falls. Together, they had 3 children, Renee, Roxanne, and Kelly. They raised their family in Cornell, and later built a home on Lake Holcombe. Over the years they made many memories with their daughters, family and friends spending time on the lake, skiing, boating, snowmobiling, camping and traveling. Many home videos were watched over the last few weeks that showed what an amazing life they had. During her career as an administrative assistant, Kathy worked at Custom Machine Products, Cray Research/Silicon Graphics and finally retired from Hubbard Scientific in 2007. Those who worked with Kathy over the years will always remember her strong work ethic, professionalism, and compassionate charm she brought to work every day. In her younger years, you could find Kathy line dancing or swinging on the dance floor with Jerry (once all the other ladies had their turn she liked to joke). She was an excellent cook and her recipes are cherished and will be passed on through the years. Kathy was always up for a casino trip and loved to

1938-2021 Connie L. Clark, 83, of Thorp passed away on Thursday, Mar. 18, 2021 at Turner Integrity Care in Thorp. Graveside funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Mar. 22, 2021 at the Donald Cemetery, rural Taylor County with Pastor Kenneth Schmidt officiating. Connie Lou Englebretson was born on Feb. 2, 1938 in Cornell, the daughter of Earl and Lucille (Creaser) Englebretson. She was raised in the Donald area and graduated from Gilman High School in 1956. After graduating from high school, Connie attended the Taylor County Teacher’s College in Medford earning her teaching certificate. In 1958, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Clark. They later divorced. Connie taught school in the Waukesha area for ten years. Upon returning to central Wisconsin, Connie taught at Stanley-Boyd Schools for a few years. In 1980, she began teaching 3rd grade at the Thorp Catholic School in Thorp until her retirement in 2000. She loved her students and took great care in shaping their lives. During retirement, Connie enjoyed reading, having a piece of pie and ice cream, and camping with Fred and Penny. In her younger days, she also enjoyed snowmobiling. But most of all, she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Connie is survived by her two children, Penny (Fred) Gehrke of Willard and Steve Clark of Thorp; five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; one sister, Kathleen (Bernie) VandenHeuvel of Gilman; two brothers, Ronald Englebretson of Riverside, Calif. and Rocky (Kathy) Englebretson of West Allis; nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Ricky Englebretson; and her sister-in-law, Peggy Englebretson. Online condolences may be expressed at: www. cuddiefh.com Thorp Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Paid Obituary 102472

1951-2021 John F. Kahon Jr. passed away on Mar. 22, 2021 at the age of 70 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. His battle with serious medical issues in recent years showed his courage in facing life challenges with a smile. Despite the pain, John came out a hero and stayed strong until the end. Due to Covid, there will be no service at this time. At a later date, John’s ashes will be spread on the land that he loved so much. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Owen is entrusted with the arrangements. John is survived by his loving wife, Mary; and two sisters, Virginia Rialubin (Doyle) and Geraldine Janssen (Lyle). He was a proud Dad to John (Jamie) of Mosinee and Jeff (Brooke) of Kronenwetter. He loved spending time with his seven grandchildren who called him Papa, Morgan, Grace, John, Rylan, Rowan, Scarlett and Frankie. He is grateful to his friends, Richard Cwikla (Faye) and Joshua Shirk (Grace) whom came to his aid when help was needed. His cheerful, mischievous personality brought many smiles to all he knew. He will be missed by his family, friends and Cosmo, his faithful dog. Many thanks for the wonderful care provided by the Aspirus Medford Dialysis, the Wausau Hospital, and Clark County Rehabilitation teams. Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. Paid Obituary 102557