Reports of Area Deaths 1931-2020 Virginia Gehrt, 89, Rib Lake, died on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 at the Rib Lake Health Services where she had resided for the past seven years. Private graveside services will be held at the Neillsville City Cemetery, on Thursday, Dec. 10. Rev. Jacoba Koppert of the United Church of Christ, Neillsville, will officiate. where they owned and operated Gehrt’s Tavern. Gordon preceded her in death on Sept. 26, 1988. Known as “Virgie” to family and friends, she loved to play cards. There were weekly games played with friends, Mary, Betty, Donna, Darlene, Dorothy and Ben, and Larry. She would not leave the game until her pile of quarters was the largest on the table. A sense of humor, looking at old family pictures, and writing letters to family and friends, were constants in her life. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rib Lake, and a past member of the Taylor County Tavern League. Survivors include one sister, Gladys (Wehrman) Tatalovich; many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; sisters, Mary, Ida and Marian; and brothers, Henry, Alvin, Albert, Leo and Arno. Memorials may be sent to St. John Lutheran Church, 859 Fayette Ave, Rib Lake, WI 54470 or Rib Lake Lions Club, 806 Lake Shore Dr., Rib Lake, WI 54470. Hemer Funeral Service of Rib Lake is assisting the family with arrangements. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com Virginia Mae Wehrman was born on Aug. 12, 1931 in the Warner Township, Clark County to Otto and Elizabeth (Zell) Wehrman. When Virginia was three years of age, her mother died. Virginia along with her sister, Gladys, were then raised by their aunts, Caroline and Bertha Volk. She graduated from Greenwood High School in May 1949. After graduation she worked as customer accounts clerk at the Farmer’s Store in Greenwood. On May 15, 1954 she was united in marriage to Gordon Louis Gehrt at Zion United Church of Christ, Greenwood. After marriage, they lived in Milwaukee for a brief time. In Nov. 1958 they moved to Rib Lake Paid Obituary 98289

Judith “Judy” H uggett 1947-2020 Judith “Judy” Ilene (Esterby) Huggett, 73, died peacefully Dec. 5, 2020 in Rochester, Minn. following a short battle with cancer. There will be a private family graveside service. Judy was born in Red Wing, Minn., on April 1, 1947. She grew up on the family farm in Cannon Falls, Minn. She was active in 4-H and Luther League through Urland Lutheran Church while growing up. Judy graduated from the Fairview School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse and had a long career caring for many throughout her years as a nurse in Hennepin County Memorial Center, St. Marys Mayo Clinic, Fairview in Minneapolis, and finally at Memorial Nursing and Rehab Center in Medford, for over 30 years until retirement. Judy married Tom Huggett in July 1969. They enjoyed 50 years of marriage together. They lived in Minnesota when first married and moved to Medford, for most of their lives where they raised their daughters, Jennifer and Teresa. She was a kind and loving grandma and enjoyed attending many school events, sports, and activities to cheer for and support her five grandchildren. Judy had a strong faith in God and held various roles within First Baptist Church in Medford. She loved to travel with family, friends, and her husband and enjoyed many destinations such as Norway, Israel, Hawaii, Nashville, and the family annual fishing trip north. Judy is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer (Kevin) Therriault of Green Bay, and Teresa (Kevin) Erickson of Rochester, Minn.; five grandchildren, Ava and Wil Therriault, Shawn, Cora, and Kullen Erickson. She is survived by brother, Gary (Avis) Esterby of Dennison, Minn., sister, Ann (Lars) Romo of Cannon Falls, Minn., and brother, Roger Esterby of Cook, Minn. She is also survived by many family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew and Edith Esterby; her husband Thomas Huggett; and sister-in-law, Vicki Esterby. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Huggett Family. To share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh. com Paid Obituary 98283

2020 Mary K. Melbinger (nee Gummerson) joined her forever loved ones in Heaven on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Due to the pandemic, private services will be held for the family at Prasser Kleczka Funeral Home, Bay View Chapel, 3275 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207. When appropriate, there will be a memorial held in Medford later next year. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Holy Rosary Catholic School of Medford. Loving mother of Christopher, Julie (Peter), Deborah (Joshua) and Brenda; grandmother to Ella, Claire and Andrew. Cherished daughter of Mildred and the late Jim Gummerson; sister of Judy, James and Donna. Mary was raised in Owen-Withee. She graduated from UW Eau-Claire with her Bachelors Degree in French and Social Work. During her education, she studied a semester abroad in France, furthering her passion for the French culture and language. Upon returning from France she engaged and married Lonnie Melbinger. Mary and Lonnie started their lives and business together in Medford, where they raised their children and lived for 47 years. Mary was passionate about giving to her community, friends, church and family. She was an integral part of starting Big Brothers Big Sisters along with managing her husband’s dental practice, educating and culturing her children, and volunteering for both United Way and the local school systems for those in need. She was constantly on the go; she loved to travel, read, do crossword puzzles, have lunch with all her dear friends and spend time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She touched the lives of all around her and will be very dearly missed. Prasser Kleczka Funeral Home Bay View Chapel is assisting the family. Paid Obituary 98284

1930-2020 Sylvester E. “Silver” Lewan, 90, of Lublin, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at Aspirus Hospital in Medford, surrounded by polka music. Due to COVID-19, private funeral services will be held for family at 12 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2020 at Cuddie Funeral Home in Thorp. Rev. Marion Talaga will officiate and burial will follow at St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church parish cemetery. Private visitation will be held at the funeral home, on Saturday, from 11 a.m. until time of service. Silver E. Lewan was born on Nov. 20, 1930 in the Township of Roosevelt to the late Stanley and Frances (Szemraj) Lewan. Silver was raised in Lublin, on the family farm and attended area schools around Lublin. He farmed for a couple of years, was employed by John Plautz Trucking and then with Haas Trucking where he worked for 30 years until his time of retirement. He continued to mow lawn in the summer with his brother, Ray Lewan. Silver enjoyed ice fishing, hunting, listening to his favorite polka music, and having great conversations with various friends at the Thorpedo. He admired his nieces, nephews, and their families and attended numerous softball and baseball games to support them. He enjoyed good company and great conversation. Silver always shared his sense of humor through funny one-liners along with humorous nicknames. He appreciated the wildlife such as deer and turkeys which stopped by daily to visit. Silver is survived by his one brother, Ray (Pauline) Lewan of Lublin; two nephews, Randy (Pam) Lewan and Tim (Deb) Lewan, both of Thorp; two nieces, Michele (Eugene) Pogodzinski of Thorp, and Lisa (Jim) Turenne of Merrill; 12 great nieces and nephews; eight great-great nieces and nephews; cousins; other relatives; and numerous friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Elmer “Butch”. Online condolences may be expressed at www. cuddiefh.com. Thorp Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Paid Obituary 98293

1927-2020 Marion Frances (Scheuer) Peche, 93, died Dec. 5, 2020 at the Rib Lake Health Center. Per her request there will be no services. Marion was born July 28, 1927, to Andrew Scheuer and Frances (Monheim) Scheuer. She lived in the Rib Lake area all her life and graduated from Rib Lake High School. Marion married Harvey Peche on January 24, 1948. They were married 24 days short of 70 years. Harvey preceded her in death January 1, 2018. She worked at Marathon Cheese a few years, pelted mink part-time and farmed with Harvey in the Rib Lake area. She also worked with her husband in the woods logging and making firewood for many years. She was a memeber of St. Peters Lutheran Church in Rib Lake. She loved doing crafts, painting and spoiling the grandkids. Her family was the most important thing to her. She had four children, Shirley, Myron, Gary and Terry; nine grandchildren, among them three sets of twins; 15 great-grandchildren and six greatgreat- grandchildren. She had four sisters and one brother; only one sister preceded her in death along with two grandchildren. Paid Obituary 98325

1939-2020 Barbara “Barb” L. Romig, 81, Gilman passed away Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 under the care of Heartland Hospice. A funeral mass will be held Friday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Gilman. Burial will follow at Meadowbrook Cemetery in Gilman. Visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 10 from 4-7 p.m. at the Gilman Funeral Home and 1 hour prior to service at the church. She was born on May 2, 1939 in Gilman to Willard “Bill” and Mathilda “Tillie” (Wood) Beck. She was a 1958 graduate of Cornell High School. Barb married Darrell Romig on Nov. 7, 1959 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Cornell. Barb met Darrell at a dance at Koolmo’s Club and Ballroom in Gilman. After marriage, they lived and worked all their lives in Gilman. Barb and Darrell along with Ted and Doris Romig owned and operated the Gilman Theater from 1955 to 1988. Barb was the lady selling tickets at the box office. She worked at Romig’s Hardware as a clerk and most notably the “ice cream lady” as she served ice cream cones and malts to thousands of customers. Barb enjoyed and was involved with many community activities including Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, CBA, bowling league, Red Hats and Homemakers. She also volunteered her time as a driver for the Gilman Ambulance for 19 years. Her greatest enjoyment was her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, especially teaching them how to play poker. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Darrell; children, Fred (Cheryl) Romig, Lynn (Chris) Skabroud all of Gilman and Joan (Pam Hayes) Romig of Eau Claire; grandchildren, Derrick Romig, Jason (Kendra) Romig, Shelby (Wade) Hendricks, Kendall (Ryan) Jans, Camryn Skabroud, Dana (Julian) Handel, Jamie (John Pecinovsky) Isenberger, Dawn Romig; great-grandchildren, Rayanna, Cayden, Ethan, Abigail, Ella, Kaelyn and Hayden. She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Ken. Plombon funeral service assisted the family. Paid Obituary 98295

1944-2020 Paul Johnson, age 76, of Colby, passed from this life into eternal life after a courageous 3+ year battle with pancreatic cancer. A visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020 at the First Baptist Church in Medford. A Memorial Service will follow at 3 p.m. Family and friends can watch the service live on the Maurina Schilling Funeral Home Facebook page or after the service anytime on Facebook or the website. We encourage those in attendance to abide by the Covid-19 guidelines by sanitizing, wearing a mask (if able) and social distancing. Paul was born in Lacrosse on March 18, 1944 to Ronald and Edna Johnson. Paul married his college sweetheart, Julie Ann Borg on Feb. 20, 1965 in Forest City, Iowa. Paul and Julie celebrated 55 years of marriage. Paul graduated from the University of Lacrosse and received his Masters in Administration from the University of MN-Winona. Paul taught phy-ed, swimming, and health at Colby High School and later became an elementary principal at Colby, Dorchester and Unity. Paul coached football, basketball, track, swimming, cross country, and was the Athletic Director. Paul was a WIAA official for track and cross country for 40+ years. Paul started the cross country team in 1971, as well as the Cheese Days Run. Paul was an avid bicyclist; he rode RAGBRAI for 14 years. He enjoyed shooting in leagues, hunting, fishing, and canoeing. After retirement from education Paul drove truck for FAB. Paul was a member of Colby Lions Club, and an active member of First Baptist Church, where he held many office positions. Paul received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Paul is survived by his wife, Julie of Colby; two children, Brian (Kim) of Centerville, Minn. and Brenda (Tre) Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas; four grandchildren, Alexa of Minneapolis, Minn., Marshall (Veronika) of Minneapolis, Minn., Sloan of St. Louis Park, Minn. and Jack of San Antonio, Texas; one brother, Dan (Val); and two sisters, Delpha (Bill) Hanson and Joy (Dennis) Blaser. He was preceded in death by his parents. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Colby is entrusted with the arrangements. Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com Paid Obituary 98292

1952-2020 Dannye “Dan” R. Boxx, 68, of Medford, died on Sunday, Dec. 6 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, following his battle with cancer. Memorial services for Dan will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 at First Baptist Church, Medford with Pastor Kim Swenson officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. that day. Due to COVID concerns, masks will be required at the church for both visitation and services. Dan was born on May 30, 1952 in Baldwyn, Miss., the son of Charles A. and Geraldine (McKay) Boxx. Shortly after Dan’s birth his family relocated to Kenosha. He attended Kenosha public schools and was a 1970 graduate of Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha. In 1975, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health from UW-Oshkosh. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Medford where he taught physical education and health at Medford Area Public Schools and also coached various high school sports. Dan chose to further his education and received a Master’s degree in School Administration from UWSuperior. He accepted a position with the Rib Lake School District where he was the Elementary/Middle School Principal from 1981 to 1997. Dan continued to advance his career in education, earning a Specialist Degree in Administration/School Superintendency fromUW-Superior. Hethenwentontospendacombined 20 years as District Administrator in the Rib Lake and Almond Bancroft School Districts. Dan was proud to dedicate and serve 42 years in public education, serving the families of his school districts. On June 12, 1990 Dan married Neva Mae Peterson in Las Vegas, Nev. They proudly celebrated 30 years of marriage this past June. Dan treasured time spent with his children, grandchildren and their families. Dan especially enjoyed being in his woodworking shop creating gifts and working on projects with the grandchildren. Everyone who knew Dan was aware of his love for golf. In 1996, Dan and Neva built their home on the Black River Golf Course, allowing Dan to play golf almost every day. Over his life, he enjoyed countless rounds of golf with “the boys” (his golfing buddies). Dan would like to remind them that he parred his last hole. He attended First Baptist Church of Medford, and was a member of the Medford Masonic Lodge. Surviving are his wife, Neva Boxx of Medford; children, Joshua (Heidi) Boxx and Zachary (Taylor) Boxx, both of Eau Claire, Kurt (Emily) Peterson of Mound, Minn., and Lisa (Nick) Baumann of Jefferson. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Charlie and Henry Boxx, Lincoln Boxx, Sophia and Colton Peterson, Blake Baumann; and a brother, Donald “Dwayne” (Julie) Boxx of Kenosha. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Jacob Boxx; and sister, Donna Kaye Giles. Dan and his family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Harish G. Ahuja and the entire Oncology team at Medford Aspirus. We deeply valued the compassionate care and friendships that developed during his cancer journey. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be given in his name to either Stepping Stones Shelter of Medford or the Medford Aspirus Oncology Department. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 98290

1935-2020 Patricia “Pat” E. Swenson, 85, of Brantwood, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 at Rib Lake Health Services. Private family services will be held at a later date. Pat was born on May 2, 1935 to Rhinholt and Ethel (Crowell) Marheine in Spirit. She attended Rib Lake schools and graduated from Rib Lake High School. She married William “Bill” Swenson on Sept. 12, 1953 at the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Spirit. Pat worked at Harley-Davidson in Tomahawk for 32 years until her retirement in 1998. In her retirement Pat enjoyed woodworking, watching birds and wildlife in her yard, knitting and crocheting numerous afghans for American Legion and church raffles, traveling, and donating many gallons of blood to the Red Cross. Pat was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary for many years. She was also a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Brantwood. Pat is survived by her children, Brad (Lori) of Prentice, Aimee (John) Hein of Rib Lake, Renee (Mark) Paris of Wausau, Todd (Diane) of Sheboygan Falls, and Hal (Dawn) of Rib Lake; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents; and husband, Bill, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Audrey and Violet; and brother, Arliegh. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. Paid Obituary 98297