Wausau area obituaries: March 11, 2019

Obituaries are a service of Brainard Funeral Home, with locations in Wausau and Weston.

Carl M. Stennett

Carl loved life to the fullest- loved every day and every new adventure.

Carl M. Stennett, 62, of Weston, passed away March 8, 2019 at his home surrounded by all of his family.

Carl worked the majority of his adult life as an electrical and instrumentation superintendent. He loved to go to new states and towns, explore the people and places, and has met some wonderful people along the way.

Carl was self-taught at a young age in the electrical field. He always said “You’ll always have a job until you can make electricity jump.” As an electrician he specialized in instrumentation. He loved to travel with his job and has seen and met some amazing people. He always had a story to tell about it. He loved more than anything to come back home to his great state of TN. On one of his trips to WI to visit his children, he met Sue, his wife (Suzanne Purull). They’ve been married almost 10 years.

Carl is preceded in death by his son Matt; brother Paul and sister Brenda; and both parents Wilce and Hazel Stennett. He is survived by his wife Sue Rugg Purull; children Jake (Amy) Stennett, Ethan (Jenna) Stennett, Rebecca (Lucas) Kollross, step-children Theresa (Todd Bloomingdale) Bauer, Stephanie (TJ Pyke) Purull; grandchildren Terika, Crysta, Ellie(Bean), and Bella Stennett, Arik Bauer, Kyleen Bloomingdale, and Julianne Pyke; 3 sisters Grace (Johnny) Stiles, Willie (Buddy) Ables, and Sheila (Bill) Salyer; special niece Sandra Heden and nephew Chris Jackson, and many more relatives and friends.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, March 24 from 4-7pm at The Barrel Inn, Hatley and again in Tennessee on Friday, June 28 with the location to be announced later.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in support of those suffering from Parkinson’s. Carl had Cortical Basal Ganglionic Degeneration (CBGD) which is a rare disease associated with Parkinson’s.

To share memories and condolences, please visit www.brainardfuneral.com

Jolene Knox

Jolene Renae Knox, 60, of Rhinelander, passed away at her home on Friday, March 8, 2019 surrounded by her loving family.

She was born July 2, 1958 to Gerald and Shirley (Schweigert) Albers in Hazen, North Dakota. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from UW-La Crosse and married Bernard A. Knox in Sheldon, WI on August 2, 1980.

Jolene and Bernie moved their family to Rhinelander in 1992. She taught middle school mathematics for the Rhinelander School District for 21 years. Her hobbies included camping and spending time with her children and their families. She was very talented at crocheting and loved to snuggle her grandchildren with handmade blankets. She was an extremely avid Green Bay Packer’s fan; loving Lambeau Field and the Packers more than anyone in the family.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Bernie, Rhinelander, WI; son, Ryan (Julia Cohen-Knox), Phelps, WI; daughters Sarah (Christopher) Ziegler and their children Alex, Charlie, and Maggie of Weston, WI, and Renae (Jonathon) Allen and their children, Ellie and Carter of Weston, WI; her parents, Gerald and Shirley Albers; and siblings Kip (Kathy) Albers, Greensboro, GA, GeriAnn (Rich) Strigel, Oregon, WI, and Tim Albers, Ladysmith, WI.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Brainard Funeral Home – Everest Chapel, 5712 Memorial Court, Weston, WI 54476. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.

Brainard Funeral Home – Everest Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.brainardfuneral.com

Donald Weinkauf

Donald Edward Weinkauf, age 86, passed away on Friday, March 8, in hospice at Mount View Care Center, in Wausau, Wisconsin. He lived a life of deep civic engagement, optimism, and love of family. He had many long-time friends, not to mention a series of beloved family dogs. His life embodied one of his favorite sayings, “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the ‘present.’”

Don was born on September 5, 1932, in Wausau, to Arnold and Gladyce (Saterstrom) Weinkauf. After graduating from Wausau High School in 1950, he attended the University of Wisconsin Marathon County, and then earned his bachelor’s degree in 1954 and Masters’ in Business Administration in 1956 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he was in the R.O.T.C. Don married his college sweetheart, Susan Rogers of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, on August 18, 1956.

Don and Sue left Wisconsin from 1956-58 while Don was commissioned in the Army Corps of Engineers, serving at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and then Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, ultimately serving as a First Lieutenant.

Upon return to Wausau in 1958, Don worked as a business manager and partner with the engineering firm, Becher-Hoppe Associates. He later joined First American Bank as a Senior Vice President of Operations. After leaving banking, Donald became a realtor at Security Reality of Wausau. For many years Don taught Economics as an adjunct faculty member at University of Wisconsin, Marathon County.

Civic and charitable pursuits were central to Don’s life. He was a member of the Scottish Rite body of Freemasonry since 1960, becoming the President and Treasurer of the Forest Lodge in Wausau, and also a member of the Tripoli Temple Shriners. He invested in the Wausau community and found fellowship through membership in The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (since 1953), Golden Kiwanis Club, and the Wausau Optimist Club, of which he is a past District Lieutenant Governor and President. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Valley Workshop (North Central Health Care) and the United Way, and former President of the Board for the Salvation Army of Wausau. Don was also a long-time member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he served as a Junior and Senior Warden, Member of the Vestry, and Co-Chair for the remodel of Memorial Hall.

Don loved his friends, many dating back to “Newcomers’ Cub” in the mid-1950’s. He enjoyed years of Pot Luck Club, Poker Club, and trips to Jerry Baehman’s “Deer Camp” (which, for him, did not involve hunting). It took a lot for Don to miss his weekly lunch groups at the Elk’s Lodge, and the Hiawatha Lounge, which he stopped only recently by necessity. For many years, Don and Sue enjoyed curling with the Wausau Curling club, traveling to many bonspiels. Don and Sue also participated in the Koo Koo Kanoe club, braving the white water rivers of Wisconsin. Don also enjoyed woodworking and refinishing antiques, reading non-fiction, and traveling abroad and in the United States. Don adored the many family dogs, most recently fluffy white Lassa-Poo, Bobo, and similarly configured Caton de Toulear, Toby.

Don is survived by his wife, Susan, daughters Catharine “Kate” Welytok (Daniel) of Bayside Wisconsin, Sarah Anderson (Mark) of Baltimore, Maryland, grandchildren Rachel, Bradford, Evelyn, Caroline, and Elizabeth, his sister Grace Allen of Temple City, California, and nieces and nephews Alice and David Allen, Kurt, Mary Beth (Frank Christ) and Michael Fischer (Lynda), Theresa Rogers Strand (Joe) and Laura Rogers Peck (David), and their children. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Gladyce, older brother, Dr. Arnold Weinkauf, his younger sister, Alice Fischer, father-in-law, Thomas Allen Rogers, mother-in-law, Catharine Louise (Edwards) Rogers, and brother-in-law, Thomas Allen Rogers, Jr.

A memorial service will be held on March 16, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 330 McClellan St., Wausau. Reverend Sue Kruger will officiate. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service, all at the church. Online condolences may be made at www.brainardfuneral.com.

In Lieu of flowers, Don would be grateful for donations to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. Gifts may be made online at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org or by calling 612-596-6207. Donations may also be made to St. Johns Episcopal Church, Wausau.

Matthew Heil

Matthew L. Heil, 91, of Weston, went to be with Jesus on March 7, 2019 with his family by his side.

He was born March 11, 1927 to the late Joseph and Mary (Salzman) Heil. Matthew joined the Navy at 17, serving on destroyers (Tin-Can Sailor). He met the love of his life, Dolores Easker, at a Halloween dance and a year later, they married on September 2,1950. He worked 39 years in machine maintenance at James River, retiring in 1989. Matthew was a resident of both Rothschild and Schofield and made Weston his home for over 50 years. He was a member of the VFW, Knights of Columbus and St. Therese Parish. He was a proud participant in the second honor flight. He and his wife enjoyed traveling, especially to Switzerland, Alaska and Hawaii. Matthew loved refinishing furniture and will be forever remembered as a tinker-er.

Matthew is survived by his loving wife, Dolores; two children Faye (Jim) Fowler and Tim (Ellen) Heil; five grandchildren Josh (Anita) Heil, Ashley (Crystal) Heil, Aaron (Jolbi) Heil, Carly (Greg) Manz and Luke Fowler; numerous great-grandchildren; and sister Florence Roberts. He is preceded in death by his parents and six siblings.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 11am at St. Therese Parish, 113 W. Kort Street, Rothschild with a visitation from 9am until the time of service. A rosary will be held at 10:30am. Burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery will follow.

Matthew’s family would like to thank Noel Pupp, NP for her outstanding care, compassion and dedication to their loved one.

To share online memories and condolences, please visit www.brainardfuneral.com

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