Melvin J. Mueller

Melvin J. Mueller, 92, passed away on September 29, 2021, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born on September 11, 1929, in Marytown, WI, the son of the late Arnold and Ella (Meyer) Mueller. He attended St. Cloud Catholic Grade School and in 1948 graduated from New Holstein High School.

On June 20, 1953, he married Jeanette (Jean) M. Endries at St. Gregory Catholic Church in St. Nazianz, WI. The couple resided in Plymouth, WI. Melvin worked at the Kohler Company for 12 years and then established Mueller’s Floor Covering in Plymouth, which he and Jean operated for 30 years before selling in 1991. His wife Jean preceded him in death on April 1, 1998.

On March 25, 2006, he married Joanne Koeppen at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Plymouth. The couple resided in St. Nazianz and in Phelps, WI where they had a cottage on South Twin Lake.

Melvin enjoyed woodworking and spending time outdoors, fishing and hunting. He loved conversation while sharing an Old Fashioned with family and friends. He will be deeply missed as a dedicated husband, a loving father, and as a proud grandpa.

Preceded in death by his wife, Jean Mueller, and his daughter, Kay Baumann.
His memory will forever remain in the hearts of second wife, Joanne Mueller of Manitowoc, WI; daughters, Sr. Joan Mueller of West Des Moines, IA, Jane Roehrig (Bob Kolbeck) of Lake Monticello, VA, Karen (Mark) Clark of Wausau, WI, and Kim Baumann of Plymouth, WI; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Jason (Cathy) Baumann and great-grandchildren Charlie, Luke and Emmett of Wrightstown, WI, Susan (Jesse) Maxwell and great-grandchildren Kaylee and Carter of Franklin, WI, Ann Roehrig (Ben Smith) and great-grandchildren Zoe and Graham of Arvada, CO, Genna Clark of Somerset, WI and Dan Clark of Chicago, IL.

Due to COVID, the family chose not to have any services at this time.

Allan H. Schiefelbein

On October 1, 2021, with his wife at his side, the incomparable Allan H. Schiefelbein, 85, peacefully passed away at Mount View Care Center, after a long battle with dementia.

He was born on September 26, 1936, to Harold and Margaret (Jonas) Schiefelbein in Milwaukee. As a youth, he grew up in Milwaukee and Dunbar, where he developed a love of the outdoors, which would lead him back to that area more than once in his lifetime. He met his beautiful bride, Bertha Herek, in Milwaukee in 1959. They married at St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Fancher, in 1960. They resided in Milwaukee until he made the courageous decision to relocate his family to Wausau in 1971, where he was given an opportunity to perfect his true calling, which was in the field of sales. He had a variety of hobbies throughout the years, which all involved socializing with others. He especially enjoyed sharing these interests with his family.

Allan is survived by his wife Bertha; daughters Dawn (Mark) Wallace of Merrill; Cindy (Jeff) Fenn, of Wausau; Gail (Dennis) Seidel of Pembine; Peggy Grieser of Wausau; and his son Ed (Kim) Schiefelbein of Aurora, Colorado. He is also survived by siblings brother Dennis (Fran) Schiefelbein of Pembine; sister Sharon Jonas of Milwaukee; brother James Schiefelbein of Merrill; sister Jane (Fred) Ramge of Milwaukee; brother Joseph (Kathy) Schiefelbein of Merrill; brother Mark (Jennifer) Schiefelbein of Wausau. In addition, he is survived by 12 grandchildren and 10 (soon to be 11) great grandchildren. Allan is preceded in death by his parents and his mother-in-law and father-in-law; his sister Holly; and his grandson Brendon Seidel.

Services will be held at the Town Hall at Willow Springs Garden, 5480 Hillcrest Drive, Wausau, WI, 54401. The gathering will commence at 1:30, with services being held at 2:00. Sharing of memories and luncheon will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Father Charles J. Hiebl

On Friday October 2, 2021, Father Charles J .Hiebl  (Colby) entered eternal life, just five days after his 85th birthday.  Born September 27, 1936 to George and Anna (Krupka) Hiebl, he was the fourth of eight children.  He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Delores and brothers Lawrence and Joseph. Surviving family are  Anthony (Marlene), Agnes (Glen) Paul, James (Elaine),  Mary (Lueder Finken) and sister-in-law Illa Hiebl. Additionally survived by nieces and nephews and other relatives.

Father Hiebl, born in Marathon County, Town of Johnson lived and worked on the family farm. He received his elementary education in the Corinth school, a one-room school      two-and-one half miles from home.  Walking or biking to school most of the time was routine.

He entered Holy Cross Seminary in LaCrosse, WI in the fall of 1950.  Graduating from Holy Cross, he then entered the theological seminary, Loras College in Dubuque, IA.  It was while at Loras, that he developed his love for Amtrak trains since that was his mode of transportation from Dubuque to home.  That love continued for years.   During summers, it was common for him head west to Montana on Amtrak for rest and retreat.  Just within three weeks of his passing, he still recalled those trips.  

After four years at the theological seminary, he was ordained a priest on May 19, 1962 at St Joseph Cathedral in La Crosse and celebrated his first mass May 20 at his home parish, St. Thomas Milan, WI.  Just weeks after his ordination, he already performed priestly duties as celebrant at his cousin’s wedding.

The value of working for a common good and contributing his part to it came early in life as he worked on the family farm doing chores and working within the family. While on summer breaks back home, he worked in a pea vinery in Athens.  A work ethic was engrained in from a young age and pervaded his diocesan assignments.

Somewhere along the way, he became a lover of classical music and public radio, perhaps much to the chagrin of his younger brothers and sisters who endured it while riding with him.   Also, sometime in life he became interested in cooking, perhaps out of necessity (or his wonderful independent spirit) when parishes had no housekeeper. He pursued that interest, talked about recipes, and welcomed new ideas that he could experiment with.  He loved carving the turkey at family events, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It was common for him to contribute a homemade specialty to family reunions and gatherings.

While pastor at St. Anthony’s in Athens, he displayed his knack for gardening by planting a garden of colorful annuals at the entrance to the church. It popped with color.

Father Hiebl’s first assignment was as an Assistant at St. Joseph Parish in

Stevens Point.  Two years later he was assigned as a full-time teacher at

Pacelli High School residing with the Christian Brothers in Stevens Point.

He wore many hats as the area coordinator of religious education teacher

training and area coordinator of adult Christian education, the Chaplain of

the Portage County Home and weekend assistant at St. Peter Parish in Stevens

Point.  Being coordinator of religious education was a matter of great pride for him as he talked about it at length just as recently as September 4th, 2021.

In the years that followed, he also became the Chaplain of the Sierra

Club and the area Boy Scout Chaplain in Stevens Point.  Father Hiebl spent

the summer of 1968 studying theology at the College of St. Teresa in Winona,

Minnesota.  He was assigned as an Instructor of Religion at Assumption High

School in Wisconsin Rapids from 1970-1979.  In addition to his teaching

responsibilities, he was the Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Altdorf and

Administrator of All Saint Parish in Babcock.  In 1978 he was elected as the

Associate Dean of the Marshfield Deanery and was noted for his efforts to

foster unity and reduce parish debt.

From 1979-1983, he was assigned as an Associate Pastor at St. Bronislava

Parish in Plover.  From 1982-1985, he was the Dean of the Stevens Point

Deanery and became the Pastor of St. Bronislava Parish in 1983.  Father

Hiebl was assigned as the Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Eau Claire in

1985.  During his time at St. Patrick Parish he became known for his

attention to the sick and dying.   From 1987-1993, he served as the Dean of

the Eau Claire Deanery.  In 1991, 1997, and 2000, he was elected to the

Presbyteral Council for three-year terms.  In 1996, he became the Pastor of

the newly founded St. Maxmillian Kolbe Parish in Southeastern Portage County

with his residence at the rectory in Lanark.  This new parish was the merger

of Holy Guardian Angels Parish in Almond, St. Martin Parish in Buena Vista,

St. John the Baptist Parish in Heffron, and St. Patrick Parish in Lanark.

Father Hiebl was tasked with leading the parishioners toward the work of

acquiring property in a suitable location for a new parish church.  The new

church would not be completed until 2004. 

In 2000, he became the Pastor of St. Anthony de Padua Parish in Athens and Holy Family Parish in Poniatowski.

In 2002, he was also made the Pastor of his home parish of St. Thomas in

Milan.  He became the Dean of the Wausau Deanery for a three-year in 2008.

In 2011, he resigned as Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Poniatowski while

retaining his care of souls at Athens and Milan. 

In 2013, he was granted the status of a Senior Priest.  He continued to help out extensively in Clark and Marathon counties with residence at St. Bernard Rectory in Abbotsford. 

He later moved to The Waterford in Colby where he passed away.

Visitations will be at St Anthony’s in Athens on Friday October 8th from 4-8 pm and on  Saturday October 9th  from 9-10:45.  Mass will begin at 11AM with burial to follow at St. Thomas cemetery in Milan, WI

Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Athens, is in charge of arrangements.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com