Roger R. Wunsch
Roger Wunsch, 79, Wausau, passed away on January 1, 2022 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
He was born on August 2, 1942 in Wausau to the late Russell and Josephine (Wiesman) Wunsch . After graduating from Wausau Senior High in 1961, Roger proudly served in the U.S. Navy for four years as an electrician. Roger cherished the opportunity to take the “Honor Flight” to Washington D.C. later in life in 2016.
Upon returning home from service, Roger worked at Wisconsin Public Service Corp. – Weston Power Plant as an electrician where he retired from in 2000.
He married the love of his life and main squeeze Cheryl (Sherry) Nelson on April 1, 1967 in Wausau, and enjoyed 54 years together. They were blessed with three children; Patrick (Jessica) of Merrill, Chris (Anne) of Wausau and Vicki of St. Paul, MN.
Roger loved spending time at their cottage in Tomahawk and making many memories over the years with family and friends. He loved being with his children and grandchildren. He was a great story teller and often talked about his days in the Navy. He loved telling stories about “fighting off the sharks” and had the scars to prove it!
Roger took several memorable trips with his family throughout his life including an unforgettable trip to St. Petersburg, Russia where he partook in the adoption of two of his grandchildren.
Roger dedicated his life to serving others including his involvement with his children in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.. He was a Webelo Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster in Troop 427. He received various awards throughout his years of service. Roger served on the Catholic Committee on Scouting and was a longtime member of the Prayer Fellowship of Christian Scouters.
In addition to his wife and children, Roger is survived by his sister Carol (Ken) Kropp, his grandchildren Andy, Grace, Emily, Sergei, Roman, Ksusha and Katya, four great grandchildren, his brother-in-law Danny Nelson, sister-law-law, Debbie (Mike) Krueger and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Roger was preceded in death by his sisters Rita (Wayne) Kroeplin and Kathy (Bob) Holbrook.
The family would like to to thank the compassionate staff at Mount View Care Center and Dr. Swe and staff at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
A Celebration of Roger’s life will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 12:00 noon at Brainard Funeral Home’s Wausau Chapel, 522 Adams Street, Wausau. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Roger’s daughter, Rev. Vicki Wunsch, and nephew, Fr. Steve Kropp, will officiate the service. Burial with military honors at Gate of Heaven Cemetery will be held in the Spring of 2022.
The family requests that attendees wear a mask to comply with the COVID protocols. For those unable to attend the service, a livestream of the service will be available on brainardfuneral.com.
Richard “Ric” Mohelnitzky
Luke Mohelnitzky, only surviving child of the late Richard “Ric” Mohelnitzky, with Ric’s siblings, would like to invite the community to celebrate his life officially, 4-7 p.m., Jan. 13, at Greenwood Hills Country Club, 2002 Poplar Lane, Wausau, Wis., 54403.
All memorials can be sent to Helke Funeral and Cremation Services.
*The Jan. 13 event is not affiliated with any other celebration.
Serena Rappa
Serena Rappa, 75, died December 7, 2021 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. She was born December 2, 1946, in Milwaukee, to parents Claude and Irene (Janik) Gryzinski. She married Richard Rappa in Milwaukee on September 13, 1969. They were married for 52 years.
She worked as a medical secretary in Milwaukee and in retail for Treasure Island before moving to Kronenwetter. Her favorite job was that of mom and homemaker. She loved spending time with her family. As her children got older she babysat for many years before working at Target as a department manager for 13 years.
People who knew her might have said she was quiet and a bit of an introvert until they got to know her. She was a warm and caring person who liked to chat with those who she was close with. She was an avid reader for many years and enjoyed making her own crafts, sewing and shopping. She also enjoyed movies and watching her favorite shows. She also had a big heart and loved to help people. Near or far she was a phone call away when someone needed to talk or needed her help.
She enjoyed traveling or testing her luck at the casino. Time with friends was also important to her, but she was most content just being at home and spending time with her family. Most of all she loved being a sister, wife, mom and Busia (grandma.) But what brought her most joy was her grandchildren. Despite the distance, she was close with each of them. She would spend time having lunch via video chat, listening to them play the piano, sing or talking with them when they were having a tough time.
Her faith was important to her and she was an active member of St Therese parish.
Serena was the loving mother of 3 children: Richele (Louis) Bohm, Massachussets, Dean, Georgia and David (Laurie) Rappa, Sparta. Proud grandparents of Dominic, Ashlyn, Connor Bohm and Harper. Her sister Claudia Dorobilski, Franklin and her brother, Greg Gryzinski, West Allis. Her brothers and sisters in law Thomas (Pamela) St Germain, Jerry, Saint Germain, Judith (Mike) Hackett, Virginia, and Sharon (Dr. Richard) Bagnall, Virginia. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and additional family members and friends.
Serena was proceeded in death by her husband, Richard Rappa, her parents Claude and and Irene Gryzinski, father and mother in law, Norbert and Anna Rappa and brother in law Robert Dorobilski.
A service to remember both Serena and her husband, Richard, will be held on April 19, 2022 at St. Therese church in Rothschild WI. Visitation will be from 10-11am, the service at 11am followed by sharing happy memories at the Relocation bar at noon in Kronenwetter, WI.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Therese catholic church, http://sttheresecc.org or Peyton’s Promise. https://www.peytonspromise.org/
Our family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Aspirus hospital for their loving care.
Richard Rappa
Richard Rappa, 77, died on December 6th, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
He was born September 2nd, 1944, in Milwaukee to parents Norbert and Anna (Bartaczewicz) Rappa. He married Serena Gryzinski in Milwaukee on September 13th, 1969. They were married for 52 years.
Richard grew up in Milwaukee and went on to serve in the air force during the Vietnam war. Afterwards he worked a few jobs in the Milwaukee area including Falk and Bradley Corporation before he was able to realize his dream of moving north and settled in Kronenwetter. He worked at Greenheck Fan Corporation as a credit manager for 30 years. In addition, he was very active in the community where he coached little league baseball and taught CCD for years at St. Marks before becoming a member of St. Therese parish. He also served on the Kronenwetter redevelopment authority commission for 13 years.
Dick never met a stranger. People who knew him would say he was a very positive and friendly guy with a big personality. To kids he was known as Donald Duck as he had a spot-on impression of him, that he loved to share with little ones. He was a social butterfly and enjoyed catching up with fellow walkers during his daily walks at the Cedar Creek mall and morning coffee with the guys. He enjoyed fishing (especially in Canada), hunting and monthly card game with friends but his true passion was golf and he played every chance he got. He participated in the Thursday night golf league at Pine Valley golf course and thoroughly enjoyed his “business meetings” on the greens as he tried to collect as much candy as he could.
He enjoyed sports and was a dedicated fan of the Green Bay Packers. When he wasn’t watching or enjoying sports, he enjoyed testing his luck at the casino hoping to hit it big and have them “show him the money.”
The time he spent with his family meant a lot of him. His children and grandchildren were the apple of his eye.
Richard was the loving father of 3 children: Richele (Louis) Bohm, Massachusetts, Dean, Georgia and David (Laurie) Rappa, Sparta. Proud grandparents of Dominic, Ashlyn, Connor Bohm and Harper.
His brothers and sisters include Thomas (Pamela) St Germain, Jerry, Saint Germain, Judith (Mike) Hackett, Virginia and Sharon (Dr. Richard) Bagnall, Virginia. His sister in law Claudia Dorobilski, Franklin, and brother in law Gregory Gryzinski, West Allis. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and additional family members and friends.
Richard was proceeded in death by his parents Norbert and Anna Rappa, father and mother-in-law Claude and Irene Gryzinski and brother-in-law Robert Dorobilski.
A service to remember both Richard and his wife Serena’s lives will be held on April 19th, 2022 at St. Therese church in Rothschild WI. Visitation will be from 10-11am, the service at 11am followed by sharing happy memories at the Relocation bar at noon in Kronenwetter, WI.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Therese catholic church, http://sttheresecc.org or Peyton’s Promise. https://www.peytonspromise.org/
Our family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Aspirus hospital for their loving care.
Lorraine M. Braunel
Lorraine M. Braunel, age 89, of Wausau, passed away on Saturday, January 1, 2022, at Colonial Manor Medical and Rehabilitation Center, Wausau, under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.
She was born in the town of Marathon on March 17, 1932, to the late Roman and Esther (Raduechel) Gaulke. On September 24, 1949, she married LeRoy Braunel at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wausau. He preceded her in death on April 26, 2016.
Lorraine was a homemaker and a loving mother to her two children. She enjoyed the outdoors – especially working in her flower garden or feeding the birds. She also loved Polka music and dancing, often following her favorite Polka bands in the area, enjoying many fun times dancing with friends.
Survivors include her two children, Dale (Joanne) Braunel of Wausau and Barbara (Ken) Durand of Kingman, AZ; grandchildren, Bill (Lisa) Cook, Rich (Laurie) Cook, and Andy (Heather) Braunel; 11 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband LeRoy.
A private family service will be held. Burial will be at Restlawn Memorial Park, town of Texas. Helke Funeral Home, Wausau, is assisting the family with arrangements.
The family would like to thank the staff of Kennedy Park and Colonial Manor for the excellent care they gave Lorraine over the last challenging years of her life.
You may leave messages and condolences for her family at www.helke.com.
Herbert F. Meyer
Herbert F. Meyer, age 93, of Marathon, passed away on January 1, 2022, at Care Partners, Weston, under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.
He was born in Sparta on August 7, 1928, son of the late William and Martha (Haydam) Meyer. On May 30, 1959, he married Beverly Bonkoski at St. Mary’s Parish, Marathon. She survives. Herbert served his country in the US Army. He worked as a display builder, retiring from Menzer Lumber in 2009. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, gardening, puzzles, and going on long rides. He was an avid reader who especially loved reading Louis La’Amour books and National Geographic magazines.
Survivors include his wife, Beverly of Marathon; children, Maxine (Jim) Abt of Ringle, Bernie Meyer of MN, Connie (Greg) Allers- Meyer and Leann (Terry) Lemmer of Kronenwetter; 6 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; siblings, Stanley (Jonie) Meyer of Hilbert, Jim Meyer of Reedsburg, Eugene (Janet) Meyer of Berlin, and David Meyer of Kaukauna; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Joe, and sister, Beverly.
Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at St. Mary Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, 712 Market St., Marathon. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Diermeier will officiate. Burial will be in the Parish cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:30 A.M. until the time of service on Thursday at the church. Helke Funeral Home, Wausau is assisting the family with arrangements.
The family requests that all who attend wear face masks.
You may leave messages and condolences for his family at helke.com
Fumie M. Purdy
Fumie M. Purdy, 90, Wausau, died Friday December 31, 2021, at home under the care of her family and Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.
She was born October 22, 1931, in Nagasaki, Japan. After relocating to the United States, she married Kennan Purdy Jr., they later divorced. Fumie had been employed with Whitmore Floral and later owned and operated a gift store on Washington Street in downtown Wausau.
Among her favorite pastimes, Fumie enjoyed doing wedding flowers and Japanese tea parties. She was a member of the Japanese Club and Christ Community Church Prayer Group. Above all, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, great grandchildren, family and friends.
Survivors include three daughters, Janet Modrzejewski and Wallace Williamson; Kathy Berthold and Michael St. Amour; Cindy Purdy; ten grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, Rachel Rothmeyer and Isaiah; Brandon, Megan and Rylee Rothmeyer; Derrick, Kaile, Tyler and Bentley Rothmeyer; Jessica, Sirena and Renlee Rindt; Jennifer, Josh, Conner and Graysen Matsche; Jeff Kurth, Nikki and Kylie; Mikayla Berthold; Noah Berthold and Brittany; Mark, Briana, Braylon and McKenna Knutson; Samantha, Brandon and Kayden Wolfe; a sister, Michiko Yamamoto and family, Nagasaki, Japan; a nephew, Fumihiko Yamamoto and family, Tochigi, Japan; niece, Hideko Matunaga and family, Nagasaki, Japan. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, mother and father in-laws, sister and brother-in-laws, a grandson, Matthew Todd Rothmeyer and many close friends.
Funeral services will be Noon Saturday January 8, 2022, at Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 Sixth St., Wausau. Rev. Robin Wilde will officiate. Visitation will on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services at the funeral home. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
The family wishes to extend their sincere appreciation to the entire staff of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services for the outstanding care given to Fumie during her time under their care.
John A. Cline Jr.
John “Jack” A. Cline Jr., Wausau, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, January 2, 2022 at his home.
He was born June 6, 1948 in Milwaukee, son of the late John A. and Naomi (Hakemeier) Cline.
Jack was a 1966 graduate for Newman Catholic High School and furthered his education, graduating from U-W Madison. He was a veteran of the United States Army and served in Ethiopia and Alaska. For 25 years, Jack worked for the United States Post Office until his retirement at age 55.
Among his favorite pastimes he loved to bowl and was a long-time member of the Senior Bowling League at Day’s Bowl-a-Dome. He was also an avid spectator of sports at both Newman Catholic High School and Wausau East High School. Jack also enjoyed watching the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers.
Survivors include, two siblings, Susan (Al) Meyer, Wausau and Gerald (Jeanie) Cline, Wausau; four nieces and nephews, David (Kelly) Bandock, Wausau, Andrew (Lori) Cline, Sun Prairie, Amy Cline, Green Bay and Kate Cline, Green Bay; and many great nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his nephew, Michael Bandock.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at St. Michael Catholic Church, Wausau. Rev. Msgr. Mark Pierce will preside. Entombment will be in the Memorial Chapel Mausoleum, Restlawn Memorial Park, Wausau with full military honors conducted by the American Legion Post No. 10, Wausau. Visitation will be on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until time of services at the church. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed at 11:00 a.m. on the Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home facebook page.
Memorials may be directed to Newman Catholic Schools or the charity of your choice.
Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 Sixth Street, Wausau is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
Carol M. Ueker
Carol M. Uekert, 83, Marathon passed away peacefully, while under the care of Compassus Hospice on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at Mount View Care Center, Wausau.
She was born April 28, 1938, in Merrill, daughter of the late Reuben and Ruth (Hartwig) Ollhoff. On September 27, 1958, she married Donald J. Uekert at Trinity Lutheran Church, Wausau. He preceded her in death on February 10, 2002.
Carol was a proud homemaker and also worked with Donald on the family farm for over 36 ½ years. Some of her favorite pastimes included being a historian for both the Marathon County Home and Community Education Center and The German Club PVC; Pomerian Verein of Central Wisconsin. She also enjoyed playing cards, especially sheepshead and was active at St. John Lutheran Church, town of Rib Falls in her earlier years.
Survivors include her children, Lori (Alan) Bernarde, Marathon and Patti (Mike) Athanas, Appleton, her grandchildren, Jessica (Tyler) Salber, Green Bay and Brad (Kaitlyn) Bernarde, Wausau and Erin (Adam) Burns, Madison and Abbie Athanas, Appleton, three great grandchildren, Quinton and Greyson Salber and Harper Bernarde, her siblings, Mary Lord, MA, Char (Karl) Pilath, Hatley, Mike (Sandy) Ollhoff, Poynette, Mark (Josie) Ollhoff, Wausau, Gene (Peggy) Ollhoff, Wausau, Gary (Chris) Ollhoff, Merrill and Tina Ollhoff, Wausau, a sister-in-law, Arlene (Ralph) Voight, Merrill and many nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers, David and Jim and sister, Katie Richey.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 7, 2022, at St. Matthew Ev. Lutheran Church, Marathon. The Rev. Jon Hadler will officiate. Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, town of Rib Falls. Visitation will be held on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services all at the church. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Marathon is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
The family requests all attendees to the visitation and the Funeral Service for Carol to please wear a mask.
Hazel A. Winters
Hazel A. Winters, 63, of Wausau, died on Monday, January 3, 2022 at Aspirus Hospice House in Wausau.
Hazel was born on October 3, 1958, in Wausau. The daughter of Sidney Sr. and Christine (Link) Hall.
On April 9, 1979, Hazel was united in marriage to Charles Winters in Milwaukee.
Hazel enjoyed cooking and traveling. She loved to go fishing with Charlie. Hazel cherished family gatherings and time spent with her family.
Hazel is survived by her husband, Charlie; six children, Charles (Mai Tong) Winters, Wesley Winters, Carrie Jo Winters, Alvis Winters, Spring (Santos) Lobo and Stella (Jared Bickford) Winters; 23 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, with two on the way; three siblings, William Hall, Sidney Hall Jr. and Kimberly (Dennis) Crowley and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Hazel is preceded in death by her parents; two children Carmin and Cody and seven siblings, Burton, Marlon, Merton, Matthew, Mary, Virginia and Agatha.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Wittenberg, from 1PM to 5PM. Supper meal at 6PM with comfort devotions to follow at Siga Funmaker Community Center.
Commitment service will be at 12Noon on Friday, January 7, 2022 at Siga Center. Meal at 10AM. Mr. Christian Roth will preside. Burial will be in John Stacy Memorial Cemetery.
Memories and messages of support may be shared at schmidtschulta.com.
