F. Michael Petterson
Mike, as he was known, passed away on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
He was born July 17, 1934, to Alden and Agnes (Hettinga) Petterson in Wausau. He married the love of his life, Donna Mae Fitzgerald, on October 17, 1953. Together they had 6 children; Chris (Laura) Petterson, Kathy (Mel) Petterson, Dan (Sue) Petterson, Roxann (Pat) Mulry, Michelle (Kathy) Ruenger, and Patti (Tammy) Olson, who all have survived him. Mike also is survived by 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; and also, his sister, Francis (James) Carmichael; and nieces and nephews.
Mike is preceded in death by his wife Donna in 1995 as well as his parents and granddaughter, Nicole.
Mike graduated from Wausau High school in 1952 and entered the workforce, working at Marmet Corp. and Foreway Express from 1953 to 1956, at which time he went to work for the Milwaukee Railroad for 26 years, when he had to retire due to an accident. Mike did reenter the workforce later in life, working at the Home Depot electrical department for 5+ years. Mike and Donna loved the outdoors, spending time with their children camping, fishing, and all things sports. Mike coached little league baseball for 14 years and was proud of his success with deer hunting with his boys. Mike was very involved in his church and served as a deacon for 8 years. Later in life, Mike found comfort and friendship with an amazing person, Carol Sliwicki, and her family.
A private family service will be held at a later date.
Karren L. Seliger
Karren L. Seliger, 89, Wausau, passed away on Monday, May 29, 2023 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital under hospice care.
She was born December 14, 1933, in Wausau, daughter of the late Lawrence and Gertrude (Baumann) Holzem. She graduated high school in Wausau in 1952. On July 6, 1953 Karren married Mark, he preceded her in death on July 5, 2001.
Mark and Karren started their married life on a small dairy farm on highway 29 near Marathon City. Karren also worked at Marathon Electric. In 1963 they moved to the “farm” in Hamburg where they continued with dairy and hobby farming. They were blessed with many great neighbors in Hamburg. A few years after Mark’s passing, Karren moved to Wausau. She loved attending church at Holy Name and riding the city bus to go shopping and to the library.
Karren and her husband Mark took flying lessons and they each soloed a plane. She acquired a soil testing license and took classes toward an accounting degree at North Central Technical School in Wausau.
She enjoyed reading and spent a lot of time at the library. She also enjoyed gardening, especially tending to her roses. She enjoyed canning, wine making, and also enjoyed a great game of Sheepshead.
Karren enjoyed traveling with family, sewing quilts and blankets, and embroidering pillowcases and dish towels. Many of her lap quilts were donated to nursing homes and through Saint Catherine Council at Holy Name. Most of all she looked forward to the many family gatherings either at the syrup shack or for the holidays which were always spent together as a big family.
Karren’s life brought her many blessings–her children: the late Mark Jr., infant son John, Lisa (Randy) Stack, David Seliger, Daniel Seliger, Michael (Sandy) Seliger, the late Susan Boles; Ann Seliger, Andrew (Sue) Seliger, James (Ellen) Seliger, Matthew (Jen) Seliger, Sara (Bill) Schroeder, Kara (Keith) Seliger. Grandchildren: Daniel Jr., Danielle, Olivia, Paige, Miki, Messeana, A.J. (Alysia), Rick (Jamie), Amber (John), Brandi (Alex), Amber (Brian), Luke (Megan), Peter (Selena), Faith (Mason), Hazel, Taylor (Will), Thomas, Laura (Hobby), Jacob (Mary), Emily (Caleb), Sophia, Edison, and Ethan. 19 great-grandchildren and two more on the way.
Karren was also preceded in death by siblings Roger, Richard, Robert, Lawrence, Mary, and Joane.
The Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 1104 South Ninth Avenue, Wausau, with Rev. Samuel Martin presiding. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Burial will take place at a later date in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Marathon. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com.
The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services and the Aspirus Palliative Care Unit for the care that Karren received.
Wilbur E. Otto
We had our father longer than most, but he still seems gone too soon.
Wilbur Ervin Otto, 95, Town of Rib Falls, passed away on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at home after a brief illness.
Wilbur was born May 18, 1928 in Wausau, WI, son of Hugo Otto and Devina (Fenhouse) Otto. He graduated from Athens High School in 1946. On October 3, 1953 he married Charlotte Hilmershausen at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Edgar, WI.
Wilbur worked for the former Wisconsin Distributing Company of Wausau for 39 years. First as a truck driver and then as warehouse foreman. He was a member of the Teamsters Union Local 446 & 662. Wilbur was a longtime active member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Edgar for over 75 years where he served on the church council for many years. He also served on the Town of Rib Falls board. Wilbur was a lifetime resident of the Town of Rib Falls.
Among some of his pastimes were hunting, fishing, boating, mowing lawn and working in his hobby shop. He enjoyed spending time with his family and attending his grandchildren’s many concerts and sporting events.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte and four daughters. Marsha Otto, Marla (Thomas) Berg, Renee (Patrick) Steffen and Rachelle (Khamby) Phakitthong. Seven grandchildren, Jamie Sterzinger (Preston Rau), Andrew and Sarah Steffen, Ally, Chentaly, Ashley, and Chenpieng Phakitthong. A sister, Ruby Holzem and a sister-in-law Marlene Otto. Along with several nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, Rodney and Gerald “Jerry” and four half-siblings, Juanita, Neal, Doris and Avis.
Funeral services will be on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 424 N 3rd Ave, Edgar with Pastor Gail Sowell officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 am – 11:00 am with a service at 11:00 am at the church.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Stephen Lutheran Church Memorial Fund PO Box 95 Edgar, WI 54426
The family would like to thank the staff of Aspirus Comfort Care & Hospice Service for the great care they gave Wilbur.
We love you and will never forget you, Dad. God’s Peace.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
Kenneth D. Erbrecht
Kenneth Dale Erbrecht, age 79 Wausau, passed away May 18, 2023. He was born on Sept. 14, 1943, to Elmer and Esther (Rothman) Erbrecht.
He is survived by his former wife and mother of his children Doreen Erbrecht, his 3 sons, Kenny Erbrecht, Keith (Cheryl) Erbrecht, Kelly (Nikki) Erbrecht, and his daughter Kim (Don) Dolezal; and his grandchildren, Danielle, Megan, MacKenzie, Matthew and Kevin.
He graduated from Wausau High School in 1962. Worked at 3M and then entered the United State Marines. He owned Someday Acres farming for 15 years. Then he began his career with the Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. He was a well-known institution at Marathon Park which included driving the Zamboni where he had his own following of people that frequently asked about him if he was not there. He retired on March 25, 2011, after 25 years. Since then, he was a member of American Veterans Post WI-3929, enjoyed making firewood, sitting by a fire with family and friends, fishing, spending time up north in Tomahawk, doing Sudoku puzzles, sitting by his boiler stoking the fire, and spending lap time with this 4-legged grandkids Tucker and Chewy while watching movies. To the work he was one person but to us he meant the world.
A celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 24th at Big Eau Pleine, 135695 Eau Pleine Park Rd, Mosinee, WI, Enclosed Shelter #19, from 11 am – 4 pm
Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time. Online condolences may be expressed at MWCS.WS
Robert T. Klumpp
Bobby Klumpp of Stevens Point, Wisconsin formerly of Shorewood, Wisconsin, born October 29,1961, passed away at the age of 61 on May 18, 2023.
Son of Thomas Klumpp and the late Susan Klumpp. The brother of Laura Thelen, Betsy Cerpich, and David (Jennie) Klumpp. The proud uncle of Jack, Annie, and Kate Cerpich, Matthew and Carly Thelen and Zoe Klumpp. Bobby was preceded in death by his loving mom Sue, his grandparents Ray and Lucille Kops, and his grandmother Gertrude Klumpp and several dear friends.
Bobby was a very intelligent and creative person. His quick-wit, excellent memory and humor were all part of his giftedness. He was a fast thinker with a broad vocabulary who welcomed an ardent discussion. Bobby was a talented writer of poetry and also enjoyed challenging his mind in trivia contests. Bobby had a love for personal nostalgia. He could retell events of his childhood or adventures with friends down to the smallest details that engaged everyone in the room as if it were yesterday.
Bobby made many friends during his school years at Shorewood and during college who became his wonderful lifelong friends. Bobby attended UW-Stevens Point and then graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a degree in English. While living in Milwaukee, he loved fishing on Lake Michigan and the city’s social life. It was the outdoors and a simple way of life that drew him back to Stevens Point in his most recent years. Bobby was fortunate to spend his final weeks of life taking photos of sunrises and sunsets and catching walleye, musky and northern pike off the shores of the Wisconsin River.
Bobby struggled on and off with substance abuse and at times, those struggles contributed to his hardships and to life’s difficulties. He was, however, always hopeful for a new lifestyle had terminal cancer not ended that dream. He will be deeply missed by family and friends and his longtime companion, Remy, a sweet black lab. We would like to thank the Wausau Aspirus hospital staff and the acute care coordinator Stephanie for their thoughtful care.
Bobby wrote a final memorable poem titled: “The Breeze.” In it, he recalls fondly his childhood and youthful days that reflect happy memories and loving relationships. The following is an excerpt from the poem:
As I lay in the sun it consumed me with nostalgia.
All at once I drift back.
Suddenly reminded of days of innocence, of childlike bliss, of security.
Security of ignorance, free from anxiety.
I’m laying in the sun now
Smelling the lake, the water, the moisture
The wetness of a beach has a wonderful smell
It’s in my hair now…
I’m reluctant to leave this place
The sounds of kids enjoying themselves in everyday life.
I want to stay here forever.
Stay warm in a place of long cherished memory.
Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time. Online Condolences may be expressed at MWCS.WS
Anthony P. Brzezinski
Anthony P. Brzezinski, a faithful and devoted lifelong servant of God and the Catholic Church, has gone home to heaven. His large extended family, friends and business associates throughout Wisconsin and beyond are mourning the loss of a man whose legacy of faith, love, hard work and philanthropy will live on for generations.
A Korean War veteran, Anthony, 95, passed away peacefully on Memorial Day weekend, on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at his home in the town of New Hope, Wis. He was comforted in his final days by gentle breezes carrying familiar scents of his freshly plowed fields outside his bedroom, as well as visits from his four surviving siblings, other family members, priests, and friends.
A lifelong Wisconsin resident, Anthony was born Dec. 15, 1927, on the family dairy farm in the Town of Bevent in Marathon County, the fourth of 14 children born to Barney and Matilda Brzezinski. While he never married and had no children, Anthony was a beloved and doting uncle to 36 nieces and nephews. Known as a master storyteller of family history, with a sharp sense of humor, a big laugh and a booming baritone singer’s voice, Uncle Anthony’s presence electrified the room, as he often attracted a crowd and held court during extended family gatherings.
A man of humble beginnings who left school in Bevent after ninth grade to work full-time on the family farm struggling to survive the Great Depression, Anthony nonetheless went on to become a successful real estate investor, farmer, and a generous philanthropist.
Anthony moved to Milwaukee in 1947, where he worked for 31 years as a crane operator at the Nash Motor Company (later American Motors). He proudly recalled how he saved for a year and a half to purchase his first new car, a 1949 Nash that he personally loaded by crane from the assembly line onto the truck that would take it to the dealership where he bought it. Those years of hard factory work and scrupulous saving provided him the funds to invest in real estate.
In 1959, Anthony purchased his first property, a rooming house on Booth Street in Milwaukee. His first tenants were relatives and friends from rural Wisconsin who followed him to seek work in the city. Known as a shrewd, but honest businessman, he acquired numerous apartment buildings and offices across Wisconsin.
As a child of the Depression, Anthony rarely spent money on luxuries for himself, except for travel, an occasional new car, and a retirement home in Florida. Instead, he quietly helped family members in need and donated generously to his church and other organizations and causes. Deeply religious, Anthony attended Mass faithfully.
A proud veteran, Anthony was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and served 18 months in Korea during the war as a maintenance man for the 724th Railroad Battalion, attaining the rank of corporal before receiving his honorable discharge in 1954. He was proud to have served his country in Korea at the same time as his younger brother, Carl. They were stationed in different parts of the country but Anthony was grateful that they were able to see each other once while there. He was a member of the Polish Legion of American Veterans (PLAV Post 185), and participated in the Honor Flight in 2013.
One of Anthony’s many interests was travel. He loved to explore the nation and world, proudly taking his parents to Florida, New York and California, and eventually visiting all 50 states and four continents. Proud of his Polish roots and family history, Anthony traveled to Poland and located the original Brzezinski family farm near Czarna Woda, where his grandparents Alexander and Juliana lived before coming to America. As a result of his research, several other family members have been able to visit the farm and connect with their heritage, too. Anthony also twice visited Germany and Austria to perform as a proud member of the Stevens Point-based Monteverdi Chorale.
For years, Anthony lived in Oak Creek, annually hosting various nieces and nephews during their summer breaks and treating them to time in his pool, Brewers games and visits to Maria’s Pizza. After retiring from American Motors in 1978, Anthony managed his real estate holdings and had some interesting side jobs, such as working the scoreboard at Milwaukee County Stadium for Brewers games during a memorable 1981 season.
Anthony returned to his farming roots in 1986, when he purchased the dairy farm on which he spent his final days. In 1991, he moved from Oak Creek to a new home he built on the property, and the farm became his pride and joy. He expanded the herd from 50 to 250 head of cattle and built three barns and a milking parlor. He was immensely proud that his farm was chosen to host the Portage County June Dairy Breakfast in 2004.
Throughout his life, Anthony enjoyed swimming, church picnics and polka dancing. At the many big Catholic family weddings, he would insist on taking each of his nieces for a spin around the dance floor. In many ways, he was a larger-than-life character who loved to tell stories, crack jokes and always had a one-liner at the ready, but he was also a curious and attentive uncle who would keep tabs on the lives of his nieces and nephews. He always remembered names and dates and was the go-to source of family history.
In 2004, Anthony created a charitable foundation to support Catholic institutions, inspire future entrepreneurs, and support the local community. To date, the Anthony P. Brzezinski Foundation has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, including building Catholic churches as well as seminaries and schools in Africa, India and the Philippines. The foundation also has supported numerous projects in central Wisconsin, including a gathering hall at St. Maximillian Kolbe Church in Almond, improvements to the Halder Community Ballpark, and many other projects.
Anthony’s impressive legacy will live on for generations, not only through the work of the foundation he created, but also through the lessons learned by family, friends and business associates who admired him. He was a great man who will be deeply missed.
Survivors include Anthony’s siblings Carl Brzezinski of Weston, Bernard (Dolores) Brzezinski of Mosinee, John (Chesterine) Brzezinski of Stevens Point, and Agnes Gliniecki of Weston, as well as his 36 nieces and nephews and their families.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings and their spouses Pauline, Alex (Eleanor) Brzezinski, Lucille (Edwin) Stankowski, Mary Ann (Harley) Vander Kooy, Sister Mary Veronica, James, Adam, Joseph and Theresa, as well as brother-in-law Edwin Gliniecki.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, June 7, at St. Ladislaus Catholic Church in Bevent, which was the family’s parish in his childhood. Burial will be in the Parish Cemetery, where his grandparents, parents and other family members were laid to rest. Visitations will be held from 4-7 PM, with a Rosary recited at 6 PM, on Tuesday, June 6, at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home in Wittenberg, and again from 9 AM, until the time of Mass at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial cash gifts may be donated in Anthony’s name to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse.
Anthony wanted to extend a special thank you to Randy and Robin Oliver, Erica Wendt, and Cathy Stockinger, who helped him in so many ways in his later years of life, including taking over the farm and caring for him, making it possible for him to spend his final years in his home.
Thomas G. Grimes
Thomas George Grimes, 78, of Wausau, Wisconsin, died May 24, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona, after a brief illness.
He was born June 29, 1944, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Alice (McHugh) and Earl Grimes.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lynn (Zabel); children Danielle (Steve), Shawn (Tracy), Patrick (Gabrielle), Ryan (Angela); sister Patricia (Howard) Sitzberger, half-brother Gerry, half-sister Jean; and grandchildren Kathryn, Owen, Gabriel, Celia, Alexander, Christopher and Michael.
He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant daughter.
A memorial will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.
