William H. Lonsdorf
William H. Lonsdorf, age 96, passed away on February 23, 2024 due to complications of cancer.
Bill was born and grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Athens and lived a majority of his life in Wausau. He and his wife, Nola, made their home in the Town of Maine and lived there for over 29 years. After retiring from the Milwaukee Railroad, Bill and Nola made the decision to move out of their dream home and into an apartment so that they could be worry free when they wintered in Mission, Texas. Bill lived at Forest Park Independent Living Apartments for 36 years.
Bill is survived by three children; Bill (Patricia), Cher, and Sarah, two grandchildren; Will (Nicole) Lonsdorf and Angela (Aaron) Wester, and four great-grandchildren; Haidyn, Logan, Rylen and Kashden. He leaves behind other relatives, many friends at Forest Park, his railroad buddies, and his church friends.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife, Nola; brother George and sisters Gertrude, Elizabeth and Cecilia.
A visitation for Bill will be held on Saturday, March 9 at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 512 McClellan Street, from 10-11 am. Bill’s memorial service will follow at 11 am with Pastor Karoline Schwantes officiating.
The family would like to thank Aspirus Urology Clinic for their kindness, his Forest Park friends for all the cards and prayers, and Aspirus Hospice and The Gardens Assisted Living for their help during the last week of his life.
Violet J. Farkas
Violet J. Farkas Wausau, 81, died under the care of Aspirus Hospice at her home on February 22, 2024. Violet (Vye) was born November 16, 1942, in the Town of Reitbrock to the late Walter Sr. and Clara (Wojciechowski) Guralski.
On June 8th, 1963, she married the love of her life, Zane Farkas at Holy Family Parish, Poniatowski, WI. They were married for 54 years until his death, March 1, 2018.
Vye worked at Marathon Cheese in Marathon City, WI and Sargento Foods Inc., Plymouth, WI before she became a homemaker after the birth of their second child. She was a lifelong member of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Wausau, WI.
At the age of 12 she was stricken with Polio but refused to let it define her, growing into an incredible woman. She never met a stranger and loved spending time with family and friends. She learned to drive a car when she was 9 months pregnant, learned to swim at 60, and enjoyed going to the fair, fishing, traveling and playing Farkle with her family.
Survivors include her children Michele Farkas, Marla (Jason) Klinger and Merle Farkas; 6 grandchildren: McKenzie, Elise, Brelynn, Jaclyn, Megan & Michael; 3 great grandchildren: Maddix, Aisley, & Birkley.
Violet is further survived by her sisters Deloris Gajewski, Joan (Norman) Soczka, Lucille (Jim) Klaparski, Barbara Diers and her brother Robert Guralski.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Wausau on Friday March 1, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Father Samuel Martin will officiate. Entombment will be in Memorial Mausoleum at Rest Lawn Memorial Park, Wausau. Visitation will be Thursday evening from 4pm – 7pm at Helke Funeral Home, Wausau and again on March 1, 2024 from 10:00 AM until time of services at the church.
Our family sends a heartfelt thank you to the Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services Team that took care of our mother for the last 2 years. She always looked forward to those visits.
James A. Jones
Jim Jones of Wausau, Wisconsin died peacefully at home on February 24 at the age of 81.
Jim was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin to Hylas and Dorothy Jones on October 29, 1942. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He married Marilyn Janczak (deceased) in 1966 and had a daughter Alissa. In 1985 Jim married Mary Lou Prange and they were together for 38 years up until his passing.
Jim was a Milwaukee Police Officer for 28 years where he walked the beat, drove an ambulance, manned squad cars, and engaged in community policing. Jim was often asked why he joined the police force. His response was it’s the closest thing to being a cowboy he could find.
The day after Jim retired from the force, the cars were packed and he and Mary Lou moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado to start a new adventure. There he got his Professional Ski Instructors of America certification and started his dream job of teaching skiing at Steamboat Ski Resort.
Jim had a passion for the great outdoors, whether skiing and snowshoeing in the winter or biking and hiking in the summer. He loved walking the beaches and kayaking in the mangroves on visits to see his daughter and her family in Florida.
Jim is survived by his wife Mary Lou, daughter Alissa Grabarczyk, her husband Steve Grabarczyk, grandson Grant Grabarczyk, granddaughter Bethany Johnsen, sister Jan Werdin, and many nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.
There will be no funeral per Jim’s request, so the next time you go for a walk or strap on a pair of skis, take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, smile and think of Jim.
Memorials may be sent to United Way of Marathon County or a charity of your choice.
Richard J. Gajewski
Richard J. Gajewski, 86, Wausau, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Friday, February 23, 2024.
He was born July 4, 1938 in Wausau, son of the late Sylvester and Helen (Murawski) Gajewski. On August 29, 1958, he was united in marriage to Betty Schuster at Holy Name Catholic Church, Wausau. She survives.
For 41 years, Richard worked for Kraft Foods in Wausau, until his retirement. Following his retirement, he enjoyed having breakfast on Saturday mornings with his fellow retirees.
Among his favorite pastimes, he liked to go deer hunting, fishing, especially for bullhead’s at night, snowmobiling, gardening and canning vegetables. He loved polka music and dancing to polkas with his wife, Bette. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Survivors include, two children, Mark (Lynn) Gajewski, Wausau and Cynthia (Brian) Charais-Greely, Appleton; three grandchildren, Ryan (Kimberly) Gajewski, Nick (Chantel) Charais and Nathan (Amanda) Charias; five great-grandchildren, Liam, Aiden, Alexis, Cameron and Madelyn; four siblings, Ronald (Mary Lou) Gajewski, Nancy (Gary) France, Susan Dexter and Robert Gajewski; and many nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Michael and Kenneth Gajewski.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at St. Michael Catholic Church, Wausau. Rev. Allan Slowiak will preside. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery, Wausau. Visitation will be on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until time of services at the church.
Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Wausau is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
Phyllis J. Cooper
Phyllis June (Reinhard) Cooper passed away peacefully and entered into the Kingdom of Heaven on February 19th, 2024, at the age of 93, surrounded by family.
She was born on June 19th, 1930, to Selma and John Reinhard and grew up in “The Hollow” neighborhood in Wausau at the start of the Great Depression. Phyllis was one of six children, including Marian Feck, Bonnie Gabor, Robert Reinhard, Gerald Reinhard and Rosemary Wetzel.
She met Wesley Cooper in 1947 while working at JC Penney and the two were married on September 4th, 1948. They raised five children born between 1949 and 1965 on Grand Avenue for 25 years before moving to S. 7th Ave for 30 years.
Phyllis was a warmhearted, compassionate, fun-loving, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She was a great listener, patient, and witty. Phyllis always knew what to say and never held any judgment. Her generosity, joy, and altruism were contagious. She welcomed anyone with her legendary Grandma’s Poppyseed bread. Phyllis created a home full of warmth, love, and unconditional support. She made custom lullabies for each of her grandchildren and spent hours coloring with each of them.
She was a devout Catholic and parishioner of the Church of the Resurrection (St. James) for 73 years. She was humble and private in her faith and had a deep connection to The Lord.
Although she only had an 8th-grade education, she was a lifelong learner and earned her GED in her 40s. She took computer and typing classes and became proficient on her computer and iPad. She loved her jobs at Jackson Furniture and Nigbur Furniture and adored the people she worked with. She was an avid game player, from Scrabble to Yahtzee, and loved crossword puzzles. Phyllis was competitive and hard to beat.
Her card club, “The Circle of Joy”, played Canasta and Poker monthly, went on trips to Las Vegas, and formed close friendships that lasted a lifetime. Phyllis is survived by Circle of Joy members Susan Fox, Mary Lou McCarten, and Gigi Malone.
In their retirement, Phyllis and Wesley went on cruises and two European trips to England, Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. They attended the 70th anniversary in Normandy, France, commemorating WWII D-Day.
She is preceded in death by Wesley, her son Dennis, all her sisters, brothers, and three nephews.
She is survived by and the cherished mother of Timothy Cooper (Shelley Wilker) of Madison, WI, Bill (Jean) Cooper of Weston, WI, Susan Houben of Wilmington, NC, and Lisa Cooper of Wausau, WI.
Phyllis is the treasured grandmother to Chase (Leah) Cooper of Kronenwetter, WI; Chelsea (Mark) Eagan of Victor, ID; Christopher (Sara) Houben, Iwakuni, Japan; Olivia (Timm) Smith of Lodi, WI; Victoria (Tucker) Houben of San Luis Obispo, CA; Phillip Cooper of Wausau, WI; and great grandmother to Cooper Eagan of Victor, ID.
She is also survived by sister-in-law June Reinhard of Medford, MA, many nieces and nephews and cousins on the Kurczewski side.
Services will be on March 22nd at the Church of the Resurrection in Wausau. Visitation will be at 9:45 followed by mass at 10:30, and a private family burial at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time. Online condolences may be expressed at MWCS.WS.
Glenn D. States Jr.
Glenn D. States Jr., 83, Wausau, died Friday, February 23, 2024, under palliative care at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
He was born June 16, 1940, in Wausau, son of the late Glenn Sr. and Marion (Melang) States. On July 31, 1971 he married Bonnie Wiese and she preceded him in death on April 1, 2019.
Glenn worked at Leath Furniture, Marathon Mail Service and County Market. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed attending Brewers games in Milwaukee. Glenn was a loving husband and devoted father who will be greatly missed.
Survivors include his three daughters, Sara (Dale) VandeBoom, Marathon, Kim Pawlowski, Kronenwetter and Kelly Dadacki, Mosinee; brother, Richard (Sharon) States, Tucson, Arizona; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, two nephews and several cousins. Special thanks to his friend Lee Wenzel for helping him out.
Besides his parents and wife, Bonnie, he was preceded in death by a sister, Gail Hagen.
At Glenn’s request there will be no funeral service at this time.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com
Susan A. Scheunemann
On February 20th, 2024, Susan A Scheunemann age 81 went with God and those waiting for her at the gate of heaven.
Sue passed peacefully in her sleep under the quick care of hospice at Wausau Manor. The family would like to thank all of those staff who truly cared for her as a person, especially Kris, Michelle, Tasha, and Angie. Sue battled stage 4 liver disease for many years, so she selflessly chose to set herself free from all the pokes, prods, bruises, and breathing machines to keep her alive. Sue was a very independent woman she wanted to LIVE LIFE her way!
She was proceeded in death by her husband Erwin A. Scheunemann (Milwaukee, WI) and her parents John & Lucille (Brandzolewski) Hartman (Milwaukee, WI)
Susan is survived by her children Kari (Scheunemann & Theodore Bronson, (WI), Scott & Becky Schwendeman (MN) Kristie Scheunemann (NV) and Vickie (Scheunemann) & David Kolb (WI), 18 grandkids, 20 great grandkids and well as her great, great grandkids….
She is further survived by her siblings David & Bonnie Hartman (WA) Paul & Joy Hartman (England) and John Hartman Jr. (WI).
Some of Susan’s hobbies were traveling, camping, bowling, playing pool, bingo and casino time with family and friends. Her love of family goes without saying, her cooking and baking skills were amazing, cracking jokes to make up were something to behold.
Susan worked at Wal-Mart 26+ years in Wausau & Milwaukee, WI. Her Wal-Mart family meant the world to her. Sue was a proud coordinator of the Children’s Miracle Network, she was so happy and proud of getting many donations and could work the phones like a champ!
A memorial service for Susan will be held on Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, with a visitation from 2:00 p.m. until the time of prayer service at 4:00 p.m. at John J. Buettgen Funeral Home 948 Grand Ave, Schofield, WI.
Burial will be held at Wood National Cemetery (VA) in Milwaukee, WI 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI on March 6th, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Condolences can be sent to 311 Schmidt Ave., Rothschild, WI in care of Susan to Kari or Ted Bronson.
John J. Buettgen Funeral Home is assisting the family at this time. Online condolences may be expressed at HonorOne.com
