Henry Victor Merila
Henry Victor Merila, formerly of Eagle River, died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2003, at Saint Mary's Hospital in Rhinelander. He was 91.
Mr. Merila was born July 6, 1912, in Atlantic Mine, Mich.
He is survived by one daughter, Karen Rogerson of Aurora, Ill.
A graveside funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Eagle River Cemetery. The Rev. William Trosien will officiate.
Burial will be in Eagle River Cemetery.
Gordon Wayne Waskow
Gordon Wayne Waskow of Conover died Saturday, May 15, 2004, at his home. He was 81.
Mr. Waskow was born Aug. 8, 1922, in Two Rivers, the son of John and Hazel (nee Rollins) Waskow.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen “Casey”; four sons, Terry (Barbara), Randy, Ted and Dan; a daughter, Wendy (Elmer) Vandehei; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Inurnment took place and a private family service will be held.
Charles 'Chuck' Harsla
Charles “Chuck” Harsla of Eagle River died Monday, May 17, 2004, at his home. He was 70.
Mr. Harsla was born Aug. 13, 1933 in Chicago, Ill., the son of Joseph and Mary Harsla.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1959. A Korean War veteran, he received the Korean Service medal, National Defense medal, United Nations medal and Good Conduct medal.
He married Rose Rubo, a widow, in 1960.
He moved to Eagle River with his family in 1961 and worked as a carpenter for many years until starting C&D Construction with his son Don.
He was named Vilas County veterans service officer in 1987 and served in that position until he retired in January 2003.
He was a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the VFW where he was a past commander.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers Maryon (Lucky), Joseph Jr. and Eugene; one sister, Adeline Kueker and son-in-law, Richard Dunow.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Donald (Charlotte) Rubo; two daughters, Donna Martens and Diane Dunow, both of Eagle River; one sister, Lorraine (Robert) Sperling of Eagle River; two brothers, Frank (Mildred) of Eagle River and Edward (Florence) of Arizona; ten grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He is further survived by nieces and nephews.
A funeral service was held May 20 at Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home in Eagle River.
Interment
was in Eagle River Cemetery.
Ruth M. Haug
Ruth M. Haug died Thursday, May 20, 2004, at Dr. Kate Newcomb Convalescent Center in Woodruff. She was 96.
Mrs. Haug was born May 8, 1908, in Parson, Kan., the daughter of Arthur and Mable (nee Watt) Stevenson.
She married Arthur Haug June 10, 1946, in Chicago, Ill.
Survivors include her husband and two sisters, Jean Consoer of Shawano and Maxine (Bill) Raulerson of Cartersville, Ga.
A funeral service was held May 25 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Eagle River with the Rev. William Trosien officiating.
Interment
will be in Eagle River Cemetery.
Neil C. Rand
Neil C. Rand of Mishicot died Friday, May 21, 2004, at his home. He was 68.
Mr. Rand was born Feb. 17, 1936, in Eagle River, the son of Sam and Vida (nee Skinner) Rand.
He attended Eagle River schools, graduating in 1954. He married Marian Cinko of St. Germain July 2, 1956.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1959, rising to the rank of Boiler Tender First Class aboard the destroyer WL Lind DD703.
After his discharge, he worked for Wisconsin Electric Power Co. in Oak Creek until moving to Mishicot in 1969 to work as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, until his retirement in 1994.
He and his wife also owned and operated Historic Forest Inn in Tisch Mills and also the Two Creeks General Store.
Mr. Rand was a member of Zion United Methodist Church, Kewaunee Masonic Lodge as a 32nd degree Mason, American Legion Post 2930, Manitowoc County Civil War Round Table, Tin Can Sailors Association, Professional Reactor Operator Society, Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Association and a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
He was interested in animals and his hobbies included woodworking, history and genealogy. He was an avid Green Bay Packers fan.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Patrick. in 1994.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Pam (Walter) Boness of Mishicot; a daughter-in-law, Justine Rand of Mishicot; one sister Vida (Duane) Seppa; four grandchildren; and one great-grandaughter.
He is further survived by other relatives and friends.
A funeral service was held May 24 at Lambert-Eckert Funeral Home in Mishicot.
Sister Mary Seraphia Hauser
Sister Mary Seraphia Hauser, a native of Eagle River and a Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis for 68 years, died Friday, May 28, 2004, at St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point. She was 86.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 2, at the convent chapel in Stevens Point, with the Rev. Robert Koszarek of Eagle River officiating.
Friends may call from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, at the convent where a vigil service will take place at 6:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Veronica Hauser was born Aug. 13, 1917, in Eagle River, the daughter of John and Agnes (nee Korpal) Hauser. She was born into a family of five girls and one boy, in the home that still stands on the present site of Zeloski Potato Farm on Chain O' Lakes Road in the town of Washington.
After their mother died at age 45, the three older girls moved to Chicago to live with relatives. Elizabeth, age 7, and her brother Larry, age 4, remained in Eagle River where they lived on a farm in the care of their uncle and aunt, Stanley and Frances Korpal.
Elizabeth attended Eagle River public schools and graduated from Mayo Elementary School in 1931 and Eagle River High School in 1935.
On Aug. 29, 1935, she entered the postulancy of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis in Stevens Point. She was received into the novitiate Aug. 3, 1936, when she was given the name Sister Mary Seraphia. She made her first profession of vows Aug. 9, 1938, and her final vows Sept. 12, 1943.
Sister Mary Seraphia graduated from St. Scholastica College in Duluth, Minn., in 1941 and completed her internship in dietetics in 1942 at St. Louis University Firmin Desloge Hospital. She held a lifetime membership in the American Dietetic Association.
Her career as a dietician spanned 44 years. She worked at River Pines Sanitorium, Stevens Point; Divine Infant Hospital, Wakefield, Mich.; St. Joseph Home and Hospital; River Falls; and at Eagle River Memorial Hospital. She headed the dietary department at Eagle River Memorial Hospital from 1976 to 1988.
From 1988 to 1996, she worked at Seifert's Laundry in Eagle River, did home care of the elderly and volunteered at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, where she was a member from 1976 until 2001, when she retired to St. Joseph Congregational Home in Stevens Point.
Besides her parents and foster parents, she was preceded in death by four sisters, Gertrude Wood, Alma Polifka, Grace Hauser and Viola Mayer; and one brother, Lawrence Hauser. She is survived by nieces and nephews.
Henry Mathias Riha
Henry Mathias Riha of Eagle River died Friday, May 28, 2004, at Dr. Kate Newcomb Convalescent Center in Woodruff. He was 95.
Mr. Riha was born Oct. 6, 1908, in Morton Grove, Ill. Throughout the years, he worked as a gardener at private estates and commercial greenhouses in Illinois, Maryland and Michigan, and later at Pohleman Greenhouse in Morton Grove.
He moved to Eagle River in 1972.
Mr. Riha was preceded in death by his wife, Sannie; and daughter, Josephine Chester.
Survivors include a daughter, Anita Riha of Eagle River; a son, Henry of Grants Pass, Ore.; two grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Wednesday, June 2, at 2 p.m. at Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home in Eagle River, with the Rev. Margaret Johnson officiating. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. June 2 at the funeral home. Burial will be in Eagle River Cemetery.
Monroe J. Ariens
Monroe J. Ariens of Zephyrhills, Fla., died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. He was 89.
He had retired from Falk Corp. and the U.S. Army, where he had achieved the rank of major.
He became a pioneer member of the Greendale community in 1938, and was a former member of the board of directors of Falk Credit Union.
He was also a member of the Greendale Community Church, Greendale American Legion Post 416, a 32nd-degree Mason, Falk Masonic Builders and Milwaukee County Council of Boy Scouts of America.
He was a longtime summer resident of Eagle River.
He was preceded in death by his sister-in-law, Frances Davis.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Dora (nee Crowley); one daughter, Kathleen Ariens (Dan Celoni); two sons, Raymond (Veronica) and Mark (Pam); a brother-in-law Clare (Helen) Crowley; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He is further survived by other relatives and friends.
A memorial service was held in Zephyrhills, Fla.
Thomas George 'Tom' Fegers Sr.
A graveside service for Thomas George “Tom” Fegers Sr. will be held Saturday, June 26, 2004, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Peter Cemetery in Eagle River.
Mr. Fegers died Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004, at Lillian E. Kerr Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Center in Phelps.
Brenda Aiken-Verdi
Brenda Aiken-Verdi of Sugar Camp died Thursday, June 24, 2004, at her home. She was 48.
She was born Oct. 31, 1955, in Milwaukee, the daughter of Fred and Katherine (nee Pete) Verdi.
She moved to California in 1966 and returned to Wisconsin in 1999.
Her hobbies included doing craft work and entertaining.
Survivors include her mother; a son, Jason of Sugar Camp; a daughter, LaTara Verdi of Sugar Camp; three sisters, Diane (Rick) Stroebec of Sugar Camp, Joy (Dave) Stevens of Rosamond, Calif., and Pauline Piechowski of Eagle River; and one brother, Fred (Jenny) Verdi Jr. of Conover.
She is further survived by aunts, uncles and cousins.
A funeral will be held Wednesday, June 30, at 2 p.m. at Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home in Eagle River with the Rev. William Horath officiating. Visitation will precede the service from noon to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Rowe Baker Alt
Rowe Baker Alt of Winona, Minn., died Tuesday, June 22, 2004, at the family cabin in Manitowoc. He was 61.
His family also had a cabin in Land O' Lakes where he visited.
Mr. Alt was preceded in death by his mother, Beulah (nee Nobles) Alt and a nephew, Nathan.
Survivors include his father, Clarence; a sister, Mary Ellen Alt; and two brothers, John and Orrin.
He is further survived by two nieces and a nephew.
A funeral service will be held Thursday, July 1, at 10 a.m. at Church of St. Patrick in Edina, Minn. Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home, Edina Chapel.
Burial will be in Lakewood Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
JoAnn M. Kuske
JoAnn M. Kuske of Sugar Camp died Thursday, June 24, 2004, at her home. She was 71.
Mrs. Kuske was born Aug. 9, 1932, in Milwaukee the daughter of Charles and Margaret (nee Carey) Millward.
She moved with her husband, Robert, to Sugar Camp in 1993. Her hobbies included traveling.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Charles Millward; and a sister, Judy Corey.
Survivors include her husband; four daughters, Lyn (Kenneth) Palmer of Slinger, Sally (Wayne) Brogden of Las Vegas, Nev., Jill Spieckerman and Karen (Orlando) Walker, both of Sugar Camp; two sons, Roy (Terry) Spieckerman of Colgate and Robert (Charlotte) Kuske of Whitefish Bay; and eight grandchildren.
A funeral service was held June 28 at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rhinelander, with the Rev. John Gerritts officiating.
Burial was in Sugar Camp Cemetery.
A memorials will be established in her name.
Ann Levandowski
Ann Levandowski of Rhinelander, formerly of Eagle River, died Wednesday, June 23, 2004, at Taylor Park Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. She was 82.
Mrs. Levandowski was born July 20, 1921, in Chicago, Ill., the daughter of Charles and Lillian (nee Peterson) Klee. She was raised and attended schools there.
She married Earl Levandowski in Chicago July 24, 1941. They moved to Eagle River in 1977.
Her hobbies included playing bingo, fishing, hiking and spending time outdoors. She was also an avid sports fan and spent time at the Kalmar Center.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1983; a brother, Robert Klee; and a grandson, Steven Levandowski.
Survivors include two daughters, Barbara Levandowski of Illinois and Jackie Levandowski of Eagle River; five sons, Norman (Gloria) of Wyoming, Wayne (Barbara) of Kentucky, Jerry (Julie) of Lake Tomahawk, Alan (Cathy) and Andy (Shari), both of Illinois; a brother, Charles Klee of Illinois; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She is further survived by other relatives and friends.
A funeral was held June 29 at 2 p.m. at Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home in Eagle River, with the Rev. Margaret Johnson officiating.
Burial was in St. Peter Cemetery in Eagle River.
Memorials may be made to Ministry Hospice Northern Region.
Robert Kenneth Maahs
Robert Kenneth Maahs of Wausau died Saturday, June 26, 2004, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield. He was 2.
Robert was born March 31, 2002, in Wausau to Christopher and Lisa (nee Young) Maahs.
Survivors include his parents; two sisters, Caroline and Sophie Maahs, living at home in Wausau; grandparents, Bob and Kathy Young of Wheaton, Ill., and Kenneth and Karen Maahs of Eagle River; great-grandparents, Vernon Johnson, and Gordon and Jean Young of Seattle, Wash.
He is further survived by an aunt, uncles and cousins.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 30, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Brainard Funeral Home in Wausau.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 1, at Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Joy Nelson-Jeffers and the Rev. Thomas Berry will officiate.
Memorials may be made to the Robbie Maahs Family Fund, River Valley State Bank, 101 Scott St., Wausau, WI 54403.
