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Esther E. Leis
TOMAH, Wis. - Esther E. Leis, 82, of Tomah and formerly of Wilton died Saturday, Nov. 28, 1998, at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse. She was born on Sept. 8, 1916, to Joseph and Mary (Dunwald) Suhr, near Melvina in the town of Jefferson. She was united in marriage to Norbert A. Leis on April 15, 1941, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Pine Hollow. They farmed in the town of Wilton until retiring in 1982. Esther was a loving mother and grandmother.
She is survived by two daughters, Imelda Biermeier of Hillsboro and Mary Ann (William) Parr of Fond du Lac; two sons, Norbert (Celesta) Leis Jr., David (Karen) Leis, all of Wilton; 14 grandchildren, Carl (Cheryl) Leis of Wilton, Christine (Richard) Westerman of Wilton, Laura (Matthew) Rueckheim of Ontario, Leonard (Amanda) Leis of Elroy, Larry Leis, Amanda Leis, both of Wilton, Matthew (Trina) Biermeier, Michael Biermeier, Chadwick Biermeier, all of Hillsboro, Marcia Parr and Melissa Parr of Fond du Lac, Laura, James and Heidi Handorf of Wilton; 11 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Laura and Irene Huhr of Melvina; a brother, Vernon Suhr of West Salem. Esther is further survived by other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Norbert.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1998, 11 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Wilton. The Very Reverend James P. McNamee will officiate. Burial will be in the St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, Wilton, Wis.
Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Smith-Nelson Funeral Home, Wilton, on Monday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. and on Tuesday at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of services.
Grace K. Smith
GAYS MILLS, Wis. - Grace K. Smith, 80, of Gays Mills, died Saturday, November 28, 1998 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. Funeral services will be held on Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Dommersnaes-Bertram Family Funeral Home in Gays Mills with burial in the Gays Mills Cemetery. Friends may call on Monday after 11:00 a.m. at the Dommersnaes-Bertram Family Funeral Home in Gays Mills.
Marilyn Joan McGee
ARCADIA, Wis. - Marilyn J. McGee, 69, of Arcadia, Wis., died Saturday, Nov. 28, 1998, at the Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis.
She was born Dec. 31, 1928, in La Crosse, Wis., to John and Lillian (Grosskopf) Schoen. On April 23, 1949, Marilyn married Lyle McGee in La Crosse. They farmed near Modena, Wis., until they moved to Gilmanton, Wis., in 1967. In 1994, they moved to Arcadia, Wis.
Marilyn is survived by her husband, Lyle McGee, Lakeview Health Care Center, West Salem, Wis.; one daughter, Suzanne (James) Wiskow, Arcadia, Wis.; one granddaughter, Julie Wiskow, Arcadia, Wis.; seven brothers, Hilary (Faye) Schoen, La Crosse, Wis., Francis (Catherine) Schoen, La Crosse, Wis., Richard (Jeanette) Schoen, La Crosse, Wis., Gerald (Diane) Schoen, Mount Prospect, Ill., Russell (Jean) Schoen, Wheaton, Ill., Walter (Sharon) Schoen, La Crosse, Wis., Gregory (Bonnie) Schoen, Arcadia, Wis.; four sisters, Dorothy Wick, La Crosse, Wis., Catherine (Odin) McCarty, La Crosse, Wis., Barbara (Alan) Barum, Onalaska, Wis., Elizabeth (Edward) McFarland, Kansas City, Mo.; one sister-in-law, Colleen (Glen) Michaels, Alma, Wis.; and over 50 nieces and nephews.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents and an infant brother and sister.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12 noon on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1998, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Arcadia, with Rev. Raymond Pedretti officiating. Burial will be in the Buffalo City Public Cemetery, Buffalo City, Wis.
Friends may call from 4-9 p.m. Monday with a rosary recited at 7:30 p.m. and from 8-11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Wozney Funeral Home in Arcadia.
Wozney Funeral Home, Arcadia, is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Finn Posaas
Finn Posaas, 74, of La Crosse, died Sunday, Nov. 29, 1998, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. He was born Feb. 2, 1924, at Linna Finskogen, Solor, Norway. He married Betty Bickley at Exeter, Devon, England, on July 15, 1950. Finn and Betty immigrated to the United States on Jan. 4, 1952. They settled at Rapid City, S.D., and then in 1963, moved to La Crosse. Finn graduated from business college in Norway and then studied civil engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines. In La Crosse, Finn began building homes. He was a charter member of the La Crosse Home Builders' Association. He was a member and past president of Wergeland Lodge #5/28, Sons of Norway.
``In memory of our loved husband, father and grandfather, whose life touched us all in countless ways. Dad was a man of tremendous energy, vision, creativity and perseverance. We loved him and will miss him greatly. His departure leaves a void in all of our lives. We enjoyed his companionship, participated with him in numerous family adventures, canoeing, fishing, skiing, camping and golfing. Dad had a friendly manner and a loving concern. He was always there for his family and delighted in his grandchildren, Zachery and Sarah. Dad lived a full, courageous life. He was well-respected in the business community and built homes with craftmanship and integrity.''
In addition to his wife, Betty, he is survived by a daughter, Karen Ann (Charles) Miller of Burke, Va.; by two sons, David Finnson Posaas and Kevin Finnson Posaas, both of La Crosse; by three sisters, Ingrid Froyland, Unni (Oivind) Dahl and Randi (Finn) Rosendahl, all of Oslo, Norway; by a brother, Dr. Halvor (Karen) Vermund of Oslo; by two grandchildren, Zachery Finn Miller and Sarah Grace Miller; and by nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and by two brothers, Knute and Jarne.
The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to Dr. Erik Gundersen and his talented and caring support team, and to all of the wonderful nurses at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.
Memorial services will be Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998, at 11 a.m at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The Reverend Duane Kamroth will officiate. Friends may call at the church on Thursday from 10 a.m. until the service. Memorials may be given to the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of La Crosse County, 4062 Terrace Drive, La Crosse, Wis. 54601; or to St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
The Dickinson Family Funeral Home and Crematory, La Crosse, is assisting with the arrangements.
Christopher Edward Johnson
Christopher E. Johnson, 15, died at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, on Monday, Nov. 30, 1998. He was born March 8, 1983, in La Crosse, to Doreen Johnson and Dwayne Rhadans. Chris was a sophomore at Central High School.
He is survived by his mother; maternal grandparents, Edward and Sally Johnson of La Crosse; maternal great-grandmother, Pauline E. Johnson of La Crosse; aunts and uncles, David (Kelly) Johnson of Mentor, Ohio, Deb (Jack) Van Lin of La Crescent, Minn., Dale (Barb) Johnson of La Crosse, Dawn (Mark) Christensen of Rollingstone, Minn., and Doug (Robin) Johnson of Holmen; cousins, Angela, Dana, Leah, Patrick, Colleen, Caitlin, Samantha, Devin, Rachel, and a cousin-to-be; great-aunts and -uncles, Kay and Robert Weldy of La Crosse, Elaine Ortmeier of Sioux Falls, S.D., Pat and George Miles of La Crosse and Charles and Chi Turner of Aurora, Colo.; and special family friends, Jim and Lynn Ebert and family.
He was preceded in death by his maternal great-grandfathers and great-grandmother.
Memorial services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. The Reverend Rachel Mithelman will officiate. Friends may call at the church on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the services. Memorials may be given to Our Savior's Lutheran Church.
The Dickinson Family Funeral Home and Crematory, La Crosse, is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Most Reverend Bishop Frederick W. Freking, D.D., J.C.D.
The Most Reverend Frederick William Freking, 85, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of La Crosse, died on Saturday, Nov. 28, 1998, at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, La Crosse, where he had been hospitalized for several days. Prior to that and since his resignation as Bishop of La Crosse, which was accepted on May 10, 1983, he resided at 3524 East Avenue South and at Holy Cross Diocesan Center. Since Feb. 11, 1998, he was a resident of St. Joseph Rehabilitation Center in La Crosse.
Born on Aug. 11, 1913, to August and Rosa (Oberbroeckling) Freking in Heron Lake, Minn., Bishop Freking was the eleventh in a family of 19 children. While growing up on the home farm, he attended Sacred Heart Grade School and Heron Lake Public High School. In 1934, he graduated from St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn. Having completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he was ordained a priest on July 31, 1938, for the Diocese of Winona, by Archbishop Luca Pasetto, O.F.M. Cap., in the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome.
Bishop Freking's early priestly service was given in various parishes and offices of the Diocese of Winona, namely St. John's Church (1939) and Lourdes High School in Rochester (1940 to 1943), and St. John's Church in Winona (1943 to 1945). Other assignments included Holy Cross Church, Dakota; Precious Blood Church, La Moille; St. Mary's Church, Minneiska; and St. Paul's Church, Minnesota City. During these years he was a pastor, a high school superintendent and editor of the diocesan newspaper. In 1945, he was assigned to graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, where he received the degree of Doctor of Canon Law in 1948. Subsequently he returned to the Diocese of Winona, where he was named personal secretary to Bishop Leo Binz, then Coadjutor and Apostolic Administrator of that diocese. In 1950, he was named Vice-chancellor and in 1952 he was named Chancellor, a position he held until he received the appointment in 1953 to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he was the spiritual director until 1957.
On Oct. 10, 1957, Monsignor Freking was named Bishop of the Diocese of Salina, Kansas. He was consecrated as a bishop at the North American College on Nov. 30 by Giuseppe Cardinal Pizzardo, Prefect of the Congregation of Seminarians and Universities. From 1957 to 1964, he was bishop of the Diocese of Salina, Kansas. On De. 30, 1964, he was transferred to the Diocese of La Crosse and installed there on Feb. 24, 1965, succeeding Bishop Treacy.
Bishop Freking attended all sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962 to 1965) and served on the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Bishops and the governing of dioceses. In 1964, he was elected president of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. He was a member of the Priestly Formation Commission from 1966 to 1969, and was also the first Episcopal Moderator of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. Other leadership roles encompassed the U.S. Bishops' Commission on the Missions, and the U.S. Catholic Missions Council (1971 to 1974), and the Bishops' Committee on the Laity (1972 to 1975). Bishop Freking was instrumental in ushering in a new era of shared responsibility among clergy, religious, and lay members of the church.
Preceding Bishop Freking in death were his mother, Rose, and his father, August; family members Monica (Mrs. Carl Bartosh), William, Clementine (Mrs. R.E. Berg), Joseph, Mary (Mrs. Wilbur Bauman), Alois, Lawrence, Leo, August Jr., and Alfred. Surviving him are Rose (Mrs. Leo Liepold), Clo, Josephine (Mrs. Harry Kreger), Margaret (Mrs. Rod Henkels), and Ann (Mrs. Clayton Mathias) all of Heron Lake, Minn., and George of Windom, Minn., Edward of Lake Crystal, Minn., Sister Marcan Freking, OSF, of Sturgis, Ky.; and many nieces and nephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, 530 Main Street, La Crosse, on Monday, Dec. 7, 1998, at 11 a.m., with the Most Rev. Rembert Weakland, O.S.B., D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of Milwaukee, as the principal celebrant. He will be joined by Bishop John Paul, Bishop Raymond Burke and other bishops of the United States.
Visitation will be at the Cathedral on Sunday, Dec. 6, 1998, from 2 to 8 p.m., with Evening Prayer at 7:30 p.m. Morning Prayer will be celebrated at 9 a.m. on Dec. 7, with visitation continuing until the time of the funeral Mass at 11 a.m.
With regard to memorials, after consultation with Bishop Freking's family and in accord with his wishes, the following memorials in Bishop Freking's name have been designated: The Holy Cross Seminary Education Endowment Trust; the Pontifical North American College; and the National Catholic Rural Life Conference.
The Blaschke Funeral Home, La Crosse, is assisting the Diocese of La Crosse with funeral arrangements.
David L. Friend
ONALASKA, Wis. - David L. Friend, 60, of Onalaska, died at his home on Monday, Nov. 30, 1998.
He was born in Galesburg, Ill., on June 19, 1938, to William and Sophia (Carlson) Friend. He married Sally Geissler on Dec. 26, 1966, in Galesburg, Ill.
Dave served with the United States Navy for 28 years. He then was employed by the Continuing Education Department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for 10 years before retiring in 1995.
Dave was a well-liked man and a good friend to many. He was a faithful and devoted husband and father, who took an active interest in his children's youth football and little league activities when they were younger. He was also a very patriotic man who was very proud of his country and of his many years of service in the Navy.
Dave is survived by his wife, Sally, and their two children, Heather (Michael) Nixon of Naples, Fla., and Brian Friend of St. Paul, Minn.; his four children from a previous marriage, Deborah Tabb, David D. Friend, William Friend and Robert Friend, all of Abingdon, Ill.; two sisters, Drusilla Moran of Galesburg, Ill., and Sharon (Gary) Shipplett of Abingdon, Ill.; and one brother, Jerry (Rosie) Friend of Galesburg, Ill. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Phyllis Bowden.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 11 a.m. at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of Onalaska. Rev. Mark E. Hart will officiate. Burial, with military rites, will be in the Onalaska Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m., and again on Thursday from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services. The family requests that memorials be given to the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation for the Dialysis Unit.
Berneice D. Geisler
Berneice D. Geisler, of Hearton House I, passed away quietly Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, in her sleep.
She was born Jan. 4, 1914, to Charles and Jenny Callaway, in La Crosse, Wis.
Berneice was employed for many years at WKBH radio station in La Crosse before moving to Madison, Wis.
Berneice married Paul L. Geisler on March 23, 1973, in Madison, Wis.
Berneice was very active in the First Congregational Church of both La Crosse and Madison, and will be missed by family, and the many lives she touched along the way.
Memorials may be designated to Bethany Riverside and Hearton House I of La Crosse, Wis.
The Zwickey Funeral Homes of Galesville assisted the family with arrangements.
