Jen’s 96 year old grandfather died late Thanksgiving evening in Houston, Texas. I had the opportunity these last few years to get to know him; I was always impressed with how mentally sharp and physically active he was, even as recently as a couple months ago when he was in Milwaukee for the Summer.
Skip’s obituary:
Born on November 25, 1912, in Ellis, WI outside of Stevens Point, he was raised in Milwaukee where he attended Bay View High School, played football and won numerous medals in track. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison,with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1936 where he also participated in football and track. He married Ruth Stiemke in 1941. He then joined the Navy and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands from 1943 – 1946. He worked for the Army Corps of Engineers before becoming employed by the National Forest Service Eastern District for 19 years, with a 5 year hiatus when he started his own company, Wisconsin Surveyors and Engineering. Skip was an avid outdoorsman hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing, golfing. He was a passionate gardener, planting hundreds of flowers each year and sharing the bounty of his vegetable gardens with neighbors. He loved the north woods of Wisconsin and owned a cabin on Anne Lake in Vilas County. After retiring he and his wife spent winters in Sun City West, AZ where he was an active member of the Sportsmen’s Club hiking group and rock hound group, often leading hikes in the nearby countryside.
He will be interred in Ellis, WI besides his parents. There will be a memorial mass at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christ the King parish, 2604 Swan Blvd., Wauwatosa, WI 53226.