Story originally printed in the Tomah Journal or online at www.tomahjournal.com

Published - Thursday, June 19, 2008

Obituaries for June 19

Eleanor Brasic, Larry "Moss" Dahn, Judith "Judy" A. Jerdee, Agnes M. Lein, Warren W. Wilson

Eleanor Brasic

Eleanor Brasic, age 83, of Tomah, died Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Tomah Memorial Hospital. She was born on Oct. 20, 1924, to Edwin and Alma (Liersch) Belcher in Tomah. She was united in marriage to Peter Brasic Sr. on June 14, 1948, in Tomah.

Eleanor worked at the Tomah Memorial Hospital in Admissions for many years. She was an avid reader and loved to sew. Eleanor was a former bowler and Girl Scout leader. She was a member of the Tomah Congregational Church.

She is survived by her sons, Bill (Tweet) Brasic of Valdez, AK, and Peter (Barbara) Brasic Jr. of Baraboo; and her daughter, Mary (Ronald) Welch of Hernando, FL; five grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Brasic Sr.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 20, at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Tomah. Pastor Edwin Stigen will officiate. Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Tomah. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society or National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.

Larry “Moss” Dahn

Larry “Moss” Dahn, age 60, of Ontario, WI, passed away on Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. He was born on Oct. 24, 1947, to Cliff and Dorothy (Boelter) Dahn in St. Peter, MN.

He served in the United States Army from 1964-1967. Moss was a truck driver for 20 plus years and had a love for the open road; he had been riding motorcycle since the early 1960s. He will be remembered for always saying, “We never go on vacations, we always go on adventures”. He formed a group called the Friends of Veterans, who have six years of fundraising toward Veterans Assistance Foundation. Moss was always a very giving person and was known to take people into his home if they did not have anywhere to go. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his stepfather, Earl (Rita) Griep of Henderson, MN; his “better half” of 17 years, Ronesa Revels; his children, Heather Peterson and child Danielle of Penacock, NH, Eric (Dee) Peterson and children Kody Taylor and Bo Peterson, and Karissa (Ryan) Franks and their child, Landon; previous stepsons, Terry Wiltsie and John Dahn Funmaker, both of Tomah; a brother, Rick Dahn and sisters, Bonnie (friend, Steve) Thompson and Gay (Mark) DeLeeuw; and a close uncle, Ora Boelter; nieces and nephews, all from Minnesota, other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy (Boelter) Griep; his father, Cliff Dahn; his stepmother, Sabra Dahn; and a granddaughter, Kayla Taylor.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m. at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Pastor Daren DeFord will officiate. Family and friends are invited for visitation on Saturday from 11 a.m. until the time of service at the Torkelson Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Veterans Assistance Foundation. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.

Judith “Judy” A. Jerdee

Judith “Judy” A. Jerdee, age 69, of Tomah, WI, passed away on Monday, June 16, 2008, at Tomah Memorial Hospital. She was born on Feb. 15, 1939, to Charles “Pete” and Dorothy (Fenske) Bean in Sparta, WI. She was a 1956 graduate of Tomah High School.

She was united in marriage Jan. 19, 1957, to Donald G. Jerdee in Tomah. In 1963, Judy and Don purchased Family Shoe Store. In 1971, she attended American Floral Arts School. That same year, they built the building where JJ’s Floral Shop is now and they sold shoes and flowers. In 1982, they stopped selling shoes and exclusively ran the floral shop. It was at the time that she attended Dutchmaster’s Floral Design School in Holland.

Aside from the flower shop, Judy was active in many service organizations. She was the first woman to receive the Silver Fawn Award for her volunteer work with Gateway Area Council Boy Scouts Organization. She was a past Honored Queen of Bethel #56 International Order of Job’s Daughters.

She is survived by her husband, Don; children, Mark (Sharon) Jerdee of Wilton and Linda (Allen) Capaul of Tomah; two grandchildren, one great-grandchild; and a special uncle, Frosty Mades of Tomah; other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pete and Dorothy Bean.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 23, at 11 a.m. at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Pastor William Swan will officiate. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery, Tomah. Family and friends are invited for visitation on Sunday, June 22, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Memorials may be given to the Tomah Hospice Touch or the Children’s Miracle Network. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.

Ruth A. Lange

Sept. 12, 1924-June 14, 2008

Services will be private for Ruth A. Lange age, 83 of Richmond who died Saturday at Tadd’s Lighthouse, Richmond, MN. Ruth was born in Oakdale, WI, to May and William Bloom. She married George Hitzler; they later divorced. Ruth later married Arvin Lange.

Ruth is survived by her children, May Newman, Richmond, MN; George (Mary) Hitzler, West Yellowstone, MT; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one (and another on the way) great-great-grandchildren; siblings Moletta (Ronald) Fechner, Melrose, WI, Ernie Bloom, Milton, WI, and Robert (Rosella) Bloom, Oakdale, WI.

She was preceded in death by her son-in-law, LeRoy; great-grandson, Christopher Gothier; siblings George, Bill, Earl, Al, Ted, Harley, Edward, Mabel, Lillian and Mary.

Special thanks to Heartland Hospice & Tadd’s Lighthouse, Richmond, for their loving care.

Burial will be at a later date in the Oakdale Cemetery, Oakdale, WI.

Arrangements were by the Miller-Carlin-Brenny Funeral Home in Albany, MN. Online condolences are available at www.millercarlin.com.

Agnes M. Lein

Agnes Mary Lein, age 95, of Tomah, died on Monday, June 16, 2008, at the Serenity House, Tomah. She was born July 27, 1912, near Yuba in Richland County to Edward Machovec and Mary Urban Machovec. She grew up on the family farm outside of Yuba, WI. Agnes attended Henrietta Elementary School and Hillsboro High School, graduating valedictorian in 1930. She graduated from Richland County Normal School in 1931 and taught in the two-room Jewell School near Yuba for four years.

Agnes met her future husband Emil Lein while in high school. She and Emil were married in 1936 in Yuba. They first lived in Tomah, then moved to Hillsboro, where all six children were born. The family moved back to Tomah in 1953.

Agnes was a devout Catholic throughout her life. She was involved in church activities at St. Aloysius in Hillsboro and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tomah. At St. Mary’s she taught religious education classes for many years, was a member of the Altar Society, and participated in many volunteer activities. Other community volunteer activities included serving as a 4-H leader, a member of the Tomah Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Helping Hand. She also volunteered at the Tomah Hospital Auxiliary Store and worked at St. Mary’s School as a cook for many years.

In 1989, her husband Emil died. She was a devoted mother and wife. Taking care of her family was always her first priority. She enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and always had a kind word for others. She was helpful to many close friends throughout her life, and later had good friends who helped her. She loved children, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Her children mourn her passing but feel blessed to have had such a wonderful mother. Agnes is survived by her sons James (Gail) Lein, Minot, ND, and Richard Lein, Tomah; daughters Mary Lein, Rochester, MN, Barbara (William) Reisner, La Crosse, Catherine Lein (Kenneth Zielinski), Okemos, MI, and Kristine (Gordon) Jackson, Portage; sister Mildred (Donald) Jacobson, Hillsboro; grandsons Timothy (Sarah) Jackson, Lawrence, KS; Nathaniel (Norma Merlín Jiménez) Jackson, Green Bay; and Patrick Jackson, Madison; granddaughters Jennifer Lein (Devin Follingstad), Portland, OR; Amy Lein (Rob Drysdale), Portland, MI; Emily Lein (Dylan Bijnagte), Minneapolis, MN; Amy Edwards, NYC; Krista and Anna Zielinski, Okemos, MI; and great-grandchildren Elliot Agnes and Adriaan James Lein- Bijnagte, Minneapolis, MN, neices and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband Emil; her brother Wesley (Velma) Machovec, Yuba; sisters Julia (Jerry)Turnipseed, Madison; and Elsie (Marvin) Sebranek, Richland Center.

The family wishes to express a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the caring staff at Cranberry Court and Serenity House for the wonderful care they provided for Agnes. They also extend a warm and grateful appreciation for the support from her good friends, especially Laurie Gebczyk of Tomah.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 20, 2008, at St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. The Very Rev. Steven J. Kachel will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, 801 E. Monowau St., and at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass.

A PCCW rosary will be recited on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the funeral home.

Warren W. Wilson

Warren W. Wilson, 84, of Phoenix, AZ, died May 29, 2008, at Paradise Valley Hospital, Phoenix, AZ.

Warren was born Oct. 30, 1923, in Ontario, WI, Vernon County, to George and Ocie Wilson (Hawes). He resided in Warrens, WI, from 1945-1948, Waukegan, IL, from 1948-1977, prior to moving to Phoenix. He was a World War II veteran. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9400, American Legion Post #107, and Loyal Order of the Moose. He was united in marriage to Betty J. Jones in Tomah, WI, on July 17, 1948.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, hunting, fishing and golfing. He was self employed and worked for Lund Cadillac. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Warren will be sadly missed by all those who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife Betty of 59 years, daughter Deborah Kay Mann of Vanburan, AR; granddaughters Julia and Anna Wunch of Ft. Smith, AR; great-granddaughter Arianna Octavia Marie Wunsch of Phoenix, AZ; grandson Michael W. Wunch of Phoenix, AZ; brother George W. Wilson of Kenosha, WI, and many nieces and nephews, many special friends and relatives.

He was preceded in death by his father, George W. Wilson; mother, Ocie E. Wilson; son, David A. Wilson; sisters, Helen J. Harding, Ava W. Hedman and Lois G. Wilson and brother-in-law, LeRoy Harding.

Visitation was from 9 a.m.-10:15 a.m. June 4, 2008, at the Phoenix Memorial Park and Mortuary. A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, with military honors. Officiating was 1st Lt. John Lockhart.

All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.