increase font size

print story

Karon Julia Haldeman, Leita A. Potter

Karon Julia Haldeman

Karon Julia Haldeman, 73, of Wilton and Ontario, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 at Norseland Nursing Home, Westby after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She has now gone home to be with her Lord.

Karon was born in Viroqua on April 10, 1936, the oldest child of Harold and Stella (Everson) Larson. She was baptized into the Lutheran Church at Viroqua, and was confirmed at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Westby. She attended Westby area schools until moving to Wilton where she attended and graduated from Wilton High School in 1955. On Sept. 17, 1955, she married LaVern Haldeman in a ceremony held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wilton and together from that day on, they farmed the family farm located between Ontario and Wilton.

Karon and LaVern had three children, Charles, Debora and Christine. She was a devoted farm wife and Mother. She loved farming duties, big vegetable gardens and baking bread and other goodies. She loved to sew and will always be remembered for her quilts and the many stuffed bears that she made as gifts for kids. Over the years she was involved as a leader in the 4-H program, the homemaker program and her church. She also enjoyed helping LaVern with his tax assessing work: together they traveled many country roads in the area, as they had several townships to do.

Karon is survived by her husband, LaVern; one son, Charles (Chris) Haldeman of La Crosse; two daughters Debora (Jon) Haldeman-Turner of Chippewa Falls and Christine Haldeman (significant other Dave Krueger) of Waukesha; three grandchildren, five step-grandchildren and one step-great-grandchild; ten brothers and sisters, Jim Larson of Tomah, Jerry (Yvonne) Larson of Tunnel City, Hazel Kelly of Montana, Sandy (Bill) Otto of La Crosse, Sharon (Ken) Oldenburg of Stoddard, Stephen (Bobbie) Larson of Tomah, Tom (Nancy) Larson of La Crosse, Ardeen (John) Farmer of Tomah, Frieda (William) Hutchins of New Lisbon and Dennis (Muriah) Larson of Oregon; two brothers-in-law, Richard (Eileen) Haldeman of Tomah, Gene Oelke of Tomah; two sisters-in-law Carolyn Haldeman of West Salem and Jean Haldeman of Kentucky, many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, one sister, Evelyn Oelke, one infant brother Joseph; one sister-in-law, Sharon Larson, two brothers-in-law, Everett and Lyle Haldeman and a very dear niece Tammy Farmer.

Karon was a woman of faith. Her strong faith carried her through all the joys and sadness that she faced in her life; she modeled her life after one of her favorite scriptures from Proverbs: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.” Her strength, courage and wisdom will be fondly remembered by many.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Wilton. Pastor Kathleen Wold will officiate. Burial will be in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery, Wilton.

Relatives and friends are invited to call at Smith-Nelson Funeral Home, 702 Center Street, Wilton on Monday from 4. until 8 p.m. and on Tuesday at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the services.

Leita A. Potter

Leita A. Potter (Mrs. Bennett Potter), age 91, of Warrens, WI. and formerly of the Town of Knapp, Jackson County, died Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, in Agapé Acres Care Center in Warrens, where she had resided since May of 2007.

She was born on June 20, 1918, in the Town of Knapp, Jackson County to Frank and Esther (Kling) Drescher. She was raised in the Town of Knapp and graduated from Tomah High School.

She married Bennett A. Potter in May of 1935. The couple started Morrison Creek Cranberry Corporation, located in the Town of Knapp, in the mid 1930s.

Leita loved to garden and raise cranberries. She was physically small in stature, but she was dynamite when it came to working and getting things accomplished.

Surviving are her two daughters, Donna “Billie” (John) Ward, Hartland, and Sue (Gary) Roberts, Onalaska; her sister, Fay (Stuart) Pederson, Warrens; her three grandchildren, Kristine (Paul) Ward Van Dellen, Jessica (Ron) Ward Zarling, and Leah Roberts; her four great-grandchildren, Will and John Zarling, Marleigh and Monet Van Dellen, and her niece, Kim K. Pederson, Warrens.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bennett A. Potter, on Oct 26, 1985, and her son, Buckley B. Potter, on Sept. 20, 2000.

Private family funeral services will be held at a later date.

Torgerson’s Funeral Service, (715-284-4321), Black River Falls, is assisting the family with arrangements.