Obituaries

Feb 15, 2019

Mary G. Gustin, age 84, of Merrill, passed away Friday, February 15, 2019 at Pine Crest Nursing Home, Merrill. Mary was born June 20, 1934, daughter of the late Robert and Pearl (Burns) Hartson. She married William T. Gustin in 1951. He survives. Mary’s family was the most important thing to her. She truly enjoyed the time she spent...

Feb 14, 2019

Barbara A. Renken, 77, of the Town of Pine River, Lincoln County, passed away Thursday, February 14, 2019. Barbara was born December 11, 1941 daughter of the late Raymond and Anna (Dault) Breunig. She married John Renken on January 10, 1959. He survives. Barbara and John dairy farmed in the Town of Pine River. Barbara had also worked in...

Feb 9, 2019

Jodie Rose (Higgins) Rethaber, 41, passed away unexpectedly as a result of a snowmobile accident on February 9, 2019. Jodie was born November 27, 1977 in Wausau, WI, to Kathleen Svoboda, Merrill and the late, Wesley Higgins. She married Martin (Marty) Rethaber on May 28, 2014, in Merrill, WI.

She graduated from Merrill High School in 1996,...

Feb 8, 2019

Kenneth G. VanDerGeest, 86, of Merrill, WI went to his heavenly home on February 8, 2019.  Ken was born in Wausau, WI on October 8, 1932 to Joe and Anna VanDerGeest.  Ken loved his family dearly and was very proud of each of them.  His greatest joy was cooking prime rib roasts on his “special prime rib only” grill...

Feb 5, 2019

Johanna M. Leih, 85, of Merrill, was called to her heavenly home on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Johanna was born in the Town of Merrill to the late Reinhold W. and Johanna M. Graap on August 15, 1933. She attended Merrill Schools and was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Merrill until 2005. Johanna was currently a member of...

Jan 31, 2019

Jeffrey A. Baumann, 63, of Merrill, passed away January 31, 2019 while on vacation in Jamaica. Jeff was born January 27, 1956, in Merrill, son of the late Ervin and Audrey Baumann. He married Katherine Kleinschmidt on September 27, 2003. She survives. Jeff was employed at Marathon Cheese Corp. He enjoyed riding his Harley, local sightseeing, and watching the...

Jan 30, 2019

William R. ‘Bill’ Turner, age 52, of Merrill, passed away unexpectedly on January 30, 2019. Bill was born on August 13, 1966, in Merrill, son of Robert Turner and the late Patricia ‘Pat’ (Retzlaff) Turner. Bill attended and graduated from Merrill High School. He was a Cub Scout as a boy and served his country in the United States...

Jan 29, 2019

Marie L. Malm (1924-2019) “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given”. Marie “Mesee” Louise (Semling)Malm, age 94, of Merrill, passed away on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at Bell Tower Residence in Merrill, Wisconsin. Marie was born May 29, 1924, in Merrill, daughter of...

Jan 26, 2019

Thomas E. ‘Tom’ Schotz, age 75, passed away peacefully in the afternoon on Saturday, January 26, 2019 surrounded by his loving wife Rose Ann and family. Tom was a lifelong resident of Merrill. He was born on March 26, 1943 to Charles and Gertrude (Allen) Schotz. Tom was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Merrill Senior...

Jan 23, 2019

Margaret C. Hall, 96, of Merrill passed away Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at Bell Tower Residence, Merrill. Margaret was born April 15, 1922, in Merrill, daughter of the late Michael and Josephine (Jablonski) Myszka. She spent most of her life in Merrill where she met her true love, Everett Hall. They were married on October 11, 1941 in Des...

Jan 20, 2019

“There’s a house whose rooms I know by heart, where I tended the garden and read my books. Where dreams were dreamt and memories made, where children grew up and I grew old. There’s a house where life was lived. A house where I belong.” Faye Jean Osness passed away peacefully at her home of 58 years on Sunday,...

Jan 20, 2019

Henry ‘Hank’ E. Borchardt, age 84, of Athens, passed away on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at his residence, while surrounded by his family and under the care of Ascension Ministry Hospice.  He was born on July 1, 1934 to the late Edwin A. and Lorena K. (Krueger) Borchardt in the town of Hamburg.  Hank met and fell in love...

Jan 19, 2019

Oscar J. Huber, age 89, of Merrill, passed away on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill, while under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care & Hospice Services.  Oscar was born on December 31, 1929 in Mobridge, SD.  He met Lorraine Joyce Lynn, and the two exchanged vows on April6, 1961 in Milwaukee, WI.  Sadly,...

Jan 18, 2019

On January 18, 2019, we said goodbye to our rock; the beautiful and deeply loved Geraldine Bloechl. She was 78 years old when she passed away at Stoney River Memory Care in Marshfield.

Jerri, as she was affectionately known, was born to the late Oscar and Erna Weaver, June 20, 1940, in Merrill, Wisconsin. She was a...

Jan 17, 2019

Gary A. Rajek, age 67, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at his residence in Merrill.  His family takes great comfort in the peace of his passing, with a full day of life having been lived, and a new opportunity to join those who have gone before him.  We will all meet...

Jan 13, 2019

Wilmer D. Krueger, 85, of Merrill, passed away Sunday, January 13, 2019 at Woodland Court Elder Services in Merrill. Wilmer was born July 26, 1933, in Marathon County, son of the late Roman and Frieda (Radenz) Krueger. He married Audrey Zemke on May 10, 1958. She preceded him in death on January 23, 2015. Wilmer enlisted in the United...

Jan 12, 2019

Lucy Baughman, age 86, passed away on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at the Aspirus Wausau Hospital, after a long illness, with her loving husband by her side.  She was born on July 31, 1932 to the late Jacob M. and Annie (Arnold) McMillan in Nochatee, FL.   She met her soulmate, Paul Baughman, and the two exchanged marriage vows on...

Jan 11, 2019

Donna M. Hinz, age 65, of Merrill, passed away on Friday, January 11, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was on her way to her winter home in River Ranch, Florida. Donna was born September 25, 1953, in Merrill, daughter of the late Frederick ‘Fritz’ and Mildred J. (Kufahl) Latzig, Sr. She married Dale B. Hinz on March 18, 1988....

Jan 11, 2019

Charles Andrus was born on April 27, 1968 to the parents of Margery Thomas and Allen Andrus Jr. Even though his hometown was Opelousas, La, he has spent the past 25 years of his life in Wausau, Wisconsin. He was passionate about his love of cooking and baking. You could always find him in the kitchen catering to family...

Jan 10, 2019

Frederick G. Krause, 94, of Merrill, passed away on Thursday, January 10, 2019, under the care of his family and hospice services. Fred was born November 23, 1924, in the Town of Corning, son of the late Frederick and Anna (Berndt) Krause. Prior to World War II, Fred had been employed as a welder in the shipyards in eastern...