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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Monday, June 23, 2008

Obituaries for Monday, June 23, 2008

By Tribune staff

Ethel E. Boettcher

CAMP DOUGLAS, Wis. — Ethel E. Boettcher, 86, of Camp Douglas died Saturday, June 21, 2008, at the Serenity House in Tomah. Services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bethel Baptist Church, Camp Douglas. Burial will be in Camp Douglas Village Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, Tomah, and 10 a.m. Wednesday until the time of services at the chuch.

Mary K. Garvey

GAYS MILLS, Wis. — Mary K. Garvey, 92, of Gays Mills died Saturday, June 21, 2008, at Sannes Skogdalen Nursing Home, Soldiers Grove, Wis. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, burial to follow, both at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday with a 7 p.m. Rosary and 10 a.m. Thursday until the time of services at the church. A complete obituary will follow.

Irene Giertych

HOLMEN, Wis. — Irene Giertych, 80, of Holmen died Sunday, June 23, 2008. Funeral services will be announced by Dickinson Family Funeral Home, Holmen.

Lydia Rosella Johnson

SPRING GROVE, Minn. — Lydia Rosella Johnson, 86, of Spring Grove passed away Sunday, June 22, 2008, at The Meadows in Mabel, Minn.

She was born Feb. 19, 1922, in Mabel, Minn., to Selmer and Clara (Treangen) Opsahl.

She was a lifelong Spring Grove area resident.

She attended Mabel High School.

On Dec. 16, 1939, she married Allen Johnson. He preceded her in death.

She farmed with her husband in rural Spring Grove.

Lydia was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove and its women’s groups. She also belonged to the Farmers Union.

She enjoyed playing cards and dancing.

She is survived by her son, David (Judy) Johnson of Holmen, Wis.; her daughters, Marilyn Johnson of Rochester, Minn., Julie (Dennis) Dahl of St. Paul, Minn., Ahna Johnson of Caledonia, Minn., and Sara (Michael) Cedarblade of Bangor, Wis.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald (Dorothy) Opsahl of Spring Grove; two sisters, Opal (Alfred) Nelson and Florence (Richard) Johnson both of Rochester.

In addition to her husband, Allen, she was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Norman and Clinton; her sister, Sylvia; and her great-grandson, Zachery.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2008, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove. Pastor Zane Anderson will officiate

Burial will be in the Trinity church cemetery.

Friends may call 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Roble Funeral Home, Spring Grove, and one hour prior to services Wednesday at the church.

Lorraine V. Matzke

MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. — Lorraine V. Matzke, 73, of Minnesota City, died Friday, June 20, 2008, at Sauer Memorial Home, Winona, Minn.

Lorraine Verna was born March 27, 1935, in Winona to Marvin and Irene (Beilke) Sackreiter. On Aug. 10, 1957, she married Merle Matzke at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lewiston, Minn. Lorraine was the bookkeeper for Matzke Concrete Block, Goodview, Minn., for many years. She was a member of Goodview Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and its Ladies Guild.

Lorraine is survived by her husband, Merle, Minnesota City; two sons, Robert (Kim) Matzke, Brandon, S.D., and Richard (Janice) Matzke, Richmond, Va.; a daughter, Vicki (Alan) Matzke, Faribault, Minn.; six grandchildren, Andrew (Brooke Hamann), Danielle, Todd, Shana, Amy (Noel Fawcett) and Christopher; two sisters, Elaine (Henry) Jacobs, Lewiston and Geraldine (Cecil) Mulholland, Albert Lea, Minn.; mother-in-law, Lois Matzke, Winona; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents and father-in-law, Willard Matzke.

Funeral services for Lorraine will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at Goodview Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Goodview, with the Rev. Tony J. Hansen, officiating. Interment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Winona.

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home, Winona and at the church one hour prior to the service.

Casket bearers will be her grandchildren.

Memorials may be directed to Goodview Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sauer Memorial Home or American Parkinson’s Disease Association.

Words of sympathy or remembrance may be left at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com.

Services entrusted to Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Winona.

Geraldine Sowle Schlosser

TOMAH, Wis. — Geraldine Sowle Schlosser, 87, of Wawatosa, Wis., formerly of Tomah, died Saturday, June 21, 2008, in Milwaukee. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church, Tomah. Burial will follow in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Tomah. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until the time of services at the church Thursday. Torkelson Funeral Home, Tomah, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Alvina Veneman

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. — Alvina “Butchie” (Polodna) Veneman, 97, of Prairie du Chien passed away Friday, June 20, 2008. She was born in Prairie du Chein, Dec. 16, 1910, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Polodna. Her father and stepmother raised Alvina and her three sisters and five brothers in La Crosse. Alvina and Wayne Veneman married in 1928 and had one daughter, Keo. In 1948, Keo married Richard Peterson, and all four moved to Miami. In 1972, Alvina and Wayne began taking yearly trips around the United States until Wayne passed away in 1991. They both bowled twice a week at Bird Bowl in the Monday Senior Birds and Friday Early Bird leagues. She was known as Butchie, a nickname her husband gave her. They began bowling in 1934. She was preceded in death by her parents; Wayne, her husband of 63 years; two sisters, Marie Williams and Irene Flynn; five brothers, Charles, Joseph and Edwin Polodna and Frank and William Preban; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Mildred and Wayne Waas.

She is survived by her daughter, Keo Peterson; granddaughter, Lynda (Ralph Lopez); sister Helen Olsen of Golden Valley, Minn.; sisters-in-law, Marita and Vivian Polodna; and many nieces and nephews. Alvina lived a good life and will now be with the Lord and her beloved husband. Visitation will be held at Van Orsdel, Coral Gables, Fla., on Tuesday, June 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. and funeral Mass will be held at the Church of the Little Flower at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25.

David L. Witz

TOMAH, Wis. — David L. Witz, 62, of Tomah died Friday, June 20, 2008, at Meriter Hospital in Madison. Services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at Torkelson Funeral Home, Tomah. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery, Tomah. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, and 10 a.m. until the time of services Tuesday at the funeral home. Torkelson Funeral Home, Tomah, is assisting the family with arrangements.