Leigh V. Hilliker
TOMAH — Leigh V. Hilliker, 96, of Tomah passed away on Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, at his home. He was born Oct. 12, 1911, to Vernon G. and Celeste C. (Reich) Hilliker in the town of Greenfield, Monroe County, Wis.
Leigh spent his childhood on the family farm near Tunnel City and graduated from Tomah High School. He was united in marriage to Jane Louise Smith of Tomah on Nov. 17, 1934, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Tomah. This November marks their 74th wedding anniversary.
One of Leigh’s early jobs was as foreman in Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps at Necedah and Hatfield, Wis. After that experience, Leigh became a forest ranger with the Wisconsin Conservation Department (WCD), serving as fire protection supervisor at stations in Wisconsin Dells, Hayward, Black River Falls and Madison. He supervised the construction of the ranger station in Wisconsin Dells and implemented some of the early aerial patrols for detection of forest fires in Wisconsin. Leigh retired from state service in 1970 as Fire Protection Area Supervisor for the east-central and southern areas of the state. He and Jane then moved back to Tomah to semi-retirement, and concentrated on raising Christmas trees on the Tunnel City farm once owned by his grandfather, Gilbert G. Hilliker.
Leigh was a charter member of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers’ Association and pioneered some of the early efforts to grow balsam fir in managed plantations in central Wisconsin, well south of balsam’s natural range. He took particular pride in the quality of the trees that he raised.
Leigh is survived by his wife, Jane; a brother, Grant (Adelle) of Columbus, Ohio; his sons, Richard (Beth) of Black River Falls and Bruce (Jeri) of Reno, Nev.; grandchildren, Mark K. Hilliker of Stevens Point, Wis., Kristin H. (Peter) Hartung of Tunnel City, Daniel R. (Terri) Hilliker of Rochester, Minn., Ian R. Golladay of Eau Claire, Wis., Maija G. Golladay of St. Paul and Jill Dumas of Thurmont, Md.; great-grandchildren, Nathan and Elizabeth Hartung of Tunnel City, Grant and Anna Hilliker of Stevens Point, and Dylan and Jack Hilliker of Rochester, Minn.; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today, Sept. 17, at Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Pastor John Ambelang and Deacon Linda Frye will officiate. Burial will follow at Greenfield Cemetery in Tunnel City. Family and friends are invited for visitation from 1 p.m. until time of services today, Sept. 17, at the funeral home.
Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements.
Memorials may be given to Tomah Hospice Touch.
Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
Hugh Joseph Horsfall
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN — Hugh Joseph Horsfall, 67, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, on the farm with loved ones by his side.
Joe was born June 30, 1941, in Boscobel, Wis., to Keith and Elizabeth (Schmeltz) Horsfall. He attended school at Patch Grove High School. On Aug. 26, 1961, he married Sharon Kasparek at St. John’s in Patch Grove, Wis.
Joe and Sharon shared the passion of spending time on the farm with their dearly loved grandchildren. One of the most amazing things about Joe is that he cherished every moment of his time with each grandchild, and he made them feel uniquely special. His life was blessed with many great memories with family and friends. One of the greatest joys in life was deer hunting at the Horsfall Deer Ranch. Of all the deer hunting seasons and hundreds of deer shot on the farm, the greatest joy for him was family and friends and the stories behind every season. The things that brought great pride to him were driving tractors, harvesting the crops and farming with his family.
Joe is survived by his wife of 47 years, Sharon; five children, Shari (Charles) Christ of Prairie du Chien, Hugh (Charlene) Horsfall Jr. of Verona, Denise (Robert) Ocker of Lake Geneva, Wis., Kimberly (Nick) Kirch of Barneveld, Wis., Jamie (Heather) Horsfall of Prairie du Chien; 11 dearly loved grandchildren, Ashley (Seth) Rice, Joie Rae and Jacob Horsfall, Ava Ocker, Olivia and Maggie Horsfall, Hope and Sierra Francis and Keller, Johan and Clark Kirch, and his siblings, Jean Decker (Joe’s twin sister) of Prairie du Chien, Walt (Kathy) Horsfall of Harpers Ferry, Iowa, and Jack (Sue) Horsfall of La Crosse.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Debbie Govier and Karen Horsfall; and his brother, Jimmy Horsfall.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Sept. 13, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Patch Grove, Wis., with Father Bart Timmerman officiating. Burial was held at Calvary Cemetery in Prairie du Chien. Martin Funeral Home in Bloomington, Wis., assisted the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to be disbursed to local and charitable cancer organizations in Joe’s memory.
Online condolences may be offered at www.martinschwartzfuneralhomes.com.
Sascha Nolan Simpson
INDIANAPOLIS — Sascha Nolan Simpson, 15, of Indianapolis passed away Monday, Sept. 15, 2008.
Beloved son, brother, grandson and friend: Sascha, we miss you. You amazed us with your imagination and creativity. Your teachers cherished your spirit and good will. The way you played, whether it was music or simple Legos, brought us joy. With your generosity and great sense of humor, you were and always will be an inspiration to all who knew you, especially your friends. Sascha, your siblings looked up to you and admired you for your cleverness and caring. You are their big brother, and they could always count on you. As a grandson, you brought much joy and comfort. A “Frohnatur” is what your Oma called you. We are grateful for the time we shared with you. Sascha, you have left us all too soon and we will remember you always.
He was a freshman at Perry Meridian High School, where he was a member of the band playing the bassoon and the marching band in which he played the baritone. He enjoyed spending his free time at the Baxter YMCA and going on bike rides with CIBA.
Sascha is survived by his mother, Sonja Koehl Simpson; father and stepmother, Paul Alan and Renee Lockington Simpson; sister, Sean Erin Simpson; stepsister, Rhiannon Lockington; half sisters, Katarina and Annelies Simpson; half brother, Gregorio Simpson; grandparents, Jochen and Hanneli Fenchner Koehl, Don Simpson; stepgrandparents, Dennis and Linda Lockington; great grandmother, Wilma Case; Aunts, Eva Haass, Dina Jehn; uncle, David Simpson; cousins, Sarah, Nadine, Nils, Darius and Lysander. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Margaret Simpson, and his aunt, Elaine Garrett.
A funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at Mount Pleasant Christian Church, 381 N. Bluff Road, Greenwood, Ind. Friends are invited to gather at the church to greet family members on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus, Ind.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sidewalks for Sascha, c/o Mount Pleasant Christian Church.
Daniel F. O’Riley Funeral Home of Indianapolis assisted the family with arrangements.
John J. Kampa
ARCADIA — John J. Kampa, 81, passed away Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, after a long illness.
He was born Nov. 15, 1926, on a small farm in rural Independence to John K. and Paulina (Urbick) Kampa, John attended school in a one-room school house in Russell, Wis., a suburb of Gilmanton, Wis. He worked for the Green Bay and Western Railroad Co. and also for Ladish in Milwaukee before returning to the area to marry Margaret “Margie” Sonsalla on Oct. 23, 1950. He worked at the Farmer’s Store until 1963 and then worked for the Arcadia Co-op Association until he suffered a stroke in 1985.
John loved his family, a good joke, a hearty laugh and a cold beer. He was a lifelong Democrat who spent his later years being aggravated by political debates on TV.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Mary (Suchla), Katherine (Gamroth), Agatha (Roskos), Frank, Joseph, Jennie (Suchla), Dominic, Lawrence, George, Edward and Lucy (Ertel).
John is survived by his wife and one sister, Bernice Wolfe of Green Bay. His sense of humor lives on in his seven children and their families, Geary (Kathleen, Emily and Erin), James (Ramona, Timothy and Andrew), Robert (Patricia, Brandon, Jason and Samuel), Wayne (Barbara, Ethan, Seth, Jesse, Noah and Hope), Kathleen (Robert, Margaret and Jacob), Carol (Deborah and Nicholas), Karen (John, Juliet, Marissa and one on the way). He is also survived by four great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at Holy Family Parish in Arcadia, with Father Michael Klos officiating. Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Arcadia. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wozney-Killian Funeral Home, Arcadia, where there will be a 7 p.m. prayer service and 7:30 p.m. rosary. They may also call from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
John’s grandchildren will be casket bearers.
Memorials are preferred to “Family Wishes.”
Online condolences may be offered at wozneykillianfh@aol.com or 8 1 Apple 2 Green.
John J. Kampa
ARCADIA — John J. Kampa, 81, passed away Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, after a long illness.
He was born Nov. 15, 1926, on a small farm in rural Independence to John K. and Paulina (Urbick) Kampa, John attended school in a one-room school house in Russell, Wis., a suburb of Gilmanton, Wis. He worked for the Green Bay and Western Railroad Co. and also for Ladish in Milwaukee before returning to the area to marry Margaret “Margie” Sonsalla on Oct. 23, 1950. He worked at the Farmer’s Store until 1963 and then worked for the Arcadia Co-op Association until he suffered a stroke in 1985.
John loved his family, a good joke, a hearty laugh and a cold beer. He was a lifelong Democrat who spent his later years being aggravated by political debates on TV.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Mary (Suchla), Katherine (Gamroth), Agatha (Roskos), Frank, Joseph, Jennie (Suchla), Dominic, Lawrence, George, Edward and Lucy (Ertel).
John is survived by his wife and one sister, Bernice Wolfe of Green Bay. His sense of humor lives on in his seven children and their families, Geary (Kathleen, Emily and Erin), James (Ramona, Timothy and Andrew), Robert (Patricia, Brandon, Jason and Samuel), Wayne (Barbara, Ethan, Seth, Jesse, Noah and Hope), Kathleen (Robert, Margaret and Jacob), Carol (Deborah and Nicholas), Karen (John, Juliet, Marissa and one on the way). He is also survived by four great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at Holy Family Parish in Arcadia, with Father Michael Klos officiating. Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Arcadia. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wozney-Killian Funeral Home, Arcadia, where there will be a 7 p.m. prayer service and 7:30 p.m. rosary. They may also call from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
John’s grandchildren will be casket bearers.
Memorials are preferred to “Family Wishes.”
Online condolences may be offered at wozneykillianfh@aol.com or 8 1 Apple 2 Green.
Joyce Corrine Suchla
ARCADIA — Joyce Corrine Suchla, 82, of La Crosse died Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Medical Center in Arcadia. Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Wozney-Killian Funeral Home, with burial in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, both in Arcadia. Friends may call from noon to services Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be offered at wozneykillianfh@aol.com. A complete obituary will follow in Thursday’s Tribune.
Marie Ann Haas
CASHTON — Marie Ann Haas, 82, of Cashton died Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center in Sparta. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cashton. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Family and friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, with a 7 p.m. rosary, and 10 to 10:45 a.m. Friday, both at Torkelson Funeral Home in Cashton. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com. A complete obituary will follow in Thursday’s Tribune.
Darrel D. Lee
DE SOTO — Darrel D. Lee, 74, of rural De Soto died Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at New Hope United Methodist Church in Red Mound, rural De Soto. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home in Viroqua and 9:30 a.m. to services Friday at the church. Online condolences may be offered at www.vosseteigfuneralhomes.com. A complete obituary will follow.
Louise H. Reyer
TOMAH — Louise H. Reyer, 69, of Tomah died Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008, at her home. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ridgeville. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Relatives and friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home in Tomah and 10 a.m. to services Saturday at the church.
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