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

Published - Friday, August 01, 2008

Obituaries for Friday, Aug. 1, 2008

By Tribune staff

Richard W. Allen

ONALASKA, Wis. — Richard W. Allen, 85, of Onalaska passed away Wednes-day, July 30, 2008, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse.

He was born to Kester and Gertrude (Roeschen) Allen on May 30, 1923, in Columbus, Ohio.

He was a World War II veteran and served for 21/2 years in the South Pacific and was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He was a member of the VFW and Onalaska American Legion Post 336. Upon returning home, he married Jean Martinson at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in La Crosse on June 15, 1946.

He and his father then built a small resort in the north woods near Lac du Flambeau, Wis.

After returning to La Crosse, Richard worked for a time at Dairyland Power Cooperative and later as an engineer for the CB&Q Railroad. He retired at the age of 60, with 30 years of service. He played handball at the YMCA and golfed as along as his health permitted. He then acquired property in rural Galesville, Wis., where he planted trees and enjoyed the outdoors.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; a son, Richard Jr., and a daughter, Sheryl Arms, both of Galesville; a daughter, Carla of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; a grandson, Scott Arms; a granddaughter, Kelly Chase of Onalaska; a granddaughter, Jennifer Arms of Black River Falls, Wis.; a great-grandson, Dustin Chase; a sister, Vivian McLaurine of Salem, Ore.; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; a brother, Robert of New York; and a sister, Joyce Kocimski of La Crosse.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. today at Dickinson Family Funeral Home, 401 Main St., Onalaska. The Rev. Jason Stanton will officiate, and burial with military honors will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse. Friends may call at the funeral home today from 10 a.m. until services.

Jeffrey Ward

ONALASKA, Wis. — Jeffrey Ward, 52, of Onalaska died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at his home.

He was born in Waupun, Wis., on June 17, 1956, to Glen and Joanne (Hermsen) Ward. He graduated from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1982. Jeff married Karen Ball in Onalaska and they had one son, Joel, while residing in California. They were later divorced, and she preceded him in death. Jeff returned to Wisconsin, and he married Bernice Richter in Fond du Lac, Wis., on Sept. 25, 2000. He was in the cheese and dairy industry all his life and was most recently the plant manager of the Mindoro (Wis.) Cheese Plant, a job he truly loved. Jeff enjoyed boating in San Diego, golf, being outdoors and the Green Bay Packers.

He is survived by his wife, Bernice; son, Joel of Visalia, Calif.; parents, Glen and Joanne Ward of Holmen; a brother, Mark (Carol) Ward of Onalaska; niece, Katie Ward; nephew, Bryan Ward; and stepchildren, Faith Torres and Danielle, Jason and Aaron Ball.

Private family services will be held. Memorials are preferred in Jeff’s memory.

Dickinson Family Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Don Owen Rowlands

Don Owen Rowlands, 80, of La Crosse passed away at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse of congestive heart failure Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

Don was born March 6, 1928, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., the only child of Owen and Helen (Drott) Rowlands. He married Marguerite “Muggy” Schauder on June 28, 1953. They later divorced. He married Janice Thaldorf on Dec. 26, 1997.

As a young boy, Don became involved in music and competed in music contests on baritone while his mother accompanied on piano. After graduating from high school in Elkhart Lake he worked his way through college as a head bellhop at the Schwartz Hotel in his hometown. He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Mission House (now Lakeland College) in Sheboygan, Wis. Later, he earned his master of music education degree at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. From 1951 to 1953, Don served in the 316th Army Band at Fort Jackson, S.C., playing first baritone in the marching and concert bands. Following his military service, he began his career in music education in Pittsville, Wis., and conducted high school bands (concert, marching, jazz, pep, etc.) and orchestra. He went on to conduct award-winning bands in Juneau, Baraboo, Sparta and Galesville, Wis., where he retired in 1984. Throughout his 30-year teaching career in the Wisconsin school system, Don also was active as a teacher and counselor at summer band camps at his alma mater, Lakeland College. In retirement, he taught instrumental music for several years at Aquinas High School in La Crosse. He also served as an insurance agent for Lutheran Brotherhood.

Don played baritone and/or euphonium in many municipal bands including Sparta, Kiel, Chatfield (Minn.), La Crosse, and the La Crosse DaCapo Band and Winona Brass Band. He was a member of American Legion Post 52, the Moose Lodge and, together with wife, Jan, the La Crosse Jazz Society. He sang tenor in many church choirs, including Zion Lutheran in Galesville, Wis., and Good Shepherd and Trinity Lutheran Churches in La Crosse. In his college days, he was a member of an award-winning barbershop quartet in Sheboygan named The Four Scholars. Don’s hobbies and interests included music, golf, fishing, woodworking, model railroading and gardening.

In addition to his wife, Janice, Don is survived by two sons, David (Mary Jo) of Rochester, Minn., and Michael of Holmen, Wis.; stepchildren, the Rev. Cindy (Larry) Arndt of Wilton, Wis.; Tim (Theresa) Thaldorf of La Crosse, Carey (friend Shari) of West Salem, Wis., and Tracie (Dennis) Hodgdon of Richfield, Minn.; grandchildren, Joshua Ziesmer, Nick Hutson, Kate Hutson, Jess (fiance Nick Polakowski) Hutson, Chazz Rowlands Hodgdon, Dutch Hodgdon, Joel (Lori) Arndt, Justin (Kirstin) Arndt and Dawn (Brad) Lindberg; great-grandchildren, April, Addison, Avery and Auggie Arndt; and special friends, Terri Baker, Sue Retzlaff, Kris Biesen and Sue Kammel. He was preceded in death by his parents; two cousins, Oswald and Harold; his Aunt Julia; and his beloved Aunt Irene.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in La Crosse. Pastor Roger Hjelle and Pastor Meredith McGrath will officiate. Friends may call at the church today from 5 to 7 p.m. and again on Saturday from 10 a.m. until time of services.

Memorials are preferred and can be directed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church Senior Choir, La Crosse City Band, DaCapo Band, American Heart Association or Gundersen Lutheran Hospice.

The family wishes to express their special thanks to the many doctors and nurses of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center who cared for Don, especially Bette Pedretti, Dr. Songsiridei, Dr. Brasic, Julie Thoftne and all the nurses and caregivers of the Gundersen Lutheran Hospice Department.

Schumacher Kish Funeral Home of La Crosse is in charge of arrangements.

John ‘Jack’ Patton

READSTOWN, Wis. — John “Jack” Patton, 94, of Readstown died Thursday, July 31, 2008, at Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua, Wis.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Philips Catholic Church at Rolling Ground, Wis. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the church Tuesday from 11 a.m. until services.

Sime Funeral Home of Readstown is serving the family. Condolences may be offered at simefuneralforum.com.

Pearle ‘Pearle Mae’ M. Garzee

Pearle “Pearle Mae” M. Garzee, 84, of La Crosse died Thursday, July 31, 2008, at Bethany St. Joseph Care Center in La Crosse. Memorial services will be announced by Woodruff-

Jandt Funeral Home of La Crosse.

Elsie G. Gilbertson

SARATOGA, Calif. — Elsie Genorra Gilbertson, 103, passed away on Sunday, July 20, 2008, at Saratoga Retirement Community, 14500 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, 95070, where she had been a resident for the past five years. Her death occurred four days before her 104th birthday.

Elsie was born July 24, 1904, and raised with 11 children on the family farm in Long Coulee, Holmen, Wis.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Annie O. (Thompson) Gilbertson; and her 10 brothers and sisters, Roland, George, Axel, Storm, Aborah (Knutson), Margaret (Bills), Esther (Ballantine), Otto, Arnold and Tillman Gilbertson.

She attended school in Long Coulee, Holmen High School and business school in La Crosse. Her employment career was spent with employers in

La Crosse, Minneapolis, Chicago and Oakland, Calif. In Oakland, she was employed in an administrative capacity with the Loyal Protective Life Insurance Co. from which she retired in the late 1960s. She remained in Oakland where she was active in drama and the formation of Stage Bridges, a senior citizen theatrical group. She was a frequent vacation traveler and active in ballroom dancing, which she taught senior citizens and for which she received numerous performance awards.

Elsie is survived by nieces and nephews, Archie Bills of Hixton, Wis., Lola Mae Krachel of Onalaska, Wis., Stanley Gilbertson of Galesville, Wis., Beatrice Ranieri of Bella Vista, Ark., and Knute Gilbertson of Minnetonka, Minn.; and 13 great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was confirmed in 1919 at Holmen Lutheran Church. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, at Holmen Lutheran Church, 228 Morris St., Holmen, with visitation at 1:30 p.m. at the church. Interment will be in the family plot in Long Coulee Cemetery, Holmen.

Rita C. Siebenaler

WEST SALEM, Wis. — Rita C. Siebenaler, 75, of West Salem died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, surrounded by her family in her home.

She was born in Fountain City, Wis., on Dec. 5, 1932, to Leonard and Irene (Mrozek) Seracki. She married Richard Siebenaler on June 18, 1952, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pine Creek, Wis.

Rita enjoyed being with her family, gardening, sewing, cooking, traveling, sports, playing euchre and butterflies. Rita will be missed by her entire family, her friends and all who knew her.

She is survived by her husband, Richard of West Salem; four daughters, Sheryl (Kenneth) Wiegers of Sarasota, Fla., Teresa (Charles) Consolvo of Sarasota, Jane (John) Norgaard of Melrose, Wis., and Joan (Steven) Buchholz of McDonough, Ga..; three sons, Dennis Siebenaler of Fullerton, Calif., Douglas (Nancy) Siebenaler of Bangor, Wis., and David Siebenaler of Los Angeles; 16 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She is further survived by one brother, James Seracki of Fountain City, Wis., two sisters-in-law, Anne (Don) Eggebakken of La Crosse and Joan (Don) Vechell of Side Lake, Minn.; one brother-in-law, Sam (Deb) Siebenaler of La Crosse; one aunt, Irene Hoesley of La Crosse; one uncle, Jack Seracki of Oakdale, Minn.; nieces; nephews; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1333 S. 13th St., La Crosse. The Rev. Lawrence Berger will officiate with entombment to be held in St. Francis of Assisi Mausoleum at La Crosse’s Catholic Cemetery. Family and friends may call Saturday at the church from 10 a.m. until time of Mass.

Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Homes are assisting the family with arrangements.

Memorials are preferred to Holy Trinity Catholic Church.