Myron F. Brooks, 71, of Jump River, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 21st, 2024. Myron was one of the lucky ones who passed away doing what he loved - farming and helping his neighbors.

Myron was born on February 18, 1953 at Victory Memorial Hospital in Stanley to dairy farmers Frederick and Marie (Lein) Brooks. He grew up on his family’s farm in Jump River and it is there that he learned the values of family, hard work, and the importance of caring for neighbors and the land. Farming was in his blood and hard work was his DNA.

On September 11, 1971, Myron married Gloria Trawicki at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Gilman. The couple settled on the family farm and it is there that they raised their 5 beautiful daughters, teaching them the joy of hard work, the importance of taking care of family, sharing his love for the land, the precise technique of inserting a joke into any conversation, and caring for those animals (and people) that needed the touch of a hand calloused by hard work that only a loving farmer father could offer.

Myron worked no matter how injured or sick he was, never complaining. His work ethic, like his love for his family, never wavered. He was proud of his girls and considered them his finest accomplishment. He taught his girls to work and to hunt. He enjoyed spending hunting season with his daughters in the woods. As much as Myron enjoyed raising his family on the farm, nothing made him happier than seeing his grandchildren visit him on the farm. Myron was always ready to take an overtired child for a 4-wheeler ride out to the back pastures to see the heifers. If a nap was needed Myron would pull up in the gator. It worked every time and no grandchild was immune from his caring ways. As the grandchildren got older, he enjoyed supporting them in their activities. His devotion to his grandchildren was epic and there was never a school event or program that he missed. He enjoyed watching them sing, play football, show steers, play basketball, barrel race, run cross country, and everything else that they tried. His support was unwavering. His grandchildren were loved beyond measure and he made sure that they knew that each one was loved and special in their own ways.

Myron is survived by 9 extraordinary grandchildren: Jayce, Kennedy, Charlotte, Bergan, Grant, Bristol, Sailor, Maxwell, and Brooks. Myron is further survived by his wife of 52 years, Gloria; his mother, Marie Brooks; his daughters, Paulette Brooks of Hudson; Janelle (Ryan) Buesser of Eau Claire; Jilleen Brooks of Jump River; Lindsay Brooks of Holcombe; and Sydney (Josh) Kowalczyk of Eau Claire; his sister Susan (Michael) Tkachuk of Elk Mound.

He is preceded in death by his father Frederick.

Although Myron’s family was his everything, Myron saw the bigger picture and was also devoted to his community and neighbors. Myron served as the Town Chairman of the Jump River Township and worked tirelessly writing multiple grants to improve the community. He was also a founder of the Jump River Fire Department. He dedicated many hours to working on the Jump River Electric board as Chairman of the JREC board and was also on the Taylor County Forestry Committee. Myron was a Charter member of the Jump River Lions Club. He was also a founder of the Jump River 4th of July celebration. He enjoyed turning his work tractor into a pulling tractor and pulled for many years at the 4th of July celebration. Myron and Alton Seeger built the original eliminator which was used for many years in the Jump River 4th of July Celebration Tractor Pull. He passed his knowledge of tractors onto his daughters and even his daughter pulled tractor on occasion. His legacy of community will not be forgotten, but will be missed tremendously. Myron would want everyone reading this to step up in their community and “go do something for someone”. He was truly a man who loved his community and wanted what was best for all.

A funeral service will take place at Noon on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Hannibal with Pastor Beverly Thompson officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Nebo Cemetery, Jump River. Visitation will be from 9AM until time of service Saturday at the church. Plombon Funeral Service is assisting the family

Herbert R. Messman, 83, of Medford, passed away Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the Colonial Center in Colby while under the care of St. Croix Hospice.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, April 26, 2024 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Medford with Rev. David Spaude officiating.  The service will be livestreamed on the church YouTube channel youtube.com/@ILS54451?si=ktHENFqFZdkaSQDf  and then click "live".

At the family’s request, please attend the funeral in casual attire, as that is what Herbert would want.

Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery II, Medford.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m., Friday at the church.  A meal and fellowship will follow the burial.

Herbert was born June 13, 1940 at home in the town of Medford to Robert and Marion (Howard) Messman. Herbert received his diploma in 1956 from Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran School.

On December 26, 1959, he married Evelyn Walworth at the Immanuel Lutheran Church Parsonage in Medford.  They resided in Medford where Herbert worked first at the scrapyard in Medford, then worked as a security guard for the Medford Millwork Factory before purchasing land in the town of Medford where he and Evelyn farmed.  While farming, and raising 5 children, he also managed the Jentzsch Mink Ranch for many years until health issues prevented him from continuing any longer.

Herbert did not let any health issues slow him down.  He maintained a huge vegetable garden, selling his products at the local farmer’s market.  He also made many bird houses and bird feeders; enjoyed pan fishing; and for his whole life loved dancing. 

Despite any challenges, Herbert found great stability in Christ.  He spent much of his time enjoying the woods, waters and wildlife of the Chequamegon National Forest.  Nature is where he found inner peace and connected to God.  Whether walking a trail or blazing a new path, he appreciated the beauty of God’s creation.  Herbert had two tattoos on his left arm, one was his name “Herbie” in all caps, the other was two circles with an anchor inside.  Herbert’s “spiritual anchor” was Jesus and his faith was what grounded him and allowed him to cope with life’s rough waters.  Hebrews 6:19 lets us know that our hope is sure and steadfast as a well placed, secure and unbending anchor.  Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea, but in the Highest Heaven.  And even though Herbert was a man of few words, he led his family in faith by his living example.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Evelyn of Medford; five children, Robert (Kathy) Messman, James (Lori) Messman, all of Medford; Mark (Philicity) Messman of Burtrum, MN; Pam (Mitchell) Voelker of Marshfield, Kim (Brandt) Gaugler of Beach, ND; siblings, Ardith Hendrickson of Marshfield, Galen (Lois) Messman of Medford; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Howard (Evelyn) Messman; and brother-in-law, Donald Hendrickson.

Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford is serving the family. Please visit www.hemerfuneralservice.com to share condolences online.

Donald E Northup age 83 born 1/25/41 has passed away peacefully in his sleep at home.

Donald was born in Knapp WI to Ralph Northup and Bernice (Mertz) Northup. Don was married to Donna (Schade) Northup on 1/27/62.

Don graduated from Neillsville High School. He then entered the Army in 1959 and served for 3 years. Upon returning from the service Don met and married Donna. Don worked as a machinist at American Motors for 6 years and at Wisconsin Motors for 22 years. He also worked for Hypro for a while.

Upon retirement Don and Donna moved to Lublin. Don was an avid fisherman, going fishing in Canada, Florida, North Dakota and Lake Erie. Don also enjoyed hunting on his land.

Don is survived by his special companion of 14 years Wanda Mallo and his children Deb Northup, Dan (Lori) Northup, and Dennis (Kasey) Northup, his grandchildren are Cassandra (Ryan) Smith, Jon Northup, Joshua Northup, Michaela Northup, Katie (Jeremy) Pierce, Nick (Steph) Northup and Samantha (Jon) Aegater, his 8 great grandchildren, his 4 brothers Dale (Diane) Northup, Late Charles (Bernice) Northup, Robert (late Nancy) Northup and Jim (Kathy) Northup as well as many nieces and nephews.

Don is preceded in death by his wife Donna, both parents and his brother Charles.

A memorial service will be held at 11am on Friday, April 26, 2024 at New Hope Presbyterian Church-Hannibal with Pastor Beverly Thompson officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Lunch will be served after the service. After the lunch, the family will proceed to the Neillsville cemetery for the burial of Don and Donna with full military rites for Don.

Plombon Funeral Service assisted the family with arrangements.

The family would like to thank St Croix Hospice including Andrew, for all the care and compassion they showed our father during this time. 

Barbara Jean Martin, 76, of Medford, formerly of Goodrich, passed away Thursday, April 18, 2024 at Vitacare Assisted Living while under the care of St. Croix Hospice.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 27 at Hemer-Pickerign Funeral Home in Medford.  Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery II, Medford.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m., Saturday at the funeral home.

Barb was born August 15, 1947 in Athens to Clarence and Ellen (Neumann) Duerr.  She attended Medford schools.

She married James Eckert and together had three sons.  They later divorced.

On July 17, 1993, she married Kim Martin in Stetsonville.  She and Kim ran A&E Tavern for several years, where they made many friends and truly enjoyed their time there.  She also enjoyed fishing and listening to country music.  Kim preceded her in death in 2005.

Barb is survived by her three sons, James “Woody” (Heidi) Eckert, William  “Bill” (Sadie Guden) Eckert, all of Medford and David (Jill) Eckert of Athens; grandchildren, Andrew, Emma, Madison, Megan (Cole), Dylan, Ellie, Kyana and Karly; great-grandchildren, Axel and Coil; siblings, Darlene “Dolly” Schreiner of Athens; Sharon (Rich) Bowen of Amherst, Cindy (Jim) Bondowski of Ojibwa, Jim (Dolly) Duerr of Medford, Randy (Brenda) Duerr of Indiana; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband Kim.

Barb’s family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at Vitacare of Medford for the care and love shown to Barb over the past two years.  They would also like to thank St. Croix Hospice for their compassion and kindness given to Barb during her final days.

Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford is serving the family.  Please visit www.hemerfuneralservice.com to share condolences online.

Carole Alice (Carlson) Jari, age 85, of Medford, passed away on Friday, April 12, 2024 at The Waterford at Colby Assisted Living.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 3, 2024 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in the town of Holway with Barb Krug officiating.  Interment will follow at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. Friday at the church.

Memorials are appreciated and may go to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Carole’s honor.

Carole was born January 8, 1939 in Rib Lake to Raymond and Clara Rose (Hein) Schirmer.  When Carole was only three years old, her mother was called home to live with our Heavenly Father.  She was then raised by her second mother, Margaret (Polacek) Schirmer.  She graduated from Rib Lake High School in 1957. 

On June 1, 1957, she married James E. Carlson.  They farmed for 30 years and raised seven children together.  After Jim’s death in 1987, Carole went to work at Hurd Millwork for 16 years, retiring in 2004.

On August 19, 1989, she married Matt A. Jari.  They resided in the town of Browning. Matt passed on January 6, 2024.

Carole lived in Taylor county her entire life, but she did love to venture out and travel.  Some of her favorite places to visit was Alaska to see her sister and brother-in-law, Colorado to see family, and the great Rocky Mountains.  She loved life on the farm and being outdoors, gardening, going for walks, fishing, cutting boughs in the fall and working in the woods in the winter.  And everyone knew she could “out split” anyone when it came to cutting wood!

Her church and her faith were very important to her. She was an active member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church where she held different offices in the Ladies Group and the Church Council. Whether it was sewing quilts with the ladies or making soap for oversea missions, Carole was always involved with serving others.

She is survived by her seven children, James “Jess” (June) Carlson, Sharon (Richard) Danielson, Paul (Jannell) Carlson, Melvin (Beth) Carlson, Philip Carlson, Joan Carlson, Donald (Ashley) Carlson; step-children, Rick Jari, Randy Jari, Todd Jari, Debra Kaja; grandchildren, Rick and Paul Danielson, Eric, Shane, Adam, Andrew, Raymond, Luke, Lydia, Subreana, Teyona, Preston, and Jasmine Carlson, Crystal and Jake Stockheimer; step-grandchildren, Rick Jr., Ryan, Morgan, and Aidan Jari, Tara Macone, Johanna Hundley, Rindi and Rachell Kaja; two sisters, Patsy (Jim) Biddle, and Kathy (Art) Deicher; and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Jim; second husband Matt; and siblings, Robert, Raymond, Irving, and Glenn Schirmer, Pearl Hubbard, and Adrianne Schneider.

Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford is serving the family. Please visit www.hemerfuneralservice.com to share condolences online.

Dennis Galen Kautzer, 82, of Medford, passed away at Vita Care, under the care of St. Croix Hospice.

A graveside service will be held for Dennis at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Medford Evergreen Cemetery 2, with Pastor Richard Russow officiating. Military Rites will be performed by the Medford Area Military Honors Team.

Dennis was born on September, 15, 1941 to Louis and Irene (Strebe) Kautzer. He graduated from Medford High School in 1959. He served in the Navy from 1959-1962, where he was in Company 287 on the USS Fort Mandan as a Petty Officer 2nd Class Engineer.

On August 17, 1963 he married Audrey Maier; she preceded him in death in 2022. They lived in Princeton, WI for 7 years, where Dennis worked at Speed Queen, before moving to Stetsonville. Dennis then worked at Weather Shield for 20 plus years. 

In his spare time, Dennis loved pistol shooting, where Audrey scored for him. He also reloaded bullets and worked on guns. He loved hunting and fishing, watching the Brewers and Packers, and his dogs and cats.

Dennis is survived by his sisters, Jeanette Roesler of Milwaukee and Sherry (Lanny) Peissig of Medford; brother, Dean Kautzer of Medford; sister-in-law Helen Kautzer of Medford. Dennis is further survived by many nieces and nephews.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey; parents; mother and father-in-law; brother, Wayne Kautzer; brother-in-law, Julius Roesler; sister-in-law, June Kautzer.

Beverly Steffen (Smerda), 73, of Ogema passed away peacefully at Aspirus Wausau Hospital on Sunday, April 7, 2024.

She was born to John and Hilder Smerda on March 17, 1951, in Wausau, WI.

After graduating from Mosinee High School in 1969, the following year she graduated from the State Beauty College of Culture. She was a cosmetologist for over 30 years in Phillips. She married Leroy Steffen from Ogema on May 20, 1972. Bev and Leroy blissfully celebrated fifty-two years of marriage.

They had two children, Rebecca, and Brent. Beverly enjoyed fellowship with her family and friends. She liked to play card games, go camping, baking, and especially going for rides with Leroy. She was a proud grandma to Jacob, Ella, and Leah.

She was a member of the Ladies Legion Auxiliary, the Lutheran Church of Ogema, a current member of New Beginnings Lutheran Church, Ladies Group, and a Girl Scout Leader. She belonged to and supported the Ogema Volunteer Fire Company. Some of her favorite things were bird watching, reading on her kindle, hobbies, and crafts. 

She is survived by her devoted husband, Leroy; children, Rebecca (Whit) Parker of North Prairie, and Brent of Ogema; grandchildren, Jacob, Ella, and Leah; brothers, Robert (Susan) Smerda of Wausau, and Ronald (Jeanne) Smerda of Mosinee; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents; and infant sister.

There will be a Memorial Service at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at First Baptist Church, 757 Cherry Street, Prentice, WI 54556. Visitation will begin one hour prior to service. Fellowship to follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the New Beginnings Lutheran Church, 1223 Railroad Avenue, Prentice, WI 54556, are appreciated. Heindl-Nimsgern Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Robert A. Donaldson

December 16, 1964 ~ March 23, 2024 (age 59)

Robert Donaldson was born December 16, 1964 and died March 23, 2024. His grandparents were Gustav and Jennie Blomberg Donaldson of Spirit, Wisconsin as well as Warren and Agnes Sahlberg Stevens of Ogema, Wisconsin. His parents were Orville and Arliss Stevens Donaldson of New Holstein, WI.                                 

The New Hope Center began employing Robert Donaldson summers when he was 15 years old. He began working there full time as a young adult. At the time of his death, he had been employed there over 37 years.

Robert is survived by his sister Karen Donaldson in addition to many cousins. 

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, many aunts and uncles as well as his brother Kevin Donaldson.

Any donations made in memory of Robert can go to the New Hope Center of Chilton Wisconsin.

Ray A. Mallo, 83 of Gilman, died Sunday, January 21, 2024.

He was born on March 5, 1940 to the late Guy and Beatrice (Palmer) Mallo. Ray grew up in the Hannibal area and graduated from Hannibal High School. He farmed the majority of his life.

Ray enjoyed bowling, horseshoes, spending time with his family and talking about the “good ole days” on the farm with his siblings and spending time with his constant companion: Shadow, his beloved collie.

He is survived by his children, Jerry (Renee) Gielow of West Bend, Michelle (Allen) Kurth and Brent (Jodie) Mallo both of Gilman, 4 grandchildren, Kylee (Brandon) Crank, MaKade (Allison) Kurth, MaKenna Kurth and Sequoia Mallo, 2 great grandchildren, Kollyn and Kenley Crank, his siblings, Arlene (Jerome) Zahn of Jackson, Arthur (Mary) Mallo of Rothschild, Judith Mallo of Richland Center, WI, Paulette Johnson of Wauwatosa, Jerry (Jennifer) Mallo of Waukesha, Brian (Cassie) Mallo of Gilman, Loren Mallo Greenwood and Arlen Mallo of Lake Hallie and special friend, Carol Soraparu.

Ray is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Bryce “Bud” Mallo, his sisters Della Story and Sharon Madlon and a grandson, Jayce Kurth.

A memorial service will be held at 11AM, April 20, 2024 at New Hope Presbyterian Church-Hannibal with Pastor Bev Thompson officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will take place in the Hannibal Cemetery. Plombon Funeral Service is assisting the family.