John A. Lemke, 69, of Nekoosa, died Wednesday, Feb.
28, 2018.
He was born on July 2, 1948, in Crandon, to Frank
Lemke, Sr. and Ruth (Lange) Lemke, and was a 1967 graduate of Crandon High
School.
Following high school, he attended Career Academy in Milwaukee
where he received training in broadcasting. After that, he moved to Oshkosh
where he attended the Fox Valley Technical College in Oshkosh, receiving an
associate degree in Conservation. While in Oshkosh, he worked for Grace
Lutheran Church. He went to Chiropractor training in Davenport, Iowa, then
switched to Barber College. Later, he moved to Morning Sun, Iowa, opening a
Barber Shop. In the early 1980s, he moved back to Wisconsin and settled in
Nekoosa. For a while, he worked in the woods logging, and then became the
custodian for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids where he worked
until his retirement in 2013.
In his free time, John enjoyed fishing and hunting. He
enjoyed being with his family. Every year, he would travel north to help the
family in the business of making maple syrup.
John married Janice Bittner on June 17, 1972, in
Wisconsin Rapids.
He is survived by his children, Judy Fuller (Kyle) of
Wisconsin Rapids; son, John Lemke, Jr. (Dianne) of Tigard, Oregon; mother, Ruth
Lemke of Crandon; brother, Frank Lemke, Jr. of Crandon; sisters, Sandy (Gene)
Plummer of Crandon, Kathy (Dale) Elliott of Oshkosh, Debby (Mike) Kennedy of
Wausau, Lori (Chuck) Sekel of Crandon, and Karen (Jeff) Lehman of Crandon;
sisters-in-law, Peg (Edward) Meyer of Las Vegas, Patricia (Dennis) Hall and
brothers-in-law, David (Sue) Bittner of Wisconsin Rapids, Ron (Cindy) Bittner
of Nekoosa, and Russell (Jeanette) Bittner of Wisconsin Rapids; grandchildren,
Jacob, Zach, and Emily Erwin, and Justin and Kylie Lemke.
John was preceded in death by his wife, Janice;
father, Frank Lemke, Sr., and father-and-mother-in-law, Robert and Betty
Bittner.
John died trying to help others, which is the way he
lived his life.
The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday,
March 8, 2018, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in the town of Saratoga, with
the Rev. Paul Tullberg officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery,
Nekoosa. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the
Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids, and again at the church on
Thursday morning from 10 a.m. until the time of service.
The Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be
assisting the family. For online condolences, please visit
www.taylorfuneralhome.net.
