Obit: Oberle, Eugene (Gene) William (1929 - 2010) 
 

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Oberle, Baldeschwiler, Korb, Gebert, Klemmer, Brandt, Dooley, McCaffrey, O’Connor, Slowiak, Serocki, Sorenson, Montgomery, Apfelbeck 
 

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI.) May 26, 2010 
 

Oberle, Eugene (Gene) William (9 April 1929 - 24 May 2010) With Flag 
 

Eugene W. Oberle, age 81, of Thorp, passed away on Monday, May 24, 2010, at Luther Hospital in Eau Claire.   
 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Friday, May 28, 2010, at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Thorp.  Interment will take place at Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Spooner, at a later date.  Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home, on Thursday, May 27, 2010, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with a 6:00 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will also be held at the church on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until time of service. 
 

Thorp Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 
 

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI.) June 2, 2010  
 

Eugene (Gene) William Oberle, age 81 of Thorp, passed away at Luther Middlefort Hospital in Eau Claire, on Monday, May 24, 2010.  
 
 

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 28, 2010, at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church, in Thorp, with Rev. Keith Apfelbeck officiating.  Interment will occur later in the columbarium wall at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spooner, WI. Visitation was held at the Thorp Funeral Home on Thursday, May 27, 2010, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., with a 6 p.m. prayer service.  Visitation was also held at the church on Friday from 9 a.m. until time of service. 
 

Eugene was born on April 9, 1929, at his parent’s home in Thorp, WI to Martin and Monica (Baldeschwiler) Oberle.  He attended the Pioneer School in the Town of Worden, St. Bernard’s Catholic School, and Thorp High School, where he graduated in 1948.    
 

Gene farmed with his parents until enlisting in the U. S. Navy in 1951.  During the Korean War he served aboard the destroyer USS Herrmann.  Departing from Newport, RI in 1953 and traveling by way of the Panama Canal and the Pacific they supported naval operations off the coast of Korea.  Gene was fortunate enough to continue on with his ship’s "world tour," circumnavigating the globe and stopping in many foreign ports.  Upon arriving back in Newport in July 1954, he took leave and traveled back to Wisconsin to wed Sylvia Korb on July 27, 1954.  The start of their married life was spent in Boston, MA, completing his military service with an honorable discharge in November 1955 at a rating of GMM3.  After the Navy, Gene returned to Wisconsin, and in 1958, he purchased his father’s dairy farm and attended agriculture courses.  
 

Gene was always active in his community and church, serving on the school board, church council, Town of Worden, farmer’s co-op and singing in the church choir.  He was a life-long member of American Legion Post #118 and a member of the VFW.  In the 60’s, Gene was very active in the Legion serving in numerous offices including post commander, county commander, and district vice-commander.  It was during this time that he became interested in local politics serving as Clark County Dem. Party chair and in ’70 and ’72 he was elected to the WI state assembly. Gene served on the veteran’s and military affairs, agriculture, and insurance and banking committees and sponsored legislation to improve transportation safety. 
 

Later, Gene returned to dairy farming and stayed active in veteran’s affairs serving as the chair of the Clark Co. Veteran’s Service Commission and as state president of the State Assoc. of Co. Veteran’s Commissioners.  The call to public service came again in 1985 when the Clark Co. Register of Deeds resigned.  Gene was re-elected Register of Deeds six times and retired in 1999.  He enjoyed his years in office, especially the time spent with people coming through the doors everyday. 
 

Gene enjoyed driving the U. S. to see family and friends, RV camping, teaching his grandchildren to play cards, and fishing.  He especially loved cheering on his Thorp Cardinals, traveling to many away games with his wife and sister, Marian. They would even continue to follow Thorp athletes in their college years.  Gene helped initiate, fund, and support construction of the Thorp High School track.  He loved watching the Badgers, Packers, Celtics and supporting his wife’s cross-country skiing and hiking activities. 
 

He will be truly missed by his wife, Sylvia; his sons: Ronald (Marianne) of Fountain Valley, CA, and John (Cindy Gebert) of Eau Claire; his daughters: Dr. Marie Oberle (George Klemmer) of Minnetonka, MN, Jane Brandt (Dan) of Thorp, Elaine Dooley (Bill) of High Springs, FL, and Ann Oberle of Sun Prairie; his nine grandchildren: Jason McCaffrey, Amelia, Tessa, and Cullan Oberle, Briana Gebert-Oberle, Luke and Michael Brandt, Matthew and Charles O’Connor; his sister, Marian (Carl) Slowiak and her husband Jim Serocki; many nephews and nieces, and extended relation and friends. 
 

He was predeceased by his parents and his sisters Patricia (Wilfred) Sorenson and Marlene (Kent) Montgomery-Oberle. 
 

Online condolences may be expressed at www.cuddiefh.com.  
 

Thorp Funeral home assisted the family with arrangements. 
 

(Note: This same above obit also appeared in the June 2, 2010 issue of the Clark County Press of Neillsville, Clark Co., WI)