Obit: Wellner, Clarence Joseph (1919 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Wellner, Meyer, Lancor, Hanke, Arneson, Fredrickson, Simmons, Bandell, Lalor, Ellis, Friederich, Dekan, Deinhammer, Smith, Jensen, Felix

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co, WI) 8/28/2013

Wellner, Clarence Joseph (30 November 1919 - 26 August 2013)

Clarence Joseph Wellner, age 93, of rural Boyd, went peacefully to be with Our Lord on Monday, August 26, 2013 at Our Lady of Victory Hospital with his nurses at his side. He always appreciated the caregivers there so much. He thanked the nurses rover and over and said his goodbyes to his family on Saturday.

Clarence was born on November 30, 1919 in the Town of Delmar, son of Margaret (Meyer) and Michael Wellner. He grew up on the family farm. His sister, Veronica, and the neighbor girl, Sister Narcissa, joined the St. Franciscan Order of Sisters in Springfield, Illinois. He walked to school with his lunch in a Karo syrup pail. On May 7, 1946 he was united in marriage to Bernice Evelyn Lancor at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Boyd. Clarence and Bernice farmed near Thorp with milk cans and then moved to farm in the Town of Delmar, kiddy corner from the home farm; the woods forty was part of the home farm, so he was with it his whole life. They made whole rock piles that were picked by hand. He and Bernice rolled the biggest ones up onto a flat rack by a board. When he talked about those rock piles, he would always say, “Now that was work!” There was no tractor and loader in those days; all he had was a Farmall H.

They took several trips with Joe and Eleanor Wellner. He had good friends that he butchered pigs with. Clarence and Bernice were close to God and taught their children to be. He milked cows until he was 81 years old.

Other than Jesus Christ himself, Grandpa was the most generous man who ever lived. He did everything for his kids and grandkids, whether it was in material things or teaching them to work hard, never give up and be humble. He loved his family, friends, farming, and fishing. He lived in the day when everything was done the hard way. He made fence, cleared land, hitched up the horses to do the work, picked wild blackberries and blueberries in the woods when it was good and hot out, filleted fish, took feed sacks to the barn on the wheel cart, and took care of his pigs chickens, geese, and how he loved his Holsteins! In 1960, at age 41, he bought a brand new combine. Then at the dealer’s recommendation, Yellowstone Implement, Shock brothers, Jim and Dean, Grandpa bought a new tractor to pull the combine. Both were paid for in full before they left the lot. Grandpa was a progressive, successful farmer through and through. He was a role model father, a role model husband, a role model farmer, and a role model worker of that vastly fading generation that so well knew real work. I don’t believe you measure a man by many means more than those.

Now he is in Heaven with Jesus, the Good Lord, the Virgin Mary, and Bernice, and happier than he has been in the last 32 years. He always said everything stays the same just a little short while. Now his suffering is over and he is in eternal rest with all those he missed so much. And we will be together again someday. We know that for sure.

Clarence is survived by seven children, Paul (Donna) of Eau Claire, Margaret Ann (Allen) Hanke of Edgar, Evelyn Arneson of Boyd, Peter (Judy) of Boyd, Marianne (Dave) Ellis of Jim Falls, Jean (Michael) Fredrickson of Cadott, and Carolyn (Randy) Simmons of Boyd. He is further survived by grandchildren: Maria (William) Bandell, Sarah (Chris) Lalor, Steven Hanke, Melissa Arneson, Bryan Wellner, Jason Wellner, Julie Wellner, Eugene Ellis, Becky (Cory) Friederich, Jamie Ellis, Nicole (Shaun) Dekan, Anna Fredrickson, Samuel Simmons and Benjamin Joseph Simmons. He was a very special great-grandfather to Blake Joseph Dekan. He is also survived by great-grandchildren: Braden & Cheyenne Ellis, Jessica & Matthew Bandell, Monica & Joshua Lalor, and other great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Dorothy Deinhammer of Stanley and several nieces and nephews.

Clarence was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice, his parents, his brothers Leo Raymond, and Norbert, and his sisters Veronica (Sister Theodine), and Mary Lancor.

He was so happy to see his care-taker Kathy Smith visit and hear about her horses. He always thanked his friends, like Bernadine Jensen when they would come to visit and would say, “Come Again”. His neighbors meant a lot to him and when it was too hot, he would say, “It’s just nice.” He never complained.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Boyd with Father William Felix officiating. Burial will follow in the Parish Cemetery, Boyd. Visitation will be from 5 until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at the Plombon Funeral Home with a 7:15 parish rosary. Visitation will continue on Thursday morning from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

             

 

 


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