Obituary of Lawrence “Grandpa” J. Hildebrandt

Lawrence “Grandpa” J. Hildebrandt age 94, of Nekoosa, died December 13, 2011 at Strawberry Lane Medical & Rehabilitation Center in Wisconsin Rapids.

Funeral services will be held at 11 AM. Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Nekoosa. Rev. John Swing will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery with military rites by Nekoosa VFW Post #5960.

Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 10-11 AM. Feldner/Ritchay Funeral Home of Nekoosa is assisting the family.

Lawrence was born December 21, 1917 in Glidden, WI to Joseph and Mary (Greene) Hildebrandt. He married Betty Ernsting on September 2, 1950 at St. Alexander Catholic Church in Port Edwards. Betty died January 15, 2000.

Lawrence served with the Civilian Conservation Corps 638th Company, Camp Mineral Lake, Marengo, WI until his enlistment in the US. Army with the Search Light Batallion, Seattle, WA, where he worked as a truck driver and mechanic. From there he was deployed overseas to fight in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. He went to New Guinea where he was a radio man and was in fox holes for days at a time. He contracted cholera and yellow fever while serving overseas. Lawrence was given the good conduct medal, combat infantry man’s badge, Asiatic-Pacific Theater service medal, and the American Defense service medal. Lawrence was honorably discharged on September 4, 1945.

He returned home and went to work for Nekoosa Papers in the Port Edwards mill in the bleach plant, retiring in 1980. He made his home in Nekoosa where he lived until going to Strawberry Lane. Lawrence was a lifetime member of Nekoosa VFW Post #5960.

Lawrence enjoyed fishing, camping, deer hunting, and vacationing in his hometown of Glidden, WI. After retiring from the mill, he and his wife helped take care of Island View Campground on Lake Namagogan, owned at the time by Virgil Holz and his wife.
He got to do what he liked and to help out friends.

He is survived by: 5 children: Richard (Judy) Hildebrandt of Nekoosa
Diane (Ron) Heller of Wis. Rapids
JoAnn (George) Heller of Wis. Rapids
Sandra Skerven of Nekoosa
Geraldine (Jim) Schneider of Cable, WI
9 grandchildren
10 great-grandchildren
1 sister: Dorothy Czis of Muskego
1 brother: Vernon Hildebrandt of Wis. Rapids

He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, 2 sisters, JoAnn and Elizabeth, and 3 brothers, Donald, George and Roman.

The Hildebrandt family would like to thank the staff of Strawberry Lane for all the love and care they have given our father for the past 6-l/2 yrs.