Obit: Sommer, Vernon Gilbert Alvin (1922 - 2009)

Contact: Ken Wood

Surnames: Sommer, Hunsicker, Woik, Stecker, Schuette, Hardrath, Wachsmuth, Baumgatner, Johnson, Schubert, Krebsbach, Wickham

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.) Saturday, 18 Jan. 2009, p. 2A, col. 4.

Sommer, Vernon Gilbert Alvin (14 Aug. 1922 - 15 Jan. 2009)

Vernon Gilbert Alvin Sommer, 86, of the town of Green Grove in Clark County, died Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, at the Golden LivingCenter-Continental Manor in Abbotsford, Wis. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at St. Paul Lutheran Church (North Green Grove Church) in rural Colby, Wis. The Rev. Dr. Paul C. Hunsicker will officiate. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service all at the church Monday. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be his grandsons.

Vernon was born Aug. 14, 1922, in Green Grove to Theodore and Hertha (Woik) Sommer. He graduated from Owen High School in 1940 and at that time he took over the family farm and farmed there until 1986.

On Dec. 28, 1946, Vernon married Jeanette Stecker at First United Church of Christ in Colby, Wis. In 1979 Vernon and Jeanette were honored with a century farm. Vernon was an active life-long member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he served as president and head of the cemetery association. He possessed a fun competitive nature which showed up when playing and watching sports and playing cards. He was one of the instrumental people in planning and organizing the softball diamond in Atwood. Vernon also loved deer hunting with his brothers, sons, grandsons, but of all of his accomplishments, Vernon was most proud of his family.

Vernon is survived by his wife Jeanette of Curtiss and his two sons: Gary (Sandy) Sommer of Owen; David (Wanda) Sommer of Owen; his daughters: Shirley (Joe) Wickham of Madison; Sharon Sommer of Madison; Linda (Dale) Krebsbach of Mosinee; Lois (Larry) Schubert of Marshfield; Peg (Brian) Baumgartner of Arcadia and Nancy Johnson of Fall Creek. Vernon is further survived by 21 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren and a sister, Marilyn (Len) Wachsmuth of Gray's Lake, Ill., and one sister-in-law Karen Sommer of La Crosse.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one daughter Gail, two brothers: Donald and Marlyn and two sisters: Ruth Schutte and Eileen Hardrath.

The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home of Abbotsford is assisting Vernon's family with funeral arrangements.