Obit: Vater, Jack Robert (1945 - 2022)

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

Surnames: Vater, Peterson

----Source: Chippewa Valley Cremation (Altoona, Eau Claire Co., WI) 3/30/2022

Vater, Jack Robert (18 January 1945 – 18 March 2022) With Flag

Jack Robert Vater, 77, died March 17, 2022, at his home in rural Owen.

Jack was born January 18, 1945, in the Town of Longwood, the third of four sons of Neil F. and Eileen (Peterson) of rural Owen. He attended the Owen-Withee Public elementary school and graduated from Owen-Withee High School in May of 1963.

He then attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While a university student, he worked editing news for a local TV station and for Fred Johnson on house construction. On June 3, 1967, Jack graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UW La Crosse and went on to basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. He served in the army (light infantry) in Vietnam through June 1969. He was awarded a Bronze Star for heroism in military operations and received a purple heart for injuries he suffered. When he got out of the service, Jack moved to California and worked for over 30 years as a grocer at Safeway in Mountain View, CA.

He enjoyed flying a glider out of San Jose, and spent time trout fishing, deer hunting and backpacking. When Jack retired, he sold his home in Silicon Valley and moved back to the Owen area in 2004. In his retirement Jack bought a sawmill and spent many happy hours with his nephews and nieces turning logs into lumber; he also cared for his aging parents.

He liked fishing, especially on Diamond Lake, Miller Dam and the Black River and was a successful gardener who canned his abundance of tomatoes, asparagus, beans and other produce to enjoy through the winter. He was also a voracious reader, an excellent letter writer, a great cook and liked to play sheepshead. Jack was a gracious host to his family and was generous with his time, help and wisdom.

He is survived by his brother, Vernon, seven nieces and nephews and thirteen grandnieces and grandnephews. Funeral services for Jack Robert Vater will be held Saturday, April 2 at 11:00 a.m. at The United Church of Christ in Owen. Military honors will follow.