Obit: Longenecker, Prof. G. William (? - 1969)

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

Surnames: Longenecker, Smith, Wertz, Orr, Edwards, Listeman

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/06/1969

Longenecker, Prof. G. William (? - 25 February 1969)

Local friends learned last weekend of the death February 25 in Madison of Prof. G. William Longenecker, a native of Neillsville and founder of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum at Madison. He was 69.

Prof. Longenecker was born in Neillsville, the son of the late Rev. and Mrs. George Washington Longenecker. He was graduated from Neillsville High School and attended the University of Wisconsin, where he later served as chairman of the university landscape architecture department from 1933 until his retirement in 1967.

Prof. Longenecker had been ill for some time. His death took place in a Madison hospital. Funeral services were held in Madison last Friday. Burial was made there.

Although he had been away from Neillsville for many years, Prof. Longenecker was always anxious to help his old hometown in its efforts to create through landscaping things of beauty. He gave assistance to Kurt Listeman in the planning of the Listeman Arboretum here, and had undertaken the planning and design work for a section of the local arboretum on which no work has as het been done. This is called “the University Section,” and anticipates some formal plantings of unusual trees and shrubbery.

He also assisted in the layout and design of the American Legion Park, with work at Schuster Park and other similar efforts here. Prof. Longenecker never refused when his hometown called upon him to assist them in work related to his profession.

But probably his finest memorial is the large and complete University Arboretum. And for his service to the famed “nature laboratory” an entire horticultural area, including lilac and ornamental crab apple areas, was named the G. William Longenecker Gardens.

After his graduation from Neillsville High School, Prof. Longenecker attended the University of Wisconsin, from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1924. He joined the faculty of the school in 1928 and earned a Master of Science degree the following year. He was promoted from instructor to assistant professor in 1933, to associate professor in 1936, and to full professor in 1947.

His son George, also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, is a professor of landscape architecture at the University of West Virginia.

Other survivors include his wife, Sarah; two daughters, Mrs. Robert Smith of Madison and Mrs. Peter Wirtz of Glencoe; a brother, Ernst, Brookfield; and two sisters, Mrs. Ray Orr of Redlands, Calif., and Mrs. Gladys Edwards of Wauwatosa. There are 10 grandchildren.