Obit: Plombon, William Vincent (1937 - 2014)

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

Surnames: Plombon, Rivers, Bernklau, Freelon, Fox, Branche, Baur, Williams

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co, WI) 7/16/2014

Plombon, William Vincent (4 September 1937 - 12 July 2014)

William Vincent Plombon, age 76, of Stanley, died at home surrounded by his family on Saturday, July 12, 2014. He was born on September 4, 1937, in Stanley to Severyn and Genevieve (nee: Rivers) Plombon, and attended Stanley-Boyd Schools until transferring to McDonell High graduation in 1955, he did his prerequisite work for two years at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, MN before attending the Milwaukee Institute of Mortuary Science. After graduating in 1959, he joined his father in the family business, serving the Stanley, Cornell, and Gilman areas, making him the third generation of Plombons in the funeral profession. His brother “Butch” joined the business and the two became partners when their father retired.

Bill married Betty Bernklau on August 29, 1959, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, in Stanley, followed by five children. Bill was an avid outdoorsman, bow hunting, ice fishing, and “hunting” muskies, until he was bitten by the golf bug. When retirement came in 2000, Bill and Betty relocated to the Mississippi gulf coast in Diamondhead, MS, where he could play golf every day. They returned to Stanley each summer, where he worked at the Whispering Pines Golf Course in Cadott, taking great pride in his work being around his fellow “hackers” and his family, who all played golf.

Over the years, Bill has been a member of the WI Funeral Directors Association, the knights of Columbus, the Stanley Commercial Club, Most Holy Trinity Parish in Delisle, MS, and a lifetime member of All Saints Parish in Stanley. He served 25 years on the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department, several terms on the Holy Family Church Council, and a charter member of the Royal Order of the Loons. Bill will be remembered for his remarkable ability for remembering and telling stories of the past, and for always having many jokes to tell. No one enjoyed life and the company of people more than Bill.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Betty of Stanley WI and Diamondhead, MS; five children: Richard (Doug Freelon) of San Francisco, CA, David (Bonnie) of Stanley, WI, Diana Fox of Atlanta, GA, Kay Branche of Portland, OR, and Daniel (Erin) of Stanley, WI; his adopted daughter: Linda Baur of Diamondhead, MS; five grandchildren: Beth, Chris, Mitchell, Greg and Henry Plombon; two step-grandchildren: Lexi and Ethan Williams; one step-great-granddaughter, Aubrey Williams; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Severyn ‘Sevy.’

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18, 2014, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Stanley with burial in the Oakland Cemetery, Stanley. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Plombon Funeral Home in Stanley, and from 9:30 a.m. until time of Mass at the funeral home on Friday.