Donald C. Romang

Donald C. Romang 86, Athens died Sunday, August 21, 2011 at Memorial Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Medford. Don was born, July 24, 1925, in the north bedroom of the brick house, built by his parents, on Starlight Farm, Town of Bern, in 1914. He lived on that farm through 2011. Homesteaded by Don's Swiss immigrant parents, Emanuel and Anna (Wenger) Romang Sr, in 1907, the farm was named after Emanuel's first cow, Starlight, a prodigy of the world respected cattle genetics, from Helen Dale Farm, Athens, where Emanuel worked. Don sold the last calf born on his farm, also named Starlight, in April of 1993, to his daughter and son in law. After Don married Rose Kitts at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens, on August 3, 1946, they bought their first 2 room house for $300 and pulled it up the road, on skids, to Starlight Farm with a road grader. In 1947 they built a house next to the brick house Don was born in. Don built the house himself, with lumber from his woods, the help of an Indian and 'modifications' to Rose's plans. Eventually, Rose's mother, Mary, came to live at Starlight Farm. They moved another house there, for her in the 1960's. Don and Rose raised 4 children, 4 foster children, and supported their parents on Starlight Farm, while providing roots for Don's brother and sisters. Don also worked off farm, for most of those years. He rode a cattle boxcar to Virginia with cows he sold there, worked in the woods, worked for a local feed mill, had honey bees, white washed barns during the summers, supplied land to his sons, and helped them with their ginseng business. In his younger years he enjoyed stream fishing with his children which meant teaching them to pick wood ticks, fight mosquitoes by blowing smoke from a cigar, retrieve a bad cast from the brush, untangle line and remove the fishhook from Bob when Sue 'caught' her brother by mistake. He liked playing, 'Annie Annie Over' with his children by throwing a ball over the pump house. The call of "Pigs Tail" rang out in the summer dusk if the ball failed to make it over the roof. He also used that building to pile snow against to make a sledding hill he iced with pails of water to allow sledders to 'belly flop' across the whole yard, to the barn. He was one of the original truckers when Equity Livestock, Stratford was formed and became a major livestock marketing cooperative in the 1950's. Holding that trucking franchise was very important to him as was the award he received for 25 years of service. He served as a director for AMPI (Associated Milk Producers) and played Santa for local clubs at Christmas played trombone, had a lovely tenor voice, loved to sing, dance, and watch the "Big Joe Polka Show". He flew a Swiss flag and wore a 'Proud to be Swiss' lapel button to advertise his Swiss heritage, and carried his check books in his shirt pocket as a security blanket. Sheepshead was his passion. There were lots of nights when his dining room table reverberated as 'trump' took a card trick. Rose preceded Don in death on December 31, 1980. After 12 lonely years he met Jean (Hennlich) Edwards in 1992. On March 4, 1994 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens, they were married. Jean sold her home in Stetsonville and joined Don on Starlight Farm. These became some of the happiest days of Don's life. Jean encouraged him to use his carpentry skills to build plywood lawn ornaments and his welding skills to make lawn birds from bicycle parts and garden tools. They played cards three times a week, traveled, sang in the church choir, and held hands on their garden swing, enjoyed sharing the lives of their 8 children and the arrival of grand and great grandchildren. Don was a generous man with a good heart, who had a strong work ethic and dedication to his family and his roots. Survivors include his wife, Jean Romang, Athens, four children, Susan (Robert) Heckendorf, Athens, Robert (Sandra) Romang, town of Rib Falls, Scott (Vicki) Romang, Wausau and RaNae (Dr. Michael) Marasco, Cornville, AZ, four step children, Georgia (Jim) Horst, Cave Creek, AZ, Gaylin (Cathy) Edwards, Stoughton, Judith (Randy) Boehm, Wisconsin Rapids and Jill Pickreign, Stetsonville, five grandchildren, Bradley (DeAnna) Heckendorf, Melanie (Brian) Pierzchalski, Stevens Point, Heather Romang, Nicole (Jack) Smith and Moses Marasco, seven step grandchildren, Ashley (Nathaniel) LeNoble, Bobbie Prechel, Laura Oppitz, Jeffrey Horst, Amy (Rafael) Bonilla, Kristine (Paul) Arens and Melinda (Christopher) Kjesbo and 16 great grandchildren. Besides his parents and his first wife Rose, he was preceded in death by one brother, Emanuel Romang Jr. and two sisters, Margaret Copeland and Louise( Garbisch)Semerau. The funeral mass will be celebrated 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens. The Very Rev. Charles Hiebl will preside. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Athens. Friends may call on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Athens and again on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com