Wayne H. Utecht

Wayne H. Utecht, 79, of Brokaw passed away December 19 at Aspirus Hospital. For nearly three months he bravely fought the complications from a fall suffered on October 5th. Wayne was born on April 27, 1936, in Wausau, the son of Harry and Amanda (Krueger) Utecht. He was raised in Brokaw and never lived anywhere else. He began his career with Wausau Papers in 1954 and retired 44 years later as Production Scheduler. He also served as Municipal Clerk of the Village for nearly 40 years. In the many times he was elected, nobody ever ran against him. He loved his work and his community and cared deeply for those who lived there. On July 20, 1963 he married Carol Ann Baumann and they lived a good and happy life together for 52 years. They loved to travel and to dance, and greatly enjoyed the time spent at their cottage at Pelican Lake. They fished and swam, and were fascinated to watch all the many birds - ducks, osprey, eagles, great blue herons, and the many tiny "hummers" who often thought Wayne's ears were morning glories. He loved the wildlife, fed them and made pets of many of them. Wayne was predeceased by his parents, two brothers and his wife's parents, Erich and Beatrice Baumann, and also his great friend Wayne Zillman. He is survived by his wife, Carol, several nieces and nephews, a special niece Kerry (Randy) Wokatsch, many godchildren, and the large and loving Zillman family: Wayne's wife Vanessa, her sisters Lavon (Jim) Thrun, Gail (Tom) Goetz, and all of the Zillmans, McGiverns, Gentrys, Boettchers, and the two littlest guys, Keagan and Max. Also surviving are wonderful friends, the Josigers, Weisenbergers, and Carol's cousins, Bob and Mary Baumann. Wayne was a kind, generous, and soft-spoken man with a huge heart who loved his wife, friends and extended family unconditionally. He was much loved and will be missed forever. Services will be held on January 2, 2016 at the Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 6th Street. Wausau. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm with a memorial service at 3:00 pm. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com