Norlan S. Kowalski, 84, passed away peacefully at Aspirus Wausau Hospital on June 2, 2022. He was surrounded by family.
He was born on July 28, 1937, to Gust and Martha (Koskey) Kowalski on the family homestead in Mosinee, WI. He spent his entire life living there even though many changes took place throughout these past 84 years. Norlan was welcomed into a family of seven siblings—Leonard, Myron, Adam, Lorraine, Vincent, Virginia, and Caroline. He was later joined by one more sibling when Norlan turned six, his brother Frank. When Norlan’s father Gust lost the use of his arms, he bought a truck and started hauling logs for the Mosinee Paper Mill as well as hauling livestock. While Gust would work the pedals, the young boys took turns shifting gears and steering the wheel.
While growing up on the family farm, he came to love working with the horses best of all. One always knew that Norlan was out training horses whenever he had an opportunity. And the family property gave him plenty of space to ride those horses. His greatest passion was training, owning (Sugar, Queenie, JR, Buck, Pistol, Chip and Tex) and selling good horses.
He met Geraldine Golz at a polka dance. One of the things that Norlan loved to do was dance, and he loved to polka more than anything. Whenever he was on the dance floor, he kicked up a storm.
After Norlan and Geraldine married in 1966, they worked together as a team, forming Kowalski Livestock & Trucking—transporting horses and calves, hay and straw across country, Kowalski Trucking-purchasing dump trucks and working for American Asphalt, and finally starting a service spreading lime for the farmers in the area. Norlan spoke about retiring, but could never give up helping. He was spreading lime for a farmer the Tuesday before his death.
When he did take a break from working, he enjoyed traveling to Wyoming and helping ranchers trail their herds to the mountain summer pasture in June and then bringing them back down in October. He loved to bowl and play horseshoes. He and Geraldine also enjoyed attending the PRCA National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and meeting there with family and friends.
Norlan is survived by his wife Geraldine, his sister Virginia Tabaka (Schofield), his brother Frank (Gloria) Kowalski of Mosinee, his sister-in-law Annabelle Kowalski, sisters-in-law Joanne (Bill) Lewitzke of Wausau, Jane (Don) Seubert of Wausau, Deb (Tim) Johnson of Wausau, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Gust, his mother Martha, his siblings Leonard (Irene), Myron (Betty), Adam (Helen), Lorraine (Jim) Heil, Vincent, Caroline (William) Brandenburg, and brother-in-law Roman Tabaka.
Visitation will be held at Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 6th Street, Wausau, WI. on Thursday, June 9, 2022, from 4:30 to 8 P.M. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the funeral home on Friday, June 10, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. with visitation one hour before the service starts.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the local EMS team and the staff of Aspirus Cardiac Intensive Care Unit for the skillful and compassionate care that was given to Norlan.
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