Fredolin "Fritz" Willfahrt

Fredolin "Fritz" Willfahrt, 69, of 3351 Church Ave., Wisconsin Rapids, died Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Riverview Medical Center in Wisconsin Rapids.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday (April 3) at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Nekoosa. The Rev. John Swing will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Auburndale.

Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the Feldner/Ritchay Funeral Home in Nekoosa, and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church. A parish and Knights of Columbus rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Fritz was born Feb. 10, 1943, in Detroit, Mich., to Richard and Gertrude (Altmann) Willfahrt. He attended grade school at St. Mary's Catholic School in Auburndale and graduated from Auburndale High School in 1961.

Fritz married Nancy (Ertl) Tremelling on Aug. 13, 1966, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Hewitt. Together they had eight children, then later divorced. He married Susan Ledden Karl on Sept. 5, 1988, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Wisconsin Rapids.

He was employed as a heavy equipment operator for Earth, Inc. in the town of Sherry. Fritz previously owned a saw mill with his father, was a maintenance worker with the Village of Auburndale, employed by Kimberly-Clark in Neenah for a few years, and as a truck driver at Stuczynski Trucking in Stevens Point.

Fritz was instrumental in developing the Auburndale Polka Fest/Auburndale Music Fest, was a member of the Wisconsin Orchestra Leader Association and the International Polka Association and a former "1983 Band Leader of the Year."

He played with a variety of bands such as, Don Frodl Band, Dick Rogers TV Recording Orchestra which became the Fritz Willfahrt TV Recording Orchestra and also played with Don Schleis Orchestra. In later years he formed his own band. Fritz played trumpet, accordion, button box and various other instruments.

He taught polka music to Nekoosa High School students on a volunteer basis.

Fritz was a lifetime member of the North American Hunting Club, member of the Mead/McMillan Wildlife Association., and a member of the Mill Creek Gun Club. He was an avid hunter who enjoyed hunting with his boys and greatly enjoyed his hunting trip to Montana in October 2011. Fritz also loved the many times spent with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Susan of Wisconsin Rapids; five children: Susan (Douglas) Snortheim of Marshfield, Tim (Denise) Willfahrt of Auburndale, Ron (Tammie) Willfahrt of Auburndale, Sally (Joshua) Raab of Arpin, and Amy (Paul) Johnston of Charlottesville, Va.; two stepchildren: Janel (Craig) Reich of Oshkosh, Jeff (Dawn) Karl of Auburndale; 21 grandchildren: Daniel (Megan) Weinfurter, Jared and Macie Snortheim, Paul, Aaron, and Maggie Willfahrt, Sierra, Logan and Carly Willfahrt, Mackenzie, Fletcher and Blake Raab, Hailey, Samuel and Madeline Johnston, Amanda (Andy) Schmitz, Aaron (Emilie) Steinmann, Ashley (Adam) Spindler, Brittney (Collin) Skoug, and Colton and Emily Karl; four great-grandchildren: Peyton and Baya Weinfurter, Treyson Spindler, and Jaxon Karl-Skoug.

He also is survived by four brothers: Jerold (Kris) Willfahrt of Rudolph, David (Karen) Willfahrt of Auburndale, Duane (Connie) Willfahrt of Auburndale, and Greg (Carol) Willfahrt of Arpin; three sisters: Sandra "Jeannie" (Ken) Ertl of Auburndale, Rose (Curt) Ellinger of Sheboygan, and Sheila (Don) Cherney of Auburndale; and one sister-in-law, Karen Willfahrt of Auburndale.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sons, Richard "Dickie" and Donald, son-in-law Gary Weinfurter, and two brothers, Richard and Glen Willfahrt.