Basil Joseph William Michels

1926 - 2025

Basil Joseph William Michels

January 17, 1926 - April 7, 2025

The world was blessed by the presence of Basil Joseph William Michels, born on January 17, 1926 to Nicholas and Christina Michels in the township of Howard, WI in the home his German grandparents bought in 1885. He was the tenth of eleven children on a dairy farm on a hill with a view of the Hessian valley. Basil became a full-time farmer at the age of 14, after completing eight years of elementary school. Four short years later, he was drafted into the Army to serve his country during World War II. Gone were the rolling hills of home, instead he was amongst an endless sea of men in combat green. After serving two years, first as a supply clerk and then as a Military Police Officer (MP), he was honorably discharged and sent home where he earnestly pursued farming. When Marian Pecha caught his eye, he pursued her and the two were married on Nov 24, 1955. They were blessed with eleven healthy children that worked on the homestead farm. Basil worked on social injustices such as getting a fair market price for farm goods. This included building their family farm, numerous leadership roles in the National Farmers Organization (NFO), being treasurer for the Colfax creamery, AG Price, Bossy Cow Cheese, the St. Peter's School Board as well as being a Charter member of the Tilden Fire Department.

With all the unimaginable distractions and hardships of being a family farmer with eleven children, Basil still found the time and energy to build a deep, unwavering steadfast love of his faith. As a devout Catholic, Basil and Marian quite often would fill the farm truck with a selection of their children and haul them to confession at St. Peters. Quite often Basil and Marian would take shifts attending Saturday evening mass with one group of children while the other group stayed home and finished the milking chores. No matter what the situation in the home or on the farm, Basil and Marian made sure that their family prayed together. Kneeling on the hard dining room floor to say the rosary after milking was not uncommon, especially Advent and Lent and the months of October and May.

Resting was a luxury. Basil often said "people die in bed" so he avoided lying in bed a moment longer than necessary. Basil filled his days and nights, being productive and loved life the most when there was work to be done. When picking field rock in the spring, he would share stories of his childhood like spending his recess tending the horses that were used to haul the kids to school or hauling firewood for the nuns and priests at school and church. Work was the driving force of each day, and a good day was when a job was well done. He especially loved work parties, when he would butcher, cut firewood or clear a field with his extended family. And in 2003, it was the end of an era when Basil and Marian sold their cows and their days running a family farm were, indeed, done. But not the work. Basil and Marian worked side by side to volunteer their time and talents making sausage, horseradish, sauerkraut and dumplings for the church. They moved to the village of Tilden to be close to St. Peter's Church where he remained the rest of his days playing Tic with a ridiculous number of wild cards stacked in the deck, checking his watch, awaiting visits from grandchildren or friends and sneaking bites of chocolate while thinking no one was watching.

Basil was born to and preceded in death by Christina and Nicholas Michels. Also preceded in death by his ten siblings and their spouses, Leonard, (Ann Schindler) Herbert, (Dorothy Secraw), Herman, (Margaret Zwiefelhofer), Albert, (Anna Schmidt), Sylvan, (Bernadine Leow), Marie, (Frank Pecha), Mildred, (Otto Beranek) Jerome, (Alvira Geissler), Marcella, (Joseph Pecha), Margaret, (Roland Schneider) and 3 great-grandchildren.

Survived by his wife, Marian; his children, Marilyn, (Mike Derpinghaus), Peter, Paul, (Suzanne Robey), Patrick, (Pam Sikora), Robert, (Debbie Faschingbauer), Christine, Marlene, (Vincent Millevolte), Mary, (Cary Hamman), Mark, (Trish Carney), Ann, (Tom Jaroski) and Nicholas and 25 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 26 at St. Peter's Church in Tilden. Rev. Alex Kren will be celebrant of the Memorial Mass. Inurnment will be in the church cemetery following the Mass. There will be a recitation of the rosary at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26 at the church.

It is now time to rest, dear Basil. Gott Sei Dank. Job well done.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Basil's honor may be directed to St. Peter's.

Horan Funeral Home in Chippewa Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.horanfuneralhome.com.