Gerald A. "Jerry" Wucherpfennig

Gerald "Jerry" A. Wucherpfennig, 83 of Chippewa Falls, town of Wheaton, died Sunday July 19th at home after a courageous battle with interstitial lung disease and sarcoidosis. His wife of 61 years, children, and grandchildren, will greatly miss this very proud farmer and loving dad.

He was born March 29, 1937, in Eau Claire, to Inez M. Lee and Amos A. Wucherpfennig. They lived in the town of Wheaton, where Gerald was a fourth generation farmer. Graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School in 1955.

Jerry was an active member of the Wheaton community through his whole life. He was involved with Sunnyside 4-H when he was young and continued to be involved when his children were part of the Sunnyside 4-H family. During his high school years, he was a FFA member and this is when he started his registered Holstein dairy heard, that expanded over the years, achieving many milk quality awards from Land O' Lakes. He also served on the boards for the Land O' Lake Coporative, as well as the Chippewa County Holstein Association. Not only was he busy with the dairy aspect of farming, he was also diligent crop farmer. Later years he continued with crop farming and raising beef.

Jerry was also very active in snowmobiling. He belonged to the Wheaton Knight Riders and the County Snowmobile Association. Jerry assisted in starting many of the snowmobile trails that are still in use to this date, working with many land owners to achieve the network of trails to enjoy the beauty of the county and township. He greatly enjoyed riding many miles with his wife, family, and friends. Jerry's other passion was traveling with his wife, Barb. Their travels have taken them to almost all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Also traveling abroad to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and places in between. Jerry had many stories to share and words of wisdom, mostly he lived life to its fullest.

He survived by his wife, Barbara of Chippewa Falls; children, Brenda Beaudette (significant other, Tim Malnory) of Chippewa Falls, Paul Wucherpfennig (significant other, Tammy Wold) of Eau Claire, and Karen (Jim) Soley of Fitchburg, Wis.; grandchildren, Tyler Beaudette of Eau Claire, Sarah Wucherpfennig and Max Wucherpfennig, both of Eau Claire; great-grandchildren, Ziva and Shilho; brothers, Carl (Marilyn) of Johnson Creek, Wis., and Dale (Sandra) of Anoka, Minn.; sister-in-law, Darlene (John) Read of Indianapolis; brother-in-law, Duane (Beverly) Kilde of Menomonie; many nieces and nephews; goddaughter, Dawn Bohl; and godson, Hans Wucherpfennig.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Amos and Inez (Lee) Wucherpfennig; parent-in-law, Leonard and Wilhelmina (Visser) Bollom; brother-in-law, David Bollom; sister-in-law, Beverly Bollom Kilde; and a great-grandson, Logan Allen Franzwa.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 26, at Stokes, Prock & Mundt Funeral Chapel, 535 S. Hillcrest Parkway, Altoona. Visitation will be held from noon until time of service. Interment will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire.

Memorials are preferred to either the American Lung Association, 55 W/ Wacker Drive, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60601; www.lung.org or to Future Farmers of America, 1241 John Q Hammons Drive, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53717; www.wisconsinaged.org/give.

To send the family an online condolence, please visit www.cremationsociety-wi.com. Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family with arrangements.