Obituary: William "Bill" Mischke - Class of 1950

FITCHBURG - William "Bill" Mischke, age 78, of Fitchburg, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, at home. He was born on Jan. 14, 1931, in East St. Louis, Ill., the son of William and Gladys (Rutledge) Mischke. Bill moved to Madison in 1945. He graduated from Madison Central High School, where he was involved in many sports. Bill served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 until 1955. He married Sandra Crosier on May 31, 1975, in Madison. Bill was a painter/ wallpaperer by trade in the Madison area for many years. He enjoyed working at Bill's Food in Oregon, in his retirement. Bill was a member of All Saints Lutheran Church. He volunteered delivering food to St. Mark's food pantry for several years. Bill was an avid Badgers fan and was a season ticket holder to football and basketball games, traveling to many away games. He also enjoyed bowling and vacationing in Florida. Bill is survived by his wife, Sandra of Fitchburg; niece, Diane (Larry) Jones; nephew, Ken (Vickie) Strand; great-nieces and great-nephew, Jocelyn and Joelle Strand, and Tony Jones; stepdaughters, Sheryl (Deb) McFerren and Julie (Dennis) Ahnen; grandchildren, Jennifer, Heather, Megan and Cailin Ahnen; and four children, Steve, Stan, Judy and Billy. He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Claire "Elaine" (Bill) Strand. Funeral services will be held at ALL SAINTS LUTHERAN CHURCH, 2951 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg, at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14, 2009, with the Rev. Richard Johnson presiding. Visitation will be at the church from noon until the time of the service on Monday. Burial will be at Sunset Memory Gardens. Memorials may be made to All Saints Lutheran Church or HospiceCare Inc. Gunderson Fitchburg Funeral and Cremation Care 2950 Chapel Valley Road (608) 442-5002

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on December 13, 2009

Note: William Mischke's class year is based on information in the 1950 Tychoberahn, where he is pictured among the graduating seniors.