Life Events

Melvin R. Schrader, 95, of LaGrange, WI passed away on Tuesday, February 14 at Alden Estates in Jefferson, WI.

Melvin was born on September 2, 1927 in LaGrange, WI the son of Edwin and Alena (Knutson) Schrader. Melvin grew up on the family farm and after his schooling he would continue to work the family farm for a few years before purchasing his own farm. Melvin started as a dairy farmer with his father. He would continue to dairy farm after his father passed away and then later in his farming career, Melvin sold the cows and went to cash crop farming. He was a very hard worker and took pride in farming and providing for his family. Melvin was giving, friendly and just generally a happy man. On December 7, 1974 he was united in marriage to the love of his life, June Weigand at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Palmyra where Melvin was a lifelong member. Melvin and June would go on to enjoy many years together making wonderful memories. Melvin’s interests included good food, polka music, and he also enjoyed a nice Snickers bar. One of the highlights of Melvin’s later years was having the windmill on his farm restored. He was very pleased with the result and seeing the beauty restored to the windmill brought him a lot of joy. Melvin was a good man and he will be missed by those he leaves behind.

He is survived by: his wife of 48 years, June Schrader; his niece and nephews, Donna (Dennis) Scherer of Fort Atkinson, Glenn Jacobs of East Troy, John Jacobs of Janesville, and Steve Jacobs of Whitewater; his brother-in-law, Dave (Virginia) Weigand of Elkhorn; his brother-in-law John Weigand of Aldie, VA; and nieces, Jennifer Weigand of Fort Atkinson, and Sara (Jeff) Buising of Boca Raton, FL. Melvin is also survived by a number of other relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ethel.

Per Melvin’s wishes, no formal services will be held.

Memorials in Melvin’s honor may be made to the St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Palmyra, WI.

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence please visit gibsonfuneral.com

Larry Milton Rogers, 68, of Whitewater, WI passed away on February 14, 2023, at Mercy Hospital, Janesville, WI. He was born on March 17, 1954, in Fort Atkinson, WI to the late Milton and Arlene (Zanton) Rogers.

Larry graduated from Whitewater High School in 1974. He was united in marriage to Lynette Boyd on March 18, 1978, at St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church in Whitewater, WI. Larry was self-employed most of his life doing what he loved, farming. He started out as a dairy farmer with his father, Milton and in 1996 the herd was sold. After selling his herd he was a hired farm hand. Larry and Lynette were avid farm toy collectors and enjoyed their time together traveling to find new toys to add to their collection. He loved taking care of his animals, which included horses, llamas, donkeys and all his cats. He could often be found mowing his yard or plowing snow with his skid steer.

Larry is survived by his loving wife, Lynette; sister, Karen Rogers; mother-in-law, Shirley Boyd; sister-in-law, Marlene Boyd and his brother-in-law Darrel Boyd. He was preceded in death by his parents, Milton and Arlene, father-in-law, John Boyd and brother-in-law, Gary Boyd.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Albrecht Funeral Home, Milton with a service to follow at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in Richmond Cemetery, Delavan, WI. Albrecht Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Milton is assisting the family. For online condolences please visit www.albrechtfuneralhomes.com

Inez Louise Hartel, was born as Inez Louise Radke, on June 5, 1932, age 87, of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. She passed away peacefully on February 13, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer. Inez was predeceased by her parents Alma L. Radke (Foote) and William E. Radke of Watertown, WI and her siblings Mary Brandt and Robert Radke.  

Inez graduated from Watertown High School in 1953 and attended the Milwaukee Hospital County School of Nursing in 1953 to 1956 at which she attained a 3 year degree in Registered Nursing. 

Inez worked at multiple jobs as a registered nurse in Milwaukee, Watertown, Waukesha, Whitewater and visiting nurse Chicago.

Inez met her husband in 1956 at a work Christmas party. While there, she met Douglas Earl Hartel of Fort Atkinson, WI and married him on October 10, 1959.  Over the course of their marriage she had two children.

Inez was a seasoned traveller having been to many countries with her husband, Doug Hartel and her sister, Mary Brandt.  The countries included Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, England, China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Columbia, Brazil, Costa Rica, extensively in Mexico, Canada, among others.  Most recently she went on a Viking Cruise on the Danube River.  Inez also traveled extensively in the United States to all of the states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

Inez is survived by her husband, Douglas E. Hartel of Fort Atkinson, and two children, Pamela (Daniel) Meihak of Idaho, and Constance (Emmanuel) Hartel Todorov of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She is also survived by three grandchildren, Philip (Audrey) of Idaho, Arin of Georgia and Joseph of California.

Nitardy Funeral Home, Fort Atkinson is serving the family.  No service will be held.  Any memorials may be sent to the Aging & Disabilities Resource Center of Jefferson County, 1541 Annex Rd., Jefferson, WI  53549 or UW Carbone Cancer Center, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705.

Joseph Israel Bushey, 13, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 after a valiant fight against Huntington’s Disease. Joseph passed 11 days after his dear sister, Grace, passed from the same disease.

Joseph was born on November 19, 2009 in Madison, WI. He was the son of Chad and Kim (Raatz) Bushey. Joseph was a sweet, gentle and happy boy. He had a smile that would light up the room. He was a NASCAR super fan and loved racing and race cars. He was especially fond of blue race cars and every year for his birthday, race cars were at the top of his list. Joseph was also a very prayerful boy and was excited to meet Jesus. Another one of Joseph’s interests was sand dunes. He thought they were beautiful and interesting. One year, Joseph went on a trip with this family to Michigan where he was able to experience the sand dunes around Lake Michigan and also do some fishing. They all had a wonderful time together making memories that both Joseph and his loved ones cherish deeply. Joseph was a beautiful little boy and his family takes great comfort in the fact that he is with Jesus in Heaven where there is no such thing as Huntington’s Disease. 

He is survived by: his loving parents, Chad and Kim Bushey of Whitewater, WI; his maternal grandparents, Suzanne and David Roth of Tomahawk, WI; his paternal grandparents, Dennis and Peggy Bushey of East Troy, WI; and his loving siblings, Kari, Elizabeth, Jeremiah, Perpetua, Ezekiel, Justice, Ava, Hannah, Ezra, and Emily. He is also survived by a number of other relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by his brother, Samuel, his sister, Grace and his maternal grandfather, Lee. 

Memorial Donations may be made to Chad and Kim’s ministry for the children:  “The Carpenter’s Flock”  (a tax deductible entity) in Joseph’s honor. W5621 Tamarack Trail, Whitewater, WI 53190.

A Funeral Service to thank God for Joseph’s life will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 12:00 Noon at The Gibson Family Funeral Home in Eagle, WI (499 Elkhorn Road, Eagle, WI 53119). Pastor Kevin Tranel will officiate the service. Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Joseph will be laid to rest following the service next to his sister Grace in Oak Ridge Cemetery of Eagle, WI. 

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family.  To place an online condolence, please visit gibsonfuneral.com

Paul M. Bartness, 81, of Palmyra, WI passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at Holton Manor of Elkhorn, WI.

Paul was born on July 28, 1941 in Milwaukee, WI the son of Theodore and Mary (Winiecki) Bartness. He grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated from Messmer High School in 1959. Paul married the love of his life, Phyllis Brzezinski on November 11, 1967 and the two would go on to enjoy 49 years together until Phyllis’ passing in 2016. Paul worked as a laborer building electrical transformers for the majority of his working career. He loved his job and enjoyed working hard and providing for his family. Paul was never afraid of work or being busy. When he wasn’t at his day job, he was hunting, fishing, golfing, roofing, painting or any other activity he could think of. He was at his best when he was busy and around people. Paul loved to be social and he had a quick wit and sarcastic personality. He truly was a people person and was fun to be around. Paul was a long-time member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church where he served as an usher. He also was a dedicated member of the Knights of Columbus and rose to the rank of 4th degree. For leisure, Paul greatly enjoyed spending time in northern Wisconsin with Phyllis at their mobile home. Paul was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend and he will be dearly missed by those he leaves behind.

He is survived by: his children, Tom (Diane) Atkielski of Manitowoc, WI, Bob Atkielski of Memphis, TN, Mike (Adelaide) Atkielski of La Grange, WI, Jim (Lynne) Atkielski of Tullahoma, TN, and Joan (Joel) Kaczinski of Eagle, WI; and his grandchildren, Jennifer, Shaun (Lisa), Johnathan (Angela), Brandon, Jacqui (Andrew), Tara, Michael, and Katie; and 5 great-grandsons. He is also survived by a number of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Jack and Teddy, his sister Beverly, and his loving wife of 49 years, Phyllis Bartness.

Memorials in Paul’s honor may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, The Knights of Columbus, or The Salvation Army.

A funeral service will be held to honor Paul’s life at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the Gibson Family Funeral Home in Palmyra, WI (320 W. Main St. Palmyra, WI 53119). Visitation will take place from 10:30 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Paul will be laid to rest next to his wife in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Palmyra, WI immediately following the service.

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra & Eagle, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence, please visit gibsonfuneral.com

Gregory E. Aprahamian

Greg died suddenly on January 18, 2023, due to an enlarged heart.

Greg was married to the love of his life, Tammy (Iverson) Aprahamian for 34 happy years. He was the proud father of Brittany (Dan) Dubnicka Aprahamian, Ryan (Daysi) Aprahamian, Tyler Aprahamian, and Megan (Dan) Edwards. He was ecstatic to be Grandpa to Raylee Hope (22 months old), Maxton Gregory (14 months old), and Andrew Roger (almost 8 months old).

Greg is additionally survived by his mother, Patricia Aprahamian, his brothers, George, Leonard, Steve, Charles, and Michael. He is preceded in death by his father, Dr. Charles Aprahamian and his mother-in-law, Bonita Iverson.

Greg was a highly respected teacher and wrestling coach for over 30 years at Muskego and Kettle Moraine Schools.   He was a positive influence on the lives of many of his students and wrestlers as well as a mentor to so many others. As head coach, Greg led Muskego to a team state title in 1994. Wrestling was a family affair as Greg coached both his sons, and his daughters were team managers, at Mukwonago High School. He also coached football and track through the years, but wrestling was always his passion.

Even in “retirement,” he kept himself more than busy. He invested in properties in Whitewater and made great strides in revitalizing the downtown area. He also kept building onto his dream house on the lake. Even with all that, he always found time to help with his children’s home renovations.

Whenever he could relax, Greg loved swimming in the lake, playing fetch with his dogs, and going to his condo in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was an avid Wisconsin sports fan and enjoyed having a beer and watching the Packers, Badgers, Bucks and Brewers.

Greg accomplished many things, but anyone that knew him could tell that he was most proud of being a grandfather.  He loved his three grandkids more than anything and was looking forward to spending as much time with them as he could.

Greg lived his life for his family and passing due to an enlarged heart was painfully fitting. Everything he did was for them. The only thing greater than his work ethic was his love of his family, whom he never stopped loving and supporting.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mukwonago High School Wrestling.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2023 at the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home (930 Main St. Mukwonago) from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Service at 2:00 p.m.

After the funeral service at the funeral home, a Celebration of Greg’s Life will follow at The Venue in East Troy with open bar as Greg would have wanted.

Grace Suzanne Bushey, age 16, left her earthly home for Heaven on Friday, January 20, 2023 at her home with her loving family by her side.

Grace was born on December 20, 2006 in Madison, WI. The loving daughter of Chad and Kim (Raatz) Bushey, Grace was blessed with 11 siblings, whom she loved very much. Grace was quiet and confident in her own way. Her family was the most important thing in her life. She was also very passionate about travel. Her trip to Sea World was one of her favorite memories and Grace hoped to do much more traveling in the future. Grace’s favorite color was purple and her favorite animal was the Beluga Whale. While with her family at SeaWorld, she was so enthralled by the Beluga Whale that she had to be reminded there were other animals to see! Grace was a sweet young lady and will be dearly missed and forever remembered by her family and friends. 

She is survived by: her loving parents, Chad and Kim Bushey of Whitewater, WI; her maternal grandparents, Suzanne and David Roth of Tomahawk, WI; her paternal grandparents, Dennis and Peggy Bushey of East Troy, WI; and her loving siblings, Kari, Elizabeth, Jeremiah, Perpetua, Joseph, Ezekiel, Justice, Ava, Hannah, Ezra, and Emily. She is also survived by a number of other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her brother, Samuel and her maternal grandfather, Lee. 

Memorial Donations may be made to Chad and Kim’s ministry for the children:  “The Carpenter’s Flock”  (a tax deductible entity) in Grace’s honor. W5621 Tamarack Trail, Whitewater, WI 53190.

A Funeral Service to thank God for Grace’s life will be held at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, January 28 at The Chapel in Whitewater, WI (445 Warner Road, Whitewater, WI 53190). Pastor Kevin Tranel will officiate the service. Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at The Chapel. Grace will be laid to rest following the service in Oak Ridge Cemetery of Eagle, WI. 

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family.  To place an online condolence, please visit gibsonfuneral.com