Full Obituary

     ROBERT R. BERTZ, age 92, of Loyal, peacefully passed away at Three Oaks Health Services, in Marshfield, on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Loyal. Rev. Steve Brice will officiate and burial will follow in St. Anthony Cemetery. Pallbearers will be: Dylan Geiger, Nick Seehafer, Christopher Priebe, Luke Morrow, Ken Seehafer, and Brian Geiger. Military rites will be conducted by the Loyal American Legion Post 175. Visitation will be held at the church on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 from 5pm to 8pm, and again on Thursday, from 10:00am until time of service.
     Robert Richard Bertz was born on August 11, 1925 in Marshfield, WI, to Reuben and Cecilia (O'Reilly) Bertz. He was raised on the family farm and received his education in the Loyal area, graduating from Loyal High School in 1944. After completing his education, Bob worked on the family farm until he was united in marriage to Joan D. Ayers on July 1, 1952 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, in Loyal. He entered the U.S. Army on May 6, 1953 and served during the Korean War until his honorable discharge on May 12, 1955. He returned to Loyal where he held several jobs, including, driving gas truck for Seeman Gas & Oil, Skelgas and Standard Oil. He was a rural mail carrier for the Loyal post office for 15 years, retiring in 1992. After his retirement, Bob remained very active in the Loyal community and resided in Loyal until entering Three Oaks in 2017.
     Bob’s interests revolved around God, Family, and Country.
     He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church, where he served on the church council and as an usher and eucharistic minister for many years; was a very active member of the Loyal American Legion Post 175 for 50 years, having served as Post Commander and member of the Honor Guard; a member of the Neillsville VFW Post 2241; a member of The Forty and Eight honor society of American veterans; a member of the National Association for Retired Federal Employees; was a Scout coordinator for many years; was a member of the Knights of Columbus Lady of Fatima Council #4963; was a volunteer Clark County caregiver; was a porch greeter for The Highground and served on the Korean Memorial committee. He was a charter member of the Loyal Ambulance Service and an EMT. The United States Flag was raised and lowered daily in the city by Bob for decades.
     He will be dearly missed by his wife, Joan, of Loyal; his children: Kathleen (Kenneth) Seehafer of River Falls, Anthony (Tammy) Bertz of The Dalles, OR, Benjamin (Becky) Bertz of Champlin, MN, Matthew (Tina) Bertz of Mosinee, Sarah (Brian) Geiger of Loyal, Maxine Priebe (Kent Kramer) of Holmen, Daniel Bertz of Wausau; 7 grandchildren; Zachary Bertz, Alisha and Nick Seehafer, Teah Morrow, Dylan Geiger, Rachel and Christopher Priebe, 2 great grandchildren; Lennox and Wes Morrow, 3 sisters: Marilyn Bogdonovich of Greenwood, Colleen Kraeger of Cudahy, Donna Gruber of Madison; sisters-in-law: Charlotte Ayers and Dorothy Bertz; brothers-in-law: Wendell (Ruthe) and Melvin (Marion) Ayers; along with many other relatives and friends.
     He was preceded in death by his parents; his mother and father-in-law: Florence and Claude Ayers; 2 brothers: William and David Bertz; and 5 sisters: Deanna Will, Rosemary Sanford, Virginia Bushnell, Joann Hayden and Darlene Ottoway.