Full Obituary

     EUGENE C. "GENE" HINKER, age 86, of Loyal, WI, passed away from illness complicated by Covid on Saturday, March 5, 2022, with Hospice at Clark County Rehab & Living Center in Owen, WI.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, March 11, 2022, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Loyal.  Rev. Leo Johnson will officiate, and burial of cremains will follow in the parish cemetery.  Visitation will be held at the church, on Friday, from 9:00 am until time of service.
     Eugene Charles Hinker was born on June 26, 1935, in Bloomington, WI, to Sylvester T. and Barbara O. (Pink) Hinker.  Gene, as he was known to his friends and family, was raised on the family farm in Greenwood and attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and Greenwood High School.  After completing his education, Gene began working at Wuethrich’s Creamery in Greenwood.  He was united in marriage to, Marilyn J. Loos on June 20, 1959, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Loyal.  Gene was inducted into the U.S. Army on July 16, 1959, and served 2 years at Fort Sill, OK until his honorable discharge on July 14, 1961.  He returned home and continued working for Wuethrich's, (now Grassland Dairy Products), until retiring after 45 years, on April 30, 1998.  After retiring, Gene was the caretaker/handyman of Thomas Apartments, in Loyal, for 15 years.  In 2019, he was honored to go on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight with his daughter, Sheila.
     He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church,and had many interests. Gene was a committed grandfather who spent countless hours hanging out with his grandkids and following their extra-curricular activities.  He especially loved watching his children and grandchildren grow up into the amazing people they are today. Over the years, Gene enjoyed bowling, playing softball, downhill skiing, hunting, fishing, camping and sharing many stories around the campfire with family and friends, traveling on many family vacations and with friends, playing cards, watching Brewers, Packers, Bucks and Badger games, making wood crafts, and taking care of his yard and gardening.
     Gene was a friendly and loving person who was generous with his time and friendship and will be missed by many. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Marilyn, of Loyal; three children: Sheila (Lance) Batchelor of Owen, WI, Steve (Beth) of De Pere, WI, Greg (Jennifer) of Delano, MN; his daughter-in-law: Lisa Hinker of Greenwood; eight grandchildren: Brett and Hannah Hinker, Kassie (Stephen) Wagner and Kenadi Batchelor, Annie and Bob Hinker, and Emerson and Madison Hinker; one sister: JoAnn Kaiser of Marshfield; one brother: Allen (Sandra) Hinker of Greenwood; sisters-in-law: Marlene Hinker, Carolyn Hinker, and Donna Hinker, all of Greenwood, Corrine Hinker of Marshfield, and Audrey Hinker of Wausau; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
     He was preceded in death by his parents; his son: Shawn Hinker; brothers: Larry, Jerry, Jim, Bill, Francis, Ron, and Robert “Ribbie”; sister-in-law: Sharon Hinker; brother-in-law: Lester Kaiser; and his niece: Roxanne Hinker.