A Celebration of Junior's Life will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Colby Lion's Club from 1pm to 4pm.

     ALBERT G. "JUNIOR" PODEVELS, JR., age 92, of Colby, WI, passed away at The Waterford of Colby on Sunday, June 4, 2023 with his wife and children by his bedside, and under the tender care of Promedica Hospice.  A private service for the family will be held at a later date.  A Celebration of Junior's Life will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Colby Lion's Club from 1pm to 4pm.

     Albert G. “Junior” Podevels, Jr. was born May 19, 1931 in Wausau, WI to Albert F. and Ida A.(Schorer) Podevels.  He was raised on the Podevels family farm in the Town of Hull in Marathon County.  Junior and Everdeen Viegut were joined in matrimony on November 15, 1952 at St John’s Lutheran Church in the Town of Wien, Marathon County.  Following their marriage, the couple took over the Podevels family farm and Junior also delivered gas for Harmony Co-op of Colby.  They moved to Colby in 1965 where Junior was hired as the Colby Police Chief.  In 1968, Colby and Abbotsford created a combined police department and Junior was named as its first Police Chief.  During this time, he also served as a volunteer Firefighter and ambulance driver for the Colby Fire Department.  On one memorable incident as Police Chief, he helped deliver a set of twins in Colby.  In January 1974, he was hired by the Clark County Sheriff’s Department as part of a new two-man night car.  Later that year, he was transitioned to Detective Sergeant.  He served in that position until his retirement in September of 1990.  Following his retirement from the Sheriff’s Department, he worked as a driver for Social Services and as a courier for Abby Bank.

     Junior and Everdeen were long time members of Zion Lutheran Church of Colby.  Junior loved playing cards but especially cribbage.  He participated in cribbage tournaments throughout the state, winning a few along the way.

     He is survived by his wife; seven children: Diane (Matt) Del Fatti, Rick (Donna) Podevels, Loni (Bob) Klinke, Kent (Joan) Podevels, Dawn (Randy) Klieforth, Brad (Trish) Podevels, Jon (Jenny) Podevels; 18 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

     He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers, 2 sisters-in-law and 2 grandchildren.