Full Obituary

     JAMES E. "KUBY" KOBYLARCZYK, age 70, of Thorp, WI, passed away Friday morning, May 15, 2015, at Clark County Health Care Center, in Owen, WI, after a long and hard fought battle with cancer.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30am on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at St. Bernard’s-St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church, in Thorp.  Rev. Charles Hiebl will officiate and burial will follow in St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery, in Thorp.  Visitation will be held at the church, on Wednesday, from 9am until time of service.  
     James was born May 3, 1945, in Stanley, WI, to Tom & Helen (Lesniewski) Kobylarczyk.  He was raised on a dairy farm and also worked at the hardware store in Thorp while growing up.  He graduated from Thorp High School in 1963 and then attended Wausau Technical College for a Tool & Die degree.
     James married Kathleen Marie Haas on October 4, 1969.  They lived in Rockford, Illinois for a period of time before returning back to the Thorp area.  They then eventually took over his family's farm.  James also worked for Mattes Livestock in Thorp in addition to farming.  He later went on to sell the home farm and to purchase another farm where he farmed until 2003.  Through the years of farming, James also worked at Badger Precision in Owen and did custom baling with his son.  After his days of farming, James went on to work for Thorp Equipment until his illness progressed.
     James also was a man who believed in having a little fun with family and friends.  He enjoyed horseshoes, bowling, softball at Lublin Days, going to 4-H functions, shaking dice, casino trips, and talking and reminiscing at the Thorp Dairy Bar, Silver Dollar & TP Inn.  He enjoyed polka music and you would often find him listening to it either on the radio or the old vinyl records and also dancing to it at weddings at the Quonset.  There weren’t too many dull moments when he was around!
     James is dearly missed by Kathy Kobylarczyk of Thorp; three children:  Michelle (Dave) Shepherd of Chippewa Falls, Kristy (Jim) Bielecki of Chippewa Falls, and Jeff (Stephanie) Kobylarczyk of Thorp; seven grandchildren:  JT Eichman, Kordell Kobylarczyk, Miranda Bielecki, Jordan Chapman, Morgan Shepherd, Alex Chapman, and Lauren Shepherd; three siblings:  Bob Kobylarczyk of Hudson, Catherine Davis of Kirkland, WA, & Mike (Ann) Kobylarczyk of New Brighton, MN; numerous nieces, nephews, aunt, uncles, and in-laws.
     He was preceded in death by his mother, father, father-in-law, grandparents, brother-in-law, & aunts & uncles.