Obituary of August A. Henke

August A. Henke Jr., age 80, of the Town of Saratoga passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at St. Josephs Hospital in Marshfield. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, December 11, 2014 at St. John Lutheran Church in Kellner. Rev. Kevin Ader will officiate. Burial will be at Green Hill Cemetery in the Town of Saratoga. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home and at 10:00 A.M. until the time of service at the church on Thursday. August was born on August 31, 1934 in Wisconsin Rapids to August and Rosetta (Witt) Henke. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1953. He served in the United States Army during peace time from 1955-1957. August was part of the 72nd Transportation Company in Ingrandes, France. On August 1, 1959 he was united in marriage to Emily Meyer at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids; they were blessed with 55 years of marriage. August was employed by Consolidated Papers Inc. for 41 years ending his services in Investment Recovery Stores, he retired in 1993. August enjoyed spending his time on Lake Chippewa Flowage fishing. He was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting deer and turkey and took several trips to Wyoming to hunt. In his younger years he played football, basketball and golf; which led into many years of coaching little league baseball in Nekoosa. He liked to watch the Green Bay Packers, Brewers and the Badgers as well as watching youth sports. As a veteran he was a very patriotic man who believed in supporting his country by only buying things that were made in the USA. He was a charter member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, served as an elder at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Kellner. August is survived by his wife Emily, son Michael (Connie) Henke, daughter Sandra (Michael) Sweeney, grandchildren: Ashley (Brad) Gotz, Seth (Amanda) Sweeney, Alyssa (John) Mason, Alyson (Andrew) Allen and Ethan Sweeney; great-grandchildren: Michael, Charles, Emma, Luke and Alex; brother David Henke, sisters: Arlene (Len) Tuttle, Betty (Emil) Ehlert, Gean (George) Maxwell; sisters-in-law: Bea Henke and Janet Henke as well as many nieces and nephews and close family friend who was like another daughter Kimberly (Donny) Walrath. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister, Evelyn (Herbert) Neitzel; brothers: Lavern (Violet), Harlan, Everett Henke and sister-in-law Dorla Henke. The Henke family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Marshfield Hospital Teams: Dr. Theodosiou and her nurse Julie, Dr. Redding, all who work in the Pain Management Department, The nurses in Chemo and Radiation, Wound and Healing Department and Scott in Radiology, Nurses Jean and Lisa in I.C.U., the Veterans Administration medical personnel and all who remembered August in their prayers "The Power of Prayer". A memorial will be established for August at St. John Lutheran Church in Kellner.