Obituary of Philip Haasl

Philip Haasl was born on May 1, 1921 on Blueberry Road, Milladore in a house built by his father William’s hands on farmland he had cleared. His mom, Eva, loved horses and worked tirelessly to put food on the table. Phil would shepherd his younger siblings as they picked berries. His mom’s “May Basket”, as she called him, passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 19, 2016 at the age of 95. On July 6, 1944, Phil married Emma Zvolena in Great Bend, Kansas while he was a machinist in the Army Air Corp. They enjoyed 57 years together until Emma’s passing in 2001. In 2005, Phil married Lorraine Frodl in Blenker, Wisconsin. They enjoyed eleven years of marriage, traveling to Texas several times. Phil attended Milladore Stepping Stone School and Milladore and Auburndale High Schools. He had farming in his blood, taking over his parent’s farm in 1949 and later farming in the Town of Sigel. He also worked for Consolidated Papers, retired in 1982 and moved to Wisconsin Rapids. He loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, and was one of the Brewers’ biggest fans. He enjoyed playing music on the guitar and his beloved button accordion and, later in life, his harmonica. He was a member of the Button Box Club and Central Wisconsin Czeck Singers. Phil is survived by his wife, Lorraine, his children Don (Jan) Haasl, Greg (Mary) Haasl and Gail (Carl) Meinhardt, grandchildren Mike (Cara) Haasl, Christine (William) Virnig, Angela (Nicholas) Vreeland, Sara (Craig) Smits, Molly (Huck) Raddemann, Billie Kersh, Erica Haasl, Jason Meinhardt and Laura Meinhardt, sisters Eva Skibba, Beatrice Henke, sister-in-law Elaine Haasl, brother-in-law Joseph Zvolena, ten great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and step children Karen (Rick) Kowieski, Dennis Frodl, Jane Frodl, Karl (Kay) Frodl, Carol (Jerry) Kellum, and Joseph (Dawn) Frodl. Phil is preceded in death by his first wife Emma, son Gary, sisters Lucille Grimm and Catherine Ashbeck and brothers Emery, Carl, Raymond, Leonard and William. A celebration of his life will occur with a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Wisconsin Rapids at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 22 with Father Valentine officiating. Visitation will precede Mass beginning at 9:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association.