Obituary of Donald E. Kiesling

Donald E. Kiesling, age 82, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at his residence.

Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, April 22, 2019, at St. John Lutheran Church in Kellner. Pastor Kevin Ader will officiate. Burial will take place at St. John Lutheran Parish Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be from 9:00 A.M. until the time of services on Monday at the church. Herman-Taylor Funeral home is honored to be serving the family. Online condolences ay be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net.

Donald was born July 29, 1936 in Pittsville, Wisconsin to Edwin and Marie (Roegge) Kiesling. He graduated from Lincoln High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Janet Hilgard, on November 2, 1956 at St. John Lutheran Church in Kellner. They were blessed with sixty-two years of marriage.

He enjoyed the outdoors, especially fishing excursions to Twig, Minnesota. Donald was an amazing with his woodworking talents, he was a master at building Adirondack chairs. Donald was a frequent attendee at the Iola Car Show.  He liked collector cars, especially the Chevrolet Covair. Donald was a fan of NASCAR, with Dale Earnhardt, Sr. being his favorite. On Sundays, he could be found in front of the television, cheering Dale to victory. He claimed to be a “slow eater” at family gatherings, but he always had “room” to enjoy an ice cream dessert.  Donald was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and uncle, who loved to spend time with his nieces and nephews.  One of the favorite family memories is that of the many vacations out West, which included visiting every state west of the Mississippi River. He is loved and will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his loving wife, Janet; his three children: Doug (Andrea) Kiesling, Phillip Kiesling, and Susan (Roger) Skrzeczkoski; his two grandchildren: Timothy (Amy) Gorchels and Maddie (Melissa) Kiesling; his great-granddaughter, Penelope; and his sister: Delores (Robert) Casper; he is further survived by many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Richard Kiesling.