Francis J. Curti
WEST SALEM — Francis J. Curti, 84, of West Salem passed away peacefully Saturday, July 19, 2008, at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, La Crosse.
He was born Oct. 5, 1923, in Genoa, Wis., the son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Malin) Curti. After graduating from Lansing Kee High School (Lansing, Iowa) in 1941, Francis worked on the family farm and enjoyed playing baseball. On Aug. 28, 1954, he married Marion E. Saphner at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. During the same year, Francis bought the family farm and proceeded to modernize and expand it, constructing new farm buildings and a house. Francis was the proud father of five children and was a hard-working, dedicated farmer. He celebrated the farm’s centennial anniversary in 1979. Francis and Marion retired to West Salem in 1991. In his retirement, he was a loving caregiver for Marion during her extended illness before she died on Jan. 29, 2006. While in West Salem, Francis became a prolific self-taught painter, exhibiting his paintings at the county fair, where he won numerous blue ribbons. He also enjoyed gardening, canning and traveling. Francis will be remembered for many things, among which was his wonderful smile.
Survivors include five children, Jeffrey (Patricia) Curti of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Jon (Joan) Curti of Plover, Wis., Gerard (Amy) Curti of Carthage, Mo., Annette (Scott) Bergum of Hartford, Wis., and Francis (Gabrielle) Curti of Indianola, Iowa; 11 grandchildren, Jennifer, Julie, Peter, Madeline, Melanie, Steven, Joseph, Jacob, David, Matthew and Everett; two brothers, William (Joan) Curti of Minneapolis and Charles (Jean) Curti of Onalaska, Wis.; two sisters, Sister Mechtilde Curti, FSPA of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Sister De Sales Curti, FSPA of La Crosse; one sister-in-law, Lorraine Curti of Genoa, Wis.; and nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Anthony Curti.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, 210 W. Hamlin St., West Salem. Father Bob Hegenbarth will officiate. Entombment will be in St. Joseph Mausoleum at Catholic Cemetery in La Crosse. Friends may call at Jostad-Jandt Funeral Home, 121 N. Youlon St., West Salem, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday with a rosary to be recited at 6:45 p.m. Friends may also call at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of services Wednesday. Memorials may be given to Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse.
Margie A. Knutson
SPARTA — Margie A. Knutson, 89, of Sparta died Friday, July 18, 2008, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. She was born on June 1, 1919, in Middle Ridge, Wis., to Joseph and Margaret (Arentz) Strittmatter. She grew up in Middle Ridge and moved to La Crosse when she was 18 years old. Margie worked as a housekeeper and cook at the Blaschke Funeral Home. While in La Crosse she met George Knutson. They were married on July 17, 1940.
After marriage, they lived in Irish Coulee, Wis. They farmed on several farms until they moved to Rockland, Wis. They lived in Rockland for six years and then moved to Sparta in 1968. Margie worked as a nurses aid at Mulder Healthcare, West Salem, Wis., and then at Rolling Hills Nursing Home, Sparta until she retired in 1981.
She is survived by her children, Jeanette (William) Fisher of Sparta, Bonnie (Larry) Dempsey of Sparta and Patricia (Roger Suhr) Ziegler of Sparta; six grandchildren, Kim (Paul) Knoll of Sparta, Richard (Jann) Fisher of St. Charles, Minn., Jeff (Anita) Fisher of Sparta, Dawn (Paul Mahlum) Ziegler of Holmen, Wis., Michael (Loretta) Ziegler II of La Crosse, and Mark Ziegler of Shreveport, La.; and five great grandchildren, Josh, Brady, Calle, Andrew and Ava.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George on April 11, 1972; a son, Ronald on June 29, 1999; and three brothers, Joseph, Lawrence and Everette.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Sparta, with the Rev. Matthew E. Toso officiating. Burial will be in Burns Cemetery, rural Bangor, Wis.
Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta and at the church from 10 a.m. Wednesday until the time of services. Online condolences may be offered at www.lanham-miller.com
Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.
