Edwin William Giese

Edwin (Whitey) William Giese, age 92, of rural DeSoto, passed away peacefully at home with his family at his side on Monday June 12, 2023. Edwin was born August 26, 1930, to Edward and Elinor (Sletten) Giese in the town of Ridgeville, Monroe County. He graduated from Ontario High School in 1948, worked with his father on the home farm in Cook Creek near Ontario, then joined the US Navy in 1956 for a two-year enlistment. After his honorable discharge, he worked briefly at Clark's, helped his brother Everett with farming, then began work at Dairyland Power Cooperative in 1957, at Alma, WI.

He married Jean Simonson at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in May 1959, and moved into their first home in Cochrane, WI. There they welcomed their daughter, Tamara and son, Bruce before moving to a farm in rural Alma. Another daughter, Rebecca and son, Douglas were born shortly before moving to a farm in rural DeSoto when the new G-3 power plant was opened for operations at Genoa, WI in 1968.

Edwin enjoyed farming with his John Deere 2-cylinder tractors, raising Herefords, fixing old cars, traveling around the US in the family's pickup camper, spending time with his family, and playing with his grandchildren. He and his wife Jean were longtime members of DeSoto Lutheran Church where he served on the council and on the building committee. He retired from Dairyland in 1993, after 35 years. A great joy of retirement was attending reunions with his shipmates from the USS Witek in locations all over the US. Another driving adventure took them to Alaska, visiting relatives in Canada along the way. He loved attending the Iola car show and 2-cylinder tractor shows. Many good gatherings were held at their camper with the folk artists during the Nordic Fest in Decorah, IA.

Preceding Edwin in death were his parents, Edward and Elinor; parents-in-law, Hans and Ila Simonson; brother, Everett Giese; sisters, Frieda Bauman and Norma Mlsna; sister-in-law, Jane Giese; brothers-in-law: Al Mlsna, Leonard Klump, Verlyn Krause, and Bud Bauman; nephews: Michael Giese, William Giese, Paul Krause, and Terry Krause; and niece-in law, Dorothea Krause.

Surviving are his wife, Jean; daughter, Tamara (Kenneth) Barclay; son, Bruce (Theresa) Giese; daughter, Rebecca (Michael) Lusk; and son, Douglas (Toni) Giese; grandchildren: Ashley (Erik) Larson, Ashley Buechler (Sean Caflisch), Melissa (Erik) Johnson, Matthew (Andrea) Lusk, Rachel (Paul Jones) Barclay, Jessica Lusk (Jack Papke), Kristin (Marc Ramirez) Barclay, Gustav (Anna) Giese, and Ila Giese; great-grandchildren: Alexandra (Ethan) Klingenmeyer, Tatum Buechler-Bristol, Linleigh and Evelyn Larson, Mikayla, Brooks and Hadley Johnson, Grant and Ava Lusk; and great-great granddaugher Amelia Klingenmeyer. He is further survived by his in-laws: Donna Klump, Eileen Krause, Dale and Dolores Simonson, and Glen and Arlys Simonson; many nieces and nephews, and former daughter-in-law, Stacey Burnstad.

Friends and relatives are invited to services Saturday, June 17, 2023, at DeSoto Lutheran Church. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to the time of service at 11:00 a.m., with lunch following in the church fellowship hall. Burial with military honors will be at the Brush Creek Lutheran Church cemetery, Ontario WI.

The family wishes to thank the St Croix Hospice and Gunderson Medical Center 4th floor Neuroscience departments for their special care, along with their wonderful neighbors Arne and Tama Trussoni, Nate and Danielle Trussoni, Elaine and Dan Elliot, Dan and Lisa Proksch, John and Patty Stilwell and the many others who helped along the way.

Memorials may be made to the DeSoto Lutheran Building fund, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Decorah IA, Norskedalen Coon Valley WI, or Brush Creek Lutheran Church, Ontario WI.

Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home & Crematory is serving Edwin's family.

123 W. Decker St.

Viroqua, WI 54665

608-637-2100