Rudy Lawrence

Rudy Lawrence, 67, of Viroqua died Wednesday, May 29, 2013 Rudy Gene Lawrence, age 67, of Mount Horeb, WI (formerly Viroqua, WI) was welcomed into his eternal home on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 following a brief illness. Rudy was born on February 5, 1946 to Isaac and Ruby (Allen) Lawrence, the tenth of eleven children. One of Rudys earliest jobs was delivering the LaCrosse Tribune on the route handed down to him by his older brothers and which he later passed on to his youngest brother. Rudy also worked as a deliveryman for Pepsi, enjoying and sharing the benefits of low-cost cases of Pepsi. Rudy worked for fourteen years at the cheese warehouse of Bordens Food and Division in Viroqua. Rudy was well known for his speed in loading and unloading semis of cheese. He later worked at various cheese factories in the local area. Rudys employers found it difficult to grant Rudy vacation time because the quality of their cheese declined when he was away. The entire family happily sampled the cheddar cheese crafted by Rudy. Rudy retired in 2008 after several years with Northern Engraving Corporation in Sparta, WI. Rudy was known by his coworkers for his listening and sympathetic ear. Rudy was always very much family-oriented. Many of his nieces and nephews recall his tutorage and patience in the process of beginning driving, even when there were minor incidents along the way. Rudy is lovingly remembered as playing with the kids in their grandparents yard or house basement. Rudy enjoyed driving around the Wisconsin countryside and included his family members in those excursions. Often those trips ended at the local root beer stand for floats, or the Viroqua Dairy for shakes, or the Dairy Queen for "creamies" before going home. As gas prices went up, Rudy changed his two-hour evening drives to two-hour evening walks. Rudy was a member of the Viroqua Church of Christ where he was baptized in March of 1959. After more than 66 years in Viroqua, Rudy spent the last eight months of his life in Mount Horeb and attended Community Christian Church in Madison. Rudy enjoyed making new friends and being closer to family who could provide the care he needed in his last years. Rudy is survived by two sisters Doris Getter of Rockford, IL and Georgiana Bradley of Stoutland, MO and two brothers, Marvin (Lea) Lawrence of Viroqua, WI and Bobby (Shirley) Lawrence of Mount Horeb, WI. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Norma Lawrence of LaCrosse and Janie Lawrence of Madison, WI. Rudy is also is survived by nieces and nephews as numerous as the stars in the sky who love him and will miss him dearly. Rudy was preceded in death by his parents, Isaac and Ruby; his sisters, Lillie Widner, Eleanor Sordahl, Mary Getter; and his brothers, Isaac, Jr., Gerald, and Marcel, and other dear family members. It was truly a great cloud of witnesses who cheered his entrance into the heavenly realm. On behalf of Rudy, we would like to thank all of his family and friends who prayed and supported him during the last weeks. Thank you for your visits, flowers, and words of encouragement and support. IT was Rudys prayer that his entire family will be reunited in heaven someday in the greatest of all family reunions. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Viroqua Church of Christ. Pastor Jeff Coon will officiate with burial in the Viroqua Cemetery. Friends may call on Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home, 123 W. Decker Street in Viroqua. Friends may also call at the church after 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home of Viroqua is serving the family.