Obituaries

Ona Harpestad

Ona Harpestad

Aug 16, 2021

Ona Ballsrud Harpestad, age 91, of Champaign, IL, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2021. She was born on September 23, 1929, in La Crosse, Wisconsin the first child of Charles (Stub) and Olga Ballsrud (nee Brown). A wandering child, Ona grew up in Westby, WI, but frequently walked or hopped the freight trains to Cashton to visit her...

Esther Marie Gabrielson

Esther Marie Gabrielson

Aug 13, 2021

Esther Marie Gabrielson, age 73, of Westby, passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Friday, August 13, 2021. She was born May 23, 1948, in La Crosse to the late Rudolph and Mary (Corton) Skaaland. Esther attended Chaseburg Elementary and Westby High School. Following her schooling, she married Gerald "Jack" Gabrielson on September 19, 1964. She...

Katherine Arlene Walsh

Katherine Arlene Walsh

Aug 9, 2021

Katherine Arlene Walsh, of Bullhead City, AZ, formerly of Gays Mills, passed away on August 9, 2021. She was born to Rob and Mary (Faye) Walsh on December 20, 1925. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, October 18, 2021, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gays Mills with burial to follow in...

Van E. Thompson

Van E. Thompson

Aug 7, 2021

Van E. Thompson, of Viroqua, WI, formerly of Elk Run Heights, IA, entered Heaven’s glory Saturday, August 7, 2021, on his 68th birthday, with his wife by his side. Van is survived by his wife, Janelle Thompson; three siblings: Mark (Lenna) Thompson of Delhi, IA, Jeff (Theresa) Thompson of Cedar Falls, IA, and Zoe (John) Schaefer of Waterloo, IA;...

Harley Shadof

Harley Shadof

Aug 2, 2021

Harley Shadof, 75, of Readstown, passed away Monday, August 2, 2021. He was born in Milwaukee on May 15, 1946, to the late Julius and Ruth Shadof. He was a custom furniture and clock maker. His passion for clocks would drive you koo-koo. He could often be found driving around his tractor and loved deer hunting on his property....

Ron Huff

Ron Huff

Aug 2, 2021

Ron Huff, age 66, of Viroqua, passed away Monday, August 2, 2021, at Vernon Memorial Hospital. He was born April 21, 1955, in Sparta to the late Rudolph and Gertrude (Thousand) Huff. He attended Norwalk Schools from the age of 10 until he turned 18. He worked for many years with VARC, Inc. Ron loved food and parties; he...

Herbert O. Burkum

Herbert O. Burkum

Aug 1, 2021

Herbert O. Burkum, age 89, of Gays Mills, passed away peacefully August 1, 2021. He was born March 16, 1932, to the late Erven and Myrtle (Olson) Burkum in Soldiers Grove, WI. Herbert graduated high school in 1950, and farmed on the family farm until he enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1954. After leaving the Army, he continued...

Linda Lou Haakenson

Linda Lou Haakenson

Aug 1, 2021

Linda Lou (Cole) Haakenson, age 74, of West Salem and formerly of Westby, passed away Sunday, August 1, 2021, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease and the results of a stroke. Linda was born July 19, 1947, to Myron and Shirley (Hay) Cole in Westby, where she was born and raised on a farm outside of Westby. She...

Bernard L. Murphy

Bernard L. Murphy

Jul 31, 2021

Bernard L. Murphy, age 96, Gays Mills, passed away Saturday, July 31st, 2021, at Vernon Memorial Hospital. He was born at home near Rolling Ground to John Murphy and Elizabeth Tully and lived in the area his entire life with the exception of two years in the Army during which he was stationed in Germany. Upon discharge from the...

Robert "Bob" Dempsey

Robert "Bob" Dempsey

Jul 29, 2021

Robert “Bob” Dempsey, age 75, passed away Thursday, July 29, 2021. He was surrounded by loved ones in his Edgerton home. Bob was born in Viroqua, WI on December 10, 1945; the son of Leo “Joey” and Lillian (Smith) Dempsey. He served with the US Army in the Vietnam War. Bob enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, hunting, and many other...

Richard Henthorn

Richard Henthorn

Jul 29, 2021

Richard E. Henthorn, age 86, of Tamarac, FL, formerly of Soldiers Grove, WI, passed away July 29th, 2021. Richard was born to Perry Ray Henthorn and Flossie Pearl (Randall) Henthorn in Soldiers Grove, WI. Richard was predeceased by his husband, Anthony (Tony) Lujardo Otero, and by brothers and sisters: Leathel Salmon Henthorn, Gerald Ray Henthorn, Theron Jasper Henthorn, Gracie...

Thomas Walter Coleman

Thomas Walter Coleman

Jul 28, 2021

Thomas Walter Coleman, 57, of Gays Mills, WI passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 28th, 2021. He was born to the late Darold Coleman and Bonnie Coleman (Salmon) in Madison, Wisconsin. Growing up he worked on the family's dairy farm, while he attended and pulled many pranks at North Crawford High School, graduating in 1982. He stayed on the...

Carmen J. Dunnum

Carmen J. Dunnum

Jul 26, 2021

Carmen J. Dunnum, age 54, of La Crosse, died Monday, July 26, 2021. A public visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Friday, July 30, 2021, at Vosseteig Funeral Home in Westby. A private service for immediate family will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts appreciated....

Ronald "Doc" Buros

Ronald "Doc" Buros

Jul 23, 2021

Ronald “Doc” Buros, age 70, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida and formerly of Viroqua, passed away Friday, July 23, 2021. Doc was born July 14, 1951, to Robert and Doris (Runice) Buros. He graduated from Viroqua High School with the class of 1969. Following graduation, Doc went into the construction business and eventually began his own custom home building...

Avis U. Hooverson

Avis U. Hooverson

Jul 23, 2021

Avis U. Hooverson, age 93, of Viroqua and formerly of Soldiers Grove, passed away Friday, July 23, 2021, at the Bethel Home in Viroqua. She was born May 4, 1928, in Ohio to Lafe and Thelma (Hurst) Van Fleet. She graduated from Readstown High School and married Tell M. Hooverson Jr. on March 17, 1948. The couple took over...

Cheryl Ann Christianson

Cheryl Ann Christianson

Jul 19, 2021

Cheryl Ann Christianson, age 70, passed away July 19th, 2021, at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. She was born March 14th, 1951, in La Crosse, WI. She was the daughter of Lawrence W. LeJeune and Dahla L. (Miller) LeJeune. Cheryl graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse, WI and completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her Masters...

Owen D. Bekkum

Owen D. Bekkum

Jul 16, 2021

Owen D. Bekkum of Madison, Wisconsin passed away July 16, 2021, at Attic Angels Health Care Center. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at 2 P.M. at Vosseteig Funeral Home, 708 South Main Street, Westby, Wisconsin, with visitation at 1 P.M. Burial will be in Viroqua Cemetery in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Owen was born in...

Marian Carole Dahl

Marian Carole Dahl

Jul 10, 2021

Marian Carole (Aarstad) Dahl, age 97, of Westby, died Saturday, July 10th, 2021, at Norseland Nursing Home. She was born April 8, 1924, to Carl and Elma Aarstad. She grew up on the family farm on Clinton Ridge and graduated from Cashton High School. In 1943, she married Norman Dahl and had three children, Lorin "Pete", René (Roger) Rotzenberg,...

Laura A. Copus

Laura A. Copus

Jul 4, 2021

Laura A. (Hirschfield) Copus, age 57, passed away peacefully on July 4th, 2021, surrounded by her family, after a brief illness. Laurie was born in Viroqua, WI to Ronald and Mary (Kearney) Hirschfield on December 26th, 1963. She graduated from Kickapoo High School in 1982, then got her CNA certification where she worked at Vernon Manor in Viroqua, before...

Lori J. Erickson

Lori J. Erickson

Jun 29, 2021

Lori J. Erickson, age 63, of Westby, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at her home. She was born January 8, 1958, in La Crosse to Wayne and Harriet (Call) Aspenson. Lori graduated from Westby High School with the class of 1976. She married Tim Erickson on October 27, 1984. Together they celebrated 16 years of marriage...