Obituaries

Forrest M. Sommers, Ret. Maj., U.S.A.F.

WISCONSIN DELLS  /  PORTAGE  / MISSION, TX --  Forrest M. Sommers, Ret. Maj., U.S.A.F., age 90, of the Township of Lewiston, earned his eternal wings on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, following a courageous battle with cancer.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Portage, with Fr. John Hedrick presiding.  Inurnment will follow immediately in St. Mary Cemetery, Portage.  Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at St. Mary Catholic Church.  The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.

Forrest was born on October 24, 1918 in Cambria, the son of Henry A. and Barbara P. (Brown) Sommers. He graduated from Pardeeville High School in 1936, and was a member of the Pardeeville State Championship Basketball team in 1936. He attended Madison Technical College and Centenery College in Shreveport, LA.  Forrest served his country during World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corp as a B-24 Bomber Pilot. He was in the U. S. Air Force Reserves from May 1947 until retiring on October 24, 1978.  He was married on May 30, 1941 to Marguerite Funk.  She preceded him in death in 1973.  On August 23, 1974, he married Virginia Bresciano Carlson.  Forrest had worked for McKay Nursery, Badger Army Ammunition Plant-Olin Winchester Corp., Dodgen Engineering, and ADESA-Wisconsin.  He also was self-employed, operating the Portage Flying Service and Sommers Standard Station in the Township of Caledonia.  Forrest was involved in Civic Bands in Cambria, Pardeeville, Friesland, and the Baraboo Circus City Band, and had been the choir director for St. Mary’s Men’s Choir.  He was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Portage, and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mission, Texas.

He is survived by his wife, Ginnie;  children, Jim (Rosemary) Sommers, Pardeeville, Jean (Marvin) Mueller, Baraboo, Julie (Jim) Schumann, Portage, and Gina (Victor) Baca, Westminster, Colorado;  eight grandchildren;  17 great-grandchildren;  other near relatives and many close friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Marguerite in 1973, two granddaughters, Jodie Mueller and Bretta Schumann Mootz, two brothers, D. Wilbert and H. Wayne, and one sister, Carol Manthey.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Mary School Endowment Fund or the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

 

Obituaries
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