Madison West High School Class of 1958

Posted 05-02-07 (this obituary notice appeared in the Madison Papers on May 2, 2007. Harold was Bill Lautz’s father)

Lautz, Harold L.

MADISON – Harold L. Lautz, age 95, passed away at his home on Monday, April 30, 2007. He was born on Aug. 2, 1911, in La Crosse. Harold was the son of Ludwig G. and Alice (Warninger) Lautz. He attended elementary and high schools in La Crosse, and was a 1934 graduate of the UW-Madison in chemical engineering. Harold received his master of public health from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1947. As an undergraduate he was a member of Phi Eta Sigma scholastic fraternity and Alpha Kappa Lambda social fraternity. At the UW Harold participated in football, wrestling and track. He was a life member of the National “W” Club. On Aug. 14, 1937, Harold married Lisetta Graves of Prairie du Chien. He was appointed to the position of district sanitary engineer with the WI State Board of Health in Rhinelander in 1941, and retired as district engineer and district health officer in the Madison office in 1977. After State retirement he served as a commissioner of the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District for more than 14 years. Harold was a member of Luther Memorial Church for more than 50 years, was a member of several committees, and a former member of the Church Council. He was a life member of many engineering and public health organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Waterworks Association, and was a diplomate of the American Academy of Sanitary Engineers. Harold was a former board member of the Health Planning Council. He was a life member of the WI Alumni Association and the Wisconsin Memorial Union, and belonged to both the Mendota Club and Big Red Club in support of UW athletics. For most of his life Harold enjoyed playing tennis, softball, golf, bridge, bowling, traveling throughout the world, and attending UW sports events. He was active in a number of Masonic organizations, including Madison Lodge No. 5, F. and A.M.; Rhinelander Chapter No. 74; Madison Scottish Rite Bodies; Zor Shrine; Monona Chapter No. 5, Order of the Eastern Star; and was a charter member of Madison Daylight No. 362. In Zor Shrine, Harold was a 50-year member of the famous Zor Camel Patrol, was Zor’s membership chairman, a former member of the Zor Divan, and was an honorary life member of El Bakal Shrine Temple of Long Beach, Calif. He was active in several southern Wisconsin Shrine Clubs, including the Madison Shrine Club. Harold is survived by his sons, William of Madison, and Donald (Maureen) of Racine; daughters, Suzanne (James) Machan of Waukesha, and Beverly (Robert) Haimerl of Madison; granddaughter, Jennifer Lautz (Brad Hightdudis) of Wauwatosa; grandsons, Greg (Ann) Lautz of Racine, Roger (Dawn) Lautz of Brookfield, Steve Lautz of Milwaukee, Kevin Machan of Menomonee Falls, Brian (Jaye) Machan of New York, and Derek (April) Machan of Waterford; great-grandson, Nicholas Hightdudis; great-granddaughters, Katherine Hightdudis, Olivia Lautz and Eryka Machan; sisters, Ramona Lunde and Dolores Langhofer, both of La Crosse; and brother, Louis (Beverly) Lautz of La Crosse. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 67 years, Lisetta in 2005; and daughter-in-law, Lynn Lautz. Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, 2007, at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 7, 2007, at LUTHER MEMORIAL CHURCH, 1021 University Ave., Madison, with the Rev. Jon Enslin officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Hill Cemetery. Friends may greet the family from noon until the time of service on Monday at the church. Memorials may be made to the Shriner’s Childrens Hospital or to Luther Memorial Church. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Cornerstone Covenant Care, especially Ellen, Cathy, Lisa and Nicole, for their loving service to our father these past two years. Cress Funeral and Cremation Service 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434 http://www.cressfuneralservice.com

Posted 01-30-07 – Thanks to Phyllis (Mintz) Eisenberg for providing this obituary)

Darling, Ruth J.
MIDDLETON – Ruth J. Darling, age 91, passed away peacefully on Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, after having spent her last four days with her children, Fred (Judy) Darling and Jane (Charles) Ellis at Attic Angel Place in Middleton. Ruth was born on Oct. 31, 1915, to Fred and Emma Tilton in Livingston, Mont. She moved to St. Paul, Minn., as a teenager. Ruth attended the University of Minnesota, where she met Henry Darling. They were married on July 3, 1936. They lived in Fairhope, Ala., for several years and returned to St. Paul, where Henry received his Ph.D. in plant pathology. Ruth and Henry moved to Madison, in 1940, where he was a professor of plant pathology, specializing in potato research, at the University of Wisconsin from 1940 until 1976. Ruth was very active in University League, PTA, book and antique groups, volunteering at the University Hospital for many years and mentoring students at the local high school. She loved her friends, bridge, crossword puzzles, the Badgers and the Green Bay Packers and spent many hours in her beautiful gardens – roses were her favorite! Ruth’s summers were spent at the University Potato Research Farm in Three Lakes, Wis., where she taught her kids to swim and fish and her grandkids how to have lots of fun in the outdoors. Ruth was an “on the floor” grandma and loved playing games, solving puzzles, reading books and creating special moments for her grandkids and great-grandkids. They will always have wonderful memories of the songs she would sing as they went to sleep. She loved her family and they loved her! Survivors include her two children, Fred (Judy) Darling of Depere, Wis. and Jane (Charles) Ellis of Fairfield, Conn.; seven grandchildren, Marianne (Mike) Kelly, Jonathan (Susan) Darling, Craig (Megan) Darling, Brad (Stacy) Ellis, Geoffrey (Phoebe) Ellis, Patrick (Gina) Ellis and Lyndsey Ellis; and 12 great-grandchildren, Meghan Kelly, Allison and Kathryn Darling, Patrick, Madeline and Ryan Darling, Emily, Andrew and Caroline Ellis and Whitaker, Lucie Jane and Henry Ellis; and a niece and nephew, Kim and Scott Washburn. A memorial service will be held at ATTIC ANGEL PLACE on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Heritage Congregational Church, “Memorial Garden Fund,” 3102 Prairie Road, Madison, WI 53719. Cress Funeral and Cremation Services 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434 http://www.cressfuneralservice.com