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Dan Owen Sr.

On Father’s Day, June 21, 2015, Dan Owen Sr. went down swinging after a long courageous battle with cancer. He was born on July 8, 1947, in Wausau, the son of the late Donald and Rose (Radliff) Owen. Dan was a U.S. Army veteran. On Oct. 3, 1970, Dan was united in marriage to Donna Kluck at St. Philomena Catholic Church, Birnamwood. She survives. Dan worked for Adams Concrete Products from 1968 until 1985. He then worked for Kersten Lumber until 1998, and most recently Wittenberg Hardwoods, retiring in 2008. He pitched for the Wittenberg baseball team for many years, was on a bowling league at Resch Lanes, and was a member of the Ingersol Trap Club and the Mountain Bay Coyote Hunters Club. He enjoyed hunting and was an avid Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers fan. This last September, Dan was honored to go on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight and threw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game. Survivors include his wife, Donna Owen, Wittenberg; three children, Dawn (Vernon Jr.) Krolow, Eland, Denise (Jeff) Wheelock, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and Dan Owen Jr., Wittenberg; two grandchildren, Nicholas Wheelock, Wittenberg, and Hannah Wheelock, Cottage Grove, Minnesota; his brother, Don (Mary Anne) Owen, Racine; his sister-in-law, Diane Foth, and his mother-in-law, Kathryn Kluck, both of Wittenberg. He is also survived by other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, Dan was preceded in death by one daughter, Debra Owen; sister, Phyllis (LaVern) Hegewald; father-in-law, Ernest Kluck; brother-in-law, Wesley Foth; and nephew, Paul Hegewald. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2015, at Holy Family-St. William Catholic Church, Wittenberg. The Rev. Robert Groher will officiate. Interment will be in the parish cemetery with military rites conducted by Bloecher-Johnson American Legion Post 502. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service, all at the church. Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Wittenberg, is assisting the family with arrangements. Dan wasn’t a suit and tie guy, so his final request was that everyone wear casual, comfortable clothing. Memories and condolences may be shared at schmidtschulta.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Never Forgotten Honor Flight in Dan’s memory. Our family sends a great big, heartfelt thank you to Dr. Adedayo Onitilo and the wonderful staff of St. Clare’s Cancer Care Unit in Weston for the loving care you gave Dan during his treatments.