Donald Rudolph

Donald Rudolph was a man who always thought of his family and friends first. Whether it was sharing his huge vegetable garden, making firewood, cooking maple syrup with the neighborhood friends or helping the grandkids fish at their cottage up north, Don loved providing for others.

Don was born January 22, 1945 in Menominee Falls to the late Elmer and Beatrice (Behling) Rudolph. Don served in the U.S. Army in Panama Canal from 1963-1966. On September 30, 1967, Don married Suzanne Lueck at Grace Lutheran Church in Menominee Falls. They moved to their town of Hamburg farm, where they were involved in dairy farming and growing ginseng. Don had also hauled feeder pigs, worked for S.D. Ellenbecker and Sonoco before retiring. In his younger years, he played slow pitch softball but recently he enjoyed dartball. Every year he looked forward to deer hunting season.

At the age of 72, Don passed away at his home surrounded by family on Tuesday, August 15, 2017.

Survivors include his wife, Suzanne of Athens. four children, Mike (Lora) Rudolph of Athens, Kimberly (Brian) Boesl of Athens, Tracy (Todd Schlichting) Wendt of Merrill, Heidi (Kevin) Denzine of Athens, ten grandchildren, Nick, Nicole, Brooke, Shannon, Shay, Erika, Tucker, Ramsey, Paige and Jake, one great grandson, Aiden and two sisters, Rita (Tony) Schumacher of Clintonville and Kathy Noet of Wausau.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, August 19, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Athens. Reverend Mark Schwalenberg will officiate. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery with full military honors presented by Athens VFW Post #8527 and American Legion Post #4. Visitation will be Saturday at the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services. You may sign our family guest book at helke.com.