Walter Richard Dettman
January 18, 1918 - June 04, 2014
Obituary
LODI-Walter Richard Dettman, age 96, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on June 4th. He was born on January 8th, 1918, to Theresa and Henry Dettman, on a farm in rural Westpoint. The farm continues to be in the Dettman family today. He was a lifetime farmer, working as a young man on several farms in the Lodi area. In 1948, he married Harriet Katherine Johnson, who passed away in 2003. Two stepdaughters also preceded him, Sharon Thompson and Cynthia Neumann.
Surviving are his two daughters, Karla Simons, Lodi, and Carey Dettman, Rockford,Mich.; grandchildren Eric (Barbie) Simons, Madison, and Amanda Simons, Lodi; and step-granddaughters, Tanya Bollum, Baxter, Minn., and Denise Biggs, Tulsa, Okla.; and several great grandchildren. Walter is also survived by his sisters, Edna Millas and Dolly Mitchell; and brother, Joe Dettman. All have been blessed with the longevity that Walter enjoyed. Walter operated a dairy farm west of Dane from 1960 until his retirement. He was most proud of his work ethic and ownership of his land free and clear after a short time. He loved gardening, flowers, kitties, going out to eat, watching RFD TV, and playing cards with Harriet and dear friends, Louise and Alfred Endres.
Funeral services for Walter will be held at FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH, 206 Pleasant St., Lodi, at 1 P.M. on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Burial will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church from 11 A.M. until the time of service on Tuesday. Special regards to the doctors and nurses of Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital for the wonderful care and compassion provided to Walter and his family. Also special thanks to Jill and Bill Emons for their help and concern. In lieu of flowers, Walter’s friends are asked to make a donation in his name to their charity of choice. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Hamre Gunderson
Funeral & Cremation Care
157 S. Main Street
(608)592-3201
Events
Visitation
Tue Jun 10, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
First Lutheran Church(Lodi) • 206 Pleasant St, Lodi, WI 53555
Service
Tue Jun 10, 2014 @ 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
First Lutheran Church(Lodi) • 206 Pleasant St, Lodi, WI 53555
Photos
No photos of Walter have been shared yet.
Memories
LL
Leon Lawrenz
Other •
To the family of Walter, you have our deepest sympathy. As his neighbors, we always had a delightful admiration for Walter's approach to life. His garden always looked first rate. When he stopped by to visit, my wife Jeri and I always enjoyed the experience. Walter wrote the book on how to live life to its fullest with pluck, dignity and grace. We will miss him.
LM
Louise Endres Moore
Other •
I wish our families had the opportunity to brainstorm memorable stories because we have many.....such as a store actually calling Walter to alert him to a sale on cat food. I told my own children about Walter's childhood when he ate an ice cream cone on July 4th. When it was gone, it would be a year before he got another.
About a year ago, my daughter took a photo of him next to his red truck in his well-patched pants. He reluctantly cooperated, while wondering why people took photos of him. The Dettman family is filled with happy memories for us. We will miss Walter.
In sympathy,
Louise Endres Moore