Douglas George Witzeling

Dear Jennifer and Kathleen, No words can adequately express what you must be feeling right now, but please know that I am here for you and praying for peace over your family during this difficult time🩷.

I’m so saddened to hear of your father’s passing. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Doug after I became a member of the Knight family, 33 years ago. We shared many wonderful conversations through the years at family gatherings during holidays, weddings and summers on the front porch at the cabin. He and Jerry always had such exciting tales to tell about their many adventures out west. He will certainly be missed by so many. You’re in our thoughts and prayers down in Alabama. The Southerners, Katie, Ellie, Sam, Jack and LG Knight.

Well, this is the first public memorial I’ve written in my life, and likely the last. Something about Mr. Witzelings’ long life requires it of me. I first met the Witzeling family (yes, all of them) in about 1968 when I was a sophomore in high school. This was in spite of the fact that we all attended St. Dennis Catholic Church growing up together since its inception. Soon I was a fixture around the house, hanging out, sometimes having lunch or dinner over there on Lori Circle. As a guest at the Witzeling dinner table I remember being served first (after grace of course). Then it was every person for themselves. Do you recall the saying “the quick and the dead”? Well with 10 kids it sometimes seemed more to me like “the quick and the hungry”. Anyway, I was always made to feel welcome, and Mr. and Mrs. Witzeling were a big part of that. Actually, I sometimes felt like the 11th Witzeling kid. I wasn’t special as I could name a few others who probably were the 11th Witzeling kid, too. It was that kind of family. I grew up being friends with all the Witzeling brothers, as altar boys, classmates, roommates in college, and fishing and camping buddies. Time flowed on, and when I graduated from college in 1976 I privately asked Mr. Witzeling if I could use him as a reference for my first real job search on my new resume’. He was an adult, he knew me pretty well, but he was not related to me, and he was successful in business and respected. I didn’t have many contacts that fell into all those categories at once. He said “sure, put me down”. So, I did. He stayed on my resume’ for years. I seemed to get the jobs I applied for after that, but I never asked him if he was called or what he said. He was still “Mr. Witzeling” back then. He didn’t become “Doug” to me until I became eligible for social security earlier in this decade, after both my parents died. Despite moving out of state early in my career, I stayed in touch with everybody in the family as best I could. Once, years after I retired and moved to Florida, I won a raffle for a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. Very rare and special. Well, somebody bragged about it (me) and all the Florida neighborhood guys and golfing buddies had to have a wee dram. Within a week it was ¾ gone. I stashed it away for six months until I could get back to Wisconsin because I wanted Doug to have a wee dram as well. We enjoyed it together. That was a long six months of waiting, but worth it. Over the years I got myself invited to Witzeling family Christmas parties (thanks Goldie) and more recently a particularly memorable Fathers’ Day celebration backyard picnic (thanks Carol). When I left that event I shook Dougs’ hand and quietly told him he was the closest thing I had as a father figure since my dad died. I’m glad I said that. I didn’t cry then but I am now as I type this. Gerald Manville

My memory of Doug is playing slo-pitch ball with the Rentschler Turner team at Burr Jones field on East Wash. It was quite a team and we were pretty good. Enough to win the league championship once or twice when slo-pitch in Madison consisted of 8 teams and used a 16" ball and no gloves. A win or a loss usually required a stop at the Friendly Tavern also on East Wash. Doug was a great guy and fit right in with a team that had many great guys on the roster. Such fond memories, may he rest in peace. Jack Winters

From the perspective of a kid all those years on Lori Circle, I always thought of your Dad as a quiet but very kind man. Sincere condolences for the loss of your Dad. Cindy (Howe) Beyler