Virgil G. Lamb

STOUGHTON/BROOKLYN-Virgil Glenn Lamb, age 94, was honored with his Heavenly Wings after passing away on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Stoughton Hospital following a brief illness.  Virgil’s life was filled with love for his family and especially for his wife, Mary Lou, of 76 years and his many friends.  He was a true patriot, a hero, and was passionate and dedicated in serving our country, his community and his fellow citizens.   Virgil was born April 28, 1923, to Jack and Fannie Lamb on the family farm located on King Road south of Brooklyn, Wis. As a young man, he worked on the family farm, and joined the family trucking business while attending Jug Prairie Country School and Brooklyn High School.  He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Lou Jordan, at Wisconsin Methodist Church in Oshkosh, beginning a loving partnership that blossomed with five children.   Early in their married life with two little children and helping to run the family trucking business, World War II ramped up and Virgil was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps.  While valiantly serving in the South Pacific as a part of Headquarters Company, 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division, he was wounded on top of a mountain on Iwo Jima.  Virgil was transported by hospital ship to Saipan, but the hospital was full, so they flew him to Tinian where he recovered.  He was sent back to Guam as the troops were prepared to invade Japan.  When “The Bomb” was dropped, the war ended and they shipped everyone home on ships to California and then trains back home.  Virgil returned home on the day his youngest daughter turned two years old.  He rejoined the trucking business hauling cattle to market, lime to area farmers, and canned milk to the Bowman Dairy Plant in Brooklyn. Virgil converted his canned route to the new technology of a bulk milk truck and served area farmers for many years.  He eventually sold his business and worked for Dane County Highway Department, maintaining the roads until his retirement in 1980.  Virgil was especially dedicated and proud to keep Highway 14 and 138 clear of snow and ice. Being a man who always served others, even while enduring significant pain from his war injuries, he was a proud member of the Oregon-Brooklyn VFW Post No. 10272, Brooklyn American Legion, Brooklyn Area Booster Club, Brooklyn Village Board (25 years) and as its president (5 years), and as a member of the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department for about 40 years.  He was additionally honored with induction to the Forty and Eight (La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux). Virgil is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Lamb; son-in-law, Jack Thornton of Janesville; daughter, Shirley (Larry) Gilbert of Oregon; and sons, Virgil (Donna) Lamb of Puyallup, Wash., and Alan (Susan) Lamb of McFarland; grandchildren, Scott (Dora) Thornton of Oxnard, Calif., Trisha (Brent) Rust of Janesville, Robert (Rhonda) Gustafson of Dane, Melinda (CJ) Gustafson-Gervasi of Madison, Annique (Dane`) London of Minneapolis, Minn., Jeremy (Jill) Gilbert of Hillsboro, Jon (Annette) Lamb of Puyallup, Wash., Amanda (McWoodolf) Point Du Jour of Federal Way, Wash., Kelly (Andrew) Agosto of Minneapolis, Minn., and Ryan (Lindsay) Lamb of McFarland; great-grandchildren, Noemi (Bryan) Brickner of Valencia, Calif., Catherine (Tyler) Barnett of Seattle, Wash., Alyssa Rodriquez of Oxnard, Calif., Taylor and Katie Rich of Janesville, David (Ashley) Gustafson of Tomahawk, Michael and Eric Gustafson of Dane, Ian and Maeve Gustafson-Gervasi of Madison, Anya, Sasha and Talia London of Minneapolis, Minn., Tucker and Lucy Gilbert of Hillsboro, McWoodolf Point Du Jour II of Federal Way, Wash., Drake and Sawyer Lamb of McFarland and Baby Agosto due in November; and great-great grandchildren, Matthew Brickner of Valencia, Calif., Lionel and Curren Barnett of Seattle, Wash., and Finnigan and Harper Gustafson of Tomahawk.  He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Bernard Lamb; two daughters, Betty Thornton of Janesville and Sharon Gustafson of Madison; son-in-law, Carl Gustafson of Madison; and grandson, Todd Mani of Brooklyn. “A life well lived!” A funeral service with military honors will be held at BROOKLYN COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 201 Church St., Brooklyn, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017.  The family will welcome friends at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.  Everyone is welcome to join the family in the church basement for lunch following the services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.  A heartfelt thank you to the staff at Stoughton Hospital for the excellent care given to Virgil and the family during his time there.