Carl TerMaat

TerMaat, Carl G. MADISON/DEFOREST - Carl G. TerMaat, age 92, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, March 6, 2009 at HospiceCare in Fitchburg, following a stroke. He is survived by his children, Larry (Angie) TerMaat of Madison, Karen (Chuck) Persen of Deltona, Fla., and Carl J. (Julie) TerMaat of Madison; four grandchildren, Todd and Tracy Persen, and Brian and Matthew TerMaat; sister, Jeanette Patchak of Aurora, Colo., and his sister-in-law, Joan Lemkuil of Plymouth, Wis. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. & Mrs. John TerMaat; wife, Mirlet; infant daughter, JoAnn; infant son, Gene Paul; and sister, Betty Koechel. Carl was born in Plymouth, Wis. on August 30, 1916, the son of John and Lydia (Schmidt) TerMaat. Shortly after high school, Carl joined the Army Air Corps in December of 1936. While proudly serving his country during World War II, he began to correspond with a neighbor girl named Mirlet Littmann. On Sept. 14, 1944, he and Mirlet were married in Kohler, Wis. Carl continued serving his country, making it his career until he retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1958, with the rank of Master Sergeant. He served in the Reserves for 8 more years, and was Honorably Discharged from the Air Force Reserves in December, 1966. In his post military career, he worked in retail hardware sales at Findorff and Ace Hardware. Carl was an active, dedicated member of Monona Evangelical Lutheran Church for over 25 years. He was a talented carpenter and wood worker and hand-crafted many beautiful pieces specifically for his church. He freely volunteered his time and talents to help anyone in need. In his spare time he enjoyed gardening, tending to his 5 acres, bird watching and listening to Opera. He was also an avid photographer. He developed all of his own film and left behind a rich history of his many travels, family and friends. Funeral services will be at MONONA EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, 4411 Monona Dr. at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, with Rev. William Pekari presiding. Visitation will be at Gunderson East Funeral Home, 5203 Monona Dr., from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2009, and at the church on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. until time of the service. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery in Kohler, Wis. Memorials may be made to Monona Evangelical Lutheran Church or to HospiceCare Inc. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the medical practitioners for their dedicated attention to Carls well being. Also a heartfelt thank you to the staff at HospiceCare for their extraordinary kindness to Carl and all members of the family. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Centers 5203 Monona Dr. (608)221-5420 www.gundersonfh.com