From the September 17, 2009 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal
Ast, Walter L.
WAUNAKEE
Walter L. Ast, age 76, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg from a rare disease. Walter, born on Dec. 20, 1932, in Dodgeville to Walter and Florence (Cutler) Ast, was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1951. He had a keen interest in airplanes and flying, and when he received his pilot's license at the age of 16, he was the youngest pilot in the state. He enlisted in the Air Force and was a top gunner on a B-29, flying 27 missions while stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. After his discharge, he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Yager, and settled in Dodgeville, where he delivered Hamm's beer and was a heavy equipment operator for the building of Interstate 90. In 1961, Walter started working for Oscar Mayer, mostly as a truck spotter, and in 1963 the family moved to Oregon where they had a six-acre truck farm and roadside stand, Country Gardens, for 10 years. In 1973, the family moved to Waunakee, and Walter retired from Oscar Mayer in 1995. In his earlier years, Walter enjoyed hunting, fishing, coin collecting, metal detecting, flying his airplane, and exploring his Swiss heritage in the ancestral home of Wimmis, Switzerland. After retirement, he made many wood carvings and scrollsaw plaques and enjoyed reading, puzzles and vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Doris; his seven children, Marjorie (Lew) Bass, Mary Lou (Dan) Clayton, Larry (Nellie Vallarta-Ast) Ast, Carol (Jeff) Pollock, William (Julie) Ast, David (Dawn Gander-Ast) Ast and Brian (Joleen Jones) Ast; nine grandchildren, Angela, Tami, Stacy, Jesse, Jessica, Ryan, Emily, Sam and Maggie; great-grandchildren, Ellie and Tessa; stepgrandchildren, Brooke and Taylor; step-great-grandchildren, Lilith and Rhea; and two sisters, Marian (Jack) Reynolds and Arlene Paynter. He is also survived by several in-laws, Darlene (George) Thompson, Leo (Josephine) Yager, Mary (Vernon) Forseth, Suzette Yager, George Yager, Ted (Deloris) Yager, William Yager and Grace (Don) Hasburgh. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Robert Stanley; and brother-in-law, Lloyd Jewell. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, at 11 a.m. at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH, 209 South St., Waunakee, with Monsignor James Gunn officiating. A visitation will be held at WINN-CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 5785 Highway Q, Waunakee, on Thursday (Tonight), Sept. 17, 2009, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Interment will be held at a later date at East Side Cemetery, Dodgeville.
Ast, Walter L.
WAUNAKEE
Walter L. Ast, age 76, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg from a rare disease. Walter, born on Dec. 20, 1932, in Dodgeville to Walter and Florence (Cutler) Ast, was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1951. He had a keen interest in airplanes and flying, and when he received his pilot's license at the age of 16, he was the youngest pilot in the state. He enlisted in the Air Force and was a top gunner on a B-29, flying 27 missions while stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. After his discharge, he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Yager, and settled in Dodgeville, where he delivered Hamm's beer and was a heavy equipment operator for the building of Interstate 90. In 1961, Walter started working for Oscar Mayer, mostly as a truck spotter, and in 1963 the family moved to Oregon where they had a six-acre truck farm and roadside stand, Country Gardens, for 10 years. In 1973, the family moved to Waunakee, and Walter retired from Oscar Mayer in 1995. In his earlier years, Walter enjoyed hunting, fishing, coin collecting, metal detecting, flying his airplane, and exploring his Swiss heritage in the ancestral home of Wimmis, Switzerland. After retirement, he made many wood carvings and scrollsaw plaques and enjoyed reading, puzzles and vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Doris; his seven children, Marjorie (Lew) Bass, Mary Lou (Dan) Clayton, Larry (Nellie Vallarta-Ast) Ast, Carol (Jeff) Pollock, William (Julie) Ast, David (Dawn Gander-Ast) Ast and Brian (Joleen Jones) Ast; nine grandchildren, Angela, Tami, Stacy, Jesse, Jessica, Ryan, Emily, Sam and Maggie; great-grandchildren, Ellie and Tessa; stepgrandchildren, Brooke and Taylor; step-great-grandchildren, Lilith and Rhea; and two sisters, Marian (Jack) Reynolds and Arlene Paynter. He is also survived by several in-laws, Darlene (George) Thompson, Leo (Josephine) Yager, Mary (Vernon) Forseth, Suzette Yager, George Yager, Ted (Deloris) Yager, William Yager and Grace (Don) Hasburgh. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Robert Stanley; and brother-in-law, Lloyd Jewell. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, at 11 a.m. at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH, 209 South St., Waunakee, with Monsignor James Gunn officiating. A visitation will be held at WINN-CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 5785 Highway Q, Waunakee, on Thursday (Tonight), Sept. 17, 2009, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Interment will be held at a later date at East Side Cemetery, Dodgeville.
From the September 17, 2009 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal
Ast, Walter L.
WAUNAKEE
Walter L. Ast, age 76, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg from a rare disease. Walter, born on Dec. 20, 1932, in Dodgeville to Walter and Florence (Cutler) Ast, was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1951. He had a keen interest in airplanes and flying, and when he received his pilot's license at the age of 16, he was the youngest pilot in the state. He enlisted in the Air Force and was a top gunner on a B-29, flying 27 missions while stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. After his discharge, he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Yager, and settled in Dodgeville, where he delivered Hamm's beer and was a heavy equipment operator for the building of Interstate 90. In 1961, Walter started working for Oscar Mayer, mostly as a truck spotter, and in 1963 the family moved to Oregon where they had a six-acre truck farm and roadside stand, Country Gardens, for 10 years. In 1973, the family moved to Waunakee, and Walter retired from Oscar Mayer in 1995. In his earlier years, Walter enjoyed hunting, fishing, coin collecting, metal detecting, flying his airplane, and exploring his Swiss heritage in the ancestral home of Wimmis, Switzerland. After retirement, he made many wood carvings and scrollsaw plaques and enjoyed reading, puzzles and vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Doris; his seven children, Marjorie (Lew) Bass, Mary Lou (Dan) Clayton, Larry (Nellie Vallarta-Ast) Ast, Carol (Jeff) Pollock, William (Julie) Ast, David (Dawn Gander-Ast) Ast and Brian (Joleen Jones) Ast; nine grandchildren, Angela, Tami, Stacy, Jesse, Jessica, Ryan, Emily, Sam and Maggie; great-grandchildren, Ellie and Tessa; stepgrandchildren, Brooke and Taylor; step-great-grandchildren, Lilith and Rhea; and two sisters, Marian (Jack) Reynolds and Arlene Paynter. He is also survived by several in-laws, Darlene (George) Thompson, Leo (Josephine) Yager, Mary (Vernon) Forseth, Suzette Yager, George Yager, Ted (Deloris) Yager, William Yager and Grace (Don) Hasburgh. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Robert Stanley; and brother-in-law, Lloyd Jewell. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, at 11 a.m. at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH, 209 South St., Waunakee, with Monsignor James Gunn officiating. A visitation will be held at WINN-CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 5785 Highway Q, Waunakee, on Thursday (Tonight), Sept. 17, 2009, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Interment will be held at a later date at East Side Cemetery, Dodgeville.
Ast, Walter L.
WAUNAKEE
Walter L. Ast, age 76, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg from a rare disease. Walter, born on Dec. 20, 1932, in Dodgeville to Walter and Florence (Cutler) Ast, was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1951. He had a keen interest in airplanes and flying, and when he received his pilot's license at the age of 16, he was the youngest pilot in the state. He enlisted in the Air Force and was a top gunner on a B-29, flying 27 missions while stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War. After his discharge, he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Yager, and settled in Dodgeville, where he delivered Hamm's beer and was a heavy equipment operator for the building of Interstate 90. In 1961, Walter started working for Oscar Mayer, mostly as a truck spotter, and in 1963 the family moved to Oregon where they had a six-acre truck farm and roadside stand, Country Gardens, for 10 years. In 1973, the family moved to Waunakee, and Walter retired from Oscar Mayer in 1995. In his earlier years, Walter enjoyed hunting, fishing, coin collecting, metal detecting, flying his airplane, and exploring his Swiss heritage in the ancestral home of Wimmis, Switzerland. After retirement, he made many wood carvings and scrollsaw plaques and enjoyed reading, puzzles and vacationing in Ixtapa, Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Doris; his seven children, Marjorie (Lew) Bass, Mary Lou (Dan) Clayton, Larry (Nellie Vallarta-Ast) Ast, Carol (Jeff) Pollock, William (Julie) Ast, David (Dawn Gander-Ast) Ast and Brian (Joleen Jones) Ast; nine grandchildren, Angela, Tami, Stacy, Jesse, Jessica, Ryan, Emily, Sam and Maggie; great-grandchildren, Ellie and Tessa; stepgrandchildren, Brooke and Taylor; step-great-grandchildren, Lilith and Rhea; and two sisters, Marian (Jack) Reynolds and Arlene Paynter. He is also survived by several in-laws, Darlene (George) Thompson, Leo (Josephine) Yager, Mary (Vernon) Forseth, Suzette Yager, George Yager, Ted (Deloris) Yager, William Yager and Grace (Don) Hasburgh. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Robert Stanley; and brother-in-law, Lloyd Jewell. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, at 11 a.m. at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH, 209 South St., Waunakee, with Monsignor James Gunn officiating. A visitation will be held at WINN-CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 5785 Highway Q, Waunakee, on Thursday (Tonight), Sept. 17, 2009, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Interment will be held at a later date at East Side Cemetery, Dodgeville.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
