Wilbert W. “Bill” Behnke, 85, of Brillion, died on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001 at Colony Oaks Nursing Home in Appleton.
He was born Jan. 2, 1916 in Brillion, the oldest child of the late Ernest and Alvina (Jandrey) Behnke. He graduated from Brillion High School in 1934 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for one year. He married Mary Kathryn Bedore on Dec. 1, 1951 at St. Mary’s Parsonage in Brillion, sharing 49 years of Marriage.
In his early years Bill was very active in Brillion athletics and organized the Brillion Athletic Association, the Eastern Wisconsin Basketball League and the Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League.
He served as the Brillion City Clerk from 1938-1940. Before entering the military service, he worked with his father at Brillion Monument Works and was a bookkeeper for Ed Fritsch Auto Service in Manitowoc. He then purchased the Brillion Concrete Works from Kermit Seehawer.
His father and his brother Orman took over the business when Bill went into the services on Jan. 27, 1944. He served with the First infantry Division, 16th Regiment Heavy Weapons Co. until he was wounded on Nov. 17, 1944 in the Hurtzen Forest in Germany. After his release from the 127th General Hospital in spring of 1945, he was assigned to the 11th Traffic Regulation Group in Paris which regulated freight rail traffic.
At the close of the European War, he was reassigned to Colonel Schauneies Presidential Conference in Potsdam, Germany. This was a large assignment for six weeks. At its conclusion, he was assigned to the 13th Traffic Regulation Group in Berlin. He was awarded three overseas service bars, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War Ii Victory Medal.
After returning from services Bill reorganized the Brillion Concrete Works to a corporation known as Brillion Building Supply Corporation with his father and two brothers, Orman and Kenneth. They purchased the Lieber Lumber Yard and later purchased land and developed a subdivision.
For many years he was an active member of the Brillionaires Barbershop Chorus, and he was an avid Packer fan.
Wilbert Behnke is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn, a son Bruce of Apex, North Carolina, and his children, Corey and Sonia, two daughters and sons-in-law, Nanci and Carl Micke of Appleton, Kim and Randy Becker of Brillion; 5 grandchildren; one great granddaughter. He is also survived by two sisters, Carmin Becker of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jeanette Wenzel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And a sister-in-law, Gertrude Behnke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Orman and Kenneth, a sister-in-law, Bernice Behnke, and two brothers-in-law, Elliot Wenzel and Jerome Becker, and a nephew, Terry Wenzel.
Funeral services were at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brillion, the Rev. David A. Rockhoff officiating. Burial was in the Brillion Community Center.
Chilton Times Journal – February 1, 2001
He was born Jan. 2, 1916 in Brillion, the oldest child of the late Ernest and Alvina (Jandrey) Behnke. He graduated from Brillion High School in 1934 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for one year. He married Mary Kathryn Bedore on Dec. 1, 1951 at St. Mary’s Parsonage in Brillion, sharing 49 years of Marriage.
In his early years Bill was very active in Brillion athletics and organized the Brillion Athletic Association, the Eastern Wisconsin Basketball League and the Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League.
He served as the Brillion City Clerk from 1938-1940. Before entering the military service, he worked with his father at Brillion Monument Works and was a bookkeeper for Ed Fritsch Auto Service in Manitowoc. He then purchased the Brillion Concrete Works from Kermit Seehawer.
His father and his brother Orman took over the business when Bill went into the services on Jan. 27, 1944. He served with the First infantry Division, 16th Regiment Heavy Weapons Co. until he was wounded on Nov. 17, 1944 in the Hurtzen Forest in Germany. After his release from the 127th General Hospital in spring of 1945, he was assigned to the 11th Traffic Regulation Group in Paris which regulated freight rail traffic.
At the close of the European War, he was reassigned to Colonel Schauneies Presidential Conference in Potsdam, Germany. This was a large assignment for six weeks. At its conclusion, he was assigned to the 13th Traffic Regulation Group in Berlin. He was awarded three overseas service bars, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War Ii Victory Medal.
After returning from services Bill reorganized the Brillion Concrete Works to a corporation known as Brillion Building Supply Corporation with his father and two brothers, Orman and Kenneth. They purchased the Lieber Lumber Yard and later purchased land and developed a subdivision.
For many years he was an active member of the Brillionaires Barbershop Chorus, and he was an avid Packer fan.
Wilbert Behnke is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn, a son Bruce of Apex, North Carolina, and his children, Corey and Sonia, two daughters and sons-in-law, Nanci and Carl Micke of Appleton, Kim and Randy Becker of Brillion; 5 grandchildren; one great granddaughter. He is also survived by two sisters, Carmin Becker of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jeanette Wenzel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And a sister-in-law, Gertrude Behnke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Orman and Kenneth, a sister-in-law, Bernice Behnke, and two brothers-in-law, Elliot Wenzel and Jerome Becker, and a nephew, Terry Wenzel.
Funeral services were at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brillion, the Rev. David A. Rockhoff officiating. Burial was in the Brillion Community Center.
Chilton Times Journal – February 1, 2001
Wilbert W. “Bill” Behnke, 85, of Brillion, died on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001 at Colony Oaks Nursing Home in Appleton.
He was born Jan. 2, 1916 in Brillion, the oldest child of the late Ernest and Alvina (Jandrey) Behnke. He graduated from Brillion High School in 1934 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for one year. He married Mary Kathryn Bedore on Dec. 1, 1951 at St. Mary’s Parsonage in Brillion, sharing 49 years of Marriage.
In his early years Bill was very active in Brillion athletics and organized the Brillion Athletic Association, the Eastern Wisconsin Basketball League and the Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League.
He served as the Brillion City Clerk from 1938-1940. Before entering the military service, he worked with his father at Brillion Monument Works and was a bookkeeper for Ed Fritsch Auto Service in Manitowoc. He then purchased the Brillion Concrete Works from Kermit Seehawer.
His father and his brother Orman took over the business when Bill went into the services on Jan. 27, 1944. He served with the First infantry Division, 16th Regiment Heavy Weapons Co. until he was wounded on Nov. 17, 1944 in the Hurtzen Forest in Germany. After his release from the 127th General Hospital in spring of 1945, he was assigned to the 11th Traffic Regulation Group in Paris which regulated freight rail traffic.
At the close of the European War, he was reassigned to Colonel Schauneies Presidential Conference in Potsdam, Germany. This was a large assignment for six weeks. At its conclusion, he was assigned to the 13th Traffic Regulation Group in Berlin. He was awarded three overseas service bars, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War Ii Victory Medal.
After returning from services Bill reorganized the Brillion Concrete Works to a corporation known as Brillion Building Supply Corporation with his father and two brothers, Orman and Kenneth. They purchased the Lieber Lumber Yard and later purchased land and developed a subdivision.
For many years he was an active member of the Brillionaires Barbershop Chorus, and he was an avid Packer fan.
Wilbert Behnke is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn, a son Bruce of Apex, North Carolina, and his children, Corey and Sonia, two daughters and sons-in-law, Nanci and Carl Micke of Appleton, Kim and Randy Becker of Brillion; 5 grandchildren; one great granddaughter. He is also survived by two sisters, Carmin Becker of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jeanette Wenzel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And a sister-in-law, Gertrude Behnke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Orman and Kenneth, a sister-in-law, Bernice Behnke, and two brothers-in-law, Elliot Wenzel and Jerome Becker, and a nephew, Terry Wenzel.
Funeral services were at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brillion, the Rev. David A. Rockhoff officiating. Burial was in the Brillion Community Center.
Chilton Times Journal – February 1, 2001
He was born Jan. 2, 1916 in Brillion, the oldest child of the late Ernest and Alvina (Jandrey) Behnke. He graduated from Brillion High School in 1934 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for one year. He married Mary Kathryn Bedore on Dec. 1, 1951 at St. Mary’s Parsonage in Brillion, sharing 49 years of Marriage.
In his early years Bill was very active in Brillion athletics and organized the Brillion Athletic Association, the Eastern Wisconsin Basketball League and the Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League.
He served as the Brillion City Clerk from 1938-1940. Before entering the military service, he worked with his father at Brillion Monument Works and was a bookkeeper for Ed Fritsch Auto Service in Manitowoc. He then purchased the Brillion Concrete Works from Kermit Seehawer.
His father and his brother Orman took over the business when Bill went into the services on Jan. 27, 1944. He served with the First infantry Division, 16th Regiment Heavy Weapons Co. until he was wounded on Nov. 17, 1944 in the Hurtzen Forest in Germany. After his release from the 127th General Hospital in spring of 1945, he was assigned to the 11th Traffic Regulation Group in Paris which regulated freight rail traffic.
At the close of the European War, he was reassigned to Colonel Schauneies Presidential Conference in Potsdam, Germany. This was a large assignment for six weeks. At its conclusion, he was assigned to the 13th Traffic Regulation Group in Berlin. He was awarded three overseas service bars, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War Ii Victory Medal.
After returning from services Bill reorganized the Brillion Concrete Works to a corporation known as Brillion Building Supply Corporation with his father and two brothers, Orman and Kenneth. They purchased the Lieber Lumber Yard and later purchased land and developed a subdivision.
For many years he was an active member of the Brillionaires Barbershop Chorus, and he was an avid Packer fan.
Wilbert Behnke is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn, a son Bruce of Apex, North Carolina, and his children, Corey and Sonia, two daughters and sons-in-law, Nanci and Carl Micke of Appleton, Kim and Randy Becker of Brillion; 5 grandchildren; one great granddaughter. He is also survived by two sisters, Carmin Becker of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jeanette Wenzel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And a sister-in-law, Gertrude Behnke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Orman and Kenneth, a sister-in-law, Bernice Behnke, and two brothers-in-law, Elliot Wenzel and Jerome Becker, and a nephew, Terry Wenzel.
Funeral services were at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brillion, the Rev. David A. Rockhoff officiating. Burial was in the Brillion Community Center.
Chilton Times Journal – February 1, 2001
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