Obit: Tetzner, Arthur J "Jack", Jr. (1923 - 2006)

Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

Surnames: Tetzner, Garrity, Strom, Persico, Resch, Drazkowski

----Sources: Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI) March 22, 2006

Tetzner, Arthur J. "Jack", Jr (December 21, 1923 - March 15, 2006)

Arthur J. "Jack" Tetzner, Jr., age 82, of Thorp died at St. Joseph’s Hospital, in Marshfield, on Wednesday, March 15, 2006.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 24, 2006 at the Thorp funeral Home Chapel, with Fr. Keith Apfelbeck officiating. Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home on Thursday, March 23, 2006 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., and on Friday at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until the time of service.

Arthur John Tetzner, Jr. was born on December 21, 1923 in St. Paul, MN to Arthur J. and Rose (Garrity) Tetzner. He was raised and educated in St. Paul, graduating from Central High School in 1942. Jack served in the U. S. Army from December 9, 1942 until September 7, 1944. He enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Force, where he served with the 430th A.A.F. as a flight instructor from September 8, 1944 until September 28, 1945.

Jack was united in marriage to Joan Strom, in St. Paul, MN on August 31, 1946. He then attended the University of Minnesota and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in education. Jack taught physical education in the Elk Mound, Eleva Strum, and Blair school districts from 1950-1954. He then moved to Thorp where he taught physical education and drivers’ education, coached football and was the head basketball coach for many years, before retiring in May 1988. Jack was most proud of celebrating his 50th anniversary with his wife, Joan, in 1996; the milestone of his 500th career win as a basketball coach; his induction into the Wisconsin Basketball Coach’s Hall of Fame; and two career hole-in-ones in golf, the first happening on his wedding day during the Minnesota State Amateurs Tournament. When not on the golf course, Jack’s other favorite pastime was fishing.

He was a member of the Thorp American Legion Cecil Tormey Post #118.

He is survived by seven children: Julia M. Persico of River Falls, WI; Jeanne M. (Pat) Resch of Watkinc, CO; Ronald G. (Nicole) Tetzner of Denver, CO; Catherine A. (Phillip) Drazkowski of Ellsworth, WI; Lawrence Tetzner of Chicago, IL; John (Tracy) Tetzner of Tulsa, OK; Robert (Jan) Tetzner of Madison, WI; nine grandchildren and three great-grand-children.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan on October 6, 2004; and one brother Robert Tetzner.