Obit: Latzig, Frederick “Fritz” R. (1926 – 2006)
Poster: Crystal Wendt
Email: Post4LincolnCoWi@aol.com

Surnames: Latzig, Beversdorf, Krajewski, Kufahl, Allen, Rajek, Hinz, Koehler, Mohrland, Peterson

---Source: Foto News (Merrill, Lincoln County, Wis.) Wednesday, 24 May 2006; page 10

---Latzig, Frederick “Fritz” R. (*20 Dec. 1926 – 22 May 2006)

Frederick R. Latzig

Frederick R. ‘Fritz’ Latzig, 79, of Merrill, died Monday, May 22, 2006, at Good Samaritan Health Center, Merrill.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, May 26, at St. John Lutheran Church, Merrill. Rev. Alden J. Beversdorf will officiate. Burial will be in Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Wausau. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday evening at the Taylor & Stine Funeral Home, Merrill, and after 9 a.m. Friday at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the American Diabetes Association or Comfort Care and Hospice Services. A complete obituary will be published in next week’s Foto News.

*Birth date taken from the SSDI.

* * *

---Source: Foto News (Merrill, Lincoln County, Wis.) Wednesday, 31 May 2006; page10

Frederick R. “Fritz” Latzig

Frederick R. ‘Fritz’ Latzig, 79, of W3088 Hillview Rd., Merrill, town of Pine River, died Monday, May 22, 2006, at Good Samaritan Health Center, Merrill, under the care of his family and Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services.

Fritz was born Dec. 20, 1926, in Milwaukee, son of the late Walter and Elly Krajewski Latzig. The family moved to the Town of Pine River when Fritz was two years old to continue operating the family farm. He married Mildred ‘Millie’ Kufahl on Aug. 21, 1948, in the Town of Pine River. She survives.

The couple continued to dairy farm and in 1951, Fritz founded Badger Evergreen Farms, Inc. He became a charter member of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association, and was also a member of the National Christmas Tree Producers Association. Badger Evergreen Farms, Inc., operated Christmas tree lots in Alaska, Iowa and Florida, as well as a nursery in Michigan. He later owned and operated “Fritz’s Mountain” on Hwy. 64 east of Merrill. Fritz did custom tree planting for Wisconsin Public Service and Trees for Tomorrow. His farming operation included custom combining and cash cropping. For many years, Fritz provided the Christmas trees for the Daley Center in Chicago, Ill. Fritz and Millie enjoyed traveling, and maintained a home in River Ranch, Fla., where they would spend four to five months every year. Fritz also enjoyed snowmobiling and was a member of the Northwoods Tree Dodgers Snowmobile Club. Both he and his wife enjoyed hunting and fishing, and made numerous sporting trips out west and to Alaska. The Fritz’s Mountain horse drawn wagon was a common sight in many local parades. Fritz was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Merrill, and River Ranch Chapel, River Ranch, Fla.

He is survived by his wife Mildred ‘Millie,’ Merrill; daughters Jane (Butch) Allen, Allegan, Mich.; Susan (John) Rajek, Eagle River, Alaska; Donna (Dale) Hinz, Merrill; and Nancy (Elmer) Koehler, Wausau; sons Steven (Cindy), Frederick Jr. and Scott, all of Merrill; son-in-law Villas (Joyce) Mohrland, Ostego, Mich.; 20 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are sister Joyce Peterson, Merrill; and brothers Walter (Betty) and Warren (Lois), both of Merrill.

Funeral services were Friday, May 26, at St. John Lutheran Church, Merrill. Rev. Alden J. Beversdorf officiated. Burial was in Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Wausau. In lieu of flowers, the Latzig family has requested memorials to the American Diabetes Association or Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services. The Taylor & Stine Funeral Home, Merrill, assisted the family.