"So sad to hear of his passing! He was a good man, worked hard, raised a wonderful family and was very kind to me. Kathy, Sue, Betty, Jim and Mike, our sincere condolences... "
In loving memory of
Joseph A. Pohl
February 10, 1931 - April 17, 2014
Joseph A Pohl, 83, of Belgium, WI, passed away on April 17, 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Joe was born in Belgium on Feb 10, 1931. He grew up on the Pohl Family Farm in the town of Belgium where he was the 4th generation to successfully farm the land. He married Patricia Buchholz and together raised 5 children.
Prior to working the farm full time, Joe worked as a truck driver for Krier Preserving Company of Belgium, which took him on many adventures as he traveled around the country. This led to the writing of his memoirs which he loved sharing with his family and friends and came alive through his contagious sense of humor. He enjoyed his hobbies such as paleontology and photography. He is well known in the paleontological community for his contribution of many fossils, three of which were named for him. Photography was another true passion of his and he won many awards for his "images." Being a proud Korean War Veteran, Joe participated in the Honor Flight program in November.
Joe is survived by his children, Kathleen (Ralph) Butler of Benton City, WA, Susan (Perry) Birenbaum of Cascade, WI, Elizabeth (Ken) Barnes of Moses Lake, WA, James (Karen) of Waldo, WI, and Michael (Catherine) of Belgium, WI. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Joshua Roska, Joseph and Hannah Larson, Anton, Nicholas, Matthew, and Julianna Pohl, and Andrew and Daniel Pohl, 3 step-grandchildren, 4 step-great-grandchildren, his sister-in-law, Lucy Pohl, and his former spouse Patricia Watry. He is further survived by his 5 nieces and nephews, and other family and friends.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents, Anton and Mary (Bettendorf) Pohl, and his brothers, John and Wilmer Pohl.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, St. Nicholas Chapel in Dacada on Wednesday, April 23rd. The funeral mass will be held at 7:00 p.m. following the visitation. Fr. Jim Ernster and Fr. Guy Gurath will be officiating. A full military burial will take place at St. Nicholas cemetery on Thursday, April 24 at 10:00 am. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Eernisse Funeral Home in Belgium. Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations will be given to the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight in Port Washington, WI in Joseph's name. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post 5373.
Tributes
"Sorry to say that I had not heard of Joe's passing until today. I did not personally know him but Pat is and was a good friend for many years. Please accept my condolences for the entire Pohl family. Prayers for all."
"It was a true pleasure getting to know Joe and caring for him. He was such a kind man who always enjoyed a good laugh. You took very loving care of him. May happy memories bring you comfort. With sincere sympathy, "
"My heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Pohl family. I was truly blessed to have gotten to know Joe during my visits to the farm. He was a wonderful man, and always had a story to share about his travels, or his photography. May the memories give your family strength, and help you find comfort knowing how many peoples lives were made better by him."
"Joe has been missed at our Luxembourg Language Classes. He taught us the Our Father in Letzebuergesch. He led us in prayer at the beginning of our classes. He was great at helping us with pronunciation and translation. We send condolences to all of his family."
"I was saddened to hear of the loss of your father. He was a man who brought sunshine into a room. I don't think I ever seen him without a smile and of course his camera around his neck. He knew the true meaning of living life to the fullest! May God guide you through the coming days."
"Even though I only knew your father for a brief while, I was touched by his great spirit and warm sense of humor. My condolences and prayers are with all of you. "
"Joe was my Grandpa, and he always will be. He was always there, like a third parent to me, in the four years my family lived with him. He taught me many things, from blacksmithing to fossil hunting, and life lessons that will be with me always. Every second I had in his company I enjoyed, our great moments we shared will be cherished, and his memory will live on in all of us forever."
"Betty, et. al. I have so many fond memories of your dad and family. I remember traveling out of state with you and him to look for his special rocks that he enjoyed collecting. He always had a smile. Our sympathies to y'all. "
"Joe Pohl was the absolute epitome of what a father, grandfather and friend should be. I was honored to have been a small part of his life."
"Joe was a great neighbor to Bob and me. Joe and Mike were always ready and willing to help round-up the steers that were on the loose again. We enjoyed playing Poker in the card club but could never get him to play Sheepshead. Rest in Peace my friend. My sympathies to the family but I know that Joe is in Heaven and is at Peace."