"I regret that I learned so late of Dan's passing. I served as Dan's Best Man in his marriage to Gretchen. I would love to hear from her at 323 - 474 - 6751."
In loving memory of
Daniel A. Walters
December 3, 1939 - April 6, 2018
Stoughton- Daniel A. Walters, age 78, died suddenly of natural causes on Friday, April 6, 2018. He was born in Madison on December 3, 1939, the son of August and Marion (Brissee) Walters. Daniel graduated from Monona Grove High School in 1959. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1962 and served his country for 30 years, including deploying to Vietnam from 1969-70 and then with the WI Air National Guard. On August 10, 1963 Daniel married Gretchen Fortman. He was a lineman for WI Power and Light/Alliant Energy for almost 30 years. Daniel was active in Glaciers Edge Council Boy Scouts of America. He was known as "Mr. Rope" as he held an extensive collection of rope and other items used in Pioneering and revised the Pioneering Merit Badge 2006 edition. Daniel was a past President of the Stoughton Lions Club. He was a life member of the VFW, and a member of the Stoughton American Legion Post 59. Daniel is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gretchen; three children, Rebecca (Dean) Montague of Washington State, Amy (James) Baumann of Kentucky, and Michael Walters of Stoughton; four grandchildren, Ryan Montague, Hilton and Hailey Baumann, and Alexandria Walters; and sister, Susan Ossmann. He was preceded in death by his parents. A celebration of Daniel's life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Good Shepherd by the Lake Lutheran Church, with Rev. Todd McVey officiating. Burial, with full Military honors, will follow in Dunn Burying Ground. Friends and relatives are invited to a luncheon, following the burial, in the church fellowship hall. Friends may greet the family from 9:00 AM until the time of services Saturday at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Glaciers Edge Council BSA, VFW Mother Post 328, American Legion Post 59, or Good Shepherd by the Lake Lutheran Church. A special thank you to the Dane Co. Sheriff's Department, Stoughton EMS, and the staff of St. Mary's Hospital ER. Please share your memories of Daniel by posting Tributes.
Cress Funeral Service
206 W. Prospect Street
Stoughton, WI 53589
(608) 873-9244
Tributes
"So sad to learn so late of Dan's passing. I was served as Dan's best man in his marriage to Gretchen. RIP, dear friend."
"I knew Dan & Gretchen for many years, while I was a waitress at Barbers. They were among my favorite people to have in the restaurant. Somewhere, I still have a whistle Dan gave me to use with my summer camp kids. He was a wonderful man and is going to be missed. "
"Dan, you will be missed by so many. Thank you for the time you devoted to so many young men over the years, your service to our country, and your service as a lineman (I hate to think of the nights you got out of bed to go restore power during a bad storm or after some drunk hit a power pole). You were always there to lend a hand when needed. I still have some of the Scouting mementos that you gave me those many years ago and of course Ryan has the copy of the merit badge book you helped write with a special note on his advancement to Eagle. Thanks for all you did while you were here on Earth. Gretchen picked well."
"I always looked forward to Dan's calls to me at the station. He always brought a unique perspective to any conversation and he often respectfully challenged my thinking on the news of the day. I'll miss my spirited conversations with "Sam", the name he used on the air. The world lost a very good man. My thoughts are with Gretchen and the rest of Dan's family. Rest in peace "grumpy old bastard""
"Mr. Walters was an inspiration and great mentor to me when I enlisted into the US Air Force. He really reached out to me and took me under his wing as a young airman, extending his wealth of knowledge and expertise to help guide me during the rough trials of figuring out the military lifestyle. He was a great man and part of an amazing family. I?ll miss him and can?t thank him enough for everything he did. Rest In Peace, my mentor and friend. "