John Witt

Thursday, June 20, 2019 2:33 pm

John Witt, 78, of Spillville, died Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at Linn Haven Rehab & Healthcare in New Hampton. Memorial services are at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 24, at the Calmar Lutheran Church in Calmar, with burial in the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery at Boyd. Visitation is from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, June 23, 2019, at the Calmar Lutheran Church in Calmar. There also is visitation after 9:30 a.m. Monday morning. The Schluter-Balik Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
John Raymond Witt was born Sept. 1, 1940, to Raymond and Dorothy (Lundgren) Witt at Onalaska, Wis. He attended Central High School in La Crosse, Wis. where he excelled in track and field. He was a delivery boy for the La Crosse Tribune and he also mowed lawns and shoveled sidewalks.

John married Nancy Bremer Aug. 23, 1959, at the English Lutheran Church in La Crosse, Wis. After their marriage they moved to Boyd, and John worked in agriculture and on a mink ranch. They moved to Fredericksburg where John managed a turkey farm. They moved to Calmar where he attended Area 1 in Calmar to become a certified welder. He worked for Karnik Welding in Decorah. He designed and fabricated the barbeque grills and fire rings at Lake Meyer among other things. He went on to work at White Farm Tractors in Charles City, John Deere in Waterloo and DECO Products in Decorah until his retirement.
John was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, archery, rock and mushroom hunting. He loved vegetable and flower gardening, cooking for his family, playing cards, going on bus trips, garage sales auctions and flea markets to collect vases. John was a member of Calmar Lutheran Church.

John is survived by his wife, Nancy Witt, Spillville; children: Brenda Frana, Lawler, Randy Witt, Mankato, Minn., Richie (Debbie) Witt, Spillville and Angela (Marti) Leiran, Frankville; grandchildren: Cassidy Witt, Korey (Josie)Witt, Jordan Witt, Chelsey (Curtis) Rasing, Kaitlen, Ashley, Michael, Scott, Jeremiah and Colby Leiran; great-grandchildren: Mirrashida, Rashid, Johanis, Gideon and Gabriel; sister, Carolyn (Ansel) Berger, Menonomie Wis.; sister-in law, Patricia (Bernie) Frazier, Sparta, Wis.; brother-in-law, Dennis Bremer La Crosse, Wis.; and many nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Dorothy (Lundgren) Witt.

John’s family would like to thank the staff at Linn Haven and St. Croix Hospice of New Hampton, and Pastor Anita Nuetzman of Calmar Lutheran Church for their loving care.