This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Peplinski, Kaczmarek, Kawleski, Peplinski, Langlois, Thorson, Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DFC.2ACE/1346.1.4 Message Board Post: Source - Stevens Point Daily Journal Oct 02, 2004 Jerome "Jerry" R. Kaczmarek, 74, of 500 Walker St., Stevens Point, entered eternal life surrounded by his loving family at his side on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at St. Michael's Hospital. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Peter Catholic Church, with the Rev. Robert Schaller officiating. Boston Funeral Home and the St. Faustina Room at St. Peter Catholic Church. Burial will take place at Guardian Angel Cemetery with full military honors. Jerome was born Feb. 21, 1930, in the town of Eau Pleine, a son of the late Peter and Berniece (Kawleski) Kaczmarek. He attended various schools in the Stevens Point area and graduated from P.J. Jacobs High School in 1948. While attending high school, he began working for the Fox Theatre and continued working there for several years. It was at the Fox that he met his wife, Pat. Jerry went on to graduate from the School of Mortuary Science in Milwaukee in 1950. He then went to work for the Prais Funeral Home in Stevens Point from 1950 to 1953, and later worked part-time for Dzikoski Funeral Home for many years. He was united in marriage to the former Patricia Peplinski on May 30, 1953, at St. Peter Catholic Church. After their wedding, the couple settled in Stevens Point at his present address. His wife, Patricia, died June 25, 1999. At the time of her death, they had celebrated 46 years of marriage. In 1953, Jerome worked for the Great Lakes Water Softener Co. He then worked for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as a drivers license examiner from 1955 until his retirement in 1989. Jerry was one of the first two members of the state's new driver license examination force in 1955, which then covered a five-county area, spending only two days a week in Stevens Point. Gradually, as more examiners were hired through the years, he was assigned to the Stevens Point office. He was one of a group of people then considered pathfinders, who molded the department into what it is today. Duties went from elementary tasks to giving road examinations to taking over vehicle registrations. After his retirement he did volunteer work for St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store for a time, before serving as a bailiff for the Portage County Circuit Court from 1993 to 1996. Jerry joined the Wisconsin National Guard of Stevens Point in 1947, serving as sergeant first class in B Battery of the 120th Field Artillery 32nd Division until 1973. He was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis at Fort Lewis, Wash., from October 1961 to August 1962. He joined the 213th S & S Battalion of the Army Reserve out of Wausau in 1973, serving as sergeant first class in graves registration until his retirement from the military in 1981. He was elected to the Stevens Point Common Council in 1966 as alderman in the Fourth Ward. Jerry was re-elected 10 more times and served a total of 22 years on the Common Council. During those years, 1966 to 1988, he served on various boards and committees. He was a past chairman of the Public Protection Committee and was a member of the Stevens Point Safety Council. He also served terms on the Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Advisory Board, School Sites Committee, Goerke Field Study Committee and was the Common Council's representative on the Portage County Health Committee. Jerry was president of the Parks and Recreation Board, and worked on enlarging the park system. Jerry was instrumental in the plans for acquisition of land for the riverfront park project, and took the necessary steps to join Bukolt and Pfiffner Pioneer Parks as well as saving the Pfiffner Building. Jerome was a very active member of the Monsignor McGinley Council No. 1170 of the Knights of Columbus of Stevens Point, holding several offices over the years which included recording secretary and most recently, worthy warden. He also was a fourth-degree knight and an active member of their honor guard for many years. Jerry was part of the honor guard for Cardinal Karol Wojtyla on Aug. 23, 1976. The cardinal was in Stevens Point and celebrated Mass at the Stevens Point Area High Senior School. Two years later, Cardinal Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II. Jerry was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church and its Holy Name Society, a eucharistic minister to the homebound and infirm, a lay board member of the Salvation Army, as well as member of Berens-Scribner American Legion Post No. 6 and the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge No. 1572, Portage County Historical Society and the Polish Heritage Awareness Society. Jerry loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, great-grandson, and his faithful dog, Oskar. He liked to feed birds and do yard work. He was especially interested in gardening and different flowers. Other hobbies included repairing rosaries, making rosaries which he would then give away and putting puzzles together. Other interests included reading, fishing, painting, traveling, researching family history and researching military history. Jerry loved life, meeting different people, and also talking to anyone he came in contact with. He will always be remembered for his love of God and country, his strong family values and his gentle caring ways. Jerome is survived by daughters, Debbie and Mary of Stevens Point; sons, Paul (Patty), Kevin (Bonnie) and Tim (Nancy) of Stevens Point; granddaughters, Patty Jo (Jeremy) Kaczmarek of Stevens Point, Michele (Mike) Cabral of Rockford, Ill., Heather (Rob) Langlois, Kelly, Gina and Jill, all of Stevens Point; grandsons, Michael, Andrew, Kevin Jr. and Aaron of Stevens Point; great-grandson, Forrest Thorson of Stevens Point; and a brother, Conrad of Stevens Point. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and a son, Jerome A. Kaczmarek. +++++ Recent obits can be obtained from WI Newpapers On-line - http://www.wisinfo.com/ I am not related to nor have any additional information on these surnames. If there is a question of error in this transcription, please consult the original documents. R/S MAK http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiportag