John A. Lemke, 69, of Nekoosa, died Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018.

He was born on July 2, 1948, in Crandon, to Frank Lemke, Sr. and Ruth (Lange) Lemke, and was a 1967 graduate of Crandon High School.

Following high school, he attended Career Academy in Milwaukee where he received training in broadcasting. After that, he moved to Oshkosh where he attended the Fox Valley Technical College in Oshkosh, receiving an associate degree in Conservation. While in Oshkosh, he worked for Grace Lutheran Church. He went to Chiropractor training in Davenport, Iowa, then switched to Barber College. Later, he moved to Morning Sun, Iowa, opening a Barber Shop. In the early 1980s, he moved back to Wisconsin and settled in Nekoosa. For a while, he worked in the woods logging, and then became the custodian for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wisconsin Rapids where he worked until his retirement in 2013.

In his free time, John enjoyed fishing and hunting. He enjoyed being with his family. Every year, he would travel north to help the family in the business of making maple syrup.

John married Janice Bittner on June 17, 1972, in Wisconsin Rapids.

He is survived by his children, Judy Fuller (Kyle) of Wisconsin Rapids; son, John Lemke, Jr. (Dianne) of Tigard, Oregon; mother, Ruth Lemke of Crandon; brother, Frank Lemke, Jr. of Crandon; sisters, Sandy (Gene) Plummer of Crandon, Kathy (Dale) Elliott of Oshkosh, Debby (Mike) Kennedy of Wausau, Lori (Chuck) Sekel of Crandon, and Karen (Jeff) Lehman of Crandon; sisters-in-law, Peg (Edward) Meyer of Las Vegas, Patricia (Dennis) Hall and brothers-in-law, David (Sue) Bittner of Wisconsin Rapids, Ron (Cindy) Bittner of Nekoosa, and Russell (Jeanette) Bittner of Wisconsin Rapids; grandchildren, Jacob, Zach, and Emily Erwin, and Justin and Kylie Lemke.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Janice; father, Frank Lemke, Sr., and father-and-mother-in-law, Robert and Betty Bittner.

John died trying to help others, which is the way he lived his life.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 8, 2018, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in the town of Saratoga, with the Rev. Paul Tullberg officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Nekoosa. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids, and again at the church on Thursday morning from 10 a.m. until the time of service.

The Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family. For online condolences, please visit www.taylorfuneralhome.net.