Claire B. Atteln, 75, of Sparta died Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010, at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse.
He was born March 13, 1935, in Norwalk to Leonard and Gertrude (Steinhoff) Atteln. He grew up on Summit Ridge on the Atteln Home Dairy Farm.
Claire graduated from Tomah High School in 1953. He served in the U.S. Marines from Sept. 21, 1956, until being discharged Sept. 20, 1962. He married the former Alice Rodenschmit on May 1, 1971, in Cross Plains, Wis. After marriage, they lived in Cross Plains, and then moved to the Atteln Home Farm in 1972. They farmed until 1990. Claire did carpentry work for 10 years, and then worked as the transportation aid at the Morrow Memorial Home, Sparta, for 10 years.
He is survived by his wife, Alice of Sparta; his children, Elizabeth (Marko) Baxter of Arena, Wis., and Monica (Shane) Kendhammer of Coon Valley; a granddaughter, Tanna Baxter; six siblings, Robert (Lorraine) Atteln of Wilton, Marilyn (Gerald) Zunker of Wauwatosa, Wis., James (Vera) Atteln of Sun Prairie, Wis., Kathleen (Donald) Walker of Neshkoro, Wis., Janice (Richard) Dahlke of Helena, Mont., and Joseph (Kay) Atteln of Sparta; and a brother-in-law, Jerome (Pam) Leis of Norwalk.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, La Vonne Leis.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Summit Ridge, rural Norwalk, with Father Dick Dickman officiating. Burial with full military honors will be in St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery.
Friends may call from 4–7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta, and one hour prior to services Thursday at the church. Online condolences may be offered at www.lanham-miller.com.
The Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta, assisted the family with funeral arrangements.
