William J. Withrow, better known as “Bill,” left us on Christmas Eve. He passed away at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. He was born Aug. 19, 1923, at 5:30 a.m. – a fact he often mentioned.
A handsome figure in his younger years, he was a good dancer and made friends easily. He married a local gal from La Farge, Geraldine Alderman. Together they raised four children on a small farm near Valley. His occupations included truck driver, farming, construction work, fencing, logging and mink ranching.
After he retired, he spent a season alone in the mountains of Idaho as a shepherd. During the last 10-plus years of his career, he worked at Wildcat Mountain State Park and retired for the final time at age 80. He lived his entire 90 years of life in the Kickapoo area, where he was most comfortable with the hills, the wildlife and the community folk. Those close to Bill have listened to many a story of growing up on a farm near La Farge with his parents Bid and Kate Withrow, his twin sister Betty and his older sister Mary.
He lived as a naturalist and loved being outdoors, especially in the woods, hunting, trapping, working horses, handling most farm animals and watching the changes of the season. He would often regale of good times spent with coon dogs on a cold night in November as he sipped coffee and exchanged tales with other local folk who understand the thrill of a coon dog’s bay on the trail. In his later years, his animals helped fill his days with purpose; arranging for the hay they would need or fixing the fence; they were his friends and provided much solace.
He was also quite knowledgeable about the trees and most types of foliage often reading the signs of nature to predict the weather, the status of the crops, or upcoming season. On the last morning of his life, he was explaining to his son-in-law how to forecast the weather. He said, “The first three days of January indicate what the weather will be for the first three months of the year.”
Like most of us, he may have difficulty explaining some parts of his life to St. Peter versus other parts. However, many knew him as trustworthy, a hard worker, and definitely a jokester. Bill was a likeable, independent character who chose to live life simply with an intimate connection to nature, animals and his Lord. His life and his home were of his own creation, the way he wanted it; he was “Bill.”
He is survived by three children, many relatives and friends. In his life beyond, he will join his mother and father, his sister, a son and numerous friends and relatives. He had requested to be buried in a simple pine box built by his neighbor and have a modest graveside service.
His family wishes to extend sincere appreciation to those who provided love and friendship and graced his 90 years of life in the Kickapoo Valley.
