Monday, November 24, 2014

GLEN R. OGLE


Glen Ray Ogle, age 78 of Perkinstown, Wisconsin, passed away on Friday November 21, 2014 in Marshfield.

Services will be held at Hemer Funeral Home. Visitation will be Tuesday November 25, 2014 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and Wednesday November 26, 2014 from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Memorial service will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 with Pastor David Clements officiating also with a lunch to follow. Cremation interment services will be held at the Perkinstown Community Cemetery at a later date.
 
Glen was born on May 8, 1936 to Harry and Dorothy Ogle in Perkinstown, where he lived his entire life. Glen attended the one-room Lincoln School in Perkinstown. He graduated from Hannibal High School. On April 3, 1954, he married Lois Smith of Jump River, who survives. They made their home in Perkinstown where they raised their five children.
 
Glen is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Arnold and Gerald Ogle, and son Randy.

Glen is lovingly survived by his wife Lois of sixty years, his children Jacqueline (William) Rosa, Holly (Ron) Sromek, Chuck (Sally) Ogle, and Tammy Ogle (John Wehe). He is also survived by his ten grandchildren Tonia (Dave) Sromek-Fierke, Travis Sromek, Rebecca (Eric) Zuleger, Billie (Brian) Schilling, Aaron (Erin) Day, Emily (Aemus) Balsis, Dillon (Kendall) Immormino, Jesse Ogle, Roxanne Ogle, Mitch (Dana) Jaeger and ten great-grandchildren. In addition, he is survived by his five sisters Iris Faude, Otillia (Lewis) Kohn, Marlene (Norman) Skabroud, Elva (Bob) Drier, and Susan (Jerry) Krug and two sisters-in-law, Louise Ogle and Elloise Zach.

Out of high school, Glen worked in the automotive industry for Fischer Body in Lansing, Michigan for a season. He returned to the area and spent two years at Hurds. In 1956, he began working for the DNR watching for fires in the Jump River fire tower. Then he started building them.  This was the beginning of his lifelong tower career. In the early 1970's, he founded OK Tower Service and became known for his relentless work ethic. OK Tower built everything from DNR lookout towers to one of the tallest towers in the world, a 2,000' tower in Alvin, Texas. His work and reputation took him all over the world including the Aleutian Islands, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Somoa, where he spent a month dismantling a tower with a crew of six Samoans. He finally retired after he climbed his last tower in 2012 at the age of 76, at which time his daughter, Tammy took over OK Tower Service.

Glen was also known for his passion for the outdoors and unforgettable guide services. For years, he kept a pack of hounds for coyote, bobcat and bear hunting. He also guided hunters who sought pheasants, ducks, geese and just about anything you could hunt. Glen also loved to take his grandkids on many fishing and hunting adventures. Not to mention, he and Lois raised trophy whitetail deer for many years.
 
Glen and Lois kept a boat, the Circus Circus, in Valdez, Alaska for the past 14 years. They entertained hundreds of family and friends in the pursuit of halibut and salmon. A notable moment in Glen's life was performing the marriage ceremony of his granddaughter Tonia on his boat in Valdez.

He had an instinctive understanding of nature and loved of the outdoors. His memory will live on in his apple orchards where he loved to plant and graft trees. Glen will forever be known for his ability to tell a joke anywhere, anytime.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family to be designated at a later date.