Willard Walter

Willard (Willie) E. Walter, age 86, formerly of Mayville, passed away swiftly and peacefully on Sunday, December 25, 2022.
Willie was born on January 8, 1936, in Mauston to a large farming family. He was born the 11th of 12 children. Willie was united in marriage to Marie Adele Nelson in 1955, in Mauston. Together they had three children, Jerry, Sherry and Kerry.
Willie built strong and long-lasting relationships with everyone he met; he was a beloved son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.
Willie spent his entire life working in the agricultural industry as a farmer and well-respected salesman of silos equipment and natural liquid fertilizer. Spending most of his farming career in Illinois and Wisconsin, he lived in and served his customers in Dodge County for over 60 years.
Willie was a self-taught musician, who could sing and play many instruments by ear. In his younger years, he played accordion in a band. Willie also loved to dance. He met his wife, Adele, at a dance, and from that moment on, they danced together for nearly 70 years. Everyone who watched them dance knew how connected they were as soul mates. They went to any dance they could and were always the last to leave.
Willie’s greatest joy and deepest passion was his family. Anyone who knew him, knew how much he loved his wife and family, as he shared stories about them with anyone he met.
Willie was an eternally positive, grateful, and funny person, as he always had a joke ready for any occasion. His ingenuity and creativity were ever present in all he did, allowing him to create the fulfilling and wonderful life he lived. He had an innate ability to make people laugh, smile, and most importantly, feel unconditionally loved, even those he met for only a moment. These characteristics, and more, are his legacy.
Willie is survived by his children, Gerald (Adena) Walter of Fond du Lac, Sherry (Mark Boushele) Boushele-Walter of Neenah, Kerry Walter of Menasha; his grandchildren, Angela Roberts, and Bailey, Abbigayle, Brayden, and Beau Boushele-Walter; his great-grandchildren, Clair and Cassel Roberts; his Godchildren, Gary Williams, Ann Matuszak, Janette Martin and Sonja Nelson. He is further survived by many other relatives and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Adele; his parents, Herbert and Irma; all 11 of his siblings, Ray, Reine, Bill, Howard, Laura, Herbie, Erv, John, Don, Bud, and Bob; and many other treasured friends and relatives.
A visitation will be held for Willie on Friday, December 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (noon) at Immanuel Lutheran Church (The River Church) in Mayville with the funeral at 12 p.m. and burial service to follow at Immanuel Cemetery Tn. Theresa. The Rev. Douglas Zahner will be officiating.
Willie’s family would like to thank all the caregivers and loved ones who helped him in countless ways, over the past three and a half years.
Koepsell Funeral Home in Mayville is caring for the family. www.Koepsellfh.com