The La Crosse Tribune from La Crosse, Wisconsin • 10

La Crosse Tribune, Wednesday, October 1 1, 1989 Hometown irwm)1lDm) Week3 Mddqis irasGn atf Aires By TERRY RINDFLEISCH Of the Tribune staff hours. La Crosse firefighters fought a blaze Monday night that gutted Rock 'n Ray's bar and Edward's Used Restaurant Equipment Co. in the 900 block of Rose Street. Earlier that day, firefighters responded to an apartment fire at 432 Rose St. Fire officials cannot believe all the fires during Fire Prevention Week.

"Fire Prevention Week really took off," Bittner said. "It's really something." A neighbor saw smoke coming from a building in the 100 block of Buchner Place Tuesday and reported the fire at 8:09 p.m. When firefighters arrived at the one-story metal building, they encountered a large amount of smoke and heat and had to break into the building. No one was in the building at the time. Neumann said he had left work at 6 p.m.

The building sustained structural and smoke dam-, age. Some finished wood products were destroyed, but Neumann said he had not determined the amount of loss. About $30,000 worth of lumber in back of the building was also saved, according to Leslie Taylor, assistant fire chief. The fire was struck out at 8:52 p.m., but firefighters remained at the scene until 11:12 p.m. Six fire trucks and 17 firefighters responded to the fire.

The building is owned' by Barry Blomquist. said. "This is our busiest time of the season with craft shows and the Christmas season approaching." The La Crosse Fire Department said the probable cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion started by the sun's rays striking recently stained wood products sitting by a window. Fire officials said they have responded to similar fires in the city started by the sun. William Bittner, assistant fire chief, said the wood products were probably smoldering for some time before the heat built up and burst into flames.

The fire was the third major fire in the city in 36 Miles Neumann says he is grateful for the quick response by the La Crosse Fire Department Tuesday night that saved his wood processing plant from being destroyed. Neumann, owner of Neumann Wood 147 Buchner Place, said he plans to resume production of wood products such as candy boxes, small baskets and gift boxes on Thursday. "We're very fortunate because our machinery and records were not affected by the fire," Neumann Obituaries Tomah council eliminates assistant ambulance director Washington, D.C. In 1942, she and her three children moved to Wil-mette, 111., where her husband, Captain, later Lt. Donald R.

Moore was stationed. In 1954, she moved to Northbrook, 111., where she lived until 1974. Marie is survived by a brother and sister, John H. Esch of Madison and Margaret Weaver of Sun City, Ariz. She also leaves three children, Janet M.

Ebbert of Southern Pines, N.C, Donald R. Moore of Northbrook, 111., and Douglas E. Moore of Jonesboro, six grandchildren, Robert JonMoore, John Ebbert, Donald "Buzz" Moore, Karen Schweiger, Kathleen Fischer and Kerry Moore; nine great-grand-, children, Robinson and Bonnie Jon-Moore, Andy, Stephanie, John and Jennifer Moore, Jason Russell and Jamie and Amanda Fischer. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct.

14. ner-Picha Funeral Home Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and at the church Friday from noon until time of service. Mae D. Goldsmith Mae D.

Goldsmith, 82, formerly of 1738 Madison died in Hill-view Health Care Center Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1989. She was born in La Crosse to William and Amelia (Retz-laff) Goldsmith on May 8, 1907. She was the chief operator at La Crosse Telephone before she retired in 1972. She is survived by a sister, Jane Schaper of La Crosse; three nieces, Caryn Modawell of West Salem, Delores Barlow of Peach Blossom, and Ethel Burke of La Crosse; and three nephews, Howard Goldsmith of California, David Goldsmith of New Richmond, and Howard Johnson of Car-pentersville, 111.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and three brothers. Services will be Thursday at 1 p.m. from Sletten McKee Hanson Funeral Home. The Rev. William Heisler will officiate.

Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home today from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be given to the YWCA. decide if the position is necessary because its members work with those positions on a daily basis. Rusch also said the committee looked solely at the necessity of the position, not the person holding the job.

By eliminating the assistant director's position, the council will have more money available to entice their choice for new ambulance director to town. The council voted to increase the new ambulance director's salary to $24,000 a year. The council voted to pay the new director $22,500 when Lance Powers was approved for the position Sept. 19. The position currently pays $20,500.

Powers, however, would not agree to accept the position after two unidentified people in Tomah told him he would be here two months and then would be out of a job, the mayor said. Powers was also offered $30,000 to stay at his current job in Tomahawk, Wis. Mayor Rusch spoke with Powers who told him he'd take the Tomah job for $24,500 because he would rather be in Tomah as an By RENEE A. BOTTA Tribune Monroe County Bureau TOMAH, Wis. Three weeks after Tomah's assistant ambulance director thought Mayor John Rusch had saved his job, the city council voted to replace the position with a half-time clerk.

Rusch did not veto the council's vote Tuesday night as he did last month. The council voted 7-0 to eliminate the assistant director's position 30 days from today. Alderman Wayne Johnson, a medical technician, abstained from voting. The new clerk will be paid about $5.70 per hour. Rusch said he vetoed the resolution to eliminate the assistant director's position the first time to prevent Mike Rengert, who has been acting ambulance director at an annual salary of about a year, from losing his job when the new director takes over.

Rusch said today he did not veto Tuesday's vote because this time the recommendation came from the city's ambulance committee. Rusch said he feels that committee is more qualified to ambulance director than at his current job as an emergency medical technician. The council voted, 5-3, to offer Powers $24,000. Aldermen Patrick Vollman, Amos Johnson and Wayne Johnson voted against the salary increase. "If we want top quality people and we want them to stay, maybe we shouldn't try to get them down to the lowest possible wage," Rusch said.

Vollman said he questioned Powers' willingness to come to Tomah for $6,000 a year less than his current job. He said he also questioned the fact "he was turned off by people being negative," claiming Powers was playing games. Wayne Johnson also questioned whether Powers would accept the new salary "I suspect we'll get another call telling us it's still not high enough," Johnson said. In other business, the council voted unanimously to pledge and send in an application for a $25,000 grant to create a sports club or program to aid in curbing drug and alcohol abuse in low income housing areas. Helen A.

Johnson WEST SALEM, Wis. Helen A. Johnson, 83, of West Salem, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1989, in Mulder Health Care Facility. She was born Jan.

11, 1906, in the town of Hamilton to Simon and Gunda (Nelson) Romskog. She married Alvin L. Johnson June 3, 1933, in West Salem. She and her husband farmed in the West Salem area for many years and later started Ne-shonoc Camp Ground, which they sold in 1971. She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church and its ALCW.

Survivors are three sisters, Clara Erickson and Stella Hulberg, both of West Salem, and Signe Marking Graham of Holmen; four brothers, Selmer, Floyd and Gladwin Romskog, all of West Salem, and Ansel Romskog of Bangor; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1979, and by a brother and a sister. Services will be Friday, Oct. 13, at 1 1 a.m. from Our Savior's Lutheran Church, West The Rev.

J. David Bersagel will officiate. Burial will be in Neshonoc Cemetery. Friends may call at Jostad-Jandt Funeral Home Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m., and at the church Friday from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Memorials may be given to Our Savior's Lutheran Church. COULEE REGION BRIEFS COULEE CALENDAR Sunday, Oct. 15, in the Hixon Forest Nature Center. Call (608) 784-0303 Cancer talk set Monte Chrstensen, who 20 years ago was told he was terminally ill with will discuss how he returned to health Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m., in the Knights of Columbus Hall on Hwy.

16. Chris-tensen will discuss good thoughts, nutrition, exercise, vitamins and other aspects of his recovery, The talk is open, with a $5 admission fee. Open house La Crosse County fire stations will conduct an open house with free tours and fire prevention video tapes every half hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct.

14, in the following stations: Bangor, Holmen, West Salem, Campbell, La Crosse, Shelby, Onalaska, Mindoro and Rockland. Bird seed sale The Hixon Forest Nature Center will sponsor a bird seed sale to benefit the center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, and 7 Miracle-Ear Edith L.

Cook ONALASKA, Wis. Edith L. Cook, 73, Bailey's Harbor, passed away in St. Michael's Hospital, Stevens Point, Monday, Oct. 9, 1989.

She was bom March 28, 1916, in Bristol, to Arthur and Zella (Still) Ellis. On June 14, 1939, she married Arthur Cook. She was a member of Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church, Women's Circle, Bailey's Harbour Women's Club, and NARFE. She was a retired postal clerk. Survivors are her husband of Bailey's Harbour; three daughters, Louise (Ken) Miller of Dousman, Diane (Wes) Panzer of Onalaska, and Christine Cook of Greenfield; a son, Richard (Ellen) Cook of Wisconsin Rapids; six grandchildren; and a brother, Arthur of Reseda, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents, eight brothers and a sister. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday in United Methodist Church, Sturgeon Bay. The Rev. William Dushek will officiate.

Interment will be in Sunset Ridge Cemetery, Kenosha County, 11 a.m. Friday. Visitation will be at Davis Mortuary, 1414 Michigan Sturgeon Bay, today, and in Antioch, 111., on Thursday. Robert VV. Hill ELROY, Wis.

Robert W. Hill, 65, Elroy, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1989, in St. Mary's Hospital, Madison. He was born Dec.

29, 1923, in Elroy to Robert and Eva (Wetzel) Hill. He grew up in the Elroy area and on March 31, 1946, he married Betty Bahwell in her mother's home in La Crosse. He lived in Elroy all his life and worked in his father's dry goods store for many years. He also was head of quality control at Brunner Manufacturing for many years. He was a veteran of World War II and a member of Grace Lutheran Church, Elroy.

Survivors include his wife, Betty of Elroy; three sons, Richard of Stoughton, Mark of Elroy and Jon of Marshfield; three daughters, Mary Esser of Middleton, Rebecca Ogilvy of Fairfax, and Marilyn Hill Clark of Elroy; 1 1 grandchildren; and a brother, William of Elroy. Services will be Friday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. in Grace Lutheran Church. The Rev.

Glenn Borreson will officiate. Burial will be in Elroy City Cemetery. Friends may call at Zen- Funds requested for cemetery VIROQUA, Wis. A request by the Viroqua Cemetery Association for $8,000 from the city treasury to balance the association's 1989 budget was referred to a committee by the city council Tuesday night. Viroqua Cemetery Association treasurer Jim Hohlfelder said the association ended up with $2,450 in cemetery lot sales to date and had projected to finish the year with $8,600 in sales.

He also reminded council members that they trimmed $4,000 off the association's original $48,000 budget request for 1989. Council member Betty Vig said she opposed the request because cemetery caretaker Clair Morrison is paid more than some of the city department heads; housing is provided to the caretaker; the 4,000 residents of Viroqua support the budget for a cemetery, which is open for use by residents throughout Vernon County; and the city has limited control over the cemetery association. Mayor Charles Dahl referred the matter to the city finance committee for action at the council's Oct. 31 meeting. Two bartenders facing charges NEW ALBIN, Iowa Charges of serving alcoholic beverages to a minor are pending against two bartenders at the Opus Club in New Albin, Iowa.

Police Chief Larry Rice said today the pair were observed by an Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer Saturday, Sept. 30. Charges against four minors for possession of alcoholic beverages also will be filed by Allamakee County authorities. Rice said the DNR officer's observation and the charges result from complaints submitted to law enforcement agencies by New Albin residents. No court appearance dates for any of the people have been set, he said.

Snowplow drivers will compete Snowplow operators from around Minnesota will dodge cones and avoid barricades during the Snowfighter Rodeo Thursday in St. Cloud, Minn. Ninety drivers from 15 Minnesota Department of Transportation districts will compete head to head at a nine-event course designed to simulate actual winter snowplowing conditions. The Minnesota DOT is sponsoring the event now in its third year. DOT commissioner Leonard Levine said it will give highway maintenance crews the chance to demonstrate their skills.

Minnesota State Troopers will judge the competition. Levine will present awards for the top three individual performances and for the best team effort of one the DOT districts. The event is open toa the public. DOT employee David Severson, Spring Grove, a snowplow operator for 23 years, will compete for the first time in the Rodeo. THE MOST FAMOUS HEARING INSTRUMENT i IN AMERICA MAKE SURE YOU'RE HEARING WITH THE ORIGINAL MIRACLE-EAR Only Miracle-Ear centers offer the authentic Miracle-Ear Miracle-EafCenter Nellie O.

Rudrud ONALASKA, Wis. Nellie O. Rudrud, 95, of 1600 Main Ona-laska, formerly of the Westby area, died Monday, Oct. 9, 1989, in Ona-laska Care Center. She was born Jan.

30, 1894, in the city of Westby to Ole and Helene (Aubern) Nelson. She was united in marriage to Melvin K. Rudrud. He. died May 25, 1969.

They farmed in Bloomingdale until 1969. She then moved to 804 Cass La Crosse. In 1980, she became a resident of Onalaska Health Care Center. Nellie was a member of Westby Coon Prairie Lutheran Church and past president of Bloomingdale Ladies Aid. Survivors are a daughter, Deloris (Mrs.

James) Lindsay of La Crosse; two granddaughters, Mary of Memphis, and Sara of Bloo-mington, Minn. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by 10 brothers and sisters and a granddaughter, Susan Jean. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in Westby Coon Praiire Lutheran Church, iwith burial in Coon Prairie Cemetery.

Pastor Paul Jordahl will officiate. Friends may call at the church from 12:30 p.m. until time of services. Vosseteig Funeral Home, Westby, is in charge of arrangements. Roy Edward Mattson BROWNSVILLE, Minn.

Roy Edward Mattson, 80, Brownsville, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1989, in Lutheran Hospital, La Crosse, Wis. He was born Aug. 7, 1909, in LaMoure, N.D., to Martin and Anna Mattson. He married Geneva Pagel Oct.

22, 1936, in Iowa. She died April 30, 1978. He lived in the Brownsville area since 1946, and worked in road construction for Ryan Brothers Construction Janesville, Wis. He was a member of Zion Evangelical Church. He also belonged to the Operating Engineers Union Local 139.

Survivors include a son, Leroy of Hineston, three daughters, Leone Whalen of Duluth, Jean Mills of Coon Rapids, and Alice Mattson of Brownsville; five grandchildren; two sisters, Ethel Edwards of Puyallup, and Florence Smith of California. In addition to his wife, six brothers and sisters have died. Services will be Saturday at 1 1 a.m. in Zion Evangelical Church, Brownsville. The Rev.

Robert Milde will officiate. Burial will be in Zion Church Cemetery. Friends may call Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Haugen-Roble Funeral Home, Caledonia, and at the church from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

Marie Esch Moore Marie Esch Moore, daughter of former La Crosse Congressman John Jacob Esch, died Aug. 17, 1989, in Southern Pines, N.C. She was born Oct. 14, 18, in La Crosse, one of nine children of John and Anna Esch. She graduated from University of Wisconsin and later taught in TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17 1-5 P.M.

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