MILLARD H. GUNDLACH
FENNIMORE, Wis. - Millard H. "Mick" Gundlach, 83, of Fennimore, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning, Jan. 21, 2001, at the Fennimore Good Samaritan Center, with his family at his side.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at United Methodist Church, Fennimore. Burial will be in Rock Church Cemetery, Livingston, where military rites will be accorded. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Soman-Larson Funeral Home, Montfort, where there will be a Masonic service at 8 p.m.
FENNIMORE, Wis. - Millard H. "Mick" Gundlach, 83, of Fennimore, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning, Jan. 21, 2001, at the Fennimore Good Samaritan Center, with his family at his side.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at United Methodist Church, Fennimore. Burial will be in Rock Church Cemetery, Livingston, where military rites will be accorded. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Soman-Larson Funeral Home, Montfort, where there will be a Masonic service at 8 p.m.
A lifelong resident of Grant County, he was born on June 16, 1917, just outside of Livingston, son of Philip and Marietta Gundlach. He grew up on a farm with seven brothers and sisters, and he developed a strong interest in agriculture. This early- discovered fascination led to a long adult career as a teacher and a national leader in agriculture education.
Mick began his adult life by attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he earned a teaching degree. While at the university, he met the love of his life, and wife of 61 years, Wilma Lorraine Rubin. They married in August 1939. Mick and Wilma lived most of their lives in Montfort.
He spent much of 1945 and 1946 serving our country in the Army.
Though Mick spent a couple of years as an educator in Laona and Bonduel, in northern Wisconsin, the majority of his career was concentrated in Grant County. Mick taught for 25 years at Montfort and Iowa-Grant High Schools. During the last 14 years of his career, Mick was the coordinator of the Young and Adult Farmer Program at Southwest Vocational School in Fennimore.
Mick was a member and leader in many agriculture-related professional and community organizations, and most notably, served as the president of both the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association and the Wisconsin Association of Vocational Agriculture Instructors. He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the American Legion in Montfort.
He enjoyed hands-on work with students. He assisted students with livestock projects and was actively involved in judging livestock competitions. Mick always was widely respected by his students.
Throughout his life, Mick was an avid fisherman. He spent many spring and summer days in search of trophy trout on local Grant County streams and made frequent ice fishing trips. Mick also enjoyed woodworking, sporting events and card games.
Surviving are his wife, Wilma; five children, Robert (Sandy), of Columbia, S.C., Larry (Kathryn), of Madison, Betty (Carlton) Austin, of Fennimore, Rosemary (David) Sackett, of Menominee Falls, and David, of Montfort; a sister, Kathryn Hunt; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and six siblings, Wilma Kemper, Chester Gundlach, Anita Knutson, Stanley Gundlach, Iris Biddick and Ona Gundlach.
Mick began his adult life by attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he earned a teaching degree. While at the university, he met the love of his life, and wife of 61 years, Wilma Lorraine Rubin. They married in August 1939. Mick and Wilma lived most of their lives in Montfort.
He spent much of 1945 and 1946 serving our country in the Army.
Though Mick spent a couple of years as an educator in Laona and Bonduel, in northern Wisconsin, the majority of his career was concentrated in Grant County. Mick taught for 25 years at Montfort and Iowa-Grant High Schools. During the last 14 years of his career, Mick was the coordinator of the Young and Adult Farmer Program at Southwest Vocational School in Fennimore.
Mick was a member and leader in many agriculture-related professional and community organizations, and most notably, served as the president of both the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association and the Wisconsin Association of Vocational Agriculture Instructors. He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the American Legion in Montfort.
He enjoyed hands-on work with students. He assisted students with livestock projects and was actively involved in judging livestock competitions. Mick always was widely respected by his students.
Throughout his life, Mick was an avid fisherman. He spent many spring and summer days in search of trophy trout on local Grant County streams and made frequent ice fishing trips. Mick also enjoyed woodworking, sporting events and card games.
Surviving are his wife, Wilma; five children, Robert (Sandy), of Columbia, S.C., Larry (Kathryn), of Madison, Betty (Carlton) Austin, of Fennimore, Rosemary (David) Sackett, of Menominee Falls, and David, of Montfort; a sister, Kathryn Hunt; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and six siblings, Wilma Kemper, Chester Gundlach, Anita Knutson, Stanley Gundlach, Iris Biddick and Ona Gundlach.
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Words about her father by daughter, Betty (Gundlach) Austin Apr. 2018
Millard “Mick” Gundlach was born & grew up on a farm near Livingston & attended Livingston High School. After graduating from Wisconsin State Teachers College in Platteville with a degree in Ag Education he taught for two years in Northern Wisconsin before taking the teaching job in Montfort in 1941. Except for one year in the military at the end of WWII, he was Agriculture instructor there, and then at Iowa-Grant, until 1967. At the time of the consolidation to form the Iowa-Grant Schools, Mick was teaching agriculture & sciences at Montfort High School. He then became the Agriculture Instructure for the new School District. Mick was the first Agriculture Instructor & FFA Advisor at Iowa-Grant High School. Along with his high school teaching, he also was involved in instruction for young, adult & veteran farmers.
In 1967 Mick became the first employee at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore. He worked there as Ag Coordinator and farm Training Instructor until his retirement in 1982. Mick was President of the Wisconsin Association of Vocational Agriculture Instructors and was one of two Wisconsin Agriculture Instructors, to this day, to serve as President of the National Agriculture Teachers Association, then known as NVATA. During his time working in agriculture Mick was instrumental in the formation of the Wisconsin FFA Alumni which supports FFA members in high school & beyond. He was also a member of the committee responsible for the formation pf the Postsecondary Agriculture Student organization (PAS) a national organization for students in post high school agriculture programs such as those at Southwest Tech. Mick was nationally recognized as a livestock judge & judged many county fairs as well as serving as the Swine judge at the Minnesota State Fair.
Along with all of these accomplishments, Mick & his wife Wilma raised their five children in Montfort.
