Myron "Mike" Ekern

Myron W. “Mike” Ekern, 90, of La Crosse, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2017, at the Bethany-St. Joseph Care Center.

He was born December 15, 1926, on a farm in Coon Valley, Wis., to Jordahl and Olga (Lee) Ekern. He attended Westby High School and later graduated from La Crosse Central High School. After graduation, Mike served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-46 as a seaplane tender assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Shamrock Bay. He attended the Minneapolis Business College after his service and then worked for Northern States Power Company for 43 years before retiring in 1993.

Mike married Marjorie Hanson on September 2, 1950, at Trinity Lutheran Church in La Crosse. In his younger days, he played 16” softball for many years for several area teams including Gladstone Tavern, Our Corner Tavern, the Eagles Club and Schmidty’s. He was an avid golfer and bowler and always enjoyed a good game of cards, especially gin rummy or euchre. Mike served as President and Treasurer of the Northern States Credit Union for many years, was a member of Eagles Aerie 1254 of La Crosse since 1959, and was an active member of the La Crosse YMCA for many years right up until this past year.

Mike is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his children, Kathy Ekern, Bruce (Karin) Ekern, Laurie (Greg) Servais, Dennis (Heather) Ekern and Terry Ekern; his grandchildren, Joel (Melissa) Ekern, Rachael Ekern, Gabe Ekern, Ryan (Kristen) Servais, Kyle Servais (Bridget Trio), Taylor Ekern, Meghan Jehu, Lindsey Jehu and Alaina Jehu; and his great grandchildren, Madeleine and Audrina Ekern and Archie Servais. He is further survived by two sisters-in-law, Joyce Ekern and Joann Hanson; many nieces and nephews; and his good friend, Don Seufzer. He was preceded in death by sisters, Ruby Skilbeck and her husband, Howard, and Dorothy Holen and her husband, Arnie; his brother, Harland Ekern; a son-in-law, Michael Carlin; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jean and Gerald Klar; and brother-in-law, Robert Hanson.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 1 ^st , at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services, 200 West Ave. So., La Crosse. Burial, with military honors, will follow in Mormon Coulee Memorial Park. Family and friends may call from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday at the funeral home and again from 10:00 a.m. until time of service on Wednesday.