James D. Omernik

James D. Omernik, 82, of La Crosse, died peacefully on Sunday, May 14, 2023, in his home. He was born on August 14, 1940 at home in Garfield, WI the fourth of five children born to Alex and Gertrude (Richter) Omernik. Garfield is about 20 miles from Stevens Point, WI and is where his father had a country grocery store. All the children helped their father in the store until they left home for school or other careers.

Jim graduated from Rosholt High School, Rosholt, WI in 1958 where he played high school basketball and baseball. Jim worked for Hardware Mutual (Sentry Insurance) in Stevens Point WI for about two years after graduation from high school. He joined the US Army, stationed in Fort Sill, OK, and was honorably discharged after two years in April of 1962. His work while in the Army was with early computers. Jim graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 1966 majoring in Economics with a minor in Mathematics. After graduation, he began his career at Trane Company in La Crosse, WI as a computer programmer. Jim worked at Trane for over 38 years in various positions in the computer information technology field, both domestic and international. He retired from Trane Co. in 2005.

During retirement, Jim volunteered at his church, both St. Pius and Mary, Mother of the Church, WAFER Food Pantry and Catholic Charities Warming Center and looked forward to the monthly breakfasts with other retired co-workers and neighbors. He was a guardian for two WWII veterans on the first Freedom Honor Flight from La Crosse to Washington DC.

Jim met Donna while attending UW-Stevens Point. They married the week after graduation on June 11, 1966 at St. John Cantius Church in Sobieski, WI and moved to La Crosse, WI where they made their home and raised three daughters.

Being a father to his three daughters was one of Jim’s greatest accomplishments, teaching them what was important to be a good person as they grew and became wives and mothers. As a result, they always showed the highest respect for their father. One memorable thing Jim did would be to make up nighttime stories to tell his daughters, stories about the Brownies, the man who ate too much of one kind of food, and Freddie Fenderbender. As an Eighth Grade English project, each one made a book of their favorite story with illustrations and dedicated their book to their Dad, a beautiful tribute to him.

Jim especially liked trains. He would delight in waiting in the car for a train at one of the crossings near his home and stop when he was walking to watch them. Whenever possible while working at Trane Company, Jim would come home from business trips by train. Jim instilled the love of trains in his grandchildren with his own model train that he set up every summer in the backyard so they could be engineers and run the trains.

Jim liked playing cards of all kinds, except bridge! He belonged to two poker groups with some good friends for a number of years, playing for fun and just getting together. When Jim’s parents were living, the family played pinochle; with the children and grandchildren, it was euchre. And he and Donna played gin every day while eating lunch.

Being in the neighborhood for so many years brought very special friendships that included Oktoberfest gatherings, dinners together, birthdays, marriages, deaths, Rose Bowl and Super Bowl parties, and just being there for each other.

But most of all, Jim liked being with Donna. They enjoyed sitting and reading in the sunroom, taking day car trips, going to movies, trying out new places to eat, going back to old favorites, picnicking on nice days and watching their children and grandchildren grow up. In retirement, Jim and Donna traveled both in the United States and internationally. They had a motto: We will travel until we are not able to walk anymore. And they did!

Jim is survived by his wife, Donna of 56 years, three daughters Christine (Greg) Griese, Hudson WI, Katherine (Nick) Jennings, Arena WI, and Lynne (Doug) Lucht, Savage MN; five grandchildren, Joseph Griese, Nathaniel, Katelyn and James Jennings, and James Lucht; one sister, Kathleen (Richard) Northrop of Broomfield CO; sisters-in-law Kathryn Omernik of Oneida WI, Sharon Hernet of Anchorage, AK, Gail (Paul) Springsteen of Waupaca, WI; brother-in-law Dennis Hernet of Manitowoc, WI, along with many nieces and nephews in both the Omernik and Hernet families.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his father and mother-in-law, Henry and Bernadine Hernet; sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary (Ted) Burant and Elizabeth (Don) Wadzinski; brother and sister-in-law, Robert (Ann) Omernik; sister-in-law Mary Ann Hernet.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, May 19, 2023 at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, 2006 Weston St., La Crosse. Rev. Brian D. Konopa will officiate. Entombment will be in the Catholic Cemetery on Losey Boulevard in La Crosse. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 9:00 AM until the time of service. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to WAFER, Mary, Mother of the Church, or Place of Grace.

Online guestbook is available at www.schumacher-kish.com.