Leroy H. Boehlke

LeRoy Boehlke, 90, of La Crosse, passed away Saturday, October 19, 2019, at Bethel Home in Viroqua.

Roy was born in Kingsville, Texas, on November 8, 1928 to Martin and Edna (Krause) Boehlke. He graduated from Central High School in 1947. In 1948, Roy married his wife of 71 years, Delores ‘Dorie’ (Hansen) at English Lutheran Church in La Crosse.

After high school, Roy worked at Arenz Shoe Store in La Crosse. In 1950 Roy and Dorie moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where all four of their children were born. In 1963, the family returned to La Crosse, where Roy worked as a property manager until he retired in 1993.

Roy is survived by his wife, Dorie; their children, Debbie (Larry) Panek, Gary (Tami) Boehlke, Mark (Jane) Boehlke, and Scott (Shar) Boehlke; 10 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and his brother Roger (Belinda) Boehlke. He was preceded in death by his parents and his stepfather, Harry Rick.

Roy was a kind and caring husband and father who loved to laugh and was not afraid to cry. He dearly loved Dorie and their 70+ years of life together. He also loved to play cards, garden (tomatoes and flowers especially) and fish, especially on Lake Onalaska.

The family would like to thank Eagle Crest South, Gundersen Health System, Vernon Memorial Healthcare, and Bethel Home for their kind and compassionate care for Roy over the past 3 years.

A memorial service and celebration of Roy’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 25, 2019, at English Lutheran Church in La Crosse. Friends may call on the family from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services. To read Roy’s expanded obituary and leave online condolences, please visit www.schumacher-kish.com .

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the English Lutheran Church Memorial Fund.

Roy’s Perfect Day

Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa or Roy. However, you addressed him, we can only imagine his perfect day would have gone something like this:

It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday morning in mid-September. Roy’s up about 7:30, maybe 8:00 if he’s sleeping in. He starts a pot of coffee and sets the kitchen table for two.

Dorie’s not far behind him, & their first encounter of the morning is a kiss, as was the case every morning.

A quick breakfast of slightly burnt toast and some fresh fruit; read the Sunday morning Tribune, and then they’re off to Church Service at English Lutheran. But not before the tomatoes and flowers are watered and the finch feeder is filled.

After church, a simple lunch and then Roy’s loading up the boat with fishing poles & bait. The bait being big night crawlers caught on the golf course the night before with flashlight and a quick hand.

They’re off to Lake Onalaska.

“ Boy , are they biting today!”

2 hours later, with boat in tow, they’re on their way home with their limit of big sunfish; maybe a crappie or perch mixed in with the bunch as well.

Roy gets busy cleaning the fish, while Dorie begins preparing dinner. There’s a lot to prepare, since, by an act of God, the entire family and all of their friends are able to come for dinner on Roy’s Perfect Day.

After the fish are cleaned and the dinner prep is done, there’s just enough time for happy hour before family and friends arrive. So, Roy mixes himself a gin & tonic and Dorie pours herself a cold glass of Reisling before they sit down at the table with their bowl of snacks for a game of 500 Rummy.

One by one the kids arrive with their kids and grandkids for dinner, along with all of their friends.

Its brats and burgers on the grill, with Roy’s fresh home-grown tomatoes, kohlrabi, and a salad or two. Dorie has lemon bars and her home-made cookies for dessert.

There’s one other special dessert that the kids brought; a cake. Roy’s Perfect Day happens to be their anniversary, September 11 ^th . The decoration on the cake says 71 years, but we all know their love for each other will go on forever.

After dinner there’s plenty of time for some lawn dice in the backyard, socializing, or a game of Cribbage, Euchre or Tonk (“the card game guaranteed to piss you off”)

Finally, it’s time for all to leave, but not before everyone gets a hug or peck on the cheek from Roy and Dorie.

The house is quiet now as Dorie settles in with a good book and Roy reclines to watch the Brewers win again, or maybe a game show rerun.

The evening concludes by watching the local news (don’t forget the weather), and ending the day as it began, with a loving kiss goodnight.

There were no gifts exchanged today. It was a pretty simple day of Fishing, Fun, Friends, Family and Faith.

The only gift today was from God. It was…. “Roy’s Perfect Day”