William L. Frankenhoff, 79, of Boscobel and formerly of Fennimore, died Sunday, May 8, 2016, at the Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital. William was born on June 1, 1936, in Madison, to Kenneth and Esther (Pasold) Frankenhoff.
He lived most of his life on the family dairy farm located on Hwy. 61 north of Fennimore, purchasing the farm from his father in the mid-1960s.
The first eight years of his education were at the one-room Rock School near the family farm; his was the last class to go through all the grades there before the school was closed. He graduated from Fennimore High School in 1954.
His expertise in the field of Holstein evaluations led to him being named Wisconsin State Dairy Judging Champion in 1954 and to his serving as an alternate on the Wisconsin judging team at National Cattle Congress in 1955. For many years, he helped prepare both the Fennimore High School dairy judging team and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville team for their competitions. He also participated in the Grant County show animal project, taking an active interest with each project animal from his farm: checking on its progress throughout the year and helping its new owner clip and fit it for the show ring. He sold many Registered Holstein dairy heifers and bulls for export around the world, helping farmers in other countries improve their herds. A long-time member of both the Wisconsin Holstein Association and the national Holstein-Friesen Association, he received the Progressive Breeders Award multiple times.
He served on the board of Liberty Mutual Insurance based in Stitzer for 39 years and was treasurer of that town mutual insurance company for about 20 years. As a member of the Boscobel Kiwanis Club, he especially enjoyed selling peanuts for its annual fundraiser. He was also a long time member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fennimore.
On October 17, 1964, he married Mary Kay Trappe, in Monona, Iowa. The two worked side-by-side—and later with their son, Brent—on the family farm in Fennimore until the couple retired and moved to Boscobel in 2000. Throughout his life, he enjoyed milking his cows, playing cards, visiting with friends, helping neighbors, and attending his son’s concerts and other performances.
He is survived by his wife, Mary of Boscobel, and his son Brent, daughter-in-law Kim, and grandson Brad of Iola, WI. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, May 12, 2016, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fennimore with burial to follow in Bethel Cemetery, Hickory Grove Township, Grant County, WI. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday evening May 11, 2016 at the Larson Family Funeral Home in Fennimore.