Hans Peter Stolz

Hans Peter Stolz, age 75 of Independence, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 with his loving family at his side. Hans was born to Hans K. and Martha Stolz on December 4, 1941 in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1948, before he could speak English, Hans emigrated with his parents and sister, Brigitte, from Switzerland to the Waumandee Valley where he would live the rest of his life. He attended St. Boniface Catholic School in Waumandee. After graduating from Arcadia High School in 1960, he returned to work with his parents on the family dairy farm. Hans married the love of his life, Catherine “Cookie” Lisowski of Alma, who intended to “never marry a farmer” at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Waumandee, WI on June 3rd, 1967. Hans held a deep love and commitment to his wife and family, to his friends, to farming and to his Christian faith. With his passion for animals (especially his cows), for the land and for John Deere tractors, dairy farming was Hans’s true lifelong calling. Hans also felt a strong connection to his Swiss heritage, making numerous trips to Switzerland, hosting many Swiss farmhands and speaking only Swiss-German to his three sons throughout his entire life. He enjoyed snowmobiling, deer-hunting, and playing “old-timer” softball. He especially enjoyed playing “Eile mit Weili” (Parcheesi) with his grandchildren along with driving his 1964 Pontiac GTO convertible in which he and Catherine made countless parade appearances over the years. Hans was active in the St. Boniface Parish, serving on the finance council and singing in the choir. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Tri-State Breeders Association and for the Garden Valley Coop. Hans will be deeply missed by Catherine, his devoted wife of 49 years; sons, Allen (Annegret) Stolz of Waumandee, Brian (Debbie) Stolz of Hudson, WI, and Stephen (Rebecca) Stolz of Lake City, MN along with his eleven grandchildren and his sister, Brigitte Stolz (Summerland, British Columbia) along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. A memorial mass will be held on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 10:30am at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Waumandee with Father Brian Jazdzewski presiding. Burial to follow at the parish cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 26th from 1pm to 4pm and one hour prior to mass. A special thanks to the doctors and support staff of the Mayo Clinic Healthcare system, Brenda Reichert and Jocelyn Deabor of the St. Croix Hospice Center, to care provider Mary Symitczek and to Rob Talbot of Talbot Family Funeral Homes.