10/30/2024
OBITUARY: Roger Allan Griepentrog, 82, of Freedom, Wis. passed away on Oct. 27, 2024 after almost three years battling cancer. He was born in Tigerton, Wis. on Sept. 24, 1942 to Delbert and Olive (Schoenfeld) Griepentrog.
He attended Tigerton schools, graduating in 1960. He was big into sports, with baseball being his number one. He played Tigerton, Marion and Clintonville baseball into adulthood and coached youth teams and managed leagues well into his 60s. He regularly played recreational league basketball into his late 50s. His first career was with fire truck manufacturer FWD Seagrave in Clintonville. There he worked in the shipping department and did final truck inspections. In his retirement years, Roger and wife Angie owned Freedom Publishing, Inc. in Freedom.
He married Angela (Gaspar) Griepentrog on Jan. 8, 2005 in Freedom. They first met in 1997 in Clintonville when Angie was Managing Editor at the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette and Roger was submitting youth baseball stories. Together, Roger and Angie started and ran the Freedom Pursuit newspaper, which recently closed after 21 years serving the Freedom community. Other publications the two published included Strike Scrap, mxAIR Magazine, Lutheran Loop and Seymour Source. In their earlier years, Roger and Angie played on a co-ed softball team in Marquette, Mich. and also played a lot of tennis and racquetball.
Over the years Roger’s favorite things included watching his kids’ and grandkids’ activities and being part of family birthday parties, weddings, graduations and family reunions. He always read his Marion Advertiser newspaper. He was entertained by going to rummage sales, watching the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers on TV, attending live theater and concert events and being out in public taking photos for the newspaper and mingling with the community. He loved people and was always on the go, loaded with energy. He couldn’t go anywhere in Wisconsin without someone recognizing him and enthusiastically calling out his name. Much of this was thanks to his many years playing sports.
Being a member and attending St. Peter Lutheran Church in Freedom was an important part of his life. He was grateful for the several St. Peter pastors who continued visiting and praying with him at home, in hospitals and during nursing home rehabilitations. In years past, he had also preferred and requested Father Walter Stumpf from St. Nicholas Catholic Church to assist in prayer during difficult times.
He was fussy about his food, always preferring his wife’s cooking over anything else. Big holiday meals were a big deal. Some places that were always a treat, though, were Mickie Lou’s BBQ in Marinette, JD’s Drive-In in Appleton, Kroll’s in Green Bay, Frank’s Pizza (now Pierri’s) in Appleton and Vango’s in Marquette, Mich. He loved his sweets and especially ice cream at bedtime every night for many years. In his last days he was adamant about getting homemade beef stroganoff, fried cheese curds and a strawberry shake. Those wishes were granted.
As Roger’s cancer progressed and health declined, he kept setting final life goals. One goal was to see his youngest daughter Jessi graduate from Fox Valley Lutheran High School. He made it there in a wheelchair after surviving multiple cardiac arrests and organ failures. Then he focused on making it to another Christmas, and then seeing Jessi play college soccer, and then seeing her play college tennis. He set new goals to see Jessi’s sports in her second college year. Another major goal achieved was meeting his first great grandchild Evelyn, which he was also able to do against the odds. Even within his final days while propped up in an emergency room bed on oxygen, suffering yet more organ failure, Roger’s face lit as he saw a new photo of Evelyn. He declared her one of the cutest babies he’s ever seen.
He is survived by his wife Angie Griepentrog, daughter Jessi Griepentrog from Freedom and stepson Austin (Miranda) Gaspar and their children, Caleb and Colette, from Maple Valley, Washington. He is also survived by his first wife Sally (Pietz) Griepentrog of Clintonville and their children: daughters Jodi and Lori, Clintonville; daughter Cari Griepentrog (Tony Shaw), Bear Creek; and son Michael (Carrie) Griepentrog, Bear Creek. Additional surviving grandchildren are Kyle (Cassi) Griepentrog, Clintonville; A.J. Wilken, Eau Claire; Alec Wilken, Brillion; Payton Griepentrog (Ally Thompson), Bear Creek; Megan Griepentrog, Bear Creek; Allison Griepentrog, Bear Creek; and great-granddaughter Evelyn Griepentrog, Clintonville. Surviving siblings are Gayle Griepentrog, Wausau and Tim (Teresa) Griepentrog, Tigerton.
Preceding him in death were his parents Delbert and Olive Griepentrog, sister Deborah Griepentrog and sister and brother-in-law Carolyn (David) Riedel.
Visitation for Roger will take place at St. Peter Lutheran Church, N2740 French Road, Freedom on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 from 9 a.m. until the funeral service at 11 a.m. with Pastor Bill Monday officiating. Interment will take place at Community Lutheran Cemetery, Freedom.
Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home, Seymour, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed to Roger's family at www.muehlboettcher.com.
