James J. Wirtz

James J. Wirtz James J. Wirtz, 67, of St. Peter, died Saturday, January 15, 2011, at the Fond du Lac Lutheran Home, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer. He was born October 15, 1943, in Fond du Lac, the son of Ambrose "Jack" and Lorraine Wirth Wirtz. On June 19, 1965, he married Dianne Hammarlund at Sacred Heart Church in Fond du Lac. James was a 1962 graduate of St. Mary's Springs Academy. For over 40 years, he owned and operated Mengel Oil until his retirement in 2007. He was a member of the St. Peter Lions Club, where he drove for the Eye Bank, the Wednesday Nite Businessmen's League at Whispering Springs Golf Course, the Oil Jobbers Association of Wisconsin, and after retiring, helped cut grass at the parish cemetery at St. Peter Cemetery and the baseball diamond. His passion was golfing and gardening. He was a veteran of the US Army National Guard, serving in the early 1960's. He loved traveling, playing cards, the New York Yankees, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Green Bay Packers, and driving his 71' Corvette. He especially liked giving rides to his grandchildren on his John Deere tractor. Surviving is his wife, Dianne, a son, Tim (Linda) Wirtz of Oshkosh, three daughters, Terri (Bill) Lamb of North Fond du Lac, Chris Wirtz of Appleton, and Cindi (Brian) Liethen of North Fond du Lac, and five grandchildren, Jessica, Taylor, Meghan, Jacob, and Lauren. He is further survived by his mother, Lorraine of Mt. Calvary, and three sisters, Sister Phyllis Wirtz, School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, Mary Abler of St. Peter, and Ann (Dave) Schumacher of St. Peter. His father, Jack, and a brother-in-law, Roger "Cheesie" Abler, preceded him in death.



Visitation for James J. Wirtz will be on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, from 4 to 8 PM at Uecker-Witt Funeral Home, and again on Thursday, January 20th, from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at St. Peter Catholic Church, St. Peter. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Thursday at the church. The Rev. Victor Capriolo will officiate and entombment will be in the Chapel of The Risen Christ Mausoleum, Calvary Cemetery. A memorial has been established in James' name. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Drs. Karewicz and Lundberg, the staffs of Central Wisconsin Cancer Program, St. Agnes Hospital, the Fond du Lac Lutheran Home, and Agnesian Hospice for their compassion and care that was extended to Jim.