Verlyn C. Kuderer

Verlyn was born on December 14, 1924 to Gertrude and Carl Kuderer at his parents' dairy farm in Wilton, WI. He had an older sister, Joyce, and two younger brothers, Elton and Norman. He attended grade school at Dorset Valley School, a one-room schoolhouse, and graduated from Wilton High School in 1942.

He soon met the love of his life, Maxine Thorson, and he was smitten. As Maxine was still in high school at the time and Verlyn was six years older, the road to marriage took nine years including following her to Milwaukee. They eventually married on August 22, 1953. Their lives together were blessed with three children (Chris, Tom and Jim), two loving daughter-in-laws (Cindy and Tammy) and five grandsons (Joey, Jon, Dustin, Karl and Michael).

Verlyn spent more than thirty years of his working life as the Shipping Manager at Ideals Publishing Company. Later he worked at Aris Isotoner until he retired in 1989. He and Maxine traveled a great deal after he stopped working, taking cruises to Alaska and the Panama Canal as well as trips to Hawaii, Norway, Germany, Austria and throughout the United States, generally with treasured relatives and friends or with the Friends of Concordia group.

Verlyn was a man of few words. He was quiet, usually soaking up the conversation around him and then suddenly his quick wit and good natured teasing would appear without warning. That's the same way he played cards with close friends, Martin Club friends or with his Thursday night Immanuel men's group unexpectedly slamming down his cards in victory with a sheepish grin.

Verlyn loved to fish his whole life. He waited all year to go to the cabin which the family rented for nearly 40 years on Upper Buckatabon Lake near Conover, WI. Those were the best 2-3 weeks of the year for him even though there was no shower, no doors on the bedrooms and no running hot water! In recent years he loved his mini bachelor fishing vacation at "Uncle Dom's Resort" in Solon Springs, WI. Hours on the dock were followed by hours meticulously filleting each fish. Second to fishing, Verlyn enjoyed the warmth and lack of chores during the winter months at Tom and Cindy's condo in Ft. Myers, FL. He could sit for hours just watching the world go by.

Every life is full of highlights and sorrows. Joey's death in 2003, Jon's bone marrow transplant in 1998 and experiencing a tornado up close were some of the low points in his life but he always tried to make good come out of bad. When Maxine was diagnosed with cancer in 1978, Verlyn brought his three kids by himself to Immanuel to church…and he never stopped attending! He joined Immanuel in 1981 and it brought him so much joy to serve as Head Usher for years, counting and recording the weekly offering, as well as countless little behind the scenes tasks such as filling the oil candle or dusting the processional cross. His membership at Immanuel was a true blessing in his life, becoming friends with many and touching many lives with his kindness and humor. His faith continued to grow in our Lord and Savior and was a source of strength as his body weakened.

Verlyn taught his children useful things such as how to fix just about anything with duct tape, paperclips and baling twine, carry a pocketknife, eat everything on your plate, angleworms are caught after a rain and never pay for a cup of coffee. He taught them to be avid Packers fans and to cherish Kuderer Packer Sundays all huddled in the smallest room of the house but leaning to help the running back. He instilled in them a strong work ethic, to think of others first, and to be honest. Verlyn's greatest gift to his children was the gift of unconditional love and security. No matter what stupid thing they did, they knew that their dad would still love them, accept them, and help them grow from the mistake (of course, he wasn't a man of few words on those occasions!).

Having an uncommon first name made him memorable. Getting to know him made him unforgettable. On April 12, 2013, Verlyn's big, kind, loving heart just wore out while he was recovering from a broken hip and he was called home to be with our Lord. A few weeks before he died he asked Chris to put these words in the bulletin: "60 YEARS AND HE STILL LOVES HER!" [Mission accomplished, Dad!]. A symbol of the deep love he had for Maxine is the fact that Verlyn's wedding ring never once came off his finger until the day he died…fulfilling his wedding vows made 59 years and 233 days before. As we celebrate Verlyn's life, may we all experience everlasting life and love this deep through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Visitation at the Funeral Home on Friday, April 19, 2013, 4:00-8:00 PM. Additional visitation at IMMANUEL LUTHERAN, 13445 West Hampton Road, on Saturday, April 20, 2013, 9:00-10:00 AM. Funeral Service at 10:00 AM. Memorials appreciated to the church.

Verlyn was employed for many years at Ideals Publishing Company and later at Aris Isotoner.