Posted: Mon 2:41 PM, Sep 10, 2012
Funeral Home: Helke
Norman W. Parsch, 94 of Wausau went to be with his Lord on Saturday,
September 8, 2012, at Wellington Place in Wausau with his loving wife at his
side, and under the care of Aspirus Hospice Services. He was born March 12,
1918, the son of Gustav A. and Louise B. (Giese) Parsch in the town of
Wausau. He received his elementary education at St. John Lutheran School in
rural Wausau and graduated from Wausau High School in 1935. He continued
his education as the Wausau Vocational School graduating in 1937, and at the
Midland Management and Accounting Institute, Minneapolis, graduating in
1940. Known for his elegant penmanship he was also a graduate of the
Tamblyn School of Penmanship.
On May 21, 1941, he was united in marriage with Ednamae Lucas at St. Paul
Lutheran Church in Laurium, Michigan. The ceremony was conducted by the
bride’s father, the Rev. A. S. Lucas.
Norman worked at Blanksten’s Men’s Dress Ware store in Wausau for seven
years. Then in 1942 the couple moved to his parents’ farm in the town of
Wausau where together they farmed for many years. Norman served the town of
Wausau as Treasurer for six years (1955-1961) and on the town Planning
Commission.
In 1961 he was elected a Director of the Wausau Mutual Insurance Company and
served as its Secretary – Treasurer from 1963 to 1971, when he became the
President and General Manager of the company serving in that role for 13
years until his retirement in 1984. In 1984, he was named Outstanding
Employee of the Year by the National Association of Mutual Insurance
Companies, the largest trade association in the world with 1,227 companies
in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
During this time he was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the
Marathon County Health Care Facilities and for 12 years a member of the
Human Services Board of Lincoln, Langlade, and Marathon counties which then
supervised the Marathon County Health Care Facilities.
He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the MidAmerica Mutual
Life and Health Insurance Company for 35 years (1960-1995) including service
as Chairman of the Board. He was also a founding member of the Wisconsin
Federation of Cooperatives, a member of the Governor’s Task Force on
Financing Public Education and Property Tax Relief, a member of the Citizens’
Advisory Insurance Committee at North Central Technical College, a member of
the Marathon County Commission on Aging, and a Board member of Group Health
Association of St. Paul.
Norman was a life-long member of St. John Lutheran Church, County Highway Z,
Wausau, and served for many years on its Church Council and in various
offices in the congregation. Beyond the congregation he served for 13 years
on the Board of Education for the North Wisconsin District of The Lutheran
Church – Missouri Synod, as a lay member of its Board of Directors, and as a
voting delegate to District and National conventions of the Synod. He was preceded in death by his parents, by a sister and brother-in-law,
Lorinda and Walter Runzheimer, a brother and sister-in-law, The Rev. Harold
and Doris Parsch, a brother-in-law, Norman Zarnke, and by one great
grandchild, Emma Grace Lutz.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Ednamae Parsch, Wausau; three
children: Barbara (The Rev. Arleigh) Lutz, Wausau; Darlene (Jerry) Bongers,
Appleton; Dr. Lucas (Janet) Parsch, Fayetteville, Arkansas; by three
grandchildren: John (Jeannie) Lutz, Eau Claire; Laurie (The Rev. Todd McVey)
Lutz, Madison; and Lisa (Aaron) Beyer, Menasha; by six great-grandchildren:
Ellie, Beth, Abbie, and Olivia Lutz, Eau Claire; Jennifer Graf and Tyler
West, Appleton; by three step-great-grandchildren: Jessica (Logan) Pace,
Atlanta, GA, Christen (Ryan) Brockner Edwardsville, IL, and Lucas McVey,
Kansas City, MO; and by two great-great-grandchildren: Kaden and Mason
Graf, Appleton; and by one step-great-great-grandchild, Uriah Brockner. He
is also survived by one sister, Gertrude Zarnke, Wausau and by other
relatives and friends.
Visitation will be at St. John Lutheran Church, County Road Z, Wausau, from
4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 and from 10:00 to 11:00
a.m. on Thursday. The funeral service will be in the church at 11:00 a.m.
on Thursday, September 13, 2012. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. You may sign the family guestbook at www.helke.com. Memorials may be given to St. John Lutheran Church, E10723 County Highway Z,
Wausau, WI 54403.
The family wishes to express its special thanks to the staff of the Aspirus
Comfort Care and Hospice Services of Wausau for their special care of Norman
in his final days.
