Joseph Salzer's Obituary
Salzer, Joseph
Joseph Salzer was astonished recently when he was wheeled through a huge crowd of people who applauded and thanked him for his service in World War II. Salzer, a Navy veteran who served on a repair ship in the South Pacific, had trouble comprehending what was happening at Reagan National Airport. Not because he was 87, or because of his ill health. Salzer just didn't think he'd done anything particularly worthy of the kind of reception he received after getting off an Old Glory Honor Flight in Washington D.C. that hot and sticky July morning. Like millions of men and women of his generation, Salzer had just done what he had to do, what was expected, what he thought was right. He was a child of the Great Depression, a young adult of World War II, a working man who married his hometown sweetheart and raised seven children, always hoping that they'd have it better than he did. He loved a sunny round of golf, a good, cold beer and the Packers, although they often made him too nervous to watch. He also loved to sing in church, to wisecrack and to laugh.He was a complex mix of the emotional and the rational. He could flash a fiery temper one minute, and calmly rewire a house the next.Most of all, he was one of the millions of largely anonymous Americans who fought for and built this country, who lived a good, quiet life without expecting a pat on the back or a million-dollar bonus. And he certainly was not expecting a crowd of people he’d never met to applaud and thank him for his service almost 70 years ago in a far-away land.
Salzer died Thursday, Sept. 27, surrounded by family.
He was born March 16, 1925 , the son of the late Frank and Mary (Binder) Salzer. He married Virginia Drexler on May 14, 1947 at St. Vincent Catholic Church. Salzer graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1942 before joining the U.S. Navy. After the war, he worked around the Oshkosh area as an electrician for more than 40 years, much of it in the construction industry. He ended his career at Mercy Medical Center. He was active for many years in the St. Vincent's Holy Name Society, the Catholic War Veterans and the Knights of Columbus. He was an usher at St. Vincent Catholic Church and enjoyed helping at KC bingo, serving funeral lunches at St. Raphael's Catholic Church and volunteering at the Salvatorian Mission. Best of all, he loved his large, often boisterous family. . Salzer is survived by his wife, Virginia, four daughters, Mary (Steven) Gomoll, Fish Creek, Geri (Terry) Cauley, Oshkosh Jean (Linda Kapheim) Salzer, Milwaukee, Kathleen (Mark) Esson; Oshkosh; three sons, John (Katherine Rhode) Salzer, Bloomington, Ind., James (Anna Varela) Salzer, Decatur, Ga., Donald (Anita) Salzer; South Lyon, Mich.; 13 grandchildren, Sarah Gomoll Valentine and Matthew Gomoll (Mary); Kristen Braasch Toman and Adam Braasch (Geri); Emily, David, James and Michael Salzer (John), Joseph, Eric and Christopher Salzer (Don), Jacob and Samuel Esson (Kathleen); and five great-grandchildren: Morgan, Keeley, Gwendolyn, Judah and Sutton. He was preceded in death by his brother and sister-in-law, Francis and Florence Salzer. Visitation will be Monday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to noon, with a Memorial Mass to follow at St. Raphael's Church. Internment will be in Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Salvatorian Mission Warehouse, St. Raphael's and the Old Glory Honor Flights.
Many thanks to all the wonderful caregivers at Bethel Home, Affinity Hospice, and Preferred Home Health Care.
Fiss & Bills Funeral Home 920-235-1170 www.fissbillspoklasny.com
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