Fourth Generation

70. Harold J. NEMITZ was born on 6 January 1927 in Knapp Township, Jackson County, WI.^13,21,27 He appeared in the census in 1930 in Knapp Township, Jackson County, WI.¹³ He died on 18 August 2007 at the age of 80 in Fort Atkinson, Jefferson County, WI.²¹

Obituary Notes: "Harold J. Nemitz, age 80, of Fort Atkinson, Wi. and formerly of the Town of Knapp, Jackson County, died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007, in Fort Memorial Hospital, Fort Atkinson. Prior to his death, he had been a resident of Sienna Crest Assisted Living Facility in Fort Atkinson.

Harold was born on the family farm in the Town of Knapp on Jan. 6, 1927, to Benard and Bertha (Goetzka) Nemitz. He was raised in the Town of Knapp, and he married Dorothy Amo on Aug. 2, 1952, in St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Kirby.

The couple lived on the family farm for one year, and then they moved to Avalon, Wi. where Harold was employed at Tracy Seed Farm for twelve years. They moved back to the Town of Knapp and Harold worked on his uncle, Carl Nemitz's, cranberry marsh for a short period. They moved to Delavan, Wi. and both Harold and Dorothy worked for Borg Instruments for seven years.

In 1973, after developing their land in the Town of Knapp, they began raising cranberries. They owned and operated their cranberry marsh until 1992, when they sold their operation to the Olson Brothers. They lived in the Town of Knapp during the summer and lived in Florida during the winter. They moved to Fort Atkinson in October 2006 to be closer to their family.

Harold loved to garden, do yard work, and work on his cranberry marsh. He meticulously cared for his yards and gardens.

Surviving are his wife Dorothy, 1 son, Michael (Judy) Murphy, DeForest, Wi., 3 daughters, Trisha (Luke) Kocher, Fort Atkinson, Vickie (James) Mueller, Delavan, Wi. and Bonnie Smith, Burnsville, MN., 4 brothers, Virgil (Delores) Nemitz and Gary (Carol) Nemitz, both of Warrens, Gerald (Beverly) Nemitz, Hayward, Wi. and Kenneth (Jeannette) Nemitz, Melrose, 2 sisters, Florence Kent , San Diego, CA., and Jane (Gilbert) Seflow, Warrens, Wi., 14 grandchildren, and 8-great, grandchildren, and his precious, black cat, “Baby Boo”.

Funeral services for Harold J. Nemitz were Thursday, August 23, 2007, at 11:30 a.m. from Torgerson's Funeral Home (715-284-4321) 408 N. Water St.; Black River Falls. Pastor Phillip Enderle officiated and burial will be in the Knapp Cemetery, in the Town of Knapp, Jackson County. Relatives and friends called at Torgerson’s Funeral Home on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services. Pallbearers were Harold's grandsons, Steven Todd, Jeff and Mark Smith, Dean Kitzman, and Dan and Eric Murphy.

He was preceded in death by 2 son-in-laws, Sheldon Smith and Harold Todd, 2 brothers, Junior and Ronnie Nemitz, and a sister Agnes Harelson."

Harold J. NEMITZ and Dorothy AMO were married on 2 August 1952 in Kirby, Lincoln Township, Monroe County, WI.²¹ Dorothy AMO was born (date unknown).