John Anderegg, age 98, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Friday, June 12, 2026 at the New Glarus Home.
He was born February 9th, 1928 in Monroe, WI. John lived an incredible life spanning nearly a century. He had treasured memories of growing up at his family’s rural cheese factory outside of Juda, Wisconsin. John enjoyed giving his sisters Clara, Lillian, Helen, Margaret, and Ruth rides into town with his neighbor’s horse and wagon. The family’s cheesemaking business saw them through the Great Depression of the 1930s, during which John remembered fondly preparing and eating bowls of whipped cream in the factory’s make room.
John attended a one-room schoolhouse through the 8th grade and then Juda High School, where he was a member of a state championship forensics team and a four-year letterman on the school’s basketball team. It was also during this time that John instilled a passion for the sport in his younger brother, Robert. John insisted he taught Bob everything he knew about basketball.
John enlisted in the Army at the beginning of the Korean War and served honorably for two years. He was stationed in Berlin for much of his service. John took pride in being a veteran his entire life and was able to participate in the Badger Honor Flight program with his grandson in 2015.
After his time in the Army, John returned to southern Wisconsin and began farming with his father outside of Monroe. Farming became his life’s work. He was a proud farmer who had a deep love for his animals and took great pride in his stewardship of the land. John often reminisced about life on the farm, including the time one of his cows gave birth to triplets and his early adoption of crop contour strips.
At a basketball game at Monroe High School in the late 1950s, John met the love of his life, Hedwig Studer. The two were married in 1959 and started a family on John’s farm. They welcomed their three children, Elizabeth, Debra, and Steven, to the farm. John would devote the rest of his long life to his family. He was always there for them when they needed him and remained a steady, guiding presence throughout his life.
John and Hedy moved to New Glarus, Wisconsin in retirement. John enjoyed supporting his three grandchildren in their sports and activities. He and Hedy carried their passion for cultivation from the farm to their home on 1st Street; they were known for having one of the loveliest and most productive gardens in town.
John’s parents were Swiss immigrants who instilled in him a deep pride in his cultural heritage, which he honored throughout his life. He was a member of the Swiss Singers of Monroe and the New Glarus Männerchor. He was known to drop everything and walk over to his daughter’s restaurant if a traveler from Switzerland happened in and needed someone to speak Swiss German with.
Those who knew John best knew him as caring and kind; at times deeply silly and uproariously funny; competitive and cunning (especially when playing Jass, Euchre or Horse & Pepper); generous and beneficent. One of a kind.
John is survived by his wife, Hedwig; sisters Margaret (Richard) Wyss and Ruth (Charles) Ingold; daughters Elizabeth Nommensen and Debra (Gary Westby) Anderegg; son Steven Anderegg; granddaughters Anne (Zac Walter) Nommensen and Eve (Shaw) LaQua; grandson Andrew (Kathryn) Westby; great-granddaughters Joni and Nev Walter; and great-grandsons Quin and Vaughn LaQua.
John was preceded in death by his parents, John and Elizabeth (Hotz) Anderegg; sisters Helen (Harold) Furman, Lillian (C. Ward) Cummings, and Clara (C. Thomas) Waelti; and his brother Robert Anderegg (Nancy Thomas).
The family would like to thank the staff of Aster Assisted Living Monroe, New Glarus Home, and SSM Hospice for their compassionate care of John.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 19, 2026 at the New Glarus Home Chapel, 600 2nd Ave., New Glarus, WI (enter via the Elm Dr. entrance). Pat Pluss will officiate and military honors will be accorded. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Monroe, WI.
The Zentner-Beal Funeral Home of New Glarus is assisting the family.
Online condolences may be given at www.bealfuneralhomes.com
