Robert Edwin Buehl, 93, proud farmer, avid conversationalist, and the patriarch of his family, departed from this life on Sunday evening, June 30, 2019 at the Monroe Clinic Hospital. Bob, a resident of the Glarner Lodge in New Glarus, was born in Monroe Township on January 30, 1926, the first child of Edwin and Clara (Teuscher) Buehl. He lived most of his years on the family dairy farm in Mount Pleasant Township, first as a youngster, later as a renter and then owner of the farmstead on Marshall Bluff Road. He attended Primrose Center and Zentner rural schools and was a 1943 graduate of Monticello High School.
Bob married Ruth Carol Woodward on January 14, 1946, in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Initially the couple farmed as renters in Mount Pleasant Township, where they started their family. In 1952 the couple moved to Bob’s childhood farm, the Stauffacher farm near Monticello; they purchased the farm in 1957. Their family grew, to five daughters and five sons. Bob milked a fine herd of Holsteins, sold seed corn for many years as a sidelight, and was an excellent steward of his fertile acres. Bob retired from active farming in 1980, relinquishing the reins to his son Kim Buehl.
Bob and Ruth celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1996, and they welcomed a host of grandchildren into the family. Ruth died on September 7, 1998. Bob continued to reside on the home farm until 2016, when at age 90 he moved to New Glarus.
Throughout his life, Bob loved the country, walking the fields and woods, enjoying hunting and fishing, relishing leisurely drives throughout the county. He could probably authoritatively name every road and byway in Green County and accurately recite who lived or used to reside at the various farmsteads he passed. Bob was an active citizen, serving several terms on the Mount Pleasant Town Board, as secretary/treasurer of the Fire Board, and as the Weed Commissioner for much of Green County. During his retirement, Bob relished road trips with close friend Rudy Kopp, continued his passion for gardening and his orchards, and prized his arrowhead collection accumulated from years of vigilantly stalking his fields. He was a font of community lore, displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of family history, and genuinely relished his interactions with friends and new acquaintances alike. A gregarious storyteller with a whimsical sense of humor, Bob’s voice and vividly recounted anecdotes will be greatly missed.
Bob is survived by his sister Joyce (John) Quinn, Altoona, WI; five daughters: Candace (Donald) Price, Schofield, WI; Kristine (John) Zanoya, Monticello; Karen (Brian) McMahon, Pleasanton, CA; Jacci (Jim Silberschlag), Waukesha; and Robyn (Kent Pusch), Blue Mounds; and five sons: Douglas (Wendy), Madison; Steven (Lynda Blum), and Kim (Joni Waelchli-Buehl), both of Monticello; Kevin (Julie), Blanchardville; and Kerry (Elizabeth), Brodhead.
Grandpa Bob will be missed by his 20 grandchildren: Kimberly (Greg) Koepsell, Brandon (Amy) Price, Jeremy (Mandi) Buehl, Christopher (Amber Laude) Buehl, Ryan Weeden, Rory (Shannon) Weeden, Rome Weeden, Ross (Chelle) Weeden, Reid Zanoya, Gabriel (Michelle) Buehl, Gavin (Cori Wahl) Buehl, Zoe (Joshua Meier) Buehl, Katie (Paul) Gates, Kelly (Justin) Hals, Belinda Buehl, Waylon Buehl, Jesse (Bronson) Wahl, Zachary (Kelsey) Buehl, Klaudia Buehl, and Ruthanne Buehl.
Bob was the proud great-grandfather of Brody, Samuel, Jace, and Kinsey Koepsell; Benjamin and Andrew Price; Thomas and Margaret Buehl; Kody (Alexis) Jensen; Reis and Cale Weeden; Harlow Weeden; Reilly, Guilietta, and Grady Buehl; Savannah Erickson; Declan Buehl; Aurora Soppe; Natalie and Sylvia Wahl; and Finian Buehl. Bob’s great-great grandson is Knoxley Jensen.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 5, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at the Zwingli United Church of Christ, 416 East Lake Avenue, Monticello, with the Rev. Lance Smith officiating. Interment will be in Highland Cemetery, Monticello. Visitation will precede the funeral from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church. A memorial fund will be established in Bob’s name. Condolences may be shared at www.newcomerfuneralhome.net
