Ronald E. Siewert, 86, of Merrill, WI passed away Tuesday April 20, 2021. He was born October 21, 1934 to Ervin and Esther Siewert in Gleason, WI. When Ron was in 3rd grade the family moved to Milwaukee. Ron always loved the Gleason area and would return to spend summers with his grandparents Gus and Minnie Klingfus, who were very special to him. The day he graduated in 1952 from Washington High, he moved permanently out of Milwaukee and headed for the Northwoods and country living to fulfill his dream of becoming a dairy farmer! Soon after, he met Belva Nuehring and they were married in Merrill, WI on June 26, 1954. Before farming could start – he served from 1954-1956 in the US Army stationed in Germany. Belva joined him there and they were able to visit portions of Europe in that area. In 1957 Ron began his career of dairy farming, later buying Belva’s parents dairy farm – farming there and raising their family for the next 30 years. After selling the dairy cows, Ron and Belva raised beef cattle and owned and operated Prairie River Enterprise Custom Sawmilling and Kiln Drying for another 30 years. Ron and Belva welcomed everyone to their farm home whether it was to work or play, help with the chores, ride the horses, playing cards and games, jumping on the trampoline, making hay, swinging on the rope swing, playing basketball in the haymow, borrowing a piece of machinery, pulling someone out of the ditch or just to shoot the breeze and share a meal with them and their family! Ron and Belva were friends to all who knew them. Because of his great love of horses – his children and their friends were able to spend many enjoyable journeys on horseback. And we are very grateful that Dad instilled in us a healthy work ethic and a sense of accomplishment in a job well done…whether we wanted to or not! Ron also had many skills. He was a great problem solver, fabricator, and was able to fix or repair most anything. He enjoyed visiting with others on a wide variety of topics. He gained much of his knowledge about agriculture, forestry and woodworking through reading. He was also a great fan of afternoon power naps! He said one of the most meaningful things in his life was learning that the answers to mankind’s problems such as sickness and death, and why there are pandemics and social injustice – were found in God’s word the Bible. And for this reason, he was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and spent the next 50 years sharing the wonderful promises from the Bible with others …either at their door or on the farm when they came for business or pleasure. He also found much joy in being able to serve as an elder in the local congregation for many years. One of the promises from the Bible that Ron looked forward to the fulfillment of – right here on earth, is the promise found at Revelation 21:4 “…and he (God) will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” While his health was declining and during the pandemic Ron was still able to join in his Congregation Zoom meetings as well as connecting over Zoom with his family and friends. He also enjoyed inviting his healthcare workers to see for themselves his hope for the near future at JW.org
Ron was preceded in death by his wife Belva of 59 years on May 15, 2013; his parents Ervin and Esther Siewert of Milwaukee, WI; his grandparents Gus and Minnie Klingfus of Gleason, WI: a cousin Shirley Siewert of Milwaukee, WI; his father and mother-in-law Les and Etta Nuehring of Merrill, WI and a grandson-in-law Ray Pringle, Mars Hill, NC. He is survived by his 6 children: Ken (Mina) Siewert of Merrill, WI; Rebecca (Claude) Raasch of Merrill, WI; Jennifer (Donald “Sonny”) Mack of East Grand Forks, MN; Sally (Lee) Wesley of Las Vegas, NV; Elizabeth (Derek) Bickford of Hartford, WI; Ted (Nancy) Siewert of Abbotsford, WI. Also 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren: Michelle Lange, Mosinee, WI and sons Mason, Jacob and Riley; Manda (Adam) Norman, Merrill, WI and daughter Austyn; Derrick Siewert, Merrill, WI; Dan (Sara) Raasch, Rothschild, WI; Laura Pringle and son Vincent Merrill, WI; Ellen (Lorenzo) Onofre, Merrill, WI; Savannah (Kevin) Johnson and son Tristan, East Grand Forks, MN; Mitchell Mack, East Grand Forks, MN; Zachary Wesley, Las Vegas NV; Rachel Wesley and daughters Genevieve and Renesme, Las Vegas, NV; Tyler (Jen) Siewert and daughters Avery and Karlee, Abbotsford, WI; Matt (Tory) Siewert, Colby, WI and 2 great-great granddaughters Ava and Laci. He is further survived by his brother Tom Siewert of Mercer, WI and his children Julie Siewert-Baker and Brett Siewert of Milwaukee, WI and several cousins residing in the US and Canada.
Please email us at: [email protected] and we will email you a Zoom link to hook up on or a number to just call in and listen in by phone. Or call or text Mina Siewert at 715-218-1622 about how to connect by phone. Or go to Ron’s obituary at www.honorone.com on May 15 at 12:30pm and click on the Zoom link under “Live Webcast – Watch Event”. We hope you can join us! Thank you to the Aspirus Comfort Care & Hospice Services, Aspirus Hospice House as well as Interim Health Care of Wausau for their help in caring for Ron. The John Buettgen Funeral Home & Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society assisted the family. In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree or donate a book to your local library in Ron’s name.