Gary Thalacker, age 75, a resident of Hertel, Wisconsin, died on Friday, July 26, 2024, at the Marshfield Medical Center, in Rice Lake.
Gary was born on January 12, 1949, in Fargo, North Dakota to parents Gerald and Laura (Messerschmidt) Thalacker. Due to his father's and grandfather's pioneering involvement in the rural electric industry, during his early years the family had short residencies in multiple locations including Halstad, Minn., Fort Morgan, Colo., Moorhead and Fisher, Minn., Langdon, N.D., and Watertown and Mitchell, S.D. Ultimately, the family settled in Chetek, Wis., where Gary was active in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) , becoming a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, ultimately achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the BSA program and achieved by only four percent of its members. Gary graduated from Chetek High School in 1967, thereafter pursuing a degree in drafting at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1968.
Gary served nearly three years in the Army, with just short of a year in Vietnam, and was awarded several medals that included the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device, Two Overseas Bars, Army Commendation Medal, and an Expert Badge with Rifle Bar.
Gary was honorably discharged in 1971 and returned home to attend the Chippewa Valley Technical College, in Eau Claire, to become an electrical lineman, opting to follow in both his father's and grandfather's career footsteps. On December 8, 1973, Gary was united in marriage to Marcy Berg in Barron. Gary worked for Dunn County Electric Cooperative, Jump River Electrical Cooperative, and Polk-Burnett Electrical Cooperative as a lineman for well over 20 years.
Gary enjoyed many sports which included hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing and camping. He also had numerous hobbies which included wood and metal working, photography, cooking, fly tying, reading, lapidary, leather and bead work, metal detecting, motorcycling and listening to a variety of music genres. He was a member of a black powder club, participated in rendezvous events and became a black powder instructor. In recent years, he began dabbling in wood carving. He was a lifetime member of the Shell Lake VFW and a past member of the Northwest Wisconsin Gem & Mineral Society.
Gary in survived by his wife, Marcy; brothers, Steve (Sue) of Rochester, Minn., Mark of Roberts, Wis., and Gerry (Magaly) of Clover, S.C.; uncles, Bruce (Shirley) Thalacker of Chaska, Minn. and Neil of Chetek; aunts, Bonnie Mitchell of Port Orchard, Wash., Gladys Messerschmidt and Joan Messerschmidt of Fall Creek; sister-in-Law, Myrtle Lehman of Almena; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins and their families; and many close friends; including Paul (Crystal) Campton, Josh (Mandy Bushong) Java, John (Angle) Bodzislaw, and Cody (Laura Weller) Ericksen, along with their respective children.
Gary was preceded in death by his son, Nicholas, and parents, Gerald and Laura (Messerschmidt) Thalacker.
A Memorial Service honoring his life will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, August 12th, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spooner, Wisconsin, with Pastor Heather Kistner officiating. Visitation precedes the service at 1:00 p.m. A time of fellowship will follow the church service. Interment with military honors will be held later that same day at 3:00 p.m. at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, near Spooner.
Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society, St. Joseph’s Indian School of Chamberlain, S.D., or any charity of choice in Gary’s name. Online memories and or condolences may be left at bratley-nelsonchapels.com. The Bratley-Nelson Funeral Home in Spooner is assisting with the arrangements.
Heartfelt gratitude to the cardiology, oncology and family medicine departments’ doctors, nurses and staff of Marshfield Medical Center in Rice Lake for Gary’s health care over these last years.
