Claire O. Ness

Claire Ness, age 92, of Camp Douglas died on June 5, 2023, at the Crest View Nursing Home in New Lisbon.  Claire was born to Clarence and Ruth (Albertson) Ness  October 2, 1930, in the town of Fountain in Juneau County, WI.  Claire attended the New Lisbon Public Schools and graduated from High School in 1948.

Claire was united in marriage, for seventy years, to Nancy R. Cunningham on September 27, 1952, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hustler, WI.  To this union 2 children were born, Paula and Rebecca.

Claire had a love for trout fishing, he never missed an opening day.  After retirement, Claire looked forward to meeting “the guys” for weekly coffee.  He was of an artistic nature, enjoying sketching, watercolor painting, whittling, carving and woodworking.  He loved the outdoors, spending many hours walking on the home farm in the Town of Fountain.  He had a great sense of humor, enjoying a good joke, being a jokester and telling stories.  He loved to make people smile and laugh.  Claire also had a lot of knowledge of the history of Hustler and Camp Douglas and loved to share information and pictures with others. 

In January 1953 Claire joined the army.  He was sent to Ft. Bragg, NC with the 82nd Airborne Division.  In January 1955 he was released from the Army back to the National Guard.  He was reactivated to active duty during the Berlin crisis in 1961 for 10 months after which time he returned to Camp Douglas.  At the time when he retired from the USPFO, he belonged to the Wisconsin Military Academy as the Senior Operations Sgt. for training.  He left there in 1988 and went into the reserves at Ft. McCoy and retired in 1990 with the rank of Master Sgt.  Claire served over 40 years in the Military.  Claire was a member of the Camp Douglas American Legion, Earl Guilligan Post No.133 for 64 years. He also was a member to the Camp Douglas Masonic Lodge.

Claire is survived by his wife Nancy of Camp Douglas, 2 daughters, Paula (Todd) Forsythe of Camp Douglas, WI, and Rebecca (Stephen) Riggle of Wausau, WI, a sister Darlene Hunter of Pennsylvania, a sister-in-law Gyneth Ness of New Lisbon, WI, and 3 grandchildren Erica Barrett, Jacob Forsythe, and Brian Yulga, and 4 great grandchildren, Grant, Karson, Mason Barrett.  He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother Marlan Ness.

A private family inurnment with Military Honors will take place in the Brewster Cemetery.  The Hare Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.  Online condolences are available at www.harefuneralhome.com.

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