Donald J. ‘Ponch’ Gadke 1950 – 2022
Donald J. “Ponch” Gadke, 71, of Stanley, died Thursday, August 18, 2022. He was born on August 26, 1950 at Victory Memorial Hospital-Stanley to the late Catherine (Licht) and Ray Gadke, SR. Ponch grew up in the town of Worden and graduated from Stanley-Boyd High School in 1968. On June 20, 1970 he was united in marriage to Joanne Willger at St.
Anne’s Catholic Church-Stanley.
Dad worked at Twin City Die Casting and Blackburn Binding in Minnesota when he and mom were first married. After nine years, they moved to Stanley where he worked at Industrial Fabricators and later retired from Pactiv Corporation after working there for 25 years.
Dad was a humble man who loved to tinker around the garage and his land. He was very patient! He enjoyed anything to do with the outdoors: fishing, hunting, camping and gardening! He passed along to us his joy of canning and processing meat. Seeing his granddaughters and great grandchildren made him smile and laugh! He and mom enjoyed camping in northern Minnesota with their good friends, Roxi and Jack.
For their 50th anniversary, they travelled to Alaska to sightsee and cruised the inner passageway. Dad had many annual fishing trips with his sons, brothers, nephews and friends.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Joanne, his sons, Jeu (Melinda) Gadke of Stan ley and Peter (Deanna) Gadke of Chippewa Falls, his grand- daughters: Kayla (Greg) Gal lagher, Shelby Gadke, Brenna Eslinger, Ivy Rose Gadke and Audrey Gadke, 4 great grandchildren: Colin, Clara, Lillian and one on the way and his brothers, James Gadke of Boyd and Ray (Paula) Gadke, JR of Platteville. Don is preceded in death by his parents, his
