Obituary for Wilbert Hutchens

"I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Wilbert, also known by many nicknames such as Red, Hutch, and Snooks, was born June 25th, 1939, at home in Leon, Wisconsin to Claude and Bernice Williams Hutchens.

Wilbert graduated from Ontario High School, now Brookwood High School, near Ontario, WI in 1957. Directly after, he attended UW-Madison where he studied Agricultural Engineering, worked multiple jobs to pay for his education, was a member of the marching band and boxing teams and was social chair of Babcock House. After graduation, he served in the United States Air Force for 4 years. A life-long learner, in 1981, Wilbert received his Master of Science Industrial Technology degree from UW-Platteville.

Wilbert worked hard to provide for his families, most notable of his careers were co-owning the John Deere implement dealership between Westby and Viroqua, WI, teaching night classes and paying farm calls on his farmer students during his 28 years as a farm business and production management instructor for Western Wisconsin Technical College, and spending his retirement years as a coach bus driver for Ready Bus Lines.

Wilbert married his first wife, Virginia Simplot on June 21, 1967. They added to their family by adopting first William, and then Mary. After his first marriage ended in divorce in early 1976, Wilbert remarried on August 6th, 1977 to Judith Willie Indermuehle. Judith was the widow of his good friend, and with this union, Wilbert’s family increased by 5 children, Julie, David, Cathy, Donna, and Denise. In 1980, Wilbert and Judith added the final family member with the birth of their daughter, Kirsten.

Wilbert was the ultimate family man; he was very happy with and loyal to his big yours, mine, and ours family. He spent much of his time tinkering with his Fords and John Deere's, visiting family and friends, or sitting reading a good book. He loved to make others smile and laugh with his goofy antics and his entertaining remarks. If you needed a helping hand, he was your man. He would drive long distances at any time of the day or night to help, and never count the cost. The amount of love that people had for him could cover the globe. The memory of Red will live on in his loved ones forever.

Wilbert is survived by his children Julie (Paul) Cascio of Wasilla, AK; David (Karen) Indermuehle of Atchinson, KS; Cathy Indermuehle of Largo, FL; Donna (Todd) Hackbarth of Lake Mills, WI; William Hutchens of West Salem WI; Denise Nelson of Wauwatosa, WI; Mary (Kurt) Maciejczak of Jackson WI, Kirsten (Brent) Harris of West Salem, WI; 21 grandchildren Donald (Rebecca) Indermuehle, Matthew (Sarah) Indermuehle, Claire Cascio, Stacia (Nathan) Hiles, Hannah (Jason) Enderle, Sarah (Philip) Schroeder, Moriah, Abigail, and Seth Hackbarth, Siri, Annika, Leif, and Maia Hutchens, Gideon (Zoe) Nelson, Gretta (Maarten) Colby, Gavin Nelson, Adam, Alex, and Alivia Maciejczak, Gwenlyn and David Harris and 14 great-grandchildren Emma, Silas, Titus, Isla, and Malia Indermuehle, Joshua and Elizabeth Indermuehle, Ezra and Ezekiel Enderle, Solomon and Isaiah Schroeder, Bromley and Theodore Nelson, Ayla Maciejczak. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters Claude Hutchens of Cashton, WI; Doana Rumppe of Fort Atkinson, WI; Patricia (Larry) Dobbs of Ontario, WI; James Hutchens of Westby, WI; and Nancy (Lynn) Luckasson of Cashton, WI; his sister-in-laws Janet Vermeer of Fond du Lac, WI and Barbara (David) Crockett of Sun Prairie, WI and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Wilbert was preceded in death by his wife, Judith, his parents, his brother, Daniel, and his brother-in-laws Harold Rumppe and Jack Vermeer. A Christian funeral will be held at 2:00PM, Thursday, February 15, 2024, at Christ Ev. Lutheran Church, 500 Park Street, in West Salem. Rev. Don Frelitz will officiate. Military honors will follow and will be rendered by the Berg-Hemker-Olson American Legion Post 51 of West Salem and the United States Air Force Funeral Honor Guard.

A visitation will be held from 12 noon until the time of service, February 15th, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred, in Wilbert’s name, to Christ-St. John’s Lutheran School in West Salem, Luther High School in Onalaska, or the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Diabetes Association.