Mark Gilbert Bathke

Mark, the son of Edward A. Bathke and Carol M. Bering, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Mark graduated from Onalaska High School in 1969. He joined the United States Navy before he graduated high school and he wasted no time before leaving to serve his Country. Mark served as an Engineman Fireman in the Navy during the Vietnam War where he sailed the Mediterranean before deploying to the West Pacific. He was a Shellback and a Son of Neptune.

After serving in the Navy, Mark toured Europe for about a year with his best friend since childhood, Sam Schoonover. They started in Sweden and ended in Morocco. Mark was a world traveler and encouraged his children to get out and go and see the world.

Mark returned to Wisconsin and married the love of his life, Deborah Zimmerman, in 1976. Together, they raised three children: Corrine Bylund (Dan Leonard) of Neptune Beach, Florida, Nicole Champeny of Sturgeon Bay, and Samuel Bathke (Courtney Gallant) of Redmond, Oregon. Those children gave him grandsons and a great grandson: Leif and Fox Champeny, Anderson Bathke, Talon Bylund, Daniel Leonard, IV (Hali), and Michael Leonard, Constantine Leonard; and, one beautiful granddaughter, Althea “Lou Lou” Bathke.

From the mid-1970’s to the mid-1990’s, Mark worked as a Machinist at Peterson Shipbuilding, Inc., (“PBI”), where they built Navy ships, military gunboats and ferries. While he was with PBI, Mark enjoyed serving on the delivery crew that would take Navy ships to their bases on the East Coast. Mark enjoyed family trips for camping, skiing and boating. The family spent a lot of time in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Cedar River always held a special place in the hearts of Mark and Deb who both loved family time with their children. Summers included swimming and tubing on the Cedar River, and Winters included roughing it in a cabin with no electricity or running water, just a wood stove inside and an outhouse outside. No one really minded the cold because they got to ski, and they were all together.

In 1996, Mark and Deb took ownership of The Cherryland Motel and Cottages in Sturgeon Bay. At Cherryland it was a family operation. The couple worked alongside their three kids in the day-to-day operations. Those were special years for the family all being together. The kids grew up and left one by one.

In 2004 Mark and Deb retired to Florida. Mark continued to enjoy woodworking, riding his bike and summering at Big Lake Campground in Algoma, Wisconsin. He also enjoyed traveling across the country to see his shipmates at reunions for the USS Stribling and the USS McMorris.

In addition to his children and grandchildren, Mark is survived by his brothers: Ken Bathke of New Castle, PA, and Edward Bathke of LaCrosse, WI; his step-mother, Marge Witt, of LaCrosse, WI; sister-in-law, Lynn Corcoran of Sturgeon Bay, WI; brother-in-law, Gene Zimmerman (Sandy) of Green Bay, WI; his chosen brother and best friend, Samuel Schoonover of Washington, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Preceding him in death were his wife, Deborah; his parents, Edward Bathke and Carol Bering; brothers, Gary Bathke, Kirk Bathke and Kevin Bathke; sister, Kathy Bakalars, and parents-in-law, Reinhold and Arlane Zimmerman, who loved him like their own.