Carl Nicholas Forslund

Carl N. Forslund, age 90, passed away on Thursday, February 2, 2012, with his loving family at his side, at Vallhaven Care Center in Neenah. On April 25, 1921, Carl Nicholas was born in Rib Lake, Wisconsin, son of the late Carl G. and Mary (Thomas) Forslund. When Carl was 10 years old, his family moved to Menasha where he attended St. Mary Catholic Schools and graduated in 1941. Carl served his country during WWII with the United States Army and was a member of the 95th Infantry Division Association and the 77th Infantry “F” Company. Carl and his wife, Lois, attended the yearly infantry reunions for the past 40 years. The Purple Heart and the Bronze Star are just a couple of the many awards that he received during his military career. Carl was married to Germaine Hoffman on November 27, 1952 and she preceded him in death on January 16, 1953. Carl then was united in marriage to Lois Strover on October 30, 1954 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Appleton. Carl has been a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Menasha for the past 80 years, serving on the building committee and as an usher for over 60 years. He had worked for George Banta Co. for over 41 years and retired in 1981. For 20 years, Carl was on the Board of Directors for the Banta Benefits and the Banta/Prospera Credit Union. He was a member of Knights of Columbus Council 1838 of Menasha and held a position on the Building Committee as well as other committees. One of his many memorable achievements was the Knights Tree Sale in 1976. He sold over 4000 trees to the members of the surrounding communities to replace the diseased elm trees. He was also a member of the Wrightstown American Legion Post 0436 for the past 50 years. Bowling was another one of his favorite pastimes. He was involved in the Uptown Commercial League, Wanserski’s being his team sponsor, and also the Catholic Men’s League. He was very active in the Menasha Boys Sports Program. He also enjoyed woodworking, fishing, and playing Sheepshead. Carl also donated 10 gallons of his blood to the Red Cross. There were many fun memories shared with his family at Shadynook Cottage for over 40 years.

Carl will be missed by his loving wife of 57 years, Lois; his children: Paul (Deborah) Forslund, Susan (Eric) Johnson, Jane Lemmers, Marianne (Timothy) Johnson, Amy (Daniel) O’Bright; his 12 grandchildren: Steve, Kate, David, Jessica (Roger), Nick, Tom, Ryan, Pete, Sam, Frankie, Andrea, and Alesha; 2 great-grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 2 step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Myrtle Kucera; sister-in-law, Gloria Ebben; brothers-in-law: Russell (Judith) Strover, Edward Braemer; former brother-in-law, William (Geraldine) Hoffman; numerous family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his infant son, Joseph; his sisters: Mabel Braemer and Bernice (Eugene) Herman, brothers-in-law: Edmund Kucera and Anthony Ebben.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 5:00 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 528 Second Street, Menasha, with Fr. Paul Paider officiating. Visitation will be held from 3:00 pm until the hour of the Mass at the church. Interment will take place in St. Mary Cemetery, Town of Menasha. The family encourages donations to be made to St. Joseph Food Pantry in Carl’s name.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the entire staff of Vallhaven Care Center for all of their loving care and consideration of Carl and his family.