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Obituary for Max C. Cruthers
Max Carter Cruthers, 92, of Luck, WI died peacefully on Saturday, December 31, 2016 at the Frederic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center just two days before his 93rd birthday. He was born January 2, 1924 on the family farm in Laketown township northwest of Luck to the late Rex Loomer Cruthers and Bertha May (Carter) Cruthers. Max was the second child and only son born to Rex and Bertha.
The family farm was next to the East branch of the Trade River and in summers he and Virginia played in the river and in winters they skated on it. Every day Max would cut kindling for the kitchen cook stove and in the winter, he would pull a heavy sled into their tamarack swamp to get the job done. Max learned the meaning of hard work at a very young age and continued this trait throughout his entire life.
When he and his sister Virginia were of school age, their paternal grandmother rented a room in what was originally the William Foster home in Luck to be near the school so Virginia and Max could attend the lower grades in town. Max attended the first and second grade in Luck while sister Virginia attended the third and fourth grades. Following that all three returned to the farm in Laketown and both children began attending the East Laketown School. During spring and fall Max and Virginia would walk the 2 ¾ miles to school and in winter would ski. Max graduated from the eighth grade at the East Laketown School in 1938 and from Luck High School in 1942. When World War II broke out, Max's father was hired as an Army Ordinance Inspector working in both Henry, IL and La Porte, IN. During this time, Max and his mother operated the family farm.
On September 14, 1946 in a small ceremony at the Atlas Methodist Church, Max was united in marriage to Lois Maxine Olson. Soon after they were wed, Max and Lois bought the old Claus Pedersen homestead just one mile north of the farm where Max was born and the two of them started farming for themselves. This is where they raised their four children and resided continuously until Max entered the Frederic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center mid-November.
Max was always busy. Farming in the neighborhood in the 1940s meant all neighbors helped one another with the planting and/or harvesting of crops. Over the years, Max broke ground for new fields expanding his tillable acreage. In addition to farming, during the early 1960s he spent several years working for Allen Selander on a crew building and/or remodeling barns and other farm-related buildings. He enjoyed the work as well as the fellowship of the crew. As he expanded his own farming interests and started other construction projects on the home farm there was less time for outside work. Max retired from dairy farming at the age of 66 but was in no way ready to take it easy. He continued to raise a large herd of beef cattle for quite a few years. There was more time to attend sporting and school events of grandchildren once the dairy herd was gone.
Max enjoyed the sound of old-time music, two-cylinder John Deere tractors as well as hit & miss engines. Max truly enjoyed the peacefulness of cutting and splitting wood and continued to do this until about the age of 89. He liked making things out of wood first starting with furniture projects for his children and continuing this in the form of toy boxes, tool boxes and various other wooden toys. Many neighborhood children, along with his grandchildren enjoyed receiving his projects. Max was a lifelong member of the Atlas United Methodist Church.
Max was preceded in death by his parents, a grandson, Jason Peppenger, his sister Virginia Almquist and two brothers-in-law, Russell Almquist and George Melvin Sater.
He is survived by his loving spouse of over 70 years, Lois, daughters Maxine (Wayne) Peppenger, Vicke (Timothy) Erickson both of Luck, Diana (Michael) Erickson of Frederic, and son James (Daniel Green) of Hilbert (Calumet County), Wisconsin. He is further survived by grandchildren, Michael (Roxanne) Peppenger, Quinn (Brenda) Erickson, Erin (Jay) Volgren, Brooke (David) Mott, Selena (Jason) Frenette, and Hilary (Jake) Ridgeway as well as18 great grandchildren: Jesse Peppenger, Megan Peppenger, Samuel, Micaiah, and Grace Erickson, Amaya, Elijah, Alana, Ryan, Gunther, Ayana, Avala, and Meredith Volgren, Kamryn and Logan Mott, Madison Frenette, Hailey and Carter Ridgeway; sister-in-law Muriel Sater of Madison, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
A celebration of Max's life will take place Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at the Atlas United Methodist Church, 2110 295th Ave., Luck, WI 54853. Visitation will begin at 1:00 PM with the service following at 2:00 PM.
You are invited to leave condolences, memories and photos at www.rowefh.com . Arrangements are entrusted to Rowe Funeral Home in Luck, 715-472-2444 and the Northwest Wisconsin Cremation Center in Milltown, www.wicremationcenter.com , 715-825-5550.
