Cashton - John O. Hauser, 80 of Cashton, WI, passed away Thursday, April 6, 2023, at Mayo Health System in La Crosse, WI. He was born March 6, 1943 to Ray and Agnes (Betz) Hauser.
John attended Gallagher Elementary School and graduated from Cashton High School in 1960. Following high school John married Mary Ellen Stenerson but later divorced. On December 31, 1982, John married his best friend, Judy Rhoades. Together they lived a good life spending time camping, traveling, and sharing countless adventures.
John’s General Trucking was a flourishing trucking business he established. The business was doing well and then his working career shifted into a new gear when the Village President Leonard Wavra asked him to come over to talk. Following this meeting and then sitting down to a cold beer, John was hired as the head of streets and water, which later expanded to the title Director of Public Works. For the next four and a half decades, John contributed to the expansion of town. He worked tirelessly on upgrades which helped the entire village prosper. John’s work in the Village of Cashton was more than employment he took care of the residents and property like it was his own.
After retirement he was a member of the Cashton Village Board. He loved NASCAR, the Green Bay Packers and Brewers. Besides his position with the village, he was a member of the Cashton Fire Department for 52 years and the Cashton Lions for almost as long, and also a charter member of the Cashton Community Club. John became quite famous for grilling chicken for local clubs and fundraisers. When he retired from the Village, he said, “cooking chicken, like finishing a rewarding career, is a slow process that, to do right, takes a long time.”
John is survived by his children, Dawn Seitz-Adeyeni, Kelly (Lyle) Hauser-Schaller, Michael (Mary) Hauser, Patrick Hauser and Trina (Jim) Seitz-Stafslien; grandchildren, Joshua (Shanda Wollin) Dickman, Jesse (Samantha) Dickman, Kylene (Derek) Brown, Cheyanne (Nathan) Decorah, Tabitha (Chase Scholze) Swenson, Jordan Hauser, and Emily ( Matt Preuss) Swenson, Sheridan Tilson and Hannah Tilson; 11 great-grandchildren; siblings Dick (Mary) Hauser, Rita Byers, and Ken (Nancy) Hauser; along with nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends.
John was preceded in death by his parents Agnes and Ray Hauser; wife, Judy, who passed away November of 2020; two sons, Tim and Greg Hauser; brother-in-law, Paul Byers; great grandson Joseph Dickman; and a nephew Charles Hauser.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023, 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cashton, WI. Father Michael Klos will officiate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Family and friends are invited for visitation Wednesday, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Torkelson Funeral Home in Cashton, WI. Visitation will also be held Thursday, at the church, from 9:30 a.m. until time of services. A celebration of John’s life will be held at the Cashton VFW following Thursday’s services.
Memorials may be given in John’s name to the Cashton Fire Department, Cashton First Responders, Cashton Library or to the High School Scholarship Foundation.
The Torkelson Funeral Home of Cashton, WI, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
Torkelson Funeral Home
