Arno Wilke

Arno (Arnie) Wilke, age 69, passed away on January 9th, 2021 after an unexpected short illness. He was born and lived in Milwaukee until his retirement. Then he was able to move to Spring Lake in Waushara County, where he loved to fish, watch the amazing wildlife, hike the many trails and enjoy being in a beautiful place suited to his interests and passions. He had worked at the Bradley Corporation in Menomonee Falls as a Senior Products Application Manager. He enjoyed the many great people he worked with and used his ability to help customers with their diverse concerns.

Arno was active in the Ice Age Trail Alliance/IATA – Waushara Chapter as a member of the maintenance crew, a “shuttle angel” who could help hikers make connections when walking the IATA trail through Waushara Co, and served on the chapter’s board. He belonged to the Waushara Commoners and helped as one of the Water Action Volunteers’ team monitoring the Upper Pine River and Humphrey Creek, and in private well water free sample testing events offered by the Commoners to encourage homeowners to know if their drinking water was safe (and to encourage participation in the county’s well-water testing grant program collecting baseline data through the Land Conservation Department). He also participated in the Central Sands Water Action Coalition/CSWAC to bring improved protections and citizen awareness of groundwater quality and quantity problems in the central sands region. He cared about his community and natural resources and did what he could to protect our waters for future generations. He also served on the board of the Spring Lake Management District.

Arno is survived by his wife, Martha (Marty) Wilke, and his brother, Phillip Wilke (Milwaukee, Coloma).

Per Arno’s wishes cremation will take place and no services will be held. Leikness Funeral Home, Wautoma, is assisting the family with arrangements.

The Wilke family would like to thank Aurora Hospice Care for their excellent nursing care and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to support the work of the IATA-Waushara Chapter – http://www.iceagetrail.org/volunteer/chapters/waushara-county/