John Bant

On Christmas Day, 2022, John Bant went to his heavenly home to be with the Lord. John was born on February 7, 1941, in Evergreen Park, Illinois to John and Margaret (Pesko) Bant. His family moved to Prentice in 1946, where John grew up. He graduated from Prentice High School in 1959 and immediately joined the United States Army, proudly serving his country in Korea until 1962. After the service, he moved to Chicago, before moving back to Wisconsin in 1964 where he worked road construction and logging. In 1967, he moved to Eau Claire and enrolled in college.

On September 7, 1968, he married the love of his life Margaret (Peggy) Guzinski at St. John’s Catholic Church in Prentice, WI. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Barbara and Michael.

After graduating from UW – Eau Claire in 1971 with a degree in accounting, he began a career with the Bertelson Company (now Wipfli) in Eau Claire. In 1974, John and Peggy moved to Wausau and joined St. Matthew’s Catholic Church where John served on various committees. John began working at Midstate Contracting and then in 1984, John was one of three principals that formed a new mechanical contracting company, Mechanical Incorporated located in Tomahawk, WI where he worked until his retirement in August 2000.

Above anything else, John’s favorite thing to do was to be with Peggy, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren spending time together. From time spent tilling up land and planting fields on his tractor at their cabin, to thousands of games of cribbage, golfing and getting a hole-in-one, to hunting and fishing, John shared his love of family with all of them. John and Peggy spent many years visiting warmer climates and historical sites throughout the United States, taking along their children and grandchildren. In 2019, John was able to go on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight with his son Michael as his chaperone.

John is survived by his beloved wife Peggy and their children: Barbara (Michael) Brown and Michael (Jacquelyn) Bant. Three grandchildren Megan (Matthew) Dahlquist, Bryan (Kazia) Rehwinkel and John Bant, along with two great grandchildren, Kynslei Koehler-Dahlquist and Beckett Dahlquist. He is further survived by his brother Thomas Bant, a brother-in-law, sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marge, his brothers James and Robert and his sister, Nancy Altman.

The family would like to thank the nurses, CNA’s and doctors at Aspirus IMC unit for their compassionate and outstanding care that John received.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Wausau. The Rev. Sebastian Kolodziejczyk will preside. Burial will be in the Prentice Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services all at the church. Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Wausau is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com