Vernon Lamer

Vernon "Vern" Lamer, age 82, 1219 E Kings Road, Tomahawk, passed away Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Tomahawk. Vern was born on April 9, 1930 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin to Joseph and Estelle (Bauer) Lamer. He married Jane Crass on May 2, 1959 in Milwaukee. Vern attended St. Mary's Catholic School and Tomahawk High School graduating in 1948. He left for Anchorage, Alaska shortly after graduation and drove the Alaskan Alcan Highway when it was gravel all the way to Anchorage. He drove heavy equipment for the Army Corp of Engineers building Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage which is still in existence today. When he returned to Tomahawk, Ed Drott, Sr. hired him as a heavy equipment operator for his new company, Drott Manufacturing, Inc. He traveled for many many years demonstrating heavy equipment all over the United States, Canada, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Greenland, Cuba, Africa, Australia, Ireland, extensively in Europe, Mexico, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Argentina, Latin America, New Zealand and Central America. He eventually was made General Manager of Drott Training Center, now known as Case Tomahawk Customer Center. He was instrumental in the building and promoting of the Tomahawk Case Center entertaining customers from all over the world who would be flown in to the Center for a week or a few days where they were housed, wined and dined. At the Center they had their own bunk houses, dining area and hydraulic bar. He retired in 1991 after 37 ½ years. Vern built the first "Zamboni" for the Tomahawk Hockey Association from a farm tractor which was used for many years until they could afford to buy a new one. He was instrumental in building Camp Ten Ski Hill, using heavy equipment donated by Drott Mfg. He was on the first Board of Directors for the Ski Hill. Vern was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council #2066 since the age of 18 and a lifelong member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Tomahawk, WI. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, and snowmobiling but most of all his children, grandchildren, family and friends. He will be missed by his family as he was the dinner table story teller with stories about his travels and his experiences with the people he worked with and entertained at the Case Tomahawk Customer Center. He always had everyone in tears from laughing over his stories. Survivors include: Wife Jane (Crass) Lamer Tomahawk Four Daughters Debbora (Larry) Winkelman Tomahawk Vicki (John) Ament Eagle River, AK Barbara (James) Kluball Marshfield, WI Theresa (Robert) Schoone Tomahawk Son Patrick (Lisa Brown) Lamer Tomah, WI He is also survived by 11 grandchildren Jennifer Winkelman/James Zesig, Shane Winkelman, Heather Ament, John Ament Jr., Michael Kluball, Sarah (Matt) Peterson, David Kluball, Adam Schoone, Rachel Schoone, Katy Lamer and Alyssa Lamer and one great grandchild on the way. Further survived by two sisters Rita Kuehling and Donna Magnuson, and three brothers Gerald (Patricia) Lamer, Allan (Billie) Lamer, Francis (Kathy) Lamer and a cousin who he considered his brother, Lonn (Sharon) Lamer. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, one brother Eugene Lamer and one sister Margaret Lamer Oelhafen, two sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law and one niece. A Mass of Christian Burial for Vern Lamer will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Tomahawk. The family will receive friends at the Krueger Family Funeral Home on Friday, May 11 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. , with a Vigil Service to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friends may also call at the church on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of Mass at 11:00 a.m. Memorials are appreciated to the St. Mary School Legacy Fund or the Tomahawk Hockey Association.