Daniel Gene Elmhorst

Daniel Elmhorst, age 78, of Neillsville, WI died Friday, June 26, 2020 at his residence surrounded by his loving family.

Daniel Gene Elmhorst was born on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942 on the home farm in Chili, WI the son of Henry Paul Carl and Dorothy Alice (Daniels) Elmhorst. Dan had several talents and spent most of his life self-employed. His primary occupations were farming and logging, but he was best known in this area as a school bus driver. He worked with the Neillsville School District for over 30 years. In retirement, he became a transporter for the Amish community and became well known and respected in their communities. Dan began maple syruping with his father in 1947 and was handed down the operation for him to oversee beginning in 2000, which continued until this past year.

He was united in marriage to Joel Neuman on July 27, 1963 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Riplinger, WI. Early in their marriage they had moved to the Fox Valley and Waukesha areas, where they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1970. As a devote member he was an Elder, a High Priest and served in multiple Branch Presidencies and Ward Bishoprics among other church callings.

In 1973, Dan moved his family back to the family farm, “Peaceful Pines” where he built a home that was always open and welcoming to anyone in need. Dan was a very caring and loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was very devoted to taking care of his wife and eleven children and was a father figure to many others.

He was an inventor of many things such as logging equipment, loaders on tractors, and was proud of his perpetual motion machine, light bulb furnace, and other “Dr. Seuss-like” inventions. He loved storytelling and was very musically talented. He had a beautiful voice, played guitar and harmonica and was a member of the musical group “Neillsville Entertainers”. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tease little children with silly songs.

His retirement hobbies included participating in the Granton Tractor Club and making ropes for the Mormon Loggers group at Neillsville Heritage Days with his own custom designed rope-making machine, as well as tinkering with his “toys”, which included tractors, trucks, vans, etc., and his scraping and salvage.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joel Marie, eleven children, Daniel J. “DJ” (Patty Fowler) Elmhorst of Granton, WI, Ladd (Deanna) Elmhorst of Neillsville, WI, Tawnya (Robert) Featherston of Granton, WI, Nona (Mitch) Crowe of Ashland, WI, Naomi (Richette) Elmhorst of Neillsville, WI, Mya (Hazen Hawkes) Elmhorst of Neillsville, WI, Thomas (Lisa) Elmhorst of Marshfield, WI, Cherie (Richard) Atkins of Jacksonville, IL, Jacob (Ali) Elmhorst of North Ridgeville, OH, Elizabeth (Nathan Warczytowa) James of Westfield, WI and Peter (Cheryl) Elmhorst of Spring, TX, 34 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren with 1 on the way, 9 siblings, Henry “Dick” (Joan) Elmhorst of Rudolph, WI, Roy (Sue) Elmhorst of Iola, WI, William (Virginia) Elmhorst of Neillsville, WI, Rosemary McBride of Neillsville, WI, Michael (Evangeline) Elmhorst of Paynesville, MN, Andrew Elmhorst of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Judith Hineline of Loyal, WI, Paul Elmhorst of Whitehall, WI and James Elmhorst of Neillsville, WI.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Dorothy, brothers, Eldred and Timothy and sister-in-law, Shirley (Paul) Elmhorst.

Funeral Services for Daniel will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, July 6, 2020 at Gesche Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Neillsville. Interment will be in the Peaceful Pines Cemetery in Neillsville. A luncheon at Schuster’s Park in Neillsville, with opportunities to share stories of Dan, will follow the interment. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 5^th and from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Monday, July 6^th at Gesche Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

Online Condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.

The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Daniel’s family with funeral arrangements.