Larry A. Putman
Larry Allen Putman, age 72, of Elk Mound, WI passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 2nd, 2024 in the comfort of his home.
Larry was born on October 19th, 1951 in Janesville, Wisconsin. He was the son of Merlin and Delores (Buggs) Putman. He later moved to Racine, WI then to Glenwood City, WI with his mother where he later graduated from high school.
Larry served in the Vietnam War in 1971-1972. After the war, he came home and continued to proudly serve our country. Sergeant Larry Putman Company A, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade, Wisconsin Army National Guard was honorably discharged on August 8, 1996.
Larry married Nancy Strehlau on May, 8th 1976 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Menomonie, WI. After marriage they made their home in Elk Mound, WI where they had many great adventures camping, hunting, gardening and fishing together. Later, they raised their two daughters and enjoyed country living.
Larry was a foreman in construction where he built or remodeled many homes and buildings throughout the Chippewa Valley; including the Elk Mound Public Library, Menomonie Hospital, along with the Minnesota Zoo.
He enjoyed bow, gun, and muzzleloader hunting with family & friends at the Strehlau Farm where many great memories were made. He took hunting trips with his brothers and created stories to last a lifetime. He enjoyed volunteering and shooting guns at the Menomonie Public Shooting Range. He also collected and built his own guns and hand loaded bullets. In his later years, instead of hunting, he enjoyed watching the deer come into his yard to feed on his apple tree and other delicious treats he left out for them.
He was an avid Packers fan and looked forward to watching the games and cheering on his home team. He liked getting together for cookouts and gatherings with family and friends. He was an excellent cook and always made delicious meals. He enjoyed the companionship of a dog, but his most beloved dog was his recent late golden retriever, Bear.
He was a quiet man that had the most interesting and insightful things to say. He had some of the best stories and funniest one liners. Larry was a loyal man with a kind heart, that was always willing to lend a hand. He loved being a grandpa to his four grandchildren and was so proud of them. He will be greatly missed.
Larry is survived by his two daughters, Nikki (Brian) Blaskowski of Elk Mound and their children, Autumn and Alan; Lauri (Tou Lee) Putman of Apple Valley, MN and their sons Dayvin and Jackson; sister Rita (Ron) Peterson of Nekoosa; brother Terry (Pam) Putman of Baraboo; brother Mark (Shirley) Putman of Woodville; sister Becky (Mitch) of Woodville; half-brother Ronald Brandt Jr. of Emerald; the Strehlau family, step siblings: Vicky, Veronica, Valorie & Violet Brandt and Mike, Debbie, & Shelly; cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Larry is preceded in death by his wife, Nancy (Strehlau) Putman, his parents, Merlin Putman and Delores (Buggs-Putman) Brandt. Step parents Colleen Putman and Ronald Brandt Sr.
We would like to invite family and friends to celebrate his life at Rhiel Funeral Home, 2317 Schneider Ave SE, Menomonie, WI with the visitation starting at 12:00pm on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. Father Mano from St. Joseph Catholic Church will perform a service at 1:00pm with burial to follow at the St. Joseph's Cemetery with Military Legion Honors. Following the burial all are invited at 2:00pm to The Great Escape Bar & Grill-VFW Post 1039, at 2909 Bongey Dr, Menomonie, WI to enjoy a meal, visit and share memories. Monetary gifts will be used toward the services