Elmer H. Kilian

Elmer Kilian

March 15, 1932 - November 17, 2024

Elmer (Red, Bud, & Buddy) Harold Kilian, age 92, of Main St. in Eagle, Wisconsin, (the former Eagle Hospital) died November 17, 2024.

Elmer was born March 15, 1932, in Waterloo, WI, the first of 12 children of the late Harvey and Alice (McGovern) Kilian. He graduated from Waterloo High School and served in the Marine Corps for two years including deployment to Korea where he witnessed the signing of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement. He married his beloved Carolyn Helen Heiser on May 10, 1958. They were married for 58 years when she passed away in 2016.

Elmer was employed as an inspector with the Wisconsin Dept of Agriculture - Bureau of Weights & Measures. A career he thoroughly enjoyed. After his retirement with the state Elmer worked for the city of Racine in a similar capacity for a couple of years before finally retiring.

Never one to sit still, Elmer was a pillar in his community having served for 30 years on the Palmyra-Eagle School Board, played in the Eagle Horseshoe League for 40 years, and had been an active member of St. Theresa Catholic Church for over 50 years. As a school board member he was proud to sign and be able to award each of his children their diploma from high school. He also did his neighbors’ taxes for more than 40 years. When the Internal Revenue Service sought to make him and other tax preparers get a license, he bravely sued the IRS and won.

At home he was a gardener, canner, vintner, and hair braider. He enjoyed puzzles, a good card game of Euchre and bowling on various local leagues. He loved hunting deer, turkey and elk with his son.

Elmer is survived by his three daughters, Cynthia (Tom) Harkness of Woodstock, IL, Diane Kilian (Philip Finkle) of Hilton Head Island, SC, and Mary (Evan) Nieder of Murrieta, CA; two grandkids, Angela Erickson (Caleb Brown) of Shelbyville, KY and Darby Nieder of Murrieta, CA; four great grandkids, Angel Erickson (Dustin VanEnkenvort) of Watertown, WI, and Coraline, Cyrus, Carver Brown of Shelbyville, KY.

He is also survived by his siblings James Kilian, Rose Trow, May (Lawrence) Lins, Grace Howard, Joseph (Lynda Kirt) Kilian, Patrick (Pam Dienberg) Kilian, sister-in-law Carol Kilian; and wife’s siblings, Marvin (Judy) Heiser and sister-in-law Michelle Heiser. He was loved and will be remembered by many other relatives and dear friends.

Elmer was preceded in death by his wife; his son, Brian Kilian; his grandson, Dennis Erickson; his parents and in-laws Roman and Caroline (Dischler) Heiser; his siblings Robert (Emily) Kilian, Charles (Shirley) Kilian, Catherine (Edward) Updike, Lawrence Kilian, Irene (Clarence) Katzenberger; and wife’s siblings Margaret (Frank) Lucht, Bernard Heiser, Valeria (Thomas) Griffith, Clarence (Delores) Heiser, Victor Heiser, Viator Heiser, Roman Jr. (Florence) Heiser, LeRoy Heiser, Melvin Heiser and Kenneth (Ann) Heiser.

The burial mass for Elmer will be held in December at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Plain, WI.