Final Obit

Andrew Pantzlaff
Reporting
Final Obit
October 2, 2006

Vernon Pantzlaff, a hardworking family man best known for the noises that surrounded him - the chaotic clanking of tools and broken cars, the constant buzz of a lawnmower and the smooth sounds of a shiny brass trumpet - died Sunday night in his sleep. He was 59.

Vernon was born on April 29, 1947 in Green Bay, Wis. He grew up in the small community of Morrison, Wis., where he would learn the value of hard work and humbleness while helping his parents on the farm. Aside from the many lessons he learned at his home doing chores, he also received a broader education at Morrison Zion Lutheran School and, afterwards, at Denmark High School.

It was at Denmark High School that he discovered what would become one of his greatest passions and talents in life: playing the trumpet. “I had always liked the sound of the trumpet,” Vernon said in a 2006 interview. So when an opportunity came for him to create those sounds, he took the chance, picked up a trumpet and never looked back. “They handed me a trumpet when I was in high school and I played it ever since,” he said.

His love for the trumpet didn’t take long for others to notice. In fact, the surrounding community had no choice but to listen to his passion. “He loved polka and he used to sit and play his trumpet outside on the porch,” said his younger brother Donald Pantzlaff in regard to their teenage years. “People in the neighborhood could hear from a half mile away and they always knew it was Vern.”

Upon his graduation from high school, Vernon began working at various Green Bay service stations as an auto mechanic; a job that he would end up doing in some form for the remainder of his life. More importantly, however, after leaving high school he quickly found a new home for his musical talents. In 1966, at 19 years of age, he joined the Tom Kiely Orchestra.

Having found a way to continue expressing his love for music, he then began looking for the true love of his life. Three years later, he found her. On Sept. 5, 1969, Bonnie Eichorst took his hand in marriage at the front of Morrison Zion Lutheran Church, signifying the beginning of what would become the next 36 years spent together. Throughout their marriage, she was, what he often jokingly labeled, the one that “kept me on the straight and narrow.”

In the years after his wedding, the melody of his life would soon become more hectic.

In 1976, life simply got “too busy,” he said. Family life, raising children, working full-time and playing in a band was too much to balance at one time. Therefore, after a decade of playing with the Tom Kiely Orchestra, Mr. Pantzlaff left the band. From time to time, he would still go on to play gigs with different groups on the weekends. After opening his own auto repair shop in Green Bay in 1981, however, he found that even that was too much.

The demands of running his own shop and the need to support his family took precedent over his musical aspirations. He decided, therefore, to retire from trumpet playing altogether.

In 1985, despite not having the outside demands of being in a band, owning a business still didn’t work out and he decided to sell his business in Green Bay. From there, he went on to work at the Denmark Co-Op Service Station. This new job was significantly closer to home. The closer proximity and the lighter demands that came with not owning a business allowed him to support his family, spend more time with them and also afforded him time to do the things he enjoyed.

One of these newly afforded leisure opportunities involved taking care of the yard.

He would, in time, go on to develop quite the reputation amongst those close to him for his insatiable desire to mow his lawn and kill perhaps his biggest, if not only, enemy in life: dandelions.

Aside from his antics on the lawnmower, the time afforded with his new job also allowed him to get back into music. In 1985, he joined a polka group named The Musical Brass. He would spend the last two decades of his life traveling, singing and playing at weddings and festivals around not only the state of Wisconsin, but nearly ten other states including some as far away as Arizona.

In all, during his time with The Musical Brass, the band released nine studio recordings with four of them being released on CDs. Amongst them were titles like “Try It, You’ll Like It,” “Old Time Treasures,” “Crank it Up,” and “A Toast to Our Fans.” “A Toast to Our Fans,” released in 2005, was the last release Vernon was a part of and was also his personal favorite.

In addition to his time with The Musical Brass, he also was a member of the Morrison Zion Church Band for over twenty years. Though devoid of CD releases and the travels he enjoyed with The Musical Brass, it was in this church band that he had his greatest influence on others, even if he was unaware of it.

According to those within the band, with his combination of humor, knowledge, and good attitude, Vernon was part of the reason discouraged members, especially young adults, continued to participate despite practices and concerts cutting into their social life.

“He was a good mentor for kids,” Donald Pantzlaff said. “They came back because of him.”

His survivors, all of whom live in Wisconsin, include his wife Bonnie; three daughters, Deborah of Greenleaf, Tina of Wrightstown and Julie of Denmark; one son, James of Denmark; three brothers, Wilmer of Denmark, Norman of Reedsville and Donald of Lark; one sister, Karen of Madison, and five grandchildren.

He will be buried at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church. The family will receive visitors at Nickel Funeral Home on Mill Road [time and date].