Rodney E. Best

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Rodney E. Best, 79, of Wittenberg, died Thursday, June 2, 2022, at his home in Wittenberg following a short bout with cancer.

Rodney was born July 19, 1942, to Ivan and Hilda (Austin) Best in Dane County. He grew up on the family farm and always had a Love for the land. He particularly became interested in welding and repair of the machinery after his father bought a welder, and became a very accomplished self taught welder himself.

After graduating high school, Rodney started attending college for a time with hopes of becoming an attorney. But, because of the expense of school, he didn’t finish. After ending college, he did some other jobs, mostly welding. He became interested in publishing and bought the Wittenberg Enterprise from Luther England, moving to Wittenberg in 1969. He owned and operated it for several years. He was very community minded, and got involved with the Wittenberg Lions Club, and The Wittenberg Area Chamber of Commerce, and Future Farmers of America. He was chosen as Wittenberg Area Man of the Year in 1971. Rodney was also a Founding Member of the Wittenberg Historical Society through the encouragement of Grover Meisner, Olin Hagen, Wilmarth Thayer, and others.

He also got into real estate, becoming a salesman for Brunner-Hance Real Estate, and in later years with Henry Jensen of Birnamwood. Rodney also, around the same time, attended Missouri School of Auctioneering and graduated in 1977, through the encouragement of Tom Hance Sr. He did a lot of auctions in the area for several years and also did several appraisals, being appointed by the Small Business Administration, and Shawano County Probate Court on both. He later also took over Wittenberg Sales Company from Milton Voeltz that did the clerking and cashiering of the auctions.

Rodney, as most young boys growing up, had a fascination with trains. Well that dream came true on a much larger scale when he was asked through some of the local people to become a member of The Eland Railroad Museum and was very active in it up until recently. He also helped with gathering maple sap and driving truck and tractor in the Spring for Weller’s Sugarbush at Elderon for many years. He also plowed snow for several people in the area in the Winter months.

He also was a very accomplished wood worker, learning a lot through a good friend, John Mundt, and Ken Gulickson. He made several pieces for people in the area and also did a lot of repair of furniture.

Although Rodney was never married, he had quite a list of, how he put it, “Unofficial Adopted Kids and Adults.” Paul and Lisa Wierzba and their kids, Gus Jr. and Diane Weller and kids, John and Paula Mundt of North Dakota, the Gus Weller Sr. family, members of The Wittenberg Historical Society and Eland Railroad, Crystal Thayer, LaRae Tratz, Jeff Sigetich and Dave, Michael and Kelly Hull of Las Vegas, and many more. He is also survived by his sister Shirley (Roger) Lusk of New Glaris.

He was preceeded in death by his parents, Ivan and Hilda Best, and his beloved dog Jasper.

A Graveside Service will be held at noon on Sunday, July 31, 2022 at Forest Home Cemetery in Wittenberg. Following the service, there will be a Celebration of Life held in Rod’s yard, downtown Wittenberg on Vinal Street. Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home is assisting with the arrangements.

One other thing to mention about Rodney is that he always thought of others first before himself.

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