Happy Birthday Joel!

Nice shades Buck.

Another year to celebrate Joel's Birthday and remember and reflect upon the special people in our lives.  I am sure by now I sound like a broken record, but this time of year is always so special to me because it reminds me of the blessing of Joel's life and time he shared with each and every one of us. 

Joel in our motor-home!

Nitty Gritty in Madison!

 We all shared endless good times that we will carry with us for a life time.  These special moments cannot be surpassed, and I wouldn't trade them for any possession.

Causing trouble with the boys, per ush!

On Joel's Birthday this year, I encourage you to think about the little things that made your day special, reminded you of Joel and put a smile on your face - these moments are what we often take for granted, but truly shape how we feel each and every day.

Happy 28th Birthday Joel!  Cheers!

Music brings back some amazing memories...

I was listening to my normal country music mix alone in the lab, and found that this song pretty much wrapped up how I feel about Joel sometimes... 

Hope you enjoy thinking about the memories that we made together over the years!

"Oh man, we were livin'... we sang and talked and traveled back in time!"

Everyone can think of a time where Joel was story telling and laughing so hard that he spit up.  Or when we are all sitting around remembering some of Joel's more creative moments - these are the memories I love and cherish.  Keep livin' well!

Seymour Scholarship Banquet 2013

We excited to show you another successful year of funding future skilled craftsmen graduating from Seymour Community High School.  We hope you enjoy the video of this year's scholarship banquet.

(CLICK HERE to see the 2012 Seymour Scholarship Banquet)

Thank  you for your continued support of Joel's Craftsman Scholarship, and all you do for to celebrate his life and ongoing legacy. 

Words cannot describe how truly grateful we are.

Thank you.

You can browse more posts related to the scholarship here.

Tribute to Jack J. Marsh

Jack J. Marsh: A Beautiful Life from July 18, 1926 to August 8, 2013

 

On Joel's blog, we like to talk about the things we are doing in his honor as well as record some of the special memories we have of Joel.  I hope this will provide a record of comfort for all who read it when they periodically visit and look back.  I feel bad that I haven't been as quick to update this blog - but there's always room for improvement and I'm looking forward to a multitude of new posts about some of the things we have been doing at Joel's cabin and beyond.  This post however, I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to pay tribute to my Grandpa Jack J Marsh who recently passed away on August 8th, 2013.  I thought it was only appropriate due to the mutual fondness that Jack and Joel had of one another, that it be included here on Joel's Blog.

Here are the online posts, to keep as a record...

Tribute.com

You only had to talk to Jack for a few minutes to know that he liked to have a good time. My favorite time with him was on an outing and we saw some round bales in a field. Jack said "Did you hear they're going to do away with round bales?" So I asked "Why?" His answer was "Because the cows aren't getting a square meal!" That was Jack. He will be missed. Sue Van Gheem, Friend

Posted by: Sue Van Gheem - Seymour, WI - friend   Aug 15, 2013

 

Tom & family,
I never met Jack but from the many stories Tom has told me I felt as if I knew him well. So sad to hear of the lose of a father, grandfather, friend and wonderful story teller.

Posted by: Thomas Ristau - Green Bay, WI - co-worker of Tom   Aug 12, 2013

I met you Dad several times through John and what a great man he is. Sorry to hear of your loss, but a true testament to his life is the great family he raised. I was glad I got to meet him. John

Posted by: John Schmit - Punta Carnero Ecuador - Friend   Aug 11, 2013

Jack will be truly missed I have many great memories of Jack at the deer camp
Al Totsky

Posted by: al totsky - Friend   Aug 10, 2013

hi marsh family i am sorry to hear about jack he was a very kind man i will miss him dealy take care love chuckie ready

Posted by: chuckie ready - friend   Aug 10, 2013

I have many memories of Uncle Jack; visiting the farm where he was always fixing a motor of some kind, his quick wit and great smile...being a kid I was always impressed with his gold or silver? tooth! I was also impressed with his snowmobiling skills(at the cabin) and his strength when he got buried in the snow. At the farm, Aunt June was usually baking some kind of dessert and Uncle Jack would come in the house for his morning break just when the dessert was coming out of the oven. He was always pleasant and made sure he said a few words to me (usually with a wink) to make me feel important. He was a big guy with a big heart and I'm grateful to have known him.
Thinking of you, Aunt June, and all of Jack's close family.
Jill (great niece)


Posted by: Jill Worley (Watermolen) - Green Bay, WI - niece   Aug 09, 2013

Grandpa was just a kid when he got his hands on one of these!

Legacy.com

August 09, 2013

Love at this time comes in the form of beautiful memories. I have so many with Grandpa Marsh, I could fill a book. He taught me how to plant potatoes, cook pancakes, and live life to the absolute fullest. A smile, joke, and a story from a younger, more adventurous Jack, are my favorite past times... The whole family is inspired by the love of Jack and June... May Grandpa's lessons live on in us!

~ 

Alyce Marsh,

Seymour, Wisconsin

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/greenbaypressgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=jack-marsh&pid=166334570&page=2#sthash.8E0INt7P.dpuf

August 12, 2013
Dear Mrs. Marsh, Tom, Dale, Curt, John, Hali and Carey... So many years have passed since you were our neighbors but I still remember Mr. Marsh very well. He was a kind and funny man who always made us neighbor kids laugh. You were so blessed to have him in your life! So sorry for your loss. Hugs to you all, Mary Chris (Jobelius) Herzog
~
Mary Chris Herzog,
Suamico, Wisconsin

August 12, 2013
To the Marsh Family
Sorry to hear about your loss. Jack was a wonderful and caring person. I will always remember him and June walked in the mornings in Pulaski. I drove school bus and he always waved at me and gave me a great big smile. He will be sadly missed.
~
Tom & Debbie Wolf,
Bondule, Wisconsin

August 10, 2013
I will always remember Jack when he came in to the Pulaski Coop to have work done in the service station and to visit with all the employees. He was a kind and thoughtful man. Also all of his children and grandkids I met
through him were the best. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
~
Joyce Winkler,
Gillett

August 10, 2013
so sorry to hear of jacks passing,when I work at the nursing home and he came into the dinning room,i would hurry and wait on him,he was just so so nice,loved all r talks,,blessing with your family,,,,Shelby van eyck
~
shelby vaneyck,
seymour, Wisconsin

August 10, 2013
Dear June and family-Sorry about your loss-Jack was a very nice friendly man and he had a great sense of humor.
Deepest sympathy- Dwyn & Don Smits


August 09, 2013
Love at this time comes in the form of beautiful memories. I have so many with Grandpa Marsh, I could fill a book. He taught me how to plant potatoes, cook pancakes, and live life to the absolute fullest. A smile, joke, and a story from a younger, more adventurous Jack, are my favorite past times... The whole family is inspired by the love of Jack and June... May Grandpa's lessons live on in us!
~
Alyce Marsh,
Seymour, Wisconsin

Love at this time comes in the form of beautiful memories. I have so many with Grandpa Marsh, I could fill a book. He taught me how to plant potatoes, cook pancakes, and live life to the absolute fullest. A smile, joke, and a story from a younger, more adventurous Jack, are my favorite past times... The whole family is inspired by the love of Jack and June... May Grandpa's lessons live on in us!

~ 

Alyce Marsh,

Seymour, Wisconsin

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/greenbaypressgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=jack-marsh&pid=166334570&page=2#sthash.8E0INt7P.dpuf

August 09, 2013

Love at this time comes in the form of beautiful memories. I have so many with Grandpa Marsh, I could fill a book. He taught me how to plant potatoes, cook pancakes, and live life to the absolute fullest. A smile, joke, and a story from a younger, more adventurous Jack, are my favorite past times... The whole family is inspired by the love of Jack and June... May Grandpa's lessons live on in us!

~ 

Alyce Marsh,

Seymour, Wisconsin

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/greenbaypressgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=jack-marsh&pid=166334570&page=2#sthash.8E0INt7P.dpuf

August 09, 2013

Love at this time comes in the form of beautiful memories. I have so many with Grandpa Marsh, I could fill a book. He taught me how to plant potatoes, cook pancakes, and live life to the absolute fullest. A smile, joke, and a story from a younger, more adventurous Jack, are my favorite past times... The whole family is inspired by the love of Jack and June... May Grandpa's lessons live on in us!

~ 

Alyce Marsh,

Seymour, Wisconsin

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/greenbaypressgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=jack-marsh&pid=166334570&page=2#sthash.8E0INt7P.dpuf

Grandpa, you are a legend and a legacy we will all keep with us as we grow together with friends and family.  You have given us the example by which we strive to live our lives. Cheers until we meet again and take care of Buck up there, I'm sure he's in need of a fine mechanic.

 Wishing friendship, family and support to all those who read this blog... 

you keep the memories and the love alive.

May God Bless you always. 

 

Meeting in Madison

After our last official class of my second year of Medical School I had a quick weekend trip planned to go back home and visit with family to refresh before the big boards study binge.  I flew back to Madison just in time for my parents and Lyssa to pick me up at the airport.  From there we went to Becca's apartment to freshen up for an important family meeting.  Mom, Dad, and I were contacted by one of Joel's recipients and he was going to be in Madison for a routine post operative check up.  We wrote letters to all of the recipients, and received a few responses, but were delighted to hear when one family wanted to meet.

We were so excited to have this opportunity, as we know that it is rare in the community of transplantation.  What an experience to be able to connect with another family that is so close to our own.  We decided that the Great Dane would be an excellent place to meet over dinner.  As we walked in, I knew the couple that were sitting in the entry way with two roses - it had to be them, and it was!  We sat at a booth and started to hear his story.  He told of us his work, career, and beautiful family.  We learned how difficult it can be to be a recipient, especially a lung recipient, who endures countless tests and endless waiting while very ill until a transplant is available.

We also had the opportunity to tell them about Joel and all of the things he was able to accomplish, many of the fun stories that we love to laugh about, and then of course what brought the two families together at the table.  We prepared a frame of a few of our favorite pictures of Joel for them to have to show their family back home who was not able to come with them.  They could tell instantly that he loved the outdoors and working with his hands - something both of our families had in common!

The dinner was full of emotion, tears, and so much happiness.  It was not like talking to strangers, but an extension of your own family - for we were so intrinsically connected before sitting down together.  We left on the promise of keeping in touch and hopefully meeting again some day, either in Madison, or another place!

We are so very grateful for this opportunity, and cannot thank the family enough for their courage and kindness in wanting to meet us.  We think of them very often, as I'm sure they think of us.

Gift of Life Medal Ceremony

Last summer our family was invited to the annual ceremony of life sponsored by the University of Wisconsin.  This special event cherishes the gift of life and the forward thinking of Wisconsin citizens.  Many of you know, Joel expressed his wishes to our family and to the state to become a donor in the event of his passing. His selfless and honorable gift is something I personally look up to Joel for everyday - what a true hero. 

Governor Scott Walker and UW-Madison welcome you...

In school we have the opportunity to meet and interview organ and tissue recipients, and it is amazing that they can remember the day, down to the minute, of when they received the call that their match and new chance at life arrived.  They retell the phone call as if it were yesterday.  It's truly inspiring how this process can change the lives of both the donor and the recipient - it's a miracle of medicine.

Governer's Mansion in Madison, WI

I unfortunately was unable to attend the ceremony, and I was grateful that Mom and Dad were able to take the afternoon off to go to Madison to accept the award.  Curt was thinking ahead and sent a quick email to the Governor's office to tell them a little about Joel and the blessing that he has been and how humbled we were by his decision to donate life.  In addition to our experience with Joel, we also shared one of the beautiful letters we received from a young girl who was a recipient, and the letter started out with the words "To the Angel that Walked This Earth"  - I couldn't say it better.   It arrived at our doorstep only days before what would have been Joel's 26th Birthday.  The letter swept us off of our feet.

In sharing a small piece of our story, it must have swept the Governor's office off their feet as well, because in speaking about the medal ceremony, and addressing the crowd prior to the awards, the Lieutenant Governor included Joel's story in her speech.  My parent's were stunned and in awe of the opportunity to inspire others and provide hope to other families in a similar situation.  What a neat opportunity for Joel's story, selflessness and compassion to be recognized.  Many families are not as fortunate to hear from recipients as we were - and we are grateful for that everyday.  We hope the many other Wisconsin families are able to heal and find their choice to give life to others supported by all who surround them.

Medal of Life Ceremony - Madison, WI

After hearing that Joel was included in the opening speech at the ceremonies, I wrote to the Governor's office to thank them for their compassion, hard work, and dedication to Wisconsin.  They responded with...

"Alyce,
Thank you for contacting our office.  Please know that I have taken the liberty of printing a copy of your kindly worded letter in anticipation of showing it to the Lt. Governor.  I know that the Lt. Governor was extremely moved by your brother's story and your family's strength.  Friday's event was certainly a very special occasion to honor and remember those loved ones whose sacrifice have given life to others.

Thank you again for taking the time to reach out to our office.

Sincerely... The Lieutenant Governor's Office "

Joel R Marsh: Family. Hope. Life. Honor. Hero.

Visitors: Jay & Perry

We were excited that Jay & Perry were able to make it up to see the progress that has been made to Joel's cabin.  It had been a while, so we took Joel's sleds out to celebrate.  Sabercat and the Cougar were ready to hit the trails.

Thank you for visiting!

Camp Fence at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Weekend 

2012

Up North at Peace.

Country Music Reflection

After listening to the nominations for CMA song of the year, I can relate to almost every song they nominated.  They are all my favorites from the past year, but after hearing the acceptance speech, I knew exactly why.  Blake Shelton had some amazing music this year, including these two songs... 

Over You, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

God Gave Me You, Blake Shelton

Every time I hear one of these two songs, I think of Joel for so many reasons.  I can't describe it, but I am sure many of you know exactly what I mean.  (Everything, minus the whole marriage shout out from the second video... haha.  Listen to the lyrics.)  Man, just another solid reason to love country music.  Thinking of you all over the Holidays!

Uncle Buck Work Weekend

The first weekend in October was a productive one up at Camp Fence.  It was this weekend, that we had the pleasure of hosting all of Joel's closest friends at the camp to help with the siding and giving the cabin a major push forward.

My weekend started with a high stress dash to the airport.  I left school, at what I thought was a decent time, however, when the buses are late and the traffic doesn't cooperate - it is a recipe for disaster.  My flight was boarding at 6:20PM... and I made it to the PIT airport at 6:30.  Yikes.

I had already spent most of the bus ride calling Paul frantically and calling United Airlines to try to book a different flight into Wisconsin somewhere, but this was the last possible departure.  Dang.  My only hope was to run as fast as possible and pray that security wasn't backed up out the door, like it usually is on Friday afternoons.

What happened next, I call a "Buck Intervention"...  I ran out of the bus, up the stairs with my luggage and spotted the security - and... there wasn't a soul in line.  I walked right up and through the Xray.  It took 30 seconds to get through security.  I didn't even put on my shoes, but ran to catch the next train to the terminals.  I then sprinted up the escalators and to my gate.  I was the last to board the plane... before they shut the doors after me.  A Buck Intervention.  I was going to Wisconsin!  The adrenaline was rushing through my veins and I was laughing hysterically at what Buck was probably thinking watching the whole spectacle.

After a layover in Cleveland, I ran off the plane in Green Bay to be greeted by Lyssa in her Packer stocking cap, and the tan Marsh Van waiting patiently in the parking lot.  We didn't blink or stop to breath before hitting the road to Camp Fence.  We were bound to get up there before Midnight.

We arrived at Joel's camp full of his buddies from Seymour, Tech and beyond.  It was a blast to see everyone and have them all in one place - at Joel's Camp.  It was only right to let Joel's friends be the first to spend the night in his cabin.  He once told Mom and Dad that we weren't going to move into the cabin early, like we did with our house and Lake Eva - he wanted to make sure it was close to done before that happened.  Joel's friends had the honor of sleeping there first.  As Buck would say, "Perrrrrfect."

The VanGompel's already had a chance to get a jump start on the stone wall in the front, and the next morning, the crew started with the siding - a big job to say the least!  There are definitely some big walls and peaks that needed to be sided - and thanks the the hard work of many, it went up pretty fast!  The boys were determined, and we ran out of siding before they could finish!  Matt was leading a crew on one side of the house while the Birdseed Brother's were tackling the front peaks and all of the wicked angles that came with it, especially after Curty added another hexagon window in the peaks.

The ladies were in charge of feeding the masses, and served three feasts a day to try to keep up with the construction crew - it was quite an impressive feat!  Uncle John and KJ were kind enough to let us shift the party to their place between shifts - and we had a couple grand camp shots and toast to Buck!  The boys even worked through the snow which hit Camp Fence early Saturday morning!  Brrrrr, another Buck Intervention if you ask me!

We really cannot thank everyone enough for all of the help during the Buck's Camp Fence work weekend, and all of the support that you continue to provide our family.  There were almost 20 people that came up to the cabin to help!  We are absolutely in awe of the lasting friendships that Joel had and will continue to have, and we're so inspired by all that you do.   

You all have been a blessing in our life, and in Joel's.

I hope you enjoy the photos from the weekend and are able to take some of the memories with you.  Feel free to download the photos from the album - and let me know if you need help doing so!

Buck's Camp Fence Work Weekend

Take care - and hopefully see you all soon!

Alyce

From Ceramics to Ceramic Tile...

Are they "plumbing" or putting down tile!  Say no to crack... haha!

Another Buck story for ya.  Many of you don't know that back in our younger years Joel and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and started slowly taking on some of their hobbies.  For me, I tried to learn how to bake Grandma Marsh's famous pies - they really are the best.  Joel took on a few more artistic hobbies and started going to ceramic class with Grandma Marsh down the road on Country Rd VV.

There he was able to pick out ceramics, paint them up, fire them and use many of them to decorate his room, our house, and my room.  For a while there he was making really detailed designs and deer that appeared to be life-like.  He also made gallon jugs for Slab City which we displayed on our fire place for years.  I still have quite a few of his designs in my room, and I know that there's plenty more in storage.  The best part of doing ceramics with Grandma Marsh is that you could always save the eyes for her to finish.  The eyes were the hardest part, and most often the finishing touches.  The eyes brought the ceramic pieces to life - Grandma Marsh was perfect for the job.

When I thought of making a post to show you the ceramic floors - all of the memories of Joel painting ceramics came to me.  What an excellent hobby to add to his many skills at a young age.  Maybe that's why he wanted so much tile in his camp??  Who am I kidding - I think it's because you can clean it with a pressure washer in under 2.0 seconds...

The perk of putting tile down by the Camp Buck Shot Fridge!

Construction Fuel - Uncle Whitey's Food!

Moving on the floors, the whole great room is covered in tile.  You can only imagine how one's knees would feel after kneeling on the concrete all day to put the tile in place and then grout it all!  Thank goodness we had ample help from friends and neighbors, otherwise Curty would not be walking at the moment.  Ouch.

Ziggy Zaggy... Shnnufka!  Job well done!

One of the best features of having tile throughout the house, is the ability to heat it with boiling hot water.  Slab heat was a must when Joel was designing the house.  Who needs a basement, when you can head the slab and live right on top of its warmth!  It's also very energy efficient for the north woods - another thing Joel wanted to achieve in his place.

Speaking of energy efficiency, I'm reminded of another Buck story...  I remember when Joel was first learning about solar panels and solar energy in high school.  In order to take his knowledge to the next level, he decided to buy individual solar units on Ebay, and wire them up on a homemade solar panel mount which was made out of plywood and plexiglass.  He even painted it white for ample reflection.  As if building the panel wasn't enough, he wired it up to charge a large set of car batteries - one for energy use and one for energy storage.  Sounds cool right?!  Well, Buck wasn't satisfied, so he decided that it would be even more impressive to run our basement's energy (his domain of the house) completely off of solar power.  So about a week later, he and dad trip the breakers and the basement was running off of solar.  Hahah!  Yep, Buck was running his high school bachelor pad off of solar.   This was about the time when me, Joel, Dad, and the Winsand clan were into "getting off the grid"... so there was ample celebration of Joel's ability to remove himself from the power grid and sustain his needs through solar electricity!  Excellent.  Sooner or later, one of the panels tweaked out and the whole thing needed to be rewired... not necessarily worth it.  The basement went back on the grid - dahhh!  It was more the fact that he could do it that mattered to everyone - he definitely proved his point.

Debbie would be so proud... as Curty always says "He's so well trained..."

Well, now that you've heard some Buck Stories, I'll finally reveal how the tile looks!  Isn't is wonderful!?  I can't wait for when the boys see the tile!

The hallway by the bedrooms

The Great Room!  I absolutely loved how it turned out!

Camp Fence Rainbow

Weather, rain, and the things that are our of our control always hit home and send a message to slow down to enjoy many of the gifts that we take for granted...

Spotted on the way up to Camp Fence

Mom and Dad saw a double rainbow on their way up to Joel's cabin - one of the many things that reminds me that someone is watching out for us...

Washington, DC - Summer of 2009