Waldemar "Wally" Gebel

Waldemar (Wally) Gebel, 89, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Maria (Mimi) Petersen Gebel; their children and spouses Ruth (Kevin) Shelly, Paul (Noelle), Robert (Sue), and David; their seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Wally spent a lifetime in retail, starting with selling his mother’s aprons to dry-goods stores, followed by 37 years in partnership with Mimi running the Burleigh Ben Franklin Store in Milwaukee and Hallmark Stores in Racine and Watertown. Wally was a lifelong outdoorsman. With friends and faithful Labs, he loved hunting and fishing trips; with Mimi, they canoed and cross-country skied throughout Wisconsin. At home, Wally was a talented woodworker and followed the Packers and Badgers with enthusiasm. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc on Friday, May 11, at 11 a.m., with a visitation starting at 9:30 a.m., followed by a light lunch at the church and a private graveside ceremony. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Wally’s name to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the Lutheran High School Association, or a charity of your choice.