Dick Rossin
Dick was born on March 14, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Julius Emil Jr. and Helen (Mill) Rossin. He was baptized into the Lutheran faith. Julius was a printer by trade. In 1938 the Rossin family moved to a farm in Kildare Township, Juneau County, Wisconsin. With the outbreak of WW II the Rossins returned to Chicago where Dick attended Concordia Lutheran Schools.
In 1947 the Rossins returned to Kildare and Dick attended Lyndon Station and Mauston schools. Julius found work at Kastner’s garage. In 1948 Dick was confirmed at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mauston. During the fall harvest Dick followed the threshing machine from farm to farm; refusing to work for anything less than a dollar a day. In 1952 Dick left school early and joined the United States Air Force. He was part of the 72nd Bomber Squadron and was stationed at Travis AFB outside of Sacramento, California. He was a staff sergeant by age 20. Throughout the 1950s he helped keep America safe by working as a radio operator flying onboard heavy bombers that frequently crossed the Pacific Ocean. He amassed 500 flight hours in a B-29 and 1,500 hours in the giant B-36 Peacekeeper. He passed his GED equivalency test in 1958. Honorably discharged in 1959, he lived for a time in the Baraboo area before returning to Mauston. He worked for seven years as a bartender at Carpenter’s Supper Club south-of-town. On October 27, 1962, he was united in marriage to Roberta Lea Trenshaw (Ingram), a divorcee with four children. Near the end of the 1960s he operated Rossin’s Café in downtown Mauston. In the early 1970s Dick and Roberta ran the Chatterbox tavern. Starting in the mid-1970s Dick sold real estate for the Dippen Agency. In the early 1980s he started and operated his own one-man agricultural company until retiring in 1996 at age 62.
In retirement Dick enjoyed woodworking and genealogy. He was an avid fisherman. After Roberta’s passing in 2004, Dick and his girlfriend June spent many hours traveling around the tri-state area. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Ruth (Bob) Schroeder; Bob Rossin; Ray Rossin; and stepson David Trenshaw. He is survived by stepchildren Lizabeth (Don) Johnson of Madison; Lynne and Craig Trenshaw, both of Mauston; and sons Richard Jr. (Sheila) of Mauston and twin sons, James, of Platteville, and John, of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Dick chose cremation and will be buried next to Roberta at St. Luke’s Cemetery outside of Elroy, Wisconsin. As per request, no services are
planned. Condolences can sent c/o Richard Jr. at P.O. Box 34, Mauston or via email at themaustonbrewery@yahoo.com.