Glen Donald Dedow

Glen Donald Dedow, 83, died at his residence in Oshkosh on Thursday, June 2, 2011.He was born March 15, 1928, in Sheboygan, the son of Alvin and Anna (Strassburger) Dedow. When he was five years old, he moved with his parents to Cobbtown, a small community on the banks of the Waupaca River between Waupaca and Amherst. His parents operated a cheese factory there for many years. At the age of 14 and after, Glen drove a pickup truck to help his parents collect canned milk from area farmers.Glen graduated from Waupaca High School in 1945 and earned his BS in business from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1949. Shortly after, the Korean War began so he decided it would be better to enlist than wait to be drafted. He applied to the Air Force and Navy but both rejected him due to his extreme color-blindness. He went to work as a salesman for Pet Milk Company in North Prairie, Wisconsin.Then, with the wisdom peculiar to the Military, he was drafted by the Army and sent to Korea as part of the 790th QM Reclamation and Maintenance Company. Glen always said that they didnt care if you were color-blind in the foxholes. He was honorably discharged in 1952 but meanwhile Pet Milk had closed its Wisconsin plants. His parents had also sold their Cobbtown factory and were operating Lone Elm Cheese Factory at the corner of Oregon Street and Lone Elm Road, near Van Dyne. Glen began working with his father at Lone Elm in 1953 and took over completely when his father died in 1963. Glen always put heart and soul into his work. When he saw the rise in popularity of pizza, he switched from making Cheddar to Mozzarella. After rising early to pick up milk and make cheese daily, he would drive to area pizza restaurants from Oshkosh to Appleton, Fond du Lac, and Sheboygan where he would sell his cheese and develop ongoing clientele. Several of his original restaurants have been Lone Elm customers since the 1950s.As his distribution business grew, he sold his factory to another cheesemaker and concentrated on sales. He purchased a building on the corner of Lone Elm and Highway 175 in Van Dyne, began adding more drivers, sales staff, and semi-tractors. Today Lone Elm does business all over Chicago and its suburbs, length and breadth of Wisconsin, St. Paul/Minneapolis and eastern Minnesota.Glen always took an active part in the cheese business, his church and community, as well as the trucking industry. He was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church, Oshkosh. When the congregation built its church on Linwood Avenue in 1970, he served as part of the finance committee that made it happen. He also served on committees during other periods of his life.He was a member of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association for 53 years, served on its Board for many years and as President for three years. He also belonged to the Northeast Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association; Van Dyne Lions Club; the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce; Walleyes for Tomorrow and he served on the committee that built the new Black Wolf Town Hall in 2000.Glen is survived by his wife, the former Mary Ann Hanseter, whom he married December 27, 1985; his children, Stephen (Ellen) Oshkosh, and their children, Athena, Julian and Lucian; Betsy (Grant) Hambrick, Madison, and their daughter, Freya; Matthew (Kathy) Oshkosh, and their son, Anthony; Amy (Kurt Bauer) Dedow, Wauwatosa, and their children, Sophia and Owen; step-children, Noreen (Jeff) Smith, Neenah; and David Koene, Madison. Other survivors include his brother, Donald (Mary Ann), Warren, Ohio; sister, Dorothy (John) Imse, Fox Point, Wisconsin; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Merle Wolford. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 6, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church (700 W Linwood Ave - Oshkosh) at 6:00 p.m. with the Rev. John Hobbins officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 2:00 p.m. until the service time. Burial will be in Oaklawn Cemetery, South Highway 45 - Oshkosh with Military Honors. Memorials to First United Methodist Church would be appreciated.

First United Methodist Church



700 Linwood Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

Monday, June 06, 2011
2:00 p.m. to the service time



First United Methodist Church



700 Linwood Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

Monday, June 06, 2011
6:00 p.m.



Oaklawn Cemetery S US Hwy 45 Oshkosh



with Military Honors