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Hackbarth, William (Bill) C.

William (Bill) C. Hackbarth, age 90, formerly of Kenosha, Wisconsin and more recently of Waupaca, Wisconsin and Leesburg, Florida, died Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at Riverside Hospital in Waupaca following a short illness.

Bill was born January 28, 1923 in Wausau, Wisconsin. The son of Charles and Anna (Hamann) Hackbarth, he was raised in Wausau and graduated from Wausau High School in 1941. Bill had five siblings all of whom have preceded him in death. Bill married Margaret (Peg) Davies on February 26, 1944 in Wausau and the two of them moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin shortly after so that Bill could begin work as a Draftsman for Nash Motors. Bill stayed with Nash Motors which then became American Motors for 38 years. He retired from American Motors as the Quality Control Manager in 1981.

Bill is survived by his four children: Tom (Susan Griffiths) of Waupaca, Wisconsin; Ann (Dean) Drenk of Bozeman, Montana; John (Judy Estill) of Roberts, Wisconsin and Jane (Jim) Kreuser of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is further survived by six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Bill’s love of camping led him and his family to the Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes area in the late 1950’s where they eventually joined the ‘Camp Cleghorn’ community and spent many summers skiing and swimming on the lakes. Bill and his beloved Peg retired to Camp Cleghorn and divided their time between their family and friends there and their many winter friends in Leesburg, Florida. Bill was a talented draftsman and builder and is responsible for many of the buildings and additions in Camp Cleghorn. He was an avid water skier, snow skier and tennis player and until last summer could be seen riding his bicycle enthusiastically around his Cleghorn and Leesburg neighborhoods.

A memorial service will be held at the Camp Cleghorn Chapel at a later date. Memorials for Bill can be addressed to the Camp Cleghorn Chapel, E1056 Camp Road, Waupaca, Wisconsin 54981. The family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Crystal River Rehab Center and Riverside Hospital in Waupaca, Wisconsin for their compassionate care of Bill during his final days.

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