Mark P. Napp, age 94 of Fennimore, died on Saturday evening Nov. 29, 2014, at Orchard Manor in Lancaster. Mark was born on March 23, 1920, on his family farm in Fennimore Twsp., Grant Co., WI, the middle child of John and Margaret (Draves) Napp.
Mark served in the Field Artillery and Army Air Corp in WWII from 1942 to 1946. He took his basic training in heavy field artillery at Ft. Bragg, NC and was sent to Guadalcanal. He then transferred to the Army Air Corp where he was sent to weather school and served in the South Pacific for 20 months.
Upon returning to Fennimore to resume his family farming operation, Mark met the love of his life, Gayle D. Staskal, of Boscobel, WI. They were united in marriage on Sept. 14, 1949, in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. They lived on the family farm south of Fennimore until Mark’s retirement in 1985 when they moved to town. Gayle preceded him in death on July 15, 2012.
Mark was a lifelong member of St. Peter Lutheran Church, the Fennimore Masonic Lodge #219, and the Fennimore American Legion Post #184. Mark served on the Fennimore School Board from 1964 until 1982. In high school, he was one of the first members of the newly formed Fennimore FFA, where the livestock judging team won the state title his senior year. Mark enjoyed farming and spending time with family and friends. He and Gayle took up down-hill skiing and golfing after they retired from the farm and continued both activities well into their 80’s.
Mark is survived by two sons, Stephen (Kathy) of Fennimore, and D. Scott (Jean) of Stitzer, 4 grandchildren, David Johnson of Dubuque, IA, Bethany (Brian) McLain of Tomah, WI, John Napp of Platteville, and Jacob Napp, of Stitzer, WI, and one great-granddaughter, Raelyn Johnson of Dubuque, IA. He is also survived by one sister, Alice Galer of Lancaster.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday Dec. 6, 2014, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fennimore. Burial with military honors will follow in the Prairie Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 9:00 A.M. until the time of service at the church on Saturday morning. In lieu of plants and flowers, memorials may be given to St. Peter Lutheran Church Raise the Roof fund.