Monday, September 16, 2024
Charles James “Chuck” Skewes Jr., age 93, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at his home in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
He went home to his Lord and Savior on Sunday, September 1, 2024.
Born in Racine, Wisconsin on December 7, 1930, he graduated from Racine Park High School in 1948 and entered service in the United State Marine Corps in 1950 during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1953. During his enlistment he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life Loretta Jean Swanson. He worked as a lineman for Wisconsin Electric Power Company for 16 years in Racine, served as a horse trainer and instructor at Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London; bought a farm near Zittau and sold that to buy a dairy farm near Weyauwega, which he and the family worked until 1988. Upon selling “King’s Choice Farm,” he took a job as an armed security officer for the Wisconsin Air National Guard at Volk Field near Camp Douglas where he retired after 12 years. He and Loretta moved back to New London to be near family. Then in 2022 relocated to Sun Prairie, again to be near family.
Chuck loved working with animals, training dogs and horses, working cattle as well as hunting and the outdoors. He was an expert marksman and firearms instructor in the Marines and enjoyed nothing more than buying, bartering, selling, trading guns, boats, dogs, horses, and anything else that could get him what he needed…until the next trade. He wrote poetry and loved to laugh and sing, especially in harmony, in his fine baritone voice. He wasn’t afraid of anything, and he never let a lack of knowledge, training or skill stop him from doing what he thought needed to be done. He had a strong Christian faith, served as an elder and a deacon in the various church bodies to which he and Loretta belonged and they did their best to pass their faith on to the next generations.
He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Retta; children: Michael, Clint, Jane Algiers, William, Sarah Ringgenberg; daughters-in-law: Jean (Frederick), Denise (Thoma); sons-in-law: Timothy Algiers, Mark Ringgenberg; grandchildren: Jesse, Alyssa Soeth (Skewes), Abby, Kelly, Heidi, Jonathan, Samuel and Micah Ives, Bradleigh Algiers; grandsons-in-law: Nathan Soeth, Jake Borth, Jake Boebel and Joshua Grossman; great-grandchildren: Kameron Soeth and Luca Borth.
He was preceded in death by his father Charles, mother Mamie, sister Helen, daughter-in-law, Kris Skewes and grandson Wesley Skewes.
A gathering of family and friends for Chuck will take place at 10:00 am and a Memorial Service at 11:00 am on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at the Dahlke Life Celebration Center in Weyauwega.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Samaritan’s Purse or Tunnel to Towers.
Friends may visit www.dahlkefh.com to share memories and condolences with Chuck’s family.
