Roland Lloyd "Ron" Gleisner Sr., passed away on Friday April 29th 2016, at Rainbow Hospice.

Born in Tomahawk, WI, the oldest of 10 children born to Geraldine (Fehringer) and Lloyd Gleisner.

Ron started working in his dad's welding shop at the of age 9, building, fixing, and fabricating things; a skill he utilized the rest of his life. He graduated from Tomahawk High School joining the Navy 3 days after graduation where he learned electronics while serving aboard the USS Canberra. After service he joined his father at Rowe and Elgers Co., building the Jefferson sewage disposal plant.

While working in Jefferson he met and married Maryann Laesch, his wife of 55 years. Mastering his engineering talents at the Irvin L Young Co., he joined Hawthorn Melody Dairy in Whitewater serving as head of maintenance for 13 years. He then moved to Portland Oregon as manager of Portola, a bottle and cap plastics injection plant. He returned to Jefferson when grandchildren started to arrive, opening Portola's Jefferson Fab with his son-in-law Roger. The fabrication plant then moved to New Castle PA where he worked before returning to Jefferson. Ron enjoyed traveling around the world as a service technician, retiring in 2001 from Portola.

He spent his retirement building radio control construction equipment from scratch, showing them at model shows and museums. While traveling and flea marketing he picked up many small guns, his new hobby became gun smithing, handcrafting obsolete parts for old guns.

He is survived by his wife Maryann, children, Denise Lange, Roland Jr. (Sharlene), Staci (Roger) Hoffman, all of Jefferson,and Grant (Karin) of Annapolis MD.

He is further survived by brother Joe, sisters Kathy (Shelby) Null, Monica (Ron) Krause, Barbara (Roger) DeMoe of Jefferson, Carolyn (Don) Krause of Fort Atkinson, Alice (Bob) McGinnis of Cross Plains, and Veronica (Joel) Petty of Baraboo. Sister-in-laws Connie (Lewis) Deegan, Withee, Cathi (Roy) Nelson, Watertown, brother-in-laws John Laesch, Jefferson, Willard (Lu) Laesch, Fairview, TX, Dean (Susan) Laesch, Fortworth, TX, Wally (Sue) Laesch Champain, IL an aunt Florence Weizenicker, Tomahawk, and aunt and uncle Marie & Silerius Mand, Fond du Lac, grandchildren, Michele(JJ), Robert (SaraEmily), Jentri (Andy), Tammy, Beth (Brian), Jenny, Matt (Renee), great-grand children, Dylan, Xavier, Avrey, Seton, Dakota, Landyn, Kinsley, Autumn, Connor, Amara, Leela, Bodhi, Wyatt and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his Mother and Dad, in-laws Germaine & Willard Laesch, brother Raymond , infant sister Mary Lou, son-in-law, David Lange, nephew Billy Gleisner, niece Renee Lemminger and grandson Chad Cassidy.

Ron was a member of the Jefferson Jaycees, Jefferson Historical Society, St. Vincent De Paul, Lange Racing, Aztalan Cycle Club, many local snowmobile clubs, Deerfield Archery & Gun Club, and DB Puffins (now Urban’s) Coffee Club.

Services will be held Saturday May 7th at Olsen's Funeral Home, Jefferson. Visitation will be held from 9:00 - 11:00 AM, prayer service with military honors to follow. A celebration of Ron's life will follow at Towne Inn, Jefferson.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Jefferson Historical Society, St. John's Catholic School or Rainbow Hospice .

The family would like to thank the staff at Rainbow Hospice for their gentle kindness to Ron and his family.

The family is being assisted by Olsen Funeral Home.  

 Service Information