Robert L. Burgess

Robert Louis Burgess died peacefully at his home on July 29, 2024. Bob was born October 30,1927, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bob was the only child born to Harold and Mary (Johnson) Burgess. His childhood was split between Milwaukee with his parents and Elk Mound, Wisconsin with his grandparents on the Johnson family farm. He started high school in Milwaukee, but graduated from Eau Claire High School.

In May of 1948, Bob met Eunice Stiles (1921-2005) while she was working at a munitions plant in Milwaukee. After a short courtship they were married on November 27, 1948 at St Paul Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Bob & Eunice started their married life on Green Bay Avenue in Milwaukee where Bob delivered bread while living there. They had one son that died at birth during that time.

Bob & Eunice then moved to Elk Mound to live in a trailer on the Johnson family farm. Bob worked on his uncle’s mink farm. They had two more children who died at birth while there.

Their final move was to Green Bay where they had their daughter, Glenda, and three more children that died at birth. Bob built three houses in Green Bay. Two of these were in the “new” Schmidt Park area. Bob then delivered milk for Verifine Dairy. After that he and a friend, Jules Wery, partnered to buy a route from Hawthorn Melody Dairy. Later he delivered Home Juice until he got a job with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s highway sign crew. Because it was a limited term employment, until hired full time he worked as a trailer mechanic at Schneider Transport, part time. He remained at Schneider even after being hired full time for the DOT.

Bob enjoyed cooking (especially pancakes on Sundays and Christmas morning), polka dancing, gambling, fishing, hunting, building, fixing and collecting things.

He is survived by his daughter Glenda (Kurt) Wipperfurth, Grandchildren: Küra Wipperfurth (Dylan Shoulders) Green Bay, Kurt (Bud) Wipperfurth II (Alexandra Gibson) Merrimac, WI, and Ken (Samantha) Wipperfurth Fort Jackson, LA. Great Grandchildren: Indiana Wipperfurth, Richard (Trae) Smithson III, Zooey Wipperfurth, Ethan Wipperfurth, Oliver Wipperfurth, Samuel Wipperfurth.

The family would like to thank Unity Hospice and Bellin Hospital for the great care and support they provided to Bob and his family.

Visitation will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 3186 Eaton Road, Green Bay, on Saturday, August 3rd 9 to 11 am with a Christian funeral at 11:00 am with Pastor Enstad from Bob’s home church of St. Paul Lutheran. The funeral can be viewed on YouTube at Messiahgb.org.