Obituary: Darrell James DeMeuse

July 5, 1944 ~ December 31, 2022

Darrell James DeMeuse, 78, of the Town of Sevastopol, died Saturday night, December 31, 2022 with family at his side.

He was born July 5, 1944 at the (former) Dorchester Hospital in Sturgeon Bay, the son of Fred “Fritz” Gustave DeMeuse and Verna Marie (Rex) DeMeuse. Darrell grew up attending Saints Peter and Paul Parish and School and then Sevastopol High School. He enlisted to serve his country with the United States Army, entering into active duty on April 19, 1965. Darrell served in Vietnam and during his years of (active) service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, and Good Conduct Medal, in addition to being acknowledged as an expert rifleman. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army on April 18, 1968 when he was transferred to the United States Army Reserves and remained (with the Reserves) until April 18, 1971.

On August 9, 1969, Darrell married Rachel Jane Kostichka at her home church, St. Mary Catholic Church, in Algoma.

He grew up working on and would eventually continue the family dairy farm located on N. Country View Road, just west of Valmy, in the Town of Sevastopol. Darrell also was employed with Mirro Aluminum in Manitowoc for a brief time before going to work for Algoma Plywood for several years. He then worked in the Shipyards for Christy Corp (Bay Shipbuilding Co.) in Sturgeon Bay before he took over the family farm from his parents. Darrell operated the farm until 1998.

He was a lifelong member of Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Institute. Darrell was an avid deer hunter and shot a bear once up north.

He will be missed by his wife Rachel, with whom he shared over 53 years of marriage with; children, Fred DeMeuse, Craig (Tracey) DeMeuse, Cheryl (Pete) Walsh, Karl DeMeuse, and Darrick DeMeuse, all from the Town of Sevastopol; grandchildren, Audie DeMeuse, Derek (Paige) Busse, Brooke Krueger, and Alyssa Kaye, and Hannah, Ashley, Ethan, and Nicholas Walsh; great-grandson, Kade Busse; siblings, Dale (Gigi) DeMeuse of Hartland, Gary (Janet) DeMeuse of Casco and Bonnie Anderson of Wittenberg; siblings-in-law, Lynn Browning of West Allis, Norbert Kostichka of the Village of Howard, Pat Kaye of Sturgeon Bay, and Agatha (Jerry) Paul of Algoma; and other relatives.

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; grandson, Christopher Walsh; sister, Joanne Browning; parents-in-law, Wallace and Anna (nee Bosman) Kostichka; siblings-in-law, Philip Anderson, Clifford Kostichka and Susan Kohlbeck-Kostichka; and other relatives.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 6, 2023 at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Institute with Fr. Robert Stegmann as celebrant. Darrell will be laid to rest in the parish cemetery with military honors by the United States Army and the Weber-Tess AMVETS Post 51.

Visitation for family and friends will be held at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay on Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. until the closing parish wake service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church, Friday morning, from 9:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m.

“Our family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Gary DeMeuse and Larry Kasten for visiting Darrel. Your visits meant a lot to him. We also would like to thank the Unity Hospice staff for the care you provided.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to his family.

Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Darrell may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.huehnsfuneralhome.com.