Wilbur C. Caturia, age 88, of Ellsworth, passed away on Dec. 4, 2022, at his home in Ellsworth.
Wilbur was born on July 27, 1934, in Arkansaw, Wis. to Acie and Jane (Halderman) Caturia. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the military, first proudly serving in the United States Navy and ultimately retiring in the Army Reserve. On May 17, 1958, he was united in marriage to Joyce Christianson, and together they were blessed with seven children.
Work, faith, and family were pillars in Wilbur’s life. He served for 43 years at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer, still holding the longest running tenure to date. He also dedicated a lot of time to the church, as he enjoyed teaching CCD classes and financially supporting both the church and school. He was also a strong family man, always showing his children love, kindness, and resilience. Even many of his kids’ friends looked to him as “Dad.”
Wilbur was immensely generous and giving, and he would give anything to anyone in need. He loved his daily trips to Brickner’s, helping out with daily tasks and getting the guys their lunch. He also enjoyed his time as 4-H leader, softball coach, and fun grandpa, great-grandpa, and great-great grandpa. No matter where Wilbur went, even if it was a few hours from home, he would always run into someone he knew, and he will be missed by not only his family, but the many friends he met and cared for along the way.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce; children: Debbie Lee, Donna (Ken) Larson, Dean (Toni) Caturia, Dale (Beth) Caturia, Diane (Ralph) Kammeyer, Denise (Ken) Reinke, and Darrell (Tina) Caturia; 21 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; brothers, Dwight and Fred Caturia; sister-in-law, Veronica Caturia; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents; siblings: Grace Iverson, Alfred Caturia, and John Caturia; sisters-in-law, Ollie and Arvilla Caturia; and brother-in-law, Alvin Iverson. Visitation was held from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 130 N. Grant St., Ellsworth. Mass of Christian Burial was held at noon on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, 231 Woodworth St., Ellsworth with a visitation held one hour prior to the Mass at church. Interment at the French Cemetery in Arkansaw, Wis. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the St. Francis Catholic School.
O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Ellsworth, WI. (715) 273-4421. www.oconnellfuneralhomes. com
