Schwantes, Delbert Earl

Dodgeville – Delbert Earl Schwantes (Bert) passed away peacefully at Cambridge Senior Living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Bert was born in Hustisford, WI to Norman and Myrtle (Rupnow) Schwantes on November 27, 1941.

Bert grew up on the family farm in Juneau with his parents; brothers John and Stan; & sisters Debbie and Phyllis. He graduated from Juneau High School in 1959, lettering in baseball, basketball, football & track. After high school he went on to college and graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Agriculture in 1964.

After college, Bert lived in Chippewa Falls and went on to join the Army Reserves serving in Baraboo and Reedsburg. In 1968 Bert moved to Dodgeville when he was assigned to the Company A 389th Engineer Battalion and was Honorably Discharged in 1970.

Bert married Karyn Lauersdorf on October 17, 1970, in Gillett, WI. Together they raised a daughter, Candace (Candy) and they gave her an amazing life full of happy times, hard work, her horse Jay Jay Jetaway and dog Ricky. Bert worked as a loan officer and crop insurance agent at Farm Credit Services in Dodgeville for 32 years, retiring in 2004. Bert enjoyed his love of sports throughout his life, playing baseball for the Dodgeville Home Talent, bowling, golfing, and refereeing high school football with Knight, Birdie and Earl. In 2008 he served as the Grand Marshall for Dodgeville’s annual Farmer Appreciation Day parade.

Bert and Karyn shared a passion for the Old West, cowboy movies, music, and memorabilia - especially Roy Rogers. They started collecting Roy Rogers memorabilia in the early 1990’s and enjoyed traveling to various cowboy festivals throughout the US, including the Hopalong Cassidy Festival and the Roy Rogers Festival. They enjoyed many trips to Branson to watch Roy Roger’s Son, Dusty, perform on stage. After Karyn passed away in 2010, Bert continued the trips to see the many friends they had made at the festivals and in Branson over the years. Bert began selling the Roy Rogers collection after Karyn’s passing and had a regular booth at the Dodgeville Lions Club Flea Market for many years.

When not traveling, Bert enjoyed golfing with his buddies, going for Liver and Onions with Ross, and playing euchre & poker with his buddies. He was a proud member of Rusty Zipper Club in Dodgeville, enjoying many lunches at the Red Room and loved being sent home with leftovers! Bert also enjoyed spending time with his daughter Candy and his Son-in-Law Bob, making many trips to visit them and their pets and neighbors. He and Bob had a special bond; they loved having a few beers, laughing and giving Candy a hard time. He turned Bob on to the Milwaukee Brewers “them there Breweries” and enjoyed watching every game with Bob and Candy.

Bert was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Dodgeville and could usually be found enjoying breakfast after church with his friends Brenda and Mary.

Bert is preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Myrtle (Rupnow) Schwantes, his wife Karyn (Lauersdorf) Schwantes, brother-in-law Dennis Vosper, sister-in-law Jean Schwantes and his son-in-law, Bob Anderson.

He is survived by his daughter Candy Anderson (Eleva, WI), son Peter Kothe (Onalaska, WI), brother John (Marge) Schwantes (Madison, WI), brother Stan (Valerie) Schwantes (Plymouth, MN), sister Phyllis (Dan) Gresens (Appleton, WI) and sister Debbie Vosper (Vancouver), Grand-dog Bear and Grand-cat Josey (who he lovingly referred to as the Outlaw Josey Wales), along with many nieces, nephews and friends.

Candy will always remember her Dad as a kind and quiet man with an infectious laugh who was always quick with a joke. He was always first in line  to help when someone needed it – she remembers him heading to Barneveld after the tornado to help with cleanup. He taught her to work hard and to be nice and to never give up. He was always so strong for her and stood by her through thick and thin, always her rock. She was always amazed that wherever they went in the State of Wisconsin, Bert would always run into someone he knew, no matter where they were. She inherited his love and knowledge for driving the back country roads, and she swears her Dad knew every backroad in Wisconsin. And thanks to Bert, she is proud to know all of the words to just about every old cowboy song ever written.

Thanks, Dad, for the love you have given me, and for all of the memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am grateful to you for being a part of every achievement that I have ever made – I have wanted nothing more than for you to be proud of me.

Happy Trails to you, Dad, til we meet again……

The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to the staff at Cambridge Senior Living, Lakeland Home Health, and Lily Home & Hospice in Eau Claire for the care and love they gave Bert and Candy during Bert’s journey. They are all living proof that Angels walk among us. 

Funeral services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at the GORGEN-McGINLEY & AYERS FUNERAL HOME in Dodgeville. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:50 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will take place on Friday, March 20, 2026 at Wanderer’s Rest Cemetery in Gillett, WI.

Funeral will be livestreamed through the Gorgen Funeral Services Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Dodgeville Lions Club in honor of Bert. 

Gorgen-McGinley & Ayers 

Funeral Home

www.gorgenfh.com