James "Jim" Waidelich

James “Jim” Waidelich passed away at 4:13 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at The Neighbors of Dunn County in Menomonie, Wisconsin. His cause of death was Dementia. Jim was the son of Lavaughn Teckla (Eliason-Waidelich) Rognholt born at 3:15 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 1946, at the Gillette Hospital, Mondovi, Wisconsin.

Jim attended Grade Schools at Meadow Brook School in Bennett Valley a one-room school 1st Grade, Naples Grade School a two-room school from 2nd – 5th Grade and attended Dover Grade School which was a three-room school from 6th – 8th Grade. He attended high school in Gilmanton and graduated with the class of 1964. He was the Junior Badger Boy State Representative and the Senior Class President. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire (General Education) for a year. His working career was in various manufacturing and food process companies in Libertyville, Illinois; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; He retired from the food processing company (Swiss Miss) in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

From February 1966 to January 1968, he served in the U.S. Army’s 536th Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company as an Automotive Repairman on heavy military machinery. During his time serving in the U.S. Army, he was stationed in Long Binh, Republic of Vietnam from December 1967 to December 1968 and received his Honorable Discharge on January 10, 1968. The Army’s motto was “Soldiers First”.

He was a member of the VFW in Eau Claire and an active participant in the yearly Veterans Day Celebrations. He was active in the Eau Claire Singles Group and had been the past President.

He married Brenda Kay Crowder on February 21, 1970, in Antioch, Illinois. To this marriage two daughters were born Dawn Marie and Kimberly Ann. They later divorced. On September 29, 1977, he married Julie Marie (Bauer) LaPean in Iowa. He was the stepfather to three sons Scott LaPean, Jeffrey LaPean and Brian LaPean. They later divorced.

Jim is survived by his children Daughter, Dawn Marie (Waidelich) Horne, Tulsa, Oklahoma Grandson Brenden Horne; Granddaughter Kayla Horne; Grandson Dustin Sigety, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Stepson Jeffrey LaPean, Altoona, Wisconsin; Daughter Joni (Holte) West, Cadott, Wisconsin, Grandson Dakota West; Son Daniel Wathke, Wilton, Wisconsin, Granddaughter Kassandra Wathke. Further survived by his Siblings Sister Ruth Ann (Waidelich) & Gary Linse, Billings, Montana; Brother Donald Helmer Waidelich, West Allis, Wisconsin & Naples, Florida; Sister Rose Marie (Waidelich-Rognholt-Hulberg) & Jim Gutoski, Holmen, Wisconsin; Brother Richard “Rick” David (Waidelich-Rognholt) Phillipps, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Brother Lynn Jeffery Rognholt, Gilmanton, Wisconsin; and Sister Marie Dawn (Rognholt-Nelson) Miller, Osseo, Wisconsin. Further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his Mother (2002), Stepfather Harold Rognholt (2003), Daughter Kimberly Ann (Waidelich) Sigety (2024), Stepsons Scott LaPean (2025) and Brian LaPean (2006), Sister Sharon Louise (Waidelich) Christianson (2024), aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A Military Gravesite Service will be held in June 2027.