Francis Bud Harley

Bud Harley was born 89 years ago in Appleton, Wisconsin, on January 23, 1918 to the late Hermis and Eva (Courchane Allie) Harley. He died on Sunday, August 19, 2007, with relatives by his side. As a young man, Bud lived in Kimberly, graduated from the Kimberly High School and received his B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1946. He married the love of his life, Marie Kneepkens on September 1, 1948 in Kimberly. The couple loved and cared for each other for over fifty years; Marie passed away late in 1998.

He worked in the offices of Green Bay Packaging until his retirement in 1976 and was a member of the Quarter Century Club. Bud was an active member of the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association, having recently attended his 50th class reunion. He was a founding member of the Green Bay Packaging Credit Union and was also a member of the Harbor Credit Union Board of Directors. Bud and Marie were active members of the Foster Parenting Association of Green Bay, and Bud was a faithful member of Holy Spirit Parish in Kimberly. Bud was born with spina bifida, but he never let it define him – he lived a full and happy life. With the help of his wife and his canes, he didn’t give in to a wheel chair until the age of seventy nine. In 1979, the couple moved to Hemet, California, but he remained a fervent Green Bay Packer fan (he was a season ticket holder for fifty-years) and always cheered on his beloved UW sports teams. In 1985, they purchased an RV, and set out to see the country, and visited relatives in Wisconsin during the summer months. In 1989, they moved from Hemet to Anacortes, Washington to be closer to his brother Lyle and his family. They returned to Green Bay in 1992. After Marie’s death, Bud moved to Kimberly and took care of himself until the time of his death.

Survivors include a foster daughter: Deborah Lang of Washington and her children: Corissa (Jeff) Slowik, Dana (Ken) Beckman and their daughter Hannah, Scott Lang, Michael Lang, and Brittany Lang; a foster daughter: Maria (Peter) Roura of Chicago and their children Miguel Roura and Alex Roura; a foster son: Peter (Cindy) Gonzales of Chicago and their daughter Rachel. He is also survived by his sisters: Marie Vander Zanden and her family, Irene Krueger-DeBruin, June (Gene) Appleton, Audrey (Pete) Valentyne, Mary Jane Hietpas, Peg (Dick) Van Himbergen, Bonnie Vander Velden; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Josephine Courchane, John (June) Kneepkens, Al (Dorothy Mae) Kneepkens, Augie (Marge) Kneepkens, Bev Kneepkens, Don (Jean) Kneepkens, Birdie (Dr. Phil) Bouressa; his close friends: Mary and Ron Gauthier and their family; Linda and Mike Morgan and their family; his aunt: Idella Schwanke; a special friend Mary Roemer; cousins: Bob and Donna Welch, Mary Sue and Bob Kreikamp, Steve Welch; a niece: Debbie Evers; and Bud’s helper David Shepard. He is also survived by many loved nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers William Harley, Edward Krueger, Jr., Bruce Krueger, and Lyle (Joan) Krueger; a sister: Joyce Gmeiner; and seven brothers-in-law George Vander Zanden, Eugene Hietpas, Gerald Vander Velden, Don Courchane, Sonny Kneepkens, Frank Gmeiner, and Vincent (Joanne) Burgess.

The funeral liturgy for Bud will be held at 6:30 PM on Thursday, August 23, 2007 at HOLY SPIRIT PARISH – KIMBERLY (600 E. Kimberly Avenue) with Msgr. Roy Klister officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Friends may call directly at the church on Thursday from 4:00 PM until the hour of the service. A memorial fund is being established for spina bifida research at the University Hospital and Clinic in Madison.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to Dr. Brian Kiesnowski for his seven years of caring for Bud with such thoughtfulness and compassion.

Jansen Fargo Funeral Home
204 E. Kimberly Avenue
Kimberly, Wisconsin 54136
920-788-6202