Julius “Joe” Wise

Julius “Joe” Wise was called home to be with Our Lord this past week. He was 94 years young.

Julius “Joe” Wise

Joe was the last departed of the six children of Julius Louis & Maggie Wise. He has joined the love of his lifetime, my mom Shirley Ann (Rietz) Wise and his family in heaven now.

Joe was born via midwife on the family farm on January 25, 1928. Joe was a child of “The Greatest Generation.” Pre WW2 years he worked both family farms on the hill and in the valley in Rollingstone.Township that were lost during the depression. His childhood consisted of working the family farm and cutting wood with his brothers to help pay for food. Pre -War at age 10 worked for Father Tibesar for a nickel a day to care for the exotic farm animals on the Parish preserve behind the school next to the spring ponds. He earned 25 cents a week and gave it to mom -Maggie, to help pay for groceries. He was allowed 5 cents to spend at the weekend Downtown Sassafras’s Merchantile for ice cream, popcorn and a movie.

As a teenager he enlisted in US Navy in January of 1945 and proudly served on the USS Leary DDR 879. Radio call sign “ Home Run”. Longest serving gearing class destroyer in Naval History(1945-1973). Participation Pacific Fleet Naval quarantine-at Kure, Japan. He was the manager and a player for the Pacific Fleet baseball team. They would go on to be the Chelsea Naval Base Pacific Fleet baseball Champions 1945-46.

In May of 1953 he took a Catholic Winona Cotter High scool girl, Shirley Ann Rietz to the Rollingstone Spring Baseball Banquet. Shirley became the Love of his Life for the next 54 years until her passing from Cancer in July 2008. They were married on June 19, 1954 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

They were blessed with seven children. Debbie proceeded her parents to heaven.

Joe was a lifetime member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Parish School in Rollingstone.

Mass of Christian Burial for Joe will be at 11am on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Rollingstone, MN, with Fr. Mike Cronin presiding. Visitation will be from 9-11am on Saturday at the church. Joe will be laid to rest in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery with Military Honors. A luncheon will be held at the Holy Trinity Parish.