Norman K. Kingstad, 86, died Feb. 14, 2012, joining his beloved wife, Carla, on what would have been their 64th wedding anniversary.
He was born in West Allis, on Jan. 20, 1926. He was raised in West Allis, graduating from Nathan Hale High School in January 1944. He immediately enlisted in the Army and served his country honorably in its darkest hours. After the war, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison on the GI Bill.
He met Carla on Bradford Beach in July 1947, when Carla, who had gone to the beach with a friend, spied Norm sitting on the sand and hatched a plan to meet him by feigning drowning and having her friend urge Norm to save her. A whirlwind romance followed and they were married on Feb. 14, 1948.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and always reminisced about his years as a member of the West Allis Rod and Gun Club. He had many productive years in sales of mostly industrial manufacturing equipment until he started a career as a cheeseman in 1979, first founding the “Cheesemobile” and then the “Pic-A-Deli” cheese shop at the corner of 76th Street and Oklahoma in 1982. He took the “Cheesemobile” to various county and state fairs, and introduced deep-fried cheese curds to the Wisconsin State Fair. Norm and Carla spent their last years at their home on Browns Lake in Burlington.
Survivors include his six hunyucks (children), Jon, Timothy, Kirsten (Ken Christensen), David (Karin), Eric (Ellen), and William; grandchildren, Nic, Danette, Carrie, Alec, Mary, Erica, Claire, Brock, Evan, Danny, Kristian, Sarah and Hanna; and five great-grandchildren.
Burial with Veteran’s Honor Guard was Feb. 20, at Highland Memorial Park. A memorial luncheon followed at Klemmer’s Banquet Hall. Schramka-Borgwardt Funeral Home, West Allis, assisted the family.
Memorials in lieu of flowers to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or Disabled American Veterans are suggested.
-
-
-
-
-