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Francis D. Goettl, age 90, passed away on February 18, 2026 at Morningside Nursing Home surrounded by his family.
Francis was born on February 17, 1936, in Edson, Wisconsin, to Martin and Eleanor (Spaeth) Goettl. He served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1964, receiving an honorable discharge. During his military career, Francis served in Thule, Greenland, and Okinawa, Japan. He concluded his service as a Sergeant in Special Forces, Vietnam, working with the Signal Corps and overseeing generators for Operation Octopus.
On October 24, 1964, Francis married Charlene Brown at Zion Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls, WI and on February 14,1965 they had their marriage blessed at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, Cedarburg, WI. Together, they raised three children.
Francis retired after 30 years at the Kohler Company, where he was a proud member of the Quarter Century Club. In his earlier years, he enjoyed hunting and fishing. His passion for communications began in the early 1980s when he and Charlene became HAM radio operators, joining the Calumet County Radio Club and later the Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS).
Francis was a past member of VFW Post 6707 in Kiel, WI. In the early 1980s, Charlene introduced Francis to making rosaries for missions. In 1991, at the start of Operation Desert Storm, the Chief of Army Chaplains in Washington, D.C. contacted them to assemble black military rosaries for troops. Since then, thousands of rosaries have been sent overseas.
Francis was a member of Holy Name Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, Council 722, Our Lady of the Rosary, and the 4th Degree Monsignor Phillip Dreis Assembly 1204.
Francis is survived by his wife of 61 years, Charlene; two daughters, Christine Herzog and Angela (Charles) Grede; one son, Francis Jr. (Jacqueline); grandchildren, Jamie (Jennifer) Grede of Florida, Katie (Arno) Gajewski, and Kelly Herzog; great-grandchildren, Margaux (Mazie) Grede, Lilly Gajewski, Ronald, Joshua, Connor, Brice, Jacob; one sister, Margie Cunningham of Chippewa Falls; and many nieces and nephews.
Francis was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Ella, son-in-law Kurt Herzog , his brother Adam, and his sisters Julianne, Oliva, Toni, Lorraine, Elsie, Sally, Valeria, and Charlene.
A visitation will be held on will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026 at Holy Name Parish, 818 Huron Ave., Sheboygan, from 12:30 p.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m. with Fr. Dennis Beltre as the celebrant. Burial with military honors will follow at Calvary Cemetery immediately after Mass.
The family extends its sincere thanks to the entire staff at Morningside Nursing Home and also the dear nurses from Allay Hospice Care especially, Amber, who lovingly cared for our dad.
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