Laurel Hegy

Laurel Hegy, 95, of Lansing died Friday, May 9, 2014 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. There are no services planned at this time.
Laurel was born June 8, 1919 to Joseph F. and Tena (Lund) Hegy in Galesville, WI. He graduated from Galesville High School in 1938.
Laurel worked as a page for one session in the Assembly Chambers in Madison, WI. He was in the Civilian Conservation Corps for one year. He also worked at many odd jobs around Galesville, the canning factory, as a farm hand and cutting wood. While in the CCC, he took a course through the Wisconsin University Extension Division in Elementary Engineering, mainly surveying. Laurel was the CCC Camp Surveyor. He also worked with an engineering contractor on the Geodetic Survey at Camp McCoy.
Laurel was united in marriage with Elma Spangler January 7, 1942 and then entered into the U.S. Army January 9, 1942. He was a Master Sergeant in the 208th Engineering Company serving in the European Theater of Operations. He ended up in Berlin, Germany starting on the reconstruction of Germany. He was honorably discharged in November of 1945.
Laurel returned to a small farm near Trempealeau, WI that he and Elma bought from her folks. While working on the farm he worked in Winona, MN as a purchasing agent for the Diamond Huller Company and later in the parts department for the Badger Machine Company. In 1951, he went to work for the Trane Company in La Crosse, WI. In 1953, he and his family moved to Minneapolis, MN in 1963 where he started working for the Corps of Engineers on the Locks and Dams. In 1969, they moved to De Soto, WI where he worked on Lock and Damn #9.
Elma passed away in 1972, and Laurel then married Sylvia Hogan in 1974 and they moved to Lansing. He retired from the Corps in 1979. Sylvia retired in 1980 and they traveled considerably with a travel trailer. His recreation was hunting, fishing and taking walks, which he enjoyed all his life.
In the spring of 2005, his legs started giving him trouble from an old back injury. Through the summer and fall, he had trouble walking and in November of 2005 he woke up paralyzed from the waist down. After a very serious back surgery, much therapy, nursing homes, and Sylvia having macular degeneration, they moved into Assisted Living at Thornton Heights in February of 2006. Laurel was confined to a wheelchair. Sylvia passed away in 2007.
Laurel is survived by five children, JoAnn (Charles) Rayburn of Onalaska, WI, Lynn (Diane) Hegy of Sheridan, WY, Paula (Doug) Duenkel of Holmen, WI, Marlene “Marti” Finn of Cedar Rapids and Mike (Diane) Hogan of San Antonio, TX; his grandchildren, Dean and Rick Rayburn, Joe and Jason Hegy, Kelli and Mike Finn and Matthew Hogan, Sarah Edwards and Lisa Hogan; and many great-grandchildren.
Laurel was preceded in death by his two wives; his parents; a sister, Bonnie Stathes; and a step son-in-law, William Finn.
Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Lansing is assisting the family.