Cyril Hawes

Cyril A. Hawes, 93, of Wexford, died Feb. 17, 2024, at Gunderson Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Funeral services were set for Saturday, Feb. 24, at 10:30 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Wexford Catholic Church in rural Lansing, with the Rev. Donald Hawes, the Rev. John Moser, and the Rev. Joseph Sevcik officiating and burial with military honors at Wexford Cemetery and visitation from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, at Thornburg-Grau Funeral in Lansing.

Cyril Anthony Hawes was born in Wexford Oct. 10, 1930, son of John and Ellen (Conway) Hawes. He attended the one room Wexford rural school. He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Lansing. Cyril served his country honorably in the United States Army from August 26, 1955, to January 18, 1958, in Greenland.

He was a very devoted man who attended daily mass and said the rosary nightly. Cyril saw the beauty of God’s creation all around him. His faith and spiritualty were a source of inspiration for many. Cyril’s father died when he was only four. He was a loving son who lived with and cared for his mother until her death in 1996. Cyril was very close with his three brothers and two sisters. Along with his brother Gerald, who passed away in 2014, Cyril farmed the land where he was born. He was a steward to the land as he was a steward of the Church.

Cyril was most comfortable outdoors. When he wasn’t farming, Cyril was outdoors doing the things that he loved. He knew every inch of the woods around his farm. Cyril was masterful at finding morel mushrooms, hunting squirrels, and raccoons, and tending to his garden. He loved fishing, especially for trout. Cyril patiently taught many of his nieces and nephews how and where to catch fish. When he wasn’t having trout for breakfast, Cyril was stocking and tending to the trout in his spring-fed pond. There are not many people who can say they have pet trout.

He was always welcoming and opened his home to his family and friends, greeting them with a big smile. Cyril loved all sports and almost always had the TV on watching the Twins, Vikings, Cubs, Hawkeyes or other programs of interest. He was a great lover of kittens. His family has great memories of him walking from the barn encircled by cats and kittens waiting for a treat.

He was an enthusiastic card player, especially the Sunday night games of 500 with his brothers. On Friday nights you could often find him on “the boat” at the poker table. Cyril was a championship softball player with the Wexford team. He was active throughout his life in the American Legion in Harpers Ferry.

He is survived by his brother Father Donald Hawes; nieces and nephews: Chris (Angelina) Hawes, Shawn (Matt) Hartung, Cheryl Nordlander, Valerie (Jeff) Foster, Michelle (Paul Sum) Rydz, Maureen (Paul) Bigelow, Brenda (Mark) Hostager, Michael (Gail) Hawes, Brian (Allison) Hawes and Tom Hawes and their families; as well as a large extended family and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by parents; two sisters: Sister Therese Marie Hawes (PBVM), Alice Joan (Robert) Rydz; two brothers: Gerald Hawes and Monsignor Cletus J. Hawes; two sisters-in-law: Mary and Jane Hawes and his grandniece Nicole Nordlander.

Honorary casketbeaerers are Maury Mooney, Ray Wagner, Pat and Danny Delaney, Maurice Baum

Dan Conway, Brenda (Hawes) Hostager, Maureen (Hawes) Bigelow, and Ray Callahan. Casketbearers are Jeff Foster, Pat O’Neill, Shane Gavin, Joe Egan, Tom Hawes, Paul Sum, Chuck Hale, and Chuck Schiller.

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