John Momchilovich

John Milan Momchilovich was born October 10, 1936 in Cumberland, WI, son of Milan "Mike" and Ethel (Pederson) Momchilovich. He attended school, played trombone in a marching band and had a paper route in Cumberland. At 17, while traveling in pouring rain to visit relatives, they crossed the Missouri state line and the sun came out. The beautiful weather convinced the family that this was where they wanted to be. So they moved to Joplin MO, where John spent his senior year and graduated high school. John also lived in Ithaca NY, Stacy MN, as well as Sparta, Dresser, Dodgeville, Woodville and Mineral Point WI. He loved geography and traveled extensively throughout the United States. One of his favorite sayings was, "I've been everywhere, man!" John was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on July 23, 1949. At the age of 19 he volunteered for 4 years at Kingdom Farm in Ithaca NY, where he worked as a herdsman and was well known for his pranks and sense of humor. While in New York, he met his wife Sharlene Gallant-Marler of Greybull, WY. They were married on October 19, 1957, and together they were blessed with six children: Jay Momchilovich of Conrad, MO; Paul (Annette) Momchilovich of Woodville, WI; Jack (Andrea) Momchilovich of Platteville, WI; Lucinda Momchilovich of Platteville, WI; Stacy (Robert) Haesler of Darlington, WI; and David (Lynn) Momchilovich of Baldwin, WI. John worked at Paper-Calmenson Steel in St. Paul, MN from 1960 to 1972. His duties were operating cranes, loading and dispatching trucks with long heavy structural steel beams. His jobs always involved steel fabrication and assembling. From 1978 to 1993 he worked at Doboy Packaging in New Richmond, WI assembling complicated packaging machines. John loved history and the railway. When retired, he researched all the interesting rail lines in Wisconsin and made a hobby of visiting them all. Always eager for a drive in the rurals, he took delight in livestock and farming. As a storyteller he would narrate a review of the region for his travelling companions. Although loud and sometimes off key he loved singing, music and had an open and unrestrained laugh. He raised his children on a 40 acre hobby farm outside Woodville WI and they will remember him for his hard-scrabble ways of accomplishing farm jobs and the way he always had tasks to keep them out of mischief.John Milan Momchilovich 79, of Platteville WI, died on March 7, 2016 at Southwest Health Center in Platteville.John is also survived by his sister, Marlene (Irving) French of Jackson, MI; brother, Neil (Cathy) Momchilovich of Olathe, KS; sister, Linda (Lyndon) Dilbeck of Neosho, MO; 11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren and 9 step-great-grandchildren, together with many nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents and brother, David Momchilovich of Olathe, KS.Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday March 13 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses 543 Stone Hill Avenue, Belmont, WI.Discourse: Brandon Momchilovich.