John F. Hoeper passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 in Wausau with his family at his side. John was born on July 16, 1940, in Chicago to Fred and Margaret Hoeper, the 4th of 5 sons. When John was 6 years old, the family moved to a farm near Owen, Wisconsin. He graduated from Owen-Withee High School in 1958. He worked several jobs, and enlisted in the Army Reserves and proudly served his country for six years. In May 1963, John married Diane Umlauft, and they had three childern, Lisa, LeAnn and Douglas. He started his welding career at Meyers Manufacturing in Dorchester in 1965. They moved to the Wausau area in 1968 when John started a new job as a welder at Drott Manufacturing, which later became J.I. Case, until he retired in 1992. For many years, he also worked part-time at Schroeder Excauvating, as a welder and a general fixer upper. Following his retirement from J.I. Case, he worked full-time for Schroeder Excauvating, and continued welding and fixing things, but also drove dump truck and plowed snow, which he enjoyed. In 2005, he hung up his dump truck keys for good when he retired. John was a Packer's fan, but when they were not doing well, he would threaten to become a Chicago Bears fan because of his Chicago roots, but he never did. John enjoyed camping and sitting around a campfire telling jokes and stories. He was an excellent story and joke teller, with the stories getting bigger and bigger with each re-telling.   He also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and went to the Indianapolis 500 races for 25 years. John liked to weld and build things out of steel, especially if it was a project for someone. He also enjoyed traveling, and traveled throughout the US, and took several cruises and trips to Europe, including Germany. He had a few beers while at Oktoberfest in Germany to accordingly celebrate his German heritage. But most important to John was his family and friends. John loved talking to others and had a gift for gab. You were only a stranger once to John.    John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Diane, and children, Lisa (Mike) Yehle of La Crosse, WI; LeAnn (Eric) Montag of Weston, WI; and Douglas Hoeper of Rothschild, WI. He is also survived by his grandchilden, Sarah Yehle, Michael Yehle, Jonathon Yehle, Nicole Montag, and Jacob Montag, Brothers Alan (Patricia) Hoeper of Kent, Washington, and Gerald (Debra) Hoeper of Granite City, Illinois. Sisters-in-law 's Delores Umlauft,Lonnie Hoeper, and Noreen Hoeper, Lou (Lloyd) Luedtke, Lois (Ron) Waldhart, Renee (Bob) McNamar, Julie (Steve) Lapp, Brother-in-law Rodney (Mary) Umlauft, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Margaret Hoeper, brothers Paul Hoeper and Fred Hoeper, in-laws Frank and Esther Umlauft, Brother-in-law Duane Umlauft, and life long friend Glenn Larson, who John considered his 'brother from another mother.' Family would like to thank all of John's family and friends for their support during his illness. The family requests no flowers or plants. Service will be Thursday, May 23, 2019 at St. Therese Catholic Church 113 West Kort St. Rothschild, WI. Visitation will be from 9:30-11:00 with mass at 11:00 with Fr. Robert Streveler officiating. Online condolences can be expressed at www.HonorOne.com