Obituaries

Thomas “Farley” Gerald Fargen Thomas “Farley” Gerald Fargen, age 74, of Loreto Ridge, passed away unexpectedly on August 27, 2023, while visiting family in Texas. Tommy was born on July 14, 1949, to Thomas Henry Fargen and Katherine Ann Faber in Richland Center. He graduated from River Valley High School in 1967 and then served as a sergeant E5 in the United States Army.  He served in Germany from 1970-1973, where he collected some of his best stories.  After the army he attended UW-La Crosse on the GI bill studying political science and being a proud member of the Veteran’s Club.  In 1976, he met the love of his life, Jean Karen Pickel, at Walsh’s Bar on Loreto Ridge. On August 13, 1977,  they were united in holy matrimony at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and settled into living on the family farm.  They went on to have four children, Erin, Thomas (Bucky), Ellen and Katie. Tommy was kind and generous and “adopted” extra people into his family if he felt they needed that.  He was a philosopher and a great traveling companion.  He was proud to sponsor children in third world countries and to give freely to charity organizations like St. Jude and even to people he had never met that he heard were in need.  Friend or foe, if you needed help, he would be the first person to call and offer it.  He always said he couldn’t offer much but that he could always give “windshield time” to folks that needed a ride to doctor’s appointments and important events.  He swore that he “drove a taxi” in every town he ever visited and loathed the GPS because he always knew a “better route” or “backroad”. He taught his children to question everything in the universe and to think for themselves.  On Sundays he raised them to go to church and watch the Packers.  While other children flew to Disney for vacation he prided himself on taking his kids to see historical places in the conversion van, because, “when you lock your kids in a car with you for 16 hours, they are forced to talk to you.”  He taught them to drive anywhere in the world by handing them a map and the keys during family vacations and saying “your turn to drive” - no matter what city, mountain, bridge, gap, valley, backroad you were driving on! He was passionate about history, reading, the Canadian Fur Trade, aviation, and his grandchildren. He will leave a gigantic hole in the Loreto Ridge/ Bear Valley community and certainly in the hearts of his friends and family.  He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Dennis Fargen; and his in-laws, Wayne and Arkie (Denman) Pickel.  He is survived by his wife Jean; his children and their spouses, Erin Fargen of Allen, Texas, Bucky Fargen of Plain, Ellie and Justin Kealiher of Waupaca, Kate and Raj Ghatadi Suraji of  Allen, Texas, and Jazmin Koenig of Minneapolis, Minnesota; his niece Christine Ripley, her son Gavin; his brother Edward and sister Joanne (Ron) Ripley; along with his grandchildren, Chasadie, Dion, Brody, Torin, Talon, Aanya and Rohan; his very best friends, Greta Koenig and Ben Biser; many other nieces, nephews and cousins; and his two loving dogs, Penny and Honey. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 2, 2023,  at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, S8280 County G, Plain.  Visitation will be held on Saturday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11 a.m.  Online condolences available at www.staffordfuneralhomes.com.  The Richardson-Stafford Funeral Home in Spring Green is assisting the family with the arrangements.