Carl H. Liedtke

Carl H. Liedtke passed away peacefully on February 11, 2024 at the age of 95. Carl was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by his three children, Scott, Susan (Todd) Morris, Nancy Berry and grandson Alec Morris.

Carl will also be lovingly remembered by his brother Allen, brother-in-law Daniel Murphy, nieces, nephews, many friends and his first wife Marilyn.

He was preceded in death by his precious daughter Katherine, his wife Grace, and sisters Eleanor Ramthun and Carol Murphy.

Carl was born on January 26,, 1929 on the North Side of Milwaukee. The second oldest of four children, he attended North Division High School before enlisting in the US Marine Corps in 1946. Carl was a proud patriot and “Semper Fi” was his lifelong motto. Following a two-year deployment, he joined the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company as a Mailroom/Shipping Clerk. He would continue to climb the corporate ladder at Schlitz eventually running the company’s Waukesha County distributorship, although he swore he “never worked a day in his life”. In 1950, he was deployed a second time and served in the Korean War for two years. Upon returning to Schlitz, Carl met and married his first wife Marilyn. The couple raised their four children over the next 20 years while being transferred to various cities including Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Boston, eventually settling back in Wisconsin. After nearly 40 years with Schlitz, he retired in 1986.

In 1987, Carl moved to the Orlando, Florida area and married his second wife Grace. They spent over 25 happy years together, travelling the world and being “regulars” at Walt Disney World. After Grace’s passing in 2012, he remained in Florida and forged even closer bonds with his many wonderful neighbors and friends.

A faith-filled man, Carl loved life and lived it to the fullest. His glass wasn’t just half full, as he’d say, his “cup runneth over.” Charming and upbeat, he thrived on making people laugh. Carl had a razor-sharp wit and was always ready with a hilarious one-liner which he delivered with precision timing. He also never met a stranger and enjoyed engaging new friends of all ages and backgrounds. A warm smile always on his face, you left feeling better after a visit with Carl.

He started every morning with a strong cup of coffee and The Wall Street Journal, and enjoyed a glass of Johnny Walker Black in the evening. He often told stories with vivid recall about growing up on Milwaukee’s north side during The Great Depression. He was a fierce competitor at the card table and loved to challenge people with his endless supply of sports and movie trivia. He was a movie buff and John Wayne Westerns were among his favorites. An avid sports fan, he never missed watching a game, especially one involving his beloved Wisconsin teams, particularly the Brewers. At the end of every baseball season he would immediately start counting down the days to spring training.

Carl was thrilled to return to Lake Country in 2020, and he spent his final years surrounded by family and friends, new and old. In particular, he developed a very close relationship with Dan Mei. A special thanks to the staff of Hartland Place for helping to make his final years so enjoyable.

A private burial was held February 19th. A memorial mass and celebration of his life will take place in June. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Carl’s name can be made to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.