Obituary
William “Bill” F. Gilster
William “Bill” F. Gilster passed away peacefully on 9.11.24 at the age of 91 at Benedictine Manor.
Bill was born on August 12, 1933 to Bill and Eileen (Haun) Gilster, a first generation US Citizen. Bill was a lifelong resident of French Island. He was baptized at St. James the Less Parish, attended elementary school at St. James and graduated from Aquinas High School in 1951. Bill was a current member of St. Patrick’s Parish in Onalaska.
Immediately after graduation Bill started working for Peter Nelson & Son in the construction business and continued to work there until about 1973. In 1973 Gilster Construction was born and Bill and his company went on to build and remodel many local establishments, including Bridgeview Plaza on the Northside, Center 90, G. Heileman and Northern Engraving to name a few. If you knew Bill at all, you knew that the man loved to work!
Another love of Bill’s was the outdoors and hunting. Bill purchased his “Taylor Property” around 1996 and it was a beautiful retreat for him and many of his family and friends. In 2022 Bill sold the Taylor property to the Strupp family and it made him so happy to know that this place that was so special to Bill, was in the hands of a family that would treasure it as much as he did.
Throughout his life Bill loved to hunt and fish. Growing up and living his whole life on the backwaters of the Mississippi and the Black River, Bill had access to it all. Bill also traveled to the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and So. Dakota to name a few to hunt all different types of wild game.
Bill built many houses on French Island that he or his parents lived in. The last house he started was in1951 and was his current house on Lakeshore Dr. People drove by the house just to look at the beautiful flowers displayed every summer and now his very special friends Ronnie and Cami Pietrek will continue the tradition as the new owners. For us kids who grew up in Bill’s neighborhood, we have many memories of spending our summers on Bill’s dock either swimming, boating or fishing! Bill’s dock on French slough was our haven for the great outdoors!
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Eileen and a sister Doris Pluta. Bill is survived by nephews Brian and Mark Pluta and niece Maureen Pluta, along with cousins and many many friends!
A special thanks for all Bill’s caregivers at Benedictine Villas and Manor along with Mayo Hospice staff
A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 5:00 pm at St. Patricks Church, 1031 Main St., Onalaska. Msgr. Steven Kachel will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the mass at the church. Interment will take place at the Catholic Cemetery.
In Lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite local charity in Bill’s name.
I am sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. I worked with Bill when he sold Gilster Construction to our firm, Market & Johnson. During that process Bill’s primary goal was to transition his company while maintaining what was best for his former employees and his customers, ahead of himself. After the sale he continued his relationship with us for several years. He was always willing to help us with whatever he could.