Obituary
Peter J. Martell
Peter J. Martell, 74, of La Crosse passed away on February 8, 2022, at his home.
Pete was born on May 31, 1947, in La Crosse WI to James P. and Margaret (Mikshowsky) Martell. He married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Rachel Kagel, on March 5, 1968 and they spent many happy years together until her death on June 9, 2020.
Pete loved to work and took great pride in his workmanship while being a member of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union for over 45 years. He also liked fast cars, going for rides, fishing, being on his land in Coon Valley, watching NASCAR and working on projects in his garage.
He is survived by two sons, James D. (Patti) Martell and Gregory P. (Roxanne) Martell; four grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Caleb) Vanderberg of Princeton MN; Taylor (Alyssa) Martell of La Crescent MN; Maria Martell of Minneapolis MN; Emily Martell of Milwaukee WI; a great grand-child; Henry Vanderberg and siblings; Mark (Denise) Martell, Kenny (Mary) Martell and Janie Podkalicki.
Pete is preceded in death by his wife, Rachel Martell; parents James. P and Margaret Martell, siblings; Paul, James and Tom Martell and Margie Harris; nephew; Joe Martell and step-grandson, Christopher Clements.
There will be a private burial at a later date. Coulee Region Cremation Group is assisting the family.
I was sorry to hear Pete passed. We worked together on countless projects and even fished together a couple times. After he retired I saw him on the river a few times. Once he wasn’t even fishing , he’d gotten some lake map chip and was just riding around checking depths. The other time my friend Bob caught a 29 inch walleye and we didn’t have a tape measure. Pete was nearby in his boat and I got him to come over with his tape, we measured her and put her back, she was a beauty. He was a hard worker and very professional , but he had a good sense of humor. I enjoyed working with him , we laughed a lot. The days went by fast. I’ll miss seeing him at the hardware store or farm and fleet. Every time I ran into him we talked for the better part of an hour. Rest in peace old friend.
Thanks Steve! I heard dad speak your name many times.
Knew his brothers, they lived up 13th street from us, Tommy and Jimmy, sorry to hear about Pete passing. Take care.
I’m so sorry to hear about Pete’s passing. He was a great friend to my father, Robert, and me. We worked together often and he will be missed.
Tony Kraus
Dear Jim, (Patti),Greg,(Roxanne), & Family, I Am So Sorry, For What You Have Gone Through, These Past 2 Years, Losing Both Of Your Parents, (Grandparents),(Father-in-law),They Both Were Very Special People, In Our Old Neighborhood, Growing Up There. Please Know, You Are All In Our Thoughts & Prayers, Sincerely, The Sommerfeldt/Wyman/Nagel Family
For James , Greg and families. Your dad may be known as a builder of buildings . He also built a family .
Knowing Greg that family, is his true legacy .
Know I’m sure that he was proud of you both.
May he Rest In Peace!!
Sorry for your family’s loss, I worked with Pete on many jobs in the area. He was one of the best bricklayers I ever worked with, and a stand up guy. He was one of a kind. Peace to all.
To the family of James and Greg, I send my sincere condolences on the loss of your Dad. He and Your Mom were good friends of my parents and had always treated me very well while I was growing up. Pete and I always enjoyed talking about cars as I got older. He will be missed.
I am sorry to Pete’s family and friends. I went to Logan with Pete. Lynette (Schaller) Neumann.
Jim, Greg and Family: I am so sorry to hear about your Dad’s death. I am so sorry for your loss. Your Mom and Dad were good friends with my Mom (Gerri Moore). We so enjoyed when Rachel would visit us all in Eau Claire. She told us many a story about your Dad. I hope he was able to get some good ice fishing in this winter. Find peace in that they are back together ❤️