Obituary: Dennis H. Rusch

Dennis H. Rusch, age 79, of Reedsville passed away on September 11, 2026 at Brillion West Haven surrounded by family, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Dennis was born to Herman & Elsie (Brockmann) Rusch in the Town of Rockland. Dennis graduated from Reedsville High School in 1965. He continued his education at UW- Platteville, graduating with a Bachelor degree in Dairy Science. He taught Agriculture at Brillion High School for a semester before being drafted into the US Army. He served his country as a military police officer in the Baltimore & Washington DC area. After being honorably discharged, he returned home to take over the family farm & teach Agriculture education at Reedsville High School for several years. He met his wife, Susan Weigel, while attending UW- Platteville. They were married on October 6, 1973. Dennis loved to be out in his fields & doing anything related to farming. He was an avid supporter of numerous organizations & took an active part in them until illness caused him to step away. He was a life-long member of the Methodist church where he held various offices over the course of 40 years. He was a member of the Reedsville FFA alumni, part of the Manitowoc County Dairy Promotion Committee, Farm Bureau, on the steering committee for the Ag Center & served on the FSA committee for 9 years. He was a firm believer in education because that is something no one can take away from you. He liked to share his knowledge with others. Dennis was a farmer to the core. The only thing he loved more than farming was his family. He was very proud of his 4 grandchildren & was the best papa in the world to them. He will be deeply missed & never forgotten. Dennis is survived by his wife of 52 years, Susan; their two daughters & spouses: Holly (Mike) Vasko of Brillion & Jill (Nathen) Nysse of Hortonville; 4 Grandchildren: Serena & Faith Vasko, Olivia & Ethan Nysse; his siblings: Donna (Gary) Thorpe of Clintonville & Dean Rusch of Brillion; in laws: Dick Heer, Steve (Nancy) Weigel, Jim (Suzanne) Weigel, Tom (Kelli) Weigel of Platteville; Mark (Rita) Weigel & Tim (Marla) Weigel of Cuba City; & many nieces & nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his father & mother-in-law: Calvin & Peg Weigel; a sister-in-law: Karen Heer; nieces & nephews: Aaron Thorpe, Jennifer Weigel, & Tyler (Fred) Weigel.

The family will greet relatives & friends at Faith United Methodist Church, 204 Horn St, Brillion on Friday, September 18, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Visitation before the funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be Rev. Dr. David Leistra. Military rites will be accorded by the Reedsville AMVETS Post 1032  following the service & private burial at a later date.

The family has chosen Pielhop Funeral Homes & Cremation Care Centers to honor Dennis's legacy of life.

Our family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Yetter & the Aurora Cancer Center team.   Thank you to Julie & the West Haven staff; Angie & the Aurora Hospice Care Team; & Aurora Home Health care for their compassion & for taking care of all of us in Dennis’ last days.