Frank Kessler Sr.

Frank Kessler, 72, passed away on December 7, 2020 at The Waterford where he had been a resident since October.

He was born in Devil's Lake, ND on May 9, 1948 to the late Nick and Theresa (Dosch) Kessler. He was enlisted in the Army from 1965-1968. After the Army, Frank received degrees from Lakeshore Technical Institute and then Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1983. He wore many different professional hats which included being a police officer for many years (New Holstein, Calumet County Sheriff's Dept., and Chief of Cleveland PD) and in purchasing at both Kohler Generator and Carver Boat Corporation. He married the love of his life, Kay Johnson, in 1968. In his retirement, Frank and Kay built and ran the Kessler Old World Guesthouse in Cleveland, Wisconsin. He loved to welcome people into the Bed and Breakfast and show them German hospitality.

Frank had his pilot's license and loved flying, spending time at, and volunteering at EAA in Oshkosh. He loved woodworking, building rocking horses, furniture, and houses. His door was always open to others and he was always willing to lend a hand to someone in need. He enjoyed genealogy and took pride in his German heritage, sharing his love of all things German with the many exchange students he and Kay hosted over the years.

Frank is survived by his 3 children: Cherri (Matt) VonDerVellen, Frank Jr., and Tina (Mike) Kieckhafer; 12 grandchildren: Andrew, Mitchell, Kate, Sarah, Emily, and Kyle VonDerVellen, Jacob, Elena, Ethan, Maya, and Mason Kieckhafer, and Triniti Kessler; 2 brothers: Duane (Barbe) and Larry (Karen), 5 sisters: Caroline (Bobby) Davis, Irene (Wally) Janke, Cecilia Radaj, Bonnie (Dave) Noworatzky, and Patricia (Michael) Herdt; 2 sisters-in-law: Janet Johnson and Lyn (Rick) Dudarenke; a brother-in-law, Alan (Pat) Johnson; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kay; two brothers, Robert and Ray; 2 infant twin sisters; granddaughter, Natalie; brother-in-law Howard Johnson; and other relatives.

A private service will be held for Frank with Military honors. He will be interred in the Garden of Peace at First United Lutheran Church.

Franks's memorial service will be livestreamed from his obituary page on www.zimmerfuneralhome.com. Go to the obituary and events tab, click read more, and scroll down to the livestreamed service, which will start at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 18, 2020.



The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Community Care, the staff at The Waterford, and Sharon S. Richardson Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Frank's name to First United Lutheran Church (2401 Kohler Memorial Dr, Sheboygan, WI 53081) or Community Care (205 Bishops Way, Brookfield, WI, 53005). Please indicate in honor/memory of Frank Kessler.

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