Clarence Kalkofen

Clarence Kalkofen, age 102, of Antigo, died Mon. Oct. 8 at Langlade Hospital.Clarence was born March 13, 1908, in Mattoon to the late Fred and Sophy (Schweitzer). His father was a logging camp "boss," who took the family to Bass Lake, Pearson and Loretta, but for most of his life, Clarence lived and worked in the Antigo area. Upon retirement, he lived in Florida each winter for 30 years.He served in World War II from 1942 to 1945, as a diesel engine instructor at the San Diego Naval Fleet Service Schools. He met Ellen Schroeder, originally from Fergus Falls, MN, in San Diego, and they married in 1944. Ellen preceded him in death in 2008. Following high school, he worked in many fields, learning that the sales-game was his special calling. He was a charter member of the pre-war Antigo Jaycees, serving as an officer or board member during the entire time, and is believed to be the last surviving member of that group.After the war, he sold monuments for the Delano Monument Company. He then took on Niagara Cyclo-Massage equipment from his home and small office, winning annual sales awards in direct competition with major metro sales teams. He was among the first local businesses to successfully utilize the new medium of television advertising in the 1950s and 1960s. During his life, Clarence was devoted to the outdoors. He tied his own trout and bass flies, made his own musky lures, owned one of the first Lowrance green box sonars in the area, was a long-time proponent of Mepp's lures, made it a priority to buy the best gear he could afford, and found time to fish often with his family. He took special pride sharing the love of the outdoors with his family. Now, his children and grandchildren also possess a life-long passion for fishing and the outdoors.During the past 30 years, sons Tom and Jim turned the tables on Clarence, taking him to annual exotic fishing destinations in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes. He made hundreds of fishing friends among the ranks of top fishing pro anglers, resort owners, guides and the outdoor media he met. He was featured on the covers of several popular outdoor magazines, on a segment for In-Fisherman TV, and his biggest smiles were for "fish pictures." Deer hunting was especially memorable and Clarence considered it a personal challenge to find the perfect deer hunting spot. Stories of those experiences grew with each re-telling, making each deer camp more special than the previous year. Today his children and grandchildren carry on the hunting tradition with the same intensity.He is survived by 3 children, Jim (Marsha) of Baxter, MN, Kay (Bruce) Johnson of Jacksonville, FL, and Tom (Diane) of Post Lake; a brother, Elmer of Vancouver, WA; 7 grandchildren; and 1 great-granddaughter.In addition to his wife, Ellen, and his parents, he was preceded in death by 3 brothers and 2 sisters.The family thanks the Evergreen Terrace care team for the special treatment they showed Clarence during his stay in their assisted living facility.