Stephen J. Freese, 64, of Hazel Green, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on the 28th of August, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Steve succumbed to a hard-fought, two-year battle with cancer. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 7th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sinsinawa, WI, with Fr. Peter Auer officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph’s Church Cemetery in Sinsinawa, WI. Family and friends may call from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 6th at the Haudenshield Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuba City, WI; also on Saturday, September 7th from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church. The Haudenshield Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuba City, WI is serving the family.
A recording of funeral services is available to view below, following the memorial video.
He was born on March 16, 1960, in Dubuque, IA, to Joseph and Rowetta Freese of Hazel Green, WI. Raised on the same family farm where he passed away, Steve grew up heavily immersed in agriculture and the rural lifestyle. He was incredibly proud of his family’s background in farming and cherished the home farm’s roots dating back to 1874.
Steve attended Southwestern High School in Hazel Green where he excelled inforensics and basketball, and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science fromthe University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Steve fell in love with politics and servingothers at a very early age and has lived his life committed to serving his beautiful state of Wisconsin and his local communities. Classic cars, Allis-Chalmers tractors, and history alsobecame life-long passions of his and he enjoyed sharing his collections, stories and experiences with friends and colleagues at shows and other events.
Steve’s foray into politics began in 1980 as a collegiate volunteer for Steve Gunderson’s successful campaign for the 3rd Congressional District of Wisconsin. At the same time, Steve was also running for a board position in the Town of Jamestown. He won his town board seat and served on the Jamestown Town Board from 1980-1994. In 1982 he ran for the Grant County Board of Supervisors and won at the age of 22. He served from 1982-1992. At the time, he was the youngest board supervisor ever elected in Grant County. Steve again served on the Jamestown Board as Town Chairman from 2020-2024, after he moved back to his beloved family farm.
In 1990, Steve was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving the 51stAssembly District. He proudly and honorably served in that position for 16 years. A fighter for rural issues, his colleagues entrusted him with the leadership position of Speaker Pro Tempore, a post he held for a record twelve years, and was often in the Speaker’s chair directing the Assembly’s business of the day. A stickler for rules and decorum, Steve became an expert in legislative proceedings and was praised from both sides of the aisle for the fairness he displayed to all parties. His passion for history served him well when he was appointed to the Wisconsin Historical Society Board of Curators from 1993 to 2007 and was also appointed tothe Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission.
Coming from a strong farming background, Steve was most proud of his support for Wisconsin farmers. He often led the legislative effort for the increased production of corn for ethanol, protecting the Right to Farm, implementing and preserving use-value assessment,and reasonably raising weight limits of farm equipment on Wisconsin roads.
After leaving the legislature in 2007, Steve was hired as the Executive Director of Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI. Struggling financially when he arrived, Steve was able to stabilize the organization’s finances through the promotion of two big fundraisers: the annual Circus of Chefs Gala and the 2009 Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee. He also brought the Wild West Show back to the Circus World grounds and helped produce two fantastic events for the Driehaus family in Lake Geneva. He spearheaded efforts to reach out to the producers of the film Water for Elephants, with the intention of offering Circus World’s extensive collection of antique circus wagons to be used in the film. He felt strongly that the wagons should be enjoyed and appreciated by a new audience of film lovers and jumped at the opportunity to highlight the work being done at Circus World to preserve these incredible pieces of circus history. In addition, he and his daughter Marie had the opportunity to appear in the film as extras. Steve relished the opportunity to set off on the adventure of filmmaking and enjoyed being involved in every possible aspect.
Steve’s commitment to historic preservation spanned his entire career and in addition to many other projects, he was instrumental in efforts to fundraise and organize for the Potosi Brewery Foundation and Museum. His fundraising, grant writing expertise, and personal contributions ensured strong support for the Museum.
In 2013, Steve was hired to be the Chief Administrative Officer of the WisconsinFarm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general farm organization. It was a role he cherished and allowed him to once again shape public policy for rural Wisconsin.
He finished his career with the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) where he served as President and CEO. In 2015, he joined Cooperative Network as Vice President where WECA had been a division for 20 years. At the WECA Board’s direction, Steve reestablished the statewide as a stand-alone organization to better focus efforts and resources on the state’s electric cooperatives. For everything he did to rebuild WECA into what it is today, in 2022 Steve was awarded a special Ally of Cooperative Electrification (ACE) Award, the highest honor presented by WECA and its board of directors. He was selected for his lifelong commitment to community, as evidenced by his many years of leadership and service to state and local government, community organizations, and the electric cooperative industry.
As passionate as he was about his career, Steve was deeply devoted to his family and friends. With his former wife Dawn, he raised two wonderful children and built a beautiful and fulfilling life together for 29 years. He took great pride in his children’s accomplishments. So much so, that he would frequently show up to his children’s recitals and concerts with a video camera and insist on finding the optimal spot from which to document their performances. He even attempted to do this at his daughter Marie’s collegiate theatrical productions. Along with his son Andrew, Steve took great pride in his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America. He relished any opportunity to help Andrew progress through his many years of scouting, especially working hard to help with Andrew’s Eagle Scout project. When Andrew achieved Eagle Scout status, Steve was beside himself with pride and excitement. Steve was passionate about sharing family stories and keeping family traditions alive, even on the campaign trail. As a way to connect with voters, he developed recipe cards containing precious family recipes, pictures, stories and traditions. He would share these with constituents on parade routes and throughout long campaign seasons. Later on, he collected all of those recipes into a family cookbook that has been enjoyed by many family members and friends. Steve was unfailingly loyal to his good friends and loved ones. Throughout his illness he was overwhelmed by an outpouring of love and offers of help and support from his dearest friends and acquaintances. When asked why they would go so far out of their way to help, each and every friend and loved one replied, “Steve would do the same for me”. As a loving older brother, he was a fierce protector and confidante. He constantly provided guidance and unconditional love to his younger sister Mary. From coaching her on high school speeches to being chased by all manner of farm animals, Steve was always Mary’s champion. Steve’s love for Mary was reflected in his love for her children. He cherished the many art and cooking projects they worked on together, including a cow “leg lamp” that he and his niece Holly designed together for a fundraiser. Cooking projects with his nephew Jacob always brought him joy. He touched all of our lives with love, generosity, and a boundless creativity.
Stephen J. Freese is survived by his two children, Marie (Eric) Freese and Andrew Freese, his sister, Mary (Rick) Brimeyer, his niece, Holly (Rachel) Brimeyer, his nephew, Jacob Brimeyer, his aunt Margie (Larry) Gilliland and many beloved cousins, and friends.
Steve will be greeted in heaven by his parents, Rowetta and Joseph Freese, his beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Steve’s family would like to especially thank their cousins Ken and Sherry Welter, Mary Jean Cooke, Rob Richard, Tim Clay, Fr. Peter Auer, Agrace Hospice, and everyone else who showed incredible love, care, and support for Steve in his final days.
In lieu of plants & flowers a Stephen J. Freese Memorial Fund has been established. This fund will go toward the preservation of historic sites throughout the beautiful state of Wisconsin.
Memorials may be mailed to:
Haudenshield Funeral Home
c/o: Stephen Freese Family
P.O. BOX 825
Cuba City, WI 53807
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