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Winneconne High School lost a friend with the death of Joseph H. Stage on May 1, 2013.
While a student Joe was a camera "geek" always wearing a light meter for a necklace. Under the direction of chemistry teacher Lester Emerich he helped setup and maintain a lab in the school to develop and print film. Joe took many photos of the fire that destroyed Winneconne High School during his senior year on January 20, 1949. He played a lead role in the Senior Class Play, "The Night of January 16th", and participated in band and forensics.
Joe was impressed with the new schools facilities and curriculum in 1999 when he toured the school with his classmates for their 50th reunion. In 2003 he decided to name Winneconne High School as the beneficiary of his estate, consisting of a modest inheritance, a home and two rental properties in Madison and a lot for a future retirement home on Plummer's Point in Butte des Morts. Joe designated the first five hundred thousand dollars for technical school scholarships because he learned about Clinical Electronic Engineering through a course in their program which lead to the work that he enjoyed at the University Hospital in Madison.
When it came to the Winneconne School District Joe's heart was in the right place. Unfortunately his other organs along with the stock market collapsed. Several years of expensive health care completely consumed the estate.
Joe is survived by one daughter Terry, Randolph, WI.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 7, 2013, at the Winneconne Cemetery. In case of inclement weather the service will be at the Mueller Funeral Home in Winneconne. At Joe's request, his classmate, Reverend Eugene Gauerke will officiate.
Friends are invited for a Dutch lunch and a time to share memories after the service.
Please submit online condolences to muellerfuneralhomeinc.com.

Mueller Funeral Home
Winneconne
(920) 582-4242