Name Unknown

Joseph E. "Joe" Gill, 86, of Madison , WI and formerly of Shelburn , Indiana , died Monday, November 6, 2006 , in the Peter and Ellen Johnson Hospice Center in Madison , Wisconsin . He was born June 23, 1920 , to Anthony and Francis Dziewit Gill and lived in Shelburn , Indiana for most of his life.

Survivors include his daughter Teresa Gill Bacchi and her husband Russell of Cross Plains, WI; his granddaughter Alicia Bacchi and great grandson Jack Bacchi of Indianapolis; three sisters, Angelyn Cliff of Carol Stream, IL, Sophia Thomson of Shelburn, IN, and Mary Brent of Mesa, AZ; brother-in-law James Stwalley of Florida and sister-in-law Jean (Owens) McCulley of Florida; and several nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Lois (Stwalley) Gill, his parents, one brother Zigbert Gill and one sister Carolyn Vandament.

Joe was a Master Sergeant in WWII, serving in the 8th Air Force, 385th Bombardment Group, 549th Squadron, based in Great Ashfield, England . He was crew chief for B17G bombers that completed 75 successful missions without having to abort and was awarded the Bronze Star.

He married Lois Stwalley on May 1, 1948 , and they were life-long partners, living life to its fullest. Following the war, he and his buddy John Siner went to work at the Terre Haute federal penitentiary as corrections officers. Joe worked there for 23 years. Upon his retirement from federal service, he became a real estate agent in Sullivan , IN. He and Lois realized their dreams in the early 1970's and became "snowbirds", traveling each year to their winter vacation home in Melbourne, FL. In 2004, they left their life-long community in Sullivan and moved to Madison , WI , to be near their daughter.

He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the American Legion Post in Sullivan, the Sullivan VFW, the Elks Club, and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. Joe loved music and dancing with his wife Lois, working on the family farm, playing euchre, taking care of his lawn and garden, hunting mushrooms with his brother-in-law Jim Stwalley, and spending time with friends. He loved his family, loved people, and lived his life with joy, integrity and kindness toward others. He was a master joke-teller who could always get everybody laughing.

Services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 11, 2006 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sullivan. Father Frank Renner officiated. Burial was in the K of P Cemetery, near Hymera. Pallbearers were Russell Bacchi, Bill Pasco, Jim Gill, Daniel Gill, Eric sotore and Mike Bell. Honorary psllbearers were Robert 'Bob" Gill, John Thomas Gill and Jim Bell.