Edwin Fisher

Edwin L. Fisher, 96, passed away on March 7 at St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. He was born January 25, 1919, on a farm three miles west of Omro, WI, the son of Glen and Eunice (Harvey) Fisher. In September 1941, he married Marjorie Koch of Madison. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in mechanical engineering with a special interest in internal combustion engines, Ed began his career working on large diesel engines at Fairbanks, Morse & Co in Beloit, WI. During World War II, he worked for the Chrysler Corporation in Chicago doing development work on the Wright Aero aircraft engines used in the B-29 bombers. This high priority work exempted him from military service. After the war, he eventually joined the Kohler Company in 1950. After designing four air-cooled small engines, he became service manager of the Engine and Generator Division. Later when the generator division split off into a separate division, he became its first division general manager retiring in 1983. With a longtime interest in genealogy, Ed traced his and his wife's ancestry back to 1600 and published the results. That interest led him to start the Sheboygan County Genealogical Society and serve as its founding president. He was also president of the Sheboygan County Historical Society for three years, served on the Board of Directors of the Sheboygan County Historical Museum for many years, and was one of the founders of the Historical Research Center in Sheboygan Falls. From 1980 to 2010, Ed wrote six books exploring different branches of the Fisher family and Marge Koch Fisher families. His farm background led to an interest in the cheese industry in the county. After researching the topic, he wrote, "The Cheese Factories of Sheboygan County" for which he received an award from the Wisconsin State Historical Society. A longtime avid downhill skier, Ed savored over thirty western mountain ski resorts in addition to ski slopes in the Midwest. In the summer, canoeing in wilderness and white water areas became a passion, including several trips to far regions north of the Canadian border. He is survived by daughter Marilyn Fisher Hanson (John Zahn) of Tucson, AZ, son Tom (Diane) Fisher of Windsor, CO, son Jim (Mary) Fisher of Bloomington, MN, son Larry Fisher of Vancouver, WA, five grandchildren (David (Pam) Fisher, Scott (Becky) Hanson, Mike (Anne) Hanson, Stephanie (Nate) Scheibe and Lizzy (Richie) Velez. and twelve great-grandchildren. His wife, Marge, two sisters and a brother preceded him in death. Ed was an inspiration to his family and friends. He offered wit and wisdom, modeling a life well lived. No words can express how much he will be missed, but his memory and his spirit will live on through all who had the blessing of knowing him. The family is deeply grateful to the St. Nicholas staff for the warm and loving care given to our dad. We also thank Ed's many friends and neighbors for their outpouring of love and concern for him, and for us. A visitation is planned for later in the spring. Burial will be in a family plot in the Rushford Cemetery in Winnebago County. Please consider honoring Ed's life by making a contribution to the Sheboygan County Historical Society Museum or the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center in lieu of flowers.