James B. Litzau

James B Litzau June 15, 1935 -- October 14, 2021 Written by Jim “Pops” Litzau on April 24, 2015: After a long, enjoyable and productive life, Jim “Pops” Litzau has been called from this earthly place to share his new life with the Lord. The first of three children born in Milwaukee to Bernard Francis Litzau and Genivieve Frances Andrzejewski. They lived at 1581 S 35th St, and in 1941, the family bought a home at 2967 S 47th St, where Jim resided until his marriage to Jane in 1958. He attended Blessed Sacrament grade school (1949) and then Pulaski High School (1953), where he participated in many activities and acquired many honors, including being elected Class President. However, he touted his greatest High School achievement as being “President of the Styrofoam Club”. What the ---- is that you ask?? Well, no-one knows!!! Jim suspected that some smart alecky student placed “Styrofoam Club” as one of his activities under his picture in the 1953 School Yearbook and snuck it past the book’s editors. Since Jim figured that he was the only Club member, he elected himself President. He had always hoped that the perpetrator would step forward so that they could have a good laugh together. He then attended Marquette University, earning a degree in Structural / Architectural Engineering and became a Registered Structural Engineer. He met a beautiful young lady, Jane Emily Kloth, at a Marquette Avalanche Ski Club meeting and they were married in 1958 by Fr Rapheal Hochhaus. They moved to Denver where they lived for two years and then relocated back to Milwaukee. In 1967 they built a home in Greendale. Pops loved Greendale and said that if he could live anywhere in the world, he would choose Greendale. Jim and Jane have seven most wonderful children, five girls and two boys. They and the sons and daughters-in-law have been most loving, caring and considerate. Pops very often noted how blessed he was to have such an outstanding family. There are twenty-four grandchildren and one and a half great-grandsons. They have all been outstanding, good, respectful, responsible young people and Pops has enjoyed each one of them. After college and serving in the U S Army, he worked in the Engineering field. In 1967, Jim and Jane formed their own construction company, Litzau & Co Inc. They built about 800 homes, 75 town-homes, several apartments, and several industrial buildings, mostly in the Milwaukee area. He never considered himself wealthy, but lived a comfortable and enjoyable life. He believed in three sayings: • “You can tell the true character of a person by how he treats those who can do the least for him” • “Claim to own nothing and pray daily that you acquire the wisdom to be a worthy steward of all that the Lord has so generously placed in your possession” • “It is not what you gather in life, but rather what you scatter that tells you what kind of a life you have led” He had many hobbies and interests and considered himself a quality woodworker. He enjoyed water skiing, biking, tennis, golf, volleyball, sailing, fishing, but most of all - downhill skiing. He played golf, tennis, and volleyball to the very end. His most memorable times were ski outings to Upper Michigan and the Colorado mountains. He served on the National Ski Patrol for twenty years. After a successful career, he wanted to “Give Back”, and formed an alliance with Los Hogares de Santa Maria de Guadalupe, an orphanage in Santa Apolonia, Guatemala. He supplied the Woodshop with countless tools and equipment. He also established and supplied a Craft Woodshop and taught Craft Wood working over a ten-year span. He went on several mission trips to help build churches in Belize. In addition, he established, supplied, and instructed at two Craft Woodshops at the Rosebud Lakota Indian Mission in South Dakota. In Milwaukee, he established and supplied another Craft Woodshop at the Hispanic United Community Center where he instructed for four years. In lieu of flowers, donations will be equally distributed to Papa’s 3 favorite charities: • School Sisters of St Francis • Salvatorian Mission Warehouse • Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Take Care & GOD Bless