Vernon Arthur Pantzlaff, 78 years of age, passed away peacefully at home on Monday morning after 14 years of ongoing health struggles.

Vernon was born on April 29th, 1947, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to the late Willmer Sr. and Lorraine (Kempfert) Pantzlaff. He was the oldest of five children.

He was baptized on May 18, 1947, and confirmed at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church on March 26, 1961, where he was a lifelong member.

On September 5th, 1969, he married his beloved wife Bonnie (Eichhorst) Pantzlaff, and together they built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and unconditional love. Their marriage of 56 years was a testament to devotion and partnership. Vernon was a proud father to 4 children, and he poured his heart into raising them with integrity, encouragement, and humor. He delighted in his role as grandfather to eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They will forever remember his quick wit, stories, jokes (especially when he would laugh hysterically before getting to the punchline), and endless amounts of Wint-O-Green candies.

He owned his own auto repair shop for several years. After that he finished his career working at the Denmark Coop. He was a very skilled mechanic and took great pride in his work. He began his musical career with the Tom Kiley Orchestra, then in 1985, Vernon joined the polka group, The Musical Brass, proudly performing with them for many years while also dedicating multiple decades to playing in the Morrison Zion Church band. His love for polka music was profound, and he shared it generously with all those around him, enriching his community through both faith and fellowship. In recognition of his lifelong dedication and contributions to the Polka tradition, Vernon was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame on May 20, 2017.

Vernon is survived by his loving wife, Bonnie; his four children, Julie Pantzlaff, Debbie (Jeff) Leick, Jim (Renae) Pantzlaff, and Tina (Jason) Miller; his eight grandchildren, Brianna (Brett) Van Eperen, Marissa (Dillon Lefeber) Leick, Mitchell (Dayna Van Egeren) Leick, Dustin (Alex) Pantzlaff, Rachael Pantzlaff, Molly, Jack, and Isaiah Miller; and one great-grandchild, Oliver Van Eperen. Mother-in-law Verona Eichhorst, his siblings; Norman (Kay) Pantzlaff, Junior (Marie) Pantzlaff, and Don (Nancy) Pantzlaff. Vernon is further survived by his brothers-in-law' Gary Haltaufderheide, Jeff Eichhorst, Daniel (Gerri) Eichhorst, David (Nancy) Eichhorst, Steven Eichhorst, Mark (special friend Donna) Eichhorst, Paul Eichhorst, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, Willmer Sr. and Lorraine, his sister,

Karen Haltaufderheide, his grandson, Elijah Miller, father-in-law, Melvin Eichhorst, brother-in-law, Roger, and sisters-in-law, Cindy Eichhorst, and Michele Eichhorst.

Friends may call at Morrison Zion Lutheran Church 7395 Cty Rd W, from 11:00AM Saturday, December 13, 2025, until time of service at 1:00PM with Pastor James Enderle officiating. Burial to follow at the parish cemetery. Nickel Funeral Home, Morrison is assisting the family.

On behalf of the family, we would like to give a sincere thank you to the Unity Hospice team for their compassionate and empathetic care in his final days, with a special thank you to Nimh and Margaret.