Bruce Hartnett

Bruce Alan Hartnett, age 64, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at home. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2020 at Hillside Cemetery, Lancaster. Pastor Mark Hoehne will officiate. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at Zippy's, Lancaster, until 3:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Bruce A. Hartnett Memorial Fund, and mailed to the Melby Funeral Home at PO Box 245, Platteville, WI 53818. Online condolences can be made at www.melbyfh.com.

Bruce was born on March 21, 1956 in Lancaster, Wisconsin, son of Bernard “Buzz” and Beverly (Davies) Hartnett. He will always be his mother's baby boy. He was united in marriage to Lois (Bohonek) Hoffman on November 6, 2010 at Park Place, Platteville.

Bruce graduated from Lancaster High School, where he played football. In his early years, participated in the High School Rodeo. He spent four years throwing a rope, riding bulls and getting thrown from bucking horses. He enjoyed it enough to pursue it professionally for a year.

Bruce spent many years as a farmer. A lot of early morning and late nights milking cows, driving tractors and stomping thru excrement. Bruce then drove dump truck which helped to build the Lancaster Airport and Limery Road in Crawford County. He also spent time working for Fuller's, which he was very proud of. Later in life, he transitioned to the less strenuous pursuit of hauling livestock for B & L Trucking.

He had three children and taught them valuable life skills including but not limited to, playing Euchre, how to milk a cow and on one specific occasion, how it was not a good idea to turn the radio up louder to mask the disturbing sounds your car's engine is making.

He enjoyed playing cards, specifically sheeps-head, euchre, and smear, taking trips out West, dirt track racing, NASCAR, following the Packers and Brewers, and hunting and fishing. But one of his favorite pass-times was going for “Sunday drives” with Lois, seeing the country.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Lois; children, Carrie Harnett, Michelle (Jake Hippenbecker) Hartnett, Brandon (Carrie) Harnett and Jeremy (Hope Kujath) Hoffman; grandchildren, Bri, Wren, Quinn, Destiny and Chase; his parents, Bernard “Buzz” and Beverly Hartnett; niece, Miranda (Eric) Fuerstenberg and nephew, Casey (Emilie) Schwab; mother-in-law, Clara Bohonek. He was preceded in death by his sister, Rebecca “Becky” Schwab and brother-in-law, James Bohonek.