Michael John Warner

Michael John Warner, age 83, a resident of Spooner, Wisconsin, died at his home on Bass Lake on November 8, 2023, following a valiant fight against Alzheimer’s disease. 

Mike was born in Whitehall, Wisconsin, the first child of Donald and Charlotte (Anderson) Warner on April 9, 1940.  As a boy of the 40’s and 50’s, he grew up focusing on the great outdoors- hunting, fishing, camping with the Boy Scouts, delivering papers, and setting pins at the bowling alley.  He graduated from Whitehall High School in May 1958, leaving home to attend UW- Stevens Point.  In 1960, Mike was off to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for six months as a recruit in the U.S. Army Reserves, returning to Wisconsin and duty with the Army Reserves for six years.

On August 4, 1962, Michael Warner married the love of his life, JoAnn Kay Carlson in Whitehall, Wisconsin.  An ideal, hardworking, loving couple, they lived in a number of communities in Western Wisconsin due to Mike’s work with Thorp Finance which became ITT Financial.  They eventually settled in River Falls, Wisconsin, a great place to raise a family and enjoy an outdoorsman’s ideal setting.  They lived in River Falls for 30 years where Mike was a founding member of the Kinnic Bass Masters Club.  Like his father before him, Mike brought fish, fowl, and venison home for dinner frequently.  The Warner’s bought a cabin on the shores of Bass Lake, eventually building a year-round home and moving to Spooner full time. Mike Certainly enjoyed his time on the Men’s golf league at the Spooner Golf Club and when winter arrived the Snowmobile Club kept him busy too.

Mike is survived by his wife JoAnn, son, John Michael Warner of Eagan, MN, sister, Charlene (David Holtfreter) Warner of Eau Claire County, WI, brother, Patrick (Sherri) Warner of Whitehall, WI, sister-in-law, Julie Warner of Pigeon Falls, WI.  He shared his love with his amazing nieces and nephews on both sides and his brothers and sisters-in-law.

Mike is preceded in death by his cherished daughter, Karen Ann Warner, his parents, Donald and Charlotte Warner, along with his beloved brother, David C. Warner.

A goodbye to Mr. Bass, aka, The Kingfisher, will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the Lakeside Community Lutheran Church, 28626 County Road H, Webster, Wisconsin 54893. Visitation will start at 10:30 am, and the service will be at 11:30 am.  In lieu of flowers, memorials to the church where he loved singing in the choir, or the Spooner Alzheimer’s Day Respite Program would be greatly appreciated by the family.

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