Jack King Lee

Jack King Lee (April 6, 1934 to December 30, 2020). 

Jack was born April 6, 1934 in Chicago, Illinois to Grace King (Lee) and Hans Hart as Joaquin Brett Hart.  At eight years old, living with his mother and her husband, he was adopted by his father Karl Lee.   Jack spent most of his early years in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and graduated from Badger High School.  Through 4-H and later high school, he met the love of his life Margaret York.  The high school sweethearts married in 1954 and farmed in the Lake Geneva area until 1960 when they moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin to attend University of Wisconsin Whitewater and later Milton College. 

Moving to Elkhorn Wisconsin in 1968, Jack committed to a brief, but pivotal career with Walworth County Social Services.  In 1976 Jack and Margaret moved with their children to live under a large maple tree next to the Kickapoo River in LaFarge, Wisconsin.  There Jack and Margaret farmed dairy goats, Jersey cows and shuttled hundreds of canoers down the Kickapoo.  Jack and Margaret continuously expressed a love of their farm and Kickapoo community and friends, insisting that Jack stay on the farm as his body succumbed to ALS in the last year.

Jack is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret; children: Laurel Lee (Malke Singer), Eric Lee, Jody Lee-Chadde (Scott), and Jess Niebuhr (Leigh); very much-loved grandchildren and great grandchildren: Aurora Shimshak (Nick Story), Zenda Shimshak (Eric Hartwig), Thomas Lee, Sky Chadde (Stella Yu), Eva Casper (Corey), Rio Chadde, Mae Niebuhr, Elle Niebuhr, Ernest Hartwig, and Maple Hartwig.  Jack is missed by many, many good friends, surviving siblings: Karen and Ellis York, Melinda and Terry Berkumpus, and Mike Lee; sister-in law, Mary York and their children and grandchildren, who enjoyed Jack’s booming voice and meandering stories “teller of tall-tales.” 

Jack is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Bill; sisters-in-law, Ardith and Doris; brothers-in-law: Walter, James, and Jim. Memorials preferred to Richland Center Sister City Project with Santa Teresa, Nicaragua, LaFarge Lions Club or the Kickapoo Reserve.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for a later date.

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