Obituary of Ralph Frank Tessene

Ralph Frank Tessene, age 77, of Whitewater, WI passed away on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at Alden Estates in Jefferson, Wisconsin. Ralph was born in Elkhorn, Wisconsin on April 11, 1935, the son of Louis and Esther Tessene. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery, Whitewater, WI. The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, Wisconsin is assisting the family, www.nitardyfuneralhome.com "Ralph Tessene was the farm hand, that came to work for me on December 21, 1963. When I have talked to anyone for many years, I have referred to the cattle, machinery, and farm as we or ours. Many people have asked me, who is we-- Ralph was the hard working backbone of the farm. After all of Ralph's years of faithful hard work, I am reluctant to say the farm is mine or a product of my efforts. Ralph lived three miles from our farm with his mother. If the blizzards were too bad to drive his car out to the farm--then he walked. Ralph never backed away from any hard work. Many a sucessful farmer or rancher was made by a hard working ranch or farm hand or by a hard working wife. In these forty nine years, like all other farmers and ranchers, we have put up with weather hot and cold--wet and dry. Prices for our products that you could not break even on. What made our farm survive, was the hard working farm hand." � The Lawnview Farm Lima Township-Rock County � �