Karl Frank Wudtke of Shawano, 80, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2023, with family by his side. After nine years, he is joyfully reunited with his beloved wife and fellow adventurer Hope, who predeceased him on October 7, 2014. Together again, Karl and Hope have set out on a new expedition to forge a new chapter, on what roads they alone can know.

Karl was born February 19, 1943, to Carl and Isla Wudtke. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, from an early age Karl was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman, exploring the trails and rivers of the Northwoods and collecting stories as he went. Seeking taller tales and a wider horizon, Karl and several close friends, upon graduating high school, set out for Alaska in the early 1960s. Between fighting fires on America's newly minted north frontier, Karl undertook opportunities to hike the slopes of what was then Mount McKinley, fish pristine waters, and even catch a glimpse of a solar eclipse.

Upon returning from Alaska, Karl pursued his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin. During this period he met the kindred spirit who would become his lifelong partner and best friend, Hope Runge. The two were united in marriage on August 27, 1966. The promise of adventure—over vanishing highways and bright horizons—beckoned both Karl and Hope their whole lives. During their educational careers, they attended the University of Wisconsin (Oshkosh and Madison), the University of Montana in Missoula and the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada.

Karl's professional pursuits were no less diverse than the collection of cities, states and countries that he and Hope would at one time or another call home. First and foremost Karl had a love of bees and beekeeping. For years, he plied his forklift, pickup truck and semis as a commercial migratory beekeeper, hauling bees for honey production, pollination and overwintering between Wisconsin, Texas, Montana and California. During years when either the honey market or weather were unfavorable, Karl joined Hope in the other great passion they both shared: teaching. Hope primarily taught elementary special education, while Karl specialized in teaching STEM classes—including math, chemistry, biology and physics—at the high school level. Both Karl and Hope treasured the sense of fulfillment teaching provided, and both often reflected on what a special privilege it was to make a difference in so many kids' lives.

By no means were Karl and Hope's far-flung sojourns all work and no play. Both made time for a variety of pursuits, nearly all involving the great northern outdoors. Karl expanded upon his childhood hunting and fishing experience to include fondly remembered expeditions for Montana mule deer and pronghorns, grouse, pheasants, and geese and ducks too numerous to count. Karl and Hope together enjoyed countless road trips through the years, culminating in the discovery of tucked-away spaces harboring opportunities for hiking, trout fishing, berry picking, kayaking, or sometimes simply gazing at the Big Sky's breathtaking treasure chest of stars.

Along the way on their whirlwind travels, Karl and Hope would have three children: Matthew (born 1973), Misti (born 1980) and Hanni (born 1982). All three grew up sharing in Karl and Hope's unique life duality: experiencing new and exciting far-flung places (often during the school year), but remaining grounded and with a deep love of the family's rustic cabin on 22 beautiful wooded acres in Wisconsin just north of Shawano, to which the family typically returned every summer.

Karl, Hope and family never grew tired of exploring. Over the decades Karl and Hope would collectively amass a roster of places both lived and experienced ranging from Brownsville, at the far southern tip of Texas; to far northern Wollaston Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada; to the remote community of Marshall, Alaska; to the far western town of Silverdale, Washington, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. However, for both Karl and Hope, nowhere on earth could match the natural beauty, the unique cultural legacy, or the brimming nostalgia they found and made in Missoula, Montana. Even into his last month in this world, Karl was crafting plans to return to the city to which he and Hope first journeyed, when the future was unbridled and the Big Sky was the limit.

Even so, Karl was hardly less attached to his cabin and the 22 acres of Northwoods north of Shawano where he grew up. Following retirement and the heartbreaking loss of Hope in 2014, Karl spent most of his time here, making firewood and enjoying crisp fall afternoons and the company of family. Despite encroaching health issues, he was wielding his chainsaw, driving his forklift and hauling firewood up until two weeks before his passing.

Karl was predeceased by his parents Carl and Isla Wudtke; his wife Hope Wudtke and his youngest daughter Hanni Wudtke. He is survived by his son Matthew Wudtke, daughter Misti Wudtke, sister Martha Ann Van Rooy, and two nephews, Tim and Brian Van Rooy.

A graveside ceremony for Karl will be held at 11:00 am on November 18, 2023 at the Christ Lutheran Cemetery in Gillett with Pastor Stoll officiating.