Edward A. Leader Jr. (1928 - 2025) Edward Albert Leader, Jr., age 96, of Birchwood, Wisconsin, died Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at home surrounded by his family and under the care of Marshfield Medical Center Hospice/Homecare Rice Lake.

A funeral service will be held at 1PM Friday, May 23, 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church, W5334 Dassow Avenue, Medford, WI with Pastor Ralph Shorey officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 11AM until the time of the funeral service at 1PM. A graveside service will take place at Evergreen Cemetery II, Medford, WI, where military honors will be held.

Ed was born September 19, 1928, to the late Anna T. (Steen) and Edward A. Leader, Sr. in Medford. He was raised in the Medford area and attended Medford area schools. He entered the U.S. Navy on March 14, 1946 at the age of 17. He received his GED while in the Navy. He was a veteran of WWII. He served a deployment in the Philippines and then stationed in Hawaii where he worked salvage following the Pearl Harbor attack. After his service, he returned to Medford and farmed. He later worked many years as a logger as well as retiring from Jochimsen, Inc. where he operated a rock crusher. He married Agnes T. Kraemer on August 25, 1951, she passed away in 1985. He then married Constance “Connie” Helland on August 29, 1987.

Ed loved to hunt, fish (all kinds) and spend time outdoors. He was one of the original members of the Short Prong hunting shack and enjoyed the shack and its’ members until the day he died. He made many long lasting friends on his many hunting trips out West to hunt mule deer and elk. While living in Medford, Ed was active in the VFW. He was very proud of being a veteran. He participated in the Never Forgotten Honor Flight on September 20, 2014.

Ed will be dearly missed by his wife, Connie, children; Kathy (Wally) Thom, Birchwood, Deb (Jim) Fleischmann, Steuben, Cindy (William “Pip”) Gilgenbach, Mission, TX, Tim (Jessie Julson) Leader, Grand Meadow, MN, daughter-in law; Jean Leader, Medford, stepchildren; Colleen (Mike) Wenzel, Henderson, NV and Alvin (Viola) Helland, Sr., Denmark, WI, along with a sister; Carol (Harold) Henrichs of Medford. He is survived by his grandchildren, Christopher Thom, Jared (Christine) Thom, Mike (Dani Liegel) Fleischmann, Mariah (Takoda Lee) Leader and step-grandchildren William Gilgenbach (fiance Krista), Michael (Abigail) Gilgenbach, Tony Gilgenbach, Jesse (Melissa) Gilgenbach, Troy (Rachel Heffner) Wenzel, Amanda (Kasey) Golden, Amy Helland, Alvin (Rose) Helland, Jr. and Nicholas (Emelia) Helland along with several great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by special friends, Jim and Sarah Imbach and Charlie and Carol Motte, all of Medford, along with many other special family, friends and neighbors. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Agnes (1985), son, Thomas “Tweety” Leader (2022), siblings and in-laws, Verna (Lee) Jochimsen, Marvin (Mary Ann) Leader and Marlene (Les) O’Brien.

In lieu of plants and flowers, memorials are preferred to the family for later designation. For online condolences, please visit - Facebook at Jon Tillung

Last Update: May 16, 2025 8:58 am CDT