Gervase Andrew Hephner, was a Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 politician and legislator. He was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly, serving the 6th District from 1967 until 1986.

Background

Born in Rantoul, Wisconsin

Rantoul, Wisconsin

Rantoul is a town in Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Wells is located partially in the town.-Geography:...

, Hephner attended St. Norbert College

St. Norbert College

St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...

, and later graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in 1960. He was an Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 veteran of the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Hephner enlisted near the end of the war and served as the driver for General Maxwell D. Taylor

Maxwell D. Taylor

General Maxwell Davenport "Max" Taylor was an United States Army four star general and diplomat of the mid-20th century, who served as the fifth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after having been appointed by the President of the United States John F...

. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus

Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....

, and was a former secretary of the Calumet County

Calumet County, Wisconsin

Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is included in the Appleton, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the county's population was 48,971. The county seat is Chilton.-History:...

 Democratic Party.

He also farmed and developed land during his life. He had a lodge in rural Marinette County, Wisconsin

Marinette County, Wisconsin

Marinette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 43,384. Its county seat is Marinette.Marinette County is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...

 near Athelstane

Athelstane, Wisconsin

Athelstane is a town in Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 601 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Athelstane is located in the town.-Geography:...

. Hephner planted hundreds of trees at the lodge and (along with his wife Kay) was named Tree Farmers of the Year.

Politician

Hephner served in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1967 until 1986. During his tenure, he authored many bills, including the bill that established the Veterinary College at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He left the Assembly to run for the state's Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant governor

A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...

position but his bid failed.

Later life and Death

After leaving politics, he became a lobbyist. He died at the Calumet Medical Center in Chilton on June 26, 2011. He was buried at the St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery.