AT AGE 107, COUNTY'S OLDEST RESIDENT DIES.

Louise Dikeman is gone now, but her family tree will continue to grow for generations. .

Dikeman died Saturday at the age of 107, the oldest living resident of La Crosse County. She left behind children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, even great great great grandchildren, 256 descendents in all..

"She was a wonderful mother, she was always there when you needed her," said Frances Konetchy, one of Louise's daughters..

Frances recalled how her mother and father would bundle up her and her eight older brothers and sisters to take along to Saturday night dances near where they lived on French Island..

"She loved dancing, and so did my dad," said Frances, who at 64 is the youngest of Louise and John Dikeman's children. He died in 1955 and awhile later Louise went to live with her oldest daughter, Ruth Chesebro, on La Crosse's North Side..

"Mother was born and raised on French Island," said Frances..

Louise's father, Joseph Goyette, was a reverman. Her grandfather, Xavier Goyette, was an early settler on the island where he lived "in a little cabin.".

Ruth recalled that her mother liked to play cards and they would also go to bingo games in La Crescent until about the time Louise turned 100 and her health deteriorated. She had a heart pacemaker installed about that time and was confined to a wheelchair..

"Everybody liked her, she was full of fun," said Ruth, who is in her 80's..

"She was still very sharp, mentally, until the past four of five months." said Ruth..

Louise was taken to St. Francis Medical Center on Friday and died a day later..

In addition to Ruth and Frances, Louise is survived by two other daughters, Louise (Westley) Scott and Evelyn (Jay) Eno, both of La crosse, and three sons, Richard of Florida and Clifford and George both of La crosse, and by a daughter-in-law, Mildred Dikeman of La Crosse..

In addition to her children, she is survived by 34 grandchildren; 98 great grandchildren; 114 great great grandchildren; and three great great great grandchildren..

Funeral services will be at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Dickinson Funeral Homes' Gillette Street Chapel, and at 11 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church.