Delano H. Ristow, age 83, of Kiel, passed away at his home on June 29, 2017 surrounded by his family after battling cancer.

Born in the city of Oshkosh on November 23, 1933 to the late John and Grace (Grunewald) Ristow. Del attended Oshkosh schools, graduating from Oshkosh High School. He then moved up to Northern Wisconsin where he purchased 20 acres on a lake and built a house near Lake Tomahawk, WI. Del met Mary Ann Ehlenbach, originally from Milwaukee, and they were united in marriage on February 11, 1956. They celebrated 61 years of wonderful marriage together and were blessed with 5 children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They moved into the house he was building in Northern Wisconsin where they resided for three years. Del worked in the construction industry and when work became scarce in the Northern area in the 1950's, they moved towards the big city of Milwaukee and settled in Menomonee Falls, where they resided for 10 years. Del said they would move to the country again someday, as they loved the open wilderness of the north.

Del began working for a large industrial construction company in Milwaukee. In 1968 he drove to the Kiel area with a friend who wanted to buy a small farm and in driving around, he then discovered the wilderness of STEINTHAL VALLEY, which was quite barren 50 years ago. He then brought Mary Ann and the children up to walk the hills the next day, as he was excited about his discovery. STEINTHAL was originally a tiny German settlement in 1854, with a country general store, post office, saw mill, blacksmith shop, shoe maker, and ice house, and a few log houses, located in the center of the valley. Over the years many of the buildings disappeared but, much later the country general store building became the local tavern. That and the ice house building were still standing. Del and Mary Ann purchased one of the old houses in the valley and moved to the area in 1968. Together with their young children they began to clean and beautify the valley by replanting thousands of trees with the help of the boy scouts, building a dam to enlarge bodies of water and removing old deteriorated and burned homes.

Del established Ristow Roofing Company with Mary Ann in 1970, working projects over four states including work on the state capital building in Madison in 1973. He was very knowledgeable in the newest types of roofing materials and in 1982 he invented a new type of roof system that he patented and named UNIRAIL Roof Systems. Del also formed a roof consulting service RSA Associates Inc. (Roofing Systems Analysts). In 1983 he formed R&D Industries Inc. with partners to market UNIRAIL Roof Systems.

In 1974 they purchased the old boarded up Steinthal Tavern in the center of the valley. After 2 ½ years they remodeled the old building, it became Steinthal Valley Lodge, a beautiful dinner club. They sold it after 20 years and 7 months later the 150-year-old landmark burned to the ground. They repurchased the corner land afterwards and in 2008 built a beautiful religious chapel in the valley.

Del retired after 35 years in business and his son took over the company. He now had a chance to travel on his Harley, which he loved to take on a trip out west each year. He found a piece of land up in the mountains of Wyoming where he built his dream log cabin, "away from the world" as he would say. Del loved the wilderness and traveled to the cabin often. In 1988 Del also built his own custom-made Harley motorcycle.

Delano is survived by his wife: Mary Ann; five children: Denise (Charles) Deibele of Kiel, Daniel (Cheryl) Ristow of Seal Beach, CA, Debra Blair of Boulder CO, Dale (Kylie) Ristow of Kiel, Daryl (Jacqueline) Ristow of Appleton, WI; 13 grandchildren: Luke, Paul and Eric Deibele, Lindsey and Jacquie Ristow, Danielle, Alex, Rachel, Elisabeth and Kaiden Ristow, Steven and Lehna Ristow and one great-grandchild: Aliyah Ristow. He is further survived by one nephew: David Veith; one sister-in-law and brother-in-law: Rita and Thomas Lester; cousins: Billy Ristow, Robert Gomal, Jon, Jay and Jack Grunewald, Jan (Grunewald) Manweiler, Karin (Grunewald) Walters, and his faithful friend and good buddy Gary Roeh, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother: John and Grace Ristow; one sister: Rhoda (Ristow) Veith; two daughters-in-law: Maria Ristow and Diana Ristow, and one grandson: Michael Ristow.

Funeral Service for Del will be held at 11:00AM on Monday, July 3, 2017 at St. Gregory Catholic Church, St. Nazianz. Officiating at the Mass of Christian Burial will be Rev. Patrick Nelson S.D.S. with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

The family will greet relatives and friends on Sunday, July 2, 2017 from 2:00PM until 6:00PM at Meiselwitz-Vollstedt Funeral Home, (815 6th Street, Kiel). The visitation will continue on Monday from 9:00AM until 10:45AM at St. Gregory Catholic Church.

The family wishes to thank Sharon S. Richardson for the wonderful care provided during this difficult time; as well as the prayers and visits from relatives and friends during Del's last days.