Curtis A. Hess

Curtis Allen Hess, 67 of Coon Valley, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on August 16, 2026. He was born on September 28, 1958, the son of Edward and Marlene (Wolfe) Hess. He graduated from River Valley High School in 1976. He married Aline (Houghtaling) on December 18, 1993.

During his teenage years, many memories were made at Schmitty’s Horse Sale Barn in Plain. He also had a love of cars. Immediately following high school, he worked on a farm milking 90 cows. After that, Curt went to work for St. Joseph’s Construction as an earth scraper operator. He subsequently went to work for Ed Kraemer

& Sons, where he fed the crusher and operated many other types of equipment. He continued with Ed Kraemer & Sons, operating the grader, and retired as a finish blade operator. He retired from The Kraemer Company in 2013. He was a member of the Operating Engineers Local 139 union from 1980 until his death. He was dependable and well respected by many as a talented operator and was known for the pride and precision he brought to his grading work. Curt also ran two businesses, AC Aerial and AC Hauling, LLC. After his retirement from The Kraemer Company, he went to work for the Township of Coon. Eventually, he truly retired and enjoyed being home, taking care of his property, and spending time with family. He worked hard and played hard!

Curt lived life to the fullest, taking in and giving of himself through special times with his family. He loved to hunt, fish, snowmobile, and get together with friends and family. The stories are endless—some we can share and some we can’t—which showed what a caring, wonderful man he was. He was always thinking of how to make any experience he had with anyone thoughtful and fun. He loved to laugh and had such a quick wit. He loved sitting on the deck and enjoying his view of nature. The birds, deer, and various critters that would visit were always loved (or maybe some of them not so much). He was so proud of his children and grandchildren and always tried to make his time with them special.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Aline; children, Andrew (Vicky) Hess, Kylie (Jayme) Berger, Nathan (Josefina) Houghtaling, and Kandis (Jeff Taylor) Houghtaling; grandchildren, Brock (Lonale) Hoskins, who are expecting Curt’s first great-granddaughter, Colton and Tyla Hess, Brynlee and Brayson Berger, Melanie, Maya, Nikki, and Natalie Houghtaling, Liam Houghtaling, Karissa (Jacob) Maier, and Jaeylyn Gradel; siblings, Carrie (Neil) Mack, Ron (Shawn) Hess, and Ann (Brent) Winkers; in-laws, Shirley Soltau, Carol (Tom) Olson, Dianne Buros, and Alaine (Jerry) Abrams; along with several nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Marlene Hess; in-laws, Howard and Mildred Anderson; aunts and uncles, Carl Wolfe and Linda Jorstad; brothers-in-law, Noel Soltau and Jerrold “Jerry” Buros; cousin, Julie Ross; and his special fur babies, Smoke and Jack.

Funeral services for Curtis will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Seland Funeral Home, Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at 11:30 a.m. A luncheon gathering will be held at the American Legion in Coon Valley immediately following the service. Online condolences may be expressed at selandsfuneralhome.com.

Curtis’s family would like to express their thanks to Agrace Hospice Care for their deeply compassionate care for Curt and his family during this difficult time.