Phillip J. “Phil” Muench, who worked more than three decades printing newspapers in southwestern Wisconsin, died Thursday, Dec. 10, after a battle with COVID-19. He was 52.
Muench was born Jan. 22, 1968, in Lancaster to Gary and Barbara (Bendorf) Muench. He grew up on the family farm in Boice Creek and graduated from Lancaster High School in 1986.
Two years after graduating high school, he began his newspaper printing career in 1988 with his hometown newspaper, the Grant County Herald Independent. He quickly took over as head pressman for Lancaster Newspapers, and he continued in the role for Morris Newspapers of Wisconsin, overseeing the printing of all of the company’s southwestern Wisconsin publications.
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On May 17, 2003, Muench married Holly Pribnow at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mayville. Together they had three children, Stephanie, Wyatt and Ava.
The family will hold private funeral services on Wednesday, Dec. 16. In lieu of flowers, the Phillip J. Muench Memorial Fund has been established.
