15 October 2024

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Ellis W. Krahn

Ellis W. Krahn


   Ellis W. “Ollie” Krahn, 92, of Kewaskum, formerly of Beechwood, passed away on October 8, 2024, at Froedtert West Bend Hospital.   Ollie was born on October 28, 1931, in Beechwood, the son of the late Ervin and Marie (nee Kreutzinger) Krahn. He proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict in the 39th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon and worked as a cook.   Ollie was a member of the Triangle B Post #193 in Beechwood, Batavia, and Boltonville and he was also fortunate enough to go on the honor flight to celebrate his service. Following his service, he hauled milk for Beechwood Cheese Factory, worked at Gilson and farmed.   On February 16, 1966, he was united in marriage to Monica Przybylowski in Sheboygan and her family became his. They ran the Lake Seven Resort and were the founders of the Night Fliers Snowmobile Club. Farming was the love of his life where he spent many hours working in the fields.    Those Ollie leaves behind to cherish his memory include his daughters, Christine (Richard) Matthies and Leslie (Ron) Scheid; grandchildren, Andy (Lisa) Matthies, Richard “Trey” Clark, Breanne Clark; great-grandchildren, Rebecca (Justin) Rabehl, Brice Matthies, Abby Matthies, and Taylor Dolata; siblings, Shirley Mull, Sylvester (Jean) Krahn, Neil (Barbara) Krahn, Karen (Raymond) Borchert; sisters-in-law, Doris Krahn and Sandy Krahn; brother-in-law, Walter (Sue) Przybylowski and Sylvester Stern; many nieces, nephews, and friends.   In addition to his parents, Ollie was preceded in death by his wife, Monica, and her son, John “Hans” Zwick; grandson, Bradley Matthies; his siblings, Adrian Krahn, Gaylord (Margie) Krahn, Eugene (Annie) Krahn, Wesley Krahn, Dianna Bellin, Donna Wimmer, Eleanor Stern and an infant brother, Ronald Krahn.   VISITATION: Ollie’s family will greet relatives and friends at the Myrhum – Patten Funeral & Cremation Service, 215 Forest Avenue, in Kewaskum on Friday, Oct. 18, from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.   SERVICE: A service for Ollie will be held at 3 p.m. at the funeral home in Kewaskum on Friday, Oct. 18, with Rev. Eric Kirkegaard officiating. Burial with military honor rites will follow at Beechwood Cemetery.   The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the compassionate staff and for the exceptional care received at Kettle Moraine Gardens in Kewaskum.   The Myrhum – Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Ollie’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.
01 October 2024

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Bette Jayne Nelson

Bette Jayne Nelson


   Bette Jayne Nel­son, 69, of Camp­bell­sport passed away com­fort­ably in her sleep on Sun­day, Sept. 22, 2024, at The Kathy Hos­pice in West Bend fol­low­ing a two-and-a-half year bat­tle with can­cer.   She was born in Mil­wau­kee, to Dar­rel Irwin Conaway and Nona Al­berta (nee Guerin) Conaway.   She was mar­ried to the love of her life, Jef­frey Thomas Nel­son on July 18, 1987, in Mc­Carty Park, West Allis.   Bette was a lov­ing Wife, Mother, and Grand­mother. She en­joyed cross­word puz­zles and word games, craft­ing pro­jects, and played a mean game of crib­bage. Pos­sessed of a sharply sar­cas­tic tongue, she was fiercely witty and in­tel­li­gent, as well as quick with a joke. Bette had a keen un­der­stand­ing and love of lan­guage which she al­ways strove to share with oth­ers.   Bette worked for the Wis­con­sin Dyslexia In­sti­tute and was a ded­i­cated teacher for many years. She briefly served as the Di­rec­tor and after step­ping down from that role, she pri­vately tu­tored stu­dents until her re­tire­ment in 2006.   She leaves be­hind many who will cher­ish her mem­ory, in­clud­ing her son, Christo­pher Nel­son and daugh­ter, Danielle Mader; grand­chil­dren, Jacob Mader, Ryan Mader, Olivia Mader and Ben Mader; broth­ers, Brian (Mary) Conaway and Bart (Mary) Conaway; her sis­ter-in-law and long­time friend, Linda Gay­hart; broth­ers-in-law, Kevin Nel­son, Rob (Sue) Nel­son, Eric (MaryLu) Nel­son, and Kurt (April) Nel­son; Bette was very close with her sis­ter Bar­bara's chil­dren, Mike (Cheryl) Freisleben, Kelly (Craig) Wolfe, Joe (Gina) Freisleben; as well as many more nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and close friends and ex­tended fam­ily. In ad­di­tion to her human fam­ily, she also leaves be­hind two very dis­traught cats, Larry and Moe, who al­ready miss her dearly.   Bette was pre­ceded in death by her lov­ing hus­band, Jef­frey Nel­son; her par­ents; sis­ters, Bon­nie and Bar­bara; brother, Blake; brother-in-law, Terry Wom­ack; sis­ter-in-law, Deb­bie Nel­son; and niece, Nicole As­selin.   A cel­e­bra­tion of Bette's life will be held on Sat­ur­day, Oct. 5, in West Bend. Please con­tact the fam­ily for more de­tails.   Twohig Fu­neral Home is serv­ing the fam­ily with on­line guest­book and con­do­lences at www.​two​higf​uner​als.​com.
24 September 2024

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LTC Jeffrey Dreher

LTC Jeffrey Dreher


   LTC Jeffrey C. Dreher, 59, of Williston, FL, passed away on August 26, 2024, at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, NM.   Jeff was born on December 30, 1964, in West Bend, the son of Jules and Gwendolyn (nee Edwards) Dreher. Jeff attended Tremper High School in Kenosha and then continued his education at Parkside University, where he got his bachelor’s degree. He also received his associate degree in Fire Science from Gateway Technical College and a Masters of Divinity from Liberty University. He became an ordained minister at Gospel Chapel Kenosha of the Full Gospel Focus.    He proudly joined the U.S. Army – Airborne Division in 1984, serving in multiple tours including Germany, Iraq – Desert Storm, Saudia Arabia, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Jeff served as a battalion commander, combat engineer and medical section chief, and Company Command with 274th Regiment. He received numerous Service Medals. Jeff was planning his retirement in December of 2024 with 40 years of service.    Those Jeff leaves behind to cherish his memory include his mother, Gwendolyn Dreher; his siblings, Juliana (Jim) Cassidy, Jody (Gary) MacDonald, and Jennifer Ashauer; his nieces and nephew, Kristopher, Abby, and Grace; his former wife, Guadalupe and her children, Yader and Ruben Acuna, and Yoshuara (Greg) Patchel and grandkids, Maricelly (Kyle) Patchel, Emmanuel, Gabrielle, Alissa, Isaac, Ellie, Ariel, Ruben Jr., Jackson, Luka, and Avery; many relatives and friends.   Jeff was preceded in death by his father, Jules Dreher; a brother-in-law, Joseph Ashauer and nephew, Dwayne Ashauer.   VISITATION: Jeff’s family will greet relatives and friends at the Myrhum – Patten Funeral & Cremation Service, 1315 W. Washington Street, in West Bend on Friday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.   SERVICE: A service for Jeff will be held at 1 p.m. at the Myrhum – Patten Funeral & Cremation Service in West Bend on Friday. Burial with military honors will follow at Lutheran Memorial Park in Kewaskum.    The Myrhum – Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Jeff’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

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Shari Zergeibel

Shari Zergeibel


   Shari Lynn Zergiebel, 70, of Mayville passed away on September 19, 2024, at SSM St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac.   Shari was born the daughter of Al Buchta and Carol Staude on September 7, 1954. She was a 1972 graduate of Mayville High School.   Shari was united in marriage to Richard Zergiebel on October 18, 1975, at St. John’s in Mayville.   Shari had worked for a longtime at TAB Products in Mayville.   She was a member of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Mayville.   In her spare time, Shari loved nature and enjoyed taking car rides, rides in the UTV, and taking photos of nature and wildlife. She was a talented chef, who loved to cook for her family, especially her famous Thanksgiving feasts! She also enjoyed traveling while searching for antiques. Shari also loved to collect dolls and cookbooks from all over!   Shari is survived by her husband, Richard of Mayville; her mother, Carol Staude of Mayville; her siblings, Randall Buchta of Mayville and Karen Askew of Mayville; her sister- and brother-in-law, Eileen (Bob) Rasmussen of Mayville; her nephew, Eli Buchta; her nieces, Miranda (Aaron) Zuege, Jennifer (Brad) Westergard, and Keri (Nate) Mendl; her great-nieces and nephews, Lillian, Henry, Oliver, Louis, Evelyn, and Madeline; her beloved canine companion, Bella; further survived by other relatives and many friends.   She was preceded in death by her father and her brother-in-law, Todd.   A private family funeral will be held.   Special thanks to the staff of SSM St Agnes Hospital and SSM Hospice for the care and support shown to Shari and her family. Also, special thanks to Shari’s TAB friends for the friendship and love over the years.    Koepsell Funeral Home is serving the family. www.KoepsellFH.com
20 September 2024

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Helen Westimayer

Helen Westimayer


   Helen Westimayer, 95, of Horicon, died peacefully at her home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.    Helen was born on December 21, 1928, in Beaver Dam, the daughter of Erwin and Cynthia (Bohnert) Marthaler. She graduated from Beaver Dam High School and went on to work as a secretary at Monarch Range. Here is where she met the love of her life Tony Westimayer.    On April 14, 1951, Helen and Tony were united in marriage. They were blessed with ten children and were able to enjoy 69 wonderful years together!    Helen's greatest joy in life was family. With the love and support of her mother-in-law and father-in-law, who lived right next door, she was able to devote her time to making their home and family a priority. As parents, they always put everyone else's needs before their own, providing loving guidance and generosity.    Helen's favorite titles were Mom, Mumsy, Grandma, and Great-Grandma. Any time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her most memorable treasures. All she wanted was for her family to be happy, to be healthy, and to know that she was always there for them. Mom and Dad had the biggest smiles whenever the little ones came around. Mom could always make you feel better just by hearing her voice, and the hugs she gave. Our memories are many.    If you knew Mom you were lucky. We can truly say that with all of our hearts, we couldn't have been blessed with a more loving, caring, generous and compassionate Mother. Our hearts are broken, but our amazing memories and her love will help us heal.    Helen is survived by nine children and their families, Dave (Jane) Westimayer of Horicon, Barb (Dale) Keach of Markesan, Tony (MaryKay) Westimayer of Horicon, Pat Spettel (Gary Klein) of Juneau, Susie (Jim) Schumacher of Horicon, Sandy (Randy) Franke of Horicon, Mike (Jodie) Westimayer of Burnett, Jon Westimayer (Elizabeth Kotewa) of Horicon, Kathy (Wes) Elford of Neshkoro; 23 grandchildren, Julia (Nate) Schultz, Ann (John) Hansen, Chris (Pam Hupf) Westfall, Matt (Laura Hammer) Westfall, Dylan (Alley) Westimayer, Katie (Jose) Torres, Karyn (Jay) Kroschel, Cody (Rachel) Westimayer, Adam (Annie) Spettel, Lucas (Kristie) Spettel, Jason (Andrea) Schumacher and Kenna, Jenni (James) Dietz, Nick Franke, Hailey (Cody) Apfelbeck, Emma Westimayer, Chloe Westimayer, Hunter Westimayer, Tanner Westimayer, Kayli Westimayer, Seth (Amanda) Westimayer, Aiden Westimayer, Karina (Carter) McCauley, Wesley Elford and 28 great-grandchildren, Elijah Schultz; Caden Hansen; Sam and Sully Westfall; Ella Westimayer; Isaac, Adrian, Jackson and Oliver Torres; Clayton, Coltyn, and Kynlee Kroschel; Aspen, Dakota, Charlotte, Bristol and Granger Westimayer; Lincoln and Addison Spettel; Natalie and Nolan Spettel; Avery Dietz; Lorelei Franke; Jace and Jack Apfelbeck; Liam Westimayer; Charlotte and Brooks McCauley. Helen is also survived by son Tom's life partner, Desi Wild; sister-in-law, Barb Marthaler of Beaver Dam; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.    Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Tony; her son, Tom; a granddaughter, Christian; her parents, Erwin and Cynthia Marthaler; her in-laws, Anton and Anna Westimayer; her brother, Floyd "Flip" Marthaler; nephews, Mark Marthaler and Steve Westimayer.    A private family funeral service will take place at the Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam. Interment will take place at St. Malachy Cemetery in Horicon.   The family would like to thank Maria, our guardian angel, for her wonderful care and loving support given to our Mother, which enabled her to remain in her home until God called her to his side.    A special thank you to the team of nurses and caregivers of SSM Hospice for their compassionate care.    The family requests those who wish to express sympathy consider making a donation to SSM Hospice Care.   Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.koepsellfh.com.

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Paul L. Farkas

Paul L. Farkas


   Paul L. Farkas, 78, of Fond du Lac and formerly Hoosick Falls, NY, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at the St. Agnes Hospice Home of Hope.   Paul was born on June 15, 1946, in Hudson, NY, to Louis and Elza (Aust) Farkas.   Brought together by their love of dogs, Paul married Marlene (Buehner) Kottke on February 4th, 2003, in Bennington, Vermont.    Paul retired from the state of New York as a Worker’s Compensation auditor; however, his greatest passion was music. Paul graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Music. He enjoyed sharing his love of jazz with his students when he was a music teacher, as well as anyone that would listen to him play one of his many beloved guitars.    While playing his guitar was his greatest pleasure, studying the Civil War was his greatest obsession. He spent much of his life reading books, watching movies, visiting historical sites, collecting artwork, and building beautiful replica guns from the Civil War era.   Paul and Marlene lived in Hoosick Falls, NY, until September of 2020 when they moved to Fond du Lac to be closer to family.   Paul is survived by his stepchildren, whom he loved as his own, Jeff (Tammy) Kottke of Slinger, Greg Kottke of Fond du Lac, Debbie (Greg) Krapfl of Leroy, Kim (Tony) Weinberger of LeRoy, and Julie (Mike) Gemmel of Mayville; 12 step-grandchildren and five step-great grandchildren.   He was preceded in death by his parents; and his beloved wife, Marlene.      A visitation for Paul will be held on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 10 to 11 a.m. and a service at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Fr. Tom Biersack presiding at the chapel inside the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in the Ledgeview Memorial Park in Fond du Lac.   The family would like to thank the staff at the Hospice Home of Hope for their dedication to providing the highest level of care, compassion, and dignity to Paul and his family over the last several months.    If desired, memorials may be made in Paul’s name to the St. Agnes Hospice Home of Hope.   Koepsell Funeral Home in Mayville is caring for the family. www.Koepsellfh.com

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Sandra K. Lichtenberg

Sandra K. Lichtenberg


   Sandra K. Lichtenberg, 81, of Mayville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at Hope Health and Rehabilitation in Lomira.   Sandra was born the daughter of Theodore and Virginia (Swantz) Batterman on December 12, 1942. She was a 1960 graduate of Mayville High School.Sandra was united in marriage to Roy A. Lichtenberg on August 7, 1965, at St. Paul’s in Mayville.    She had worked as a waitress at Schreiner’s in Fond du Lac for over 40 years.   Sandra was an active member of St. Paul’s in Mayville and served her church as a Sunday school teacher, confirmation assistant and mentor, puppet ministry, and the sewing circle. She was also member of the Mayville American Legion Post #69 Ladies Auxiliary.   In her spare time, Sandra enjoyed the outdoors while gardening, taking care and feeding the birds. She was a wonderful cook and loved taking care of animals. Sandra will be fondly remembered for selflessness and how she was always there to take care of others.   Sandra is survived by her husband, Roy of Mayville; her children, Cindy (Dan) Mueller of Sussex, Gina (Troy) Rosedahl of Brownsville, and TJ (Nicki Luehring) Lichtenberg of Mayville; her brothers, David (Kathy) Batterman and Dennis (Laura) Batterman, both of Mayville; her grandchildren, Jordan (Lauren) Mueller, Jacob (Kathy) Mueller, Josh (Shannan) Mueller, Isaiah (fiancé Nolee) Rosedahl, Hannah (Owen) Halsne, Zachariah Rosedahl, and Rachael Luehring; great-grandchildren, Tayln and Lucas Luehring and one great-grandchild on the way; further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.   She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Daniel; and brother, Roger Batterman.   A funeral service for Sandra took place on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Mayville with the Pastor Traci Maas officiating. A visitation was held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the church in Mayville. Interment took place at Graceland Cemetery in Mayville.Memorials in loving memory of Sandra can be directed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Mayville.   Special thanks to the staff of Hope Health and Rehabilitation in Lomira and St. Croix Hospice for the care and support shown to Sandra and her family.   Koepsell Funeral Home in Mayville is serving the family. www.KoepsellFH.com

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Mark Alan Kuhlman

Mark Alan Kuhlman


   Mark Alan Kuhlman, 55, passed away Sep­tem­ber 17, 2024, after his 10-year coura­geous bat­tle with melanoma skin can­cer.   He was born Jan­u­ary 15, 1969, at Waupun Hos­pi­tal to Roy and Thirza (Tillema) Kuhlman.    Mark was born to be a farmer. From a young age, he helped his par­ents on the farm out­side of Hori­con. When he was about to enter kinder­garten, his Grandpa Kuhlman had to pay him to go to school be­cause he didn’t want to miss what was hap­pen­ing on the farm.   While he was in high school, he was in FFA and worked for Larry Pautz. After grad­u­at­ing Hori­con High School, he worked for Floyd Meinke while also help­ing on the fam­ily farm. Along with his fa­ther and mother, they built a suc­cess­ful dairy and grain farm.   On April 5, 2014, Mark met the love of his life, Stephanie Frei (the same day he was di­ag­nosed with can­cer). They were mar­ried dur­ing a bliz­zard on De­cem­ber 17, 2016. To­gether, they grew the Kuhlman fam­ily farm to what it is today.   While Mark was not one to join groups, he did like to sup­port things he be­lieved in. He con­tin­ued to sup­port the Dodge County Dairy Pro­mo­tion Com­mit­tee that his par­ents helped es­tab­lish, and in 2022 he and Stephanie hosted the Dodge County Dairy Brunch.    In 2023, he do­nated The Great Wall (grain bin en­trap­ment res­cue tool) to the Hori­con Fire De­part­ment.   Mark en­joyed going out to eat and host­ing friends for reg­u­lar Pack­ers par­ties. He val­ued all the friend­ships he made over the years, but es­pe­cially long-time friends Bill Haase, Fred Feucht, John Kraus, Den­nis Roskopf, Jeff Shaus, Rick But­ler, Todd Smith, and long-time friend and em­ployee, Ron Billings.   Mark was pre­ceded in death by his par­ents, Roy and Thirza; his sis­ter, San­dra Kuhlman; grand­par­ents, Clarence and Bar­bara Kuhlman, Jess and Mary Alice Tillema; un­cles, George Tillema, Ross Tillema, Ray Kuhlman; and his aunt, Shirley Rein­hardt.    He is sur­vived by his wife, Stephanie; his sis­ters, Laura (Bryan) Schmude, Linda Kuhlman, and Amy Kuhlman; step-sons, Mer­rick and Cody Frei; nephew, Zack (Dana) Schmude; niece, Ste­fanie Schmude; and great-nephews, Mason and Liam Schmude. Mark is fur­ther sur­vived by many other rel­a­tives and dear friends.    Fu­neral Ser­vices for Mark were held on Tues­day, Sept. 24, at Em­manuel United Methodist Church in Hori­con with Rev. Renae Dy­mond of­fi­ci­at­ing. Vis­i­ta­tion for Mark took place on Mon­day, Sept. 23, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Beaver Dam and again on Tues­day Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. until the time of ser­vice at 11 a.m. In­ter­ment took place at the Low­ell Cemtery in Low­ell.    In lieu of flow­ers, do­na­tions can be made to the Dodge County Dairy Pro­mo­tion Com­mit­tee, SSM Health Can­cer Care in Fond du Lac, or the Juneau United Methodist Church.    Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Mayville is car­ing for the fam­ily. www.​Koepsellfh.​com
19 September 2024

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Bonnie L. Fechhelm

Bonnie L. Fechhelm


   Bonnie L. Fechhelm, 94, of Mayville, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at her daughter’s home in Fond du Lac. After thirty years apart, Bonnie was reunited with her husband, Leo, on his birthday.   Bonnie was born to Dorothy Otto on May 22, 1930, in Mayville. She was a 1948 graduate of Mayville High School.   Bonnie was united in marriage to Leo A. Fechhelm on November 27, 1948, at St. Mary’s in Mayville.   Bonnie had worked for the Mayville School District as a bus driver for over 45 years and loved every minute of it!   She was a faithful and active member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Mayville. She was a member of the Daughters of Isabella and the Mayville American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Bonnie was also a member of the Mayville Senior Center and the TAG Center in Mayville.   In her spare time, Bonnie enjoyed gaming trips, playing bingo, and traveling. She also liked to knit and crochet. In her earlier years, she also raced cars for Don Schuppel. Her smile and kind heart will be deeply missed.   Bonnie is survived by her children, Rose Marie (special friend Ed) Cauwels of St. Cloud, Dennis (Sharon) Fechhelm of Delafield, Ralph (Mary Anne) Fechhelm of Simpsonville, NC, Faye Becker of Ripon, Barb (Bob) Keller of Mayville, and Judy (Mark) Marschall of Fond du Lac; her sisters, Carol (Marvin) Mueller of Fox Lake and Nancy (Russell) Kellum of CO; her 66 grand, great-, and great-great-grandchildren; further survived by other relatives and many friends.   Bonnie was preceded in death by her mother; her husband, Leo; son, Al; and daughter, Michele ‘Miki’.    A memorial Mass of Christian Burialwas held on Tuesday, September 24, at 1 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mayville with Rev. Fr. Ed Kornath presiding. A visitation was held from 11 a.m. until the time of the service at 1 p.m. at the church. Inurnment took place at St. Mary Cemetery in Mayville.   Memorials in loving memory of Bonnie may be directed to St. Jude’s or the American Heart Association.   Bonnie’s family would like to thank mom’s caregivers and special friends she met over the years at Adult Day Services. Also, the nurses and staff of SSM Hospice, thank you to Michelle Fleury Ries for her years of visits and friendship with mom.   Koepsell Funeral Home in Mayville is serving the family. www.KoepsellFH.com

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