Age 93, slipped quietly into eternity and into God’s loving arms on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus after a full and well-lived life. Dear brother of Dolores (Robert) Weber, Rubicon, WI; Robert Hauser, West Allis, WI and Arthur (Joan) Hauser, Cincinnati, Ohio. Brother-in-law of Grace Hauser. Also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many dear friends. Fr. Hauser was born in Rubicon, Wisconsin. His parents, Arthur Hauser and Julia Catherine (Schmitt) Hauser, and two brothers, Paul and Richard Hauser, preceded him in death. At the time of his passing, Fr. Hauser together with his priest classmate, Fr. John Hentzner was the oldest Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in terms of years of ordination with 69 years since his ordination on September 29, 1945. After early service in local parishes and having earned his graduate degrees, Fr. Hauser spent the majority of his priesthood at Saint Francis Seminary (51 years counting his student years) as a teaching faculty member, Athletic Director, Director of Alumni Operations, Editor of the Salesianum, Director of the Albert Cardinal Meyer Institute, Continuing Education for Priests and others involved in the religious Apostolate and the Director of Financial Development. Throughout his career, he was engaged in weekend parish priestly assistance including 20 years at St. Peter’s Parish, Slinger, WI. Fr. Hauser also made numerous speaking appearances, developed, and led many domestic and overseas travel experiences for friends and benefactors of the Seminary. He was awarded membership in the Jerusalem based papal Knights of the Holy Sepulcher Order. A talented and proficient multi- sport athlete himself, he also scouted Major League Baseball professionally and assisted various major universities in recruitment of student scholarship athletes. He continued servicing charitable causes in retirement. He served on the Board of Directors of the Catholic Knights Insurance Society, initiated and developed two personl charitable Foundations: the Father Gerald B. Hauser Charitable Foundation and the Father Hauser-John Kegel Priesthood Scholarship Fund. With eleven International and American priests, Fr. Hauser also co-founded the International Catholic Deaf Association (ICDA) in Toronto, Canada.

Visitation Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Bevsek Verbick Funeral Home 4 - 8 PM with Vigil Service at 7:30 PM. A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial for Father Hauser will be celebrated Thursday, February 19, 2015 at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary (3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI) at 10 AM. Relatives and friends please meet at the Seminary at 9:45 AM. Interment will be at St. John’s Cemetery in Rubicon, WI. The family gratefully acknowledges the dedicated assistance and friendship of the Sisters of the Divine Savior and Sister Susan Staff in particular. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Fr. Hauser’s name to the Father Gerald B. Hauser Charitable Foundation (c/o UBS 177785 West Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI, 53045) and/or the Father Hauser-John Kegel Priesthood Scholarship Fund (Catholic Community Foundation, 637 E. Erie St., Milwaukee, WI 53202) are appreciated.

CHANCERY OFFICE

February 13, 2015

Dear Father, Deacon, Parish Director,

With hope in the resurrection, we commend to the Lord Reverend Gerald Bernard Hauser who died on February 12, 2015 at the age of 93.

Born on October 21, 1921, in Rubicon, Wisconsin, Father Hauser entered Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in 1934 and completed his preparation for the priesthood in 1945. He was ordained to the priesthood on September 29, 1945 by the Most Reverend Moses E. Kiley, Archbishop of Milwaukee, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee.

Father Hauser began his priestly ministry on October 10, 1945 as an assistant at St. Leo Parish, Milwaukee. He was appointed an assistant to serve at St. Kilian Parish, Hartford, on October 11, 1946; at St. John’s School for the Deaf, Milwaukee, on November 26, 1947; and at St. Catherine Parish (51st and Center), Milwaukee, on December 6, 1950. Father was appointed to the faculty at Saint Francis Minor Seminary on July 1, 1951, serving the school until his appointment as director of the Albert Cardinal Meyer Institute on September 2, 1970, the forerunner of the Office for Continuing Formation for Clergy. On September 1, 1980, he was appointed a special assistant (development director) to the rector of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, St. Francis. Father retired from active ministry on December 31, 1987.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Hauser will be celebrated at 10:00am, Thursday, February 19, 2015, at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, St. Francis (3257 South Lake Drive). Priest friends and former colleagues are invited to concelebrate; please bring an alb and white stole. Visitation will take place at the Bevsek-Verbick Funeral Home, 10210 West Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee, on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, from 4:00-8:00pm with a Vigil Service scheduled for 7:30pm.

Members of the Purgatorial Society will please offer the prescribed Mass for the repose of his soul and include Father Hauser’s intention in the General Intercessions at the parish.

May he rest in peace.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Barbara Anne Cusack
Chancellor

Note: Father Hauser celebrated his 60th Anniversary of Ordination and his 90th birthday in late-2010. Here is the announcement for both his ordination and birthday. Roger Lindmark, Class of 1970, received this very nice letter from him. (November 2010)