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Louie Landau
1936 - 2016
Lou Landau

Louis “Louie” “Doc” Ernest Landau, DVM, passed away April 11, 2016 after a courageous battle with MS and Lymphocyte Leukemia.  He was born in Aalton, Holland (now the Netherlands) on Aug. 9, 1936.  As a child of eight, Louie came America after enduring two and half years of Nazi Concentration Camps and Prisoners of War camps during the Holocaust of WWII.  He and his parents moved to a farm near Scioto Mills, Ill. and Louie started school at the one room school house in Red House.  He then went and graduated from Freeport High in 1955.  From a very early age, Louie knew he wanted to be a veterinarian. With much hard work and lots of odd jobs he graduated from the University of Illinois in Veterinary Medicine in 1961. He married the love of his life Eleanor Burstein on Sept. 3, 1961. They lived briefly in Lake Zurich, Ill. before moving and settling in Shullsburg in 1962.  Louie started Shullsburg Veterinary Service and worked as a large animal veterinarian for 35 years. With a passion for learning and teaching, Louie also taught Agriculture Science at UW-Platteville for many years.
Louie loved southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois.  He was very active in the Shullsburg and surrounding communities serving on many boards and organizations including the Shullsburg School Board, Lafayette County Board, and Shullsburg Community Development Corporation.  When his boys were young, he volunteered as the scout master of their pack.  He was on the board of Farmers and Merchants Bank and involved with the Pioneer Patrons of UW-Platteville.  He was a long time active member of Temple Beth El in Dubuque, Iowa.
Doc, the singing veterinarian, made his rounds on the farms, the Lafayette County Fair, and MLP sale barn.  He was very passionate about his work and adored Holstein cows. Louie was most proud of his family. He was a devoted family man and will be missed greatly especially by his grandkids.
Louie really enjoyed the simple things in life—A beautiful day, a Chicago Cubs game on WGN and meat & potatoes. He encouraged people to always be thinking. When health problems stopped him from farm visits, he wrote a book, Holy Cow, It’s Me.  He illustrated parts of his life in southwestern Wisconsin.
Louie is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ellie, Shullsburg, his daughter Debbie (Steve) Brock, Glenwood, Md., his sons, Steve (Lisa) Landau, Franklin, Tenn.,  David (Wendy), Madison, son-in-law Mark Domagalla, White Bear Lake, Minn., sister-in-law, Milly Burstein, Miami, Fla., brother-in-law, Mickey (Robin) Burstein, Gaithersburg, Md. grandchildren, Abby Landau, Pompano Beach, Fla., Hannah Landau and Sarah Brock, Knoxville, Tenn., Greg and Willie Brock, Glenwood, Md., Sam Landau, Franklin, Tenn., Sophie and Miranda Domagalla, White Bear Lake, Minn., nieces, Laura Burstein, Rockville, Md., Aimee (Duane) Fujimoto, Chandler, Ariz. Preceded in death by youngest daughter Judy Domagalla, 2010.
A graveside service will be held in Rockford at Rockford Hebrew Cemetery, 819 Cottage Grove Ave., Rockford, Ill. on Friday, April 15, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.  A Visitation and Memorial service will be held in Shullsburg at the Townsend Community Center on Saturday, April 16, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  All are welcome.  You are also encouraged to drop in at the Landau house and share Louie stories with the family.
The family is most appreciative of Upland Hills Hospice and their wonderful staff.  Louie was happiest being at home.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Louis E. Landau Educational Scholarship Fund to continue and promote his devotion to agriculture and education.