Arthur (Art) Elmer Filter

July 5, 1944 - October 31, 2024

Arthur (Art) Elmer Filter, 80, of Cedarburg passed away peacefully on the morning of Oct. 31, 2024, after a brief fight with brain cancer.

He was born in Port Washington, Wis., on July 5, 1944, the son of Arthur A. and Frieda (nee Weckwerth) Filter of Cedarburg.

Art grew up in Cedarburg and graduated from Cedarburg High School in 1962.

After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1965, honing his skills as an aircraft engine mechanic.

Upon discharge, he returned home and served in the Army Reserves along with landing a job at the John Oster Manufacturing Co.

During this time, he met and married his wife Marlene (nee Konkol) on May 10, 1969, and they were married for 55 years.

After a few years at Oster, Art decided to join his father, Art Sr., in the family business, Filter Oil Inc. in Cedarburg. In 1981, Art took the reins and became president of Filter Oil and successfully ran the family business until its sale in 2008.  He was proud to be the community “oil man” and provider to so many customers, and many of his longest-standing friendships were born from that experience.

After Filter Oil, he couldn’t sit still and spent nine years in his semi-retirement at Direct Supply Inc., in Milwaukee in facilities maintenance, making even more friends.

Along with running the business, Art was a proud and dedicated civil servant.  He served in Cedarburg city government in a variety of roles and committee appointments for more than a decade and was most known for serving as the Third District council member from 1992 to 2002 — the same district where he grew up.  Art would “campaign when there was no election” and loved to make random visits and talk to all his constituents (some of whom he delivered newspapers to as a kid) on a routine basis. Art also served as acting mayor of Cedarburg in 2002.

Aside from city government, Art loved to volunteer and participate in many organizations. He was an actively serving member of the American Legion Peter Wollner Post 288 in Cedarburg, where he served on its executive committee for many years and was named Legionnaire of the Year in 2018.  Rumor had it that he was also one of the Legion’s best fish fryers.  Art was a member of the Cedarburg Lion’s Club, an auxiliary police officer, a director of the Ozaukee County Fair and served as Ozaukee County Fair President for many years as well.

Art is survived by his loving wife Marlene; their children Todd (Beth) Filter of Hubertus, Wis., and Kristin Filter of Jackson, Wis.; grandchildren Preston, J.P., Jillian and Jameson; and sister Celia (Ron) Lechnyr of Eugene, Ore.

He was preceded in death by his parents Arthur Sr. and Frieda.

Art will be remembered for his gregarious personality, repeated bad jokes, stories and one-liners, his simple-mindedness and what he would call “leading with common sense” in the roles he served. He made more friends than he could count, and it showed vibrantly in his final weeks when he was flooded with visitors and support from every angle, especially from his fellow American Legion members who proved the Army’s Warrior Ethos of “I will never leave a fallen comrade.”

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at 1 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, W61 N498 Washington Ave., Cedarburg. 

  Interment will take place at Immanuel Cemetery immediately following the service.

The family will receive friends and relatives on Thursday at the church from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and at the American Legion Post in Cedarburg beginning at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Art’s name may be made to Immanuel Church.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.muellerfuneralhome.com.