Community remembers Clifford "C.C." Church, longtime volunteer and veteran
Clifford "C.C." Church, 76, died Jan. 7 in Bowler after a battle with cancer. His Army service and volunteer work touched families across Menominee County.
Clifford Paul Church, known to many as C.C., died peacefully at his home in Bowler on Jan. 7, 2026, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was 76. A U.S. Army veteran and a familiar volunteer at the Mohican Family Center, Church leaves behind deep ties across Menominee County and beyond.
Born in Milwaukee to Dewey Wilbur Church and Colleen (Huff) Bailey, Church served in the U.S. Army from 1972 to 1978. He later pursued further education, earning a technical diploma from the College of the Menominee Nation in 2010. Neighbors remember him for long country drives, a love of nature and a ready sense of humor he shared freely at community events.
His family reaches across northeastern Wisconsin. He is survived by his children, Richard Church of West Bend and Karrie Nieto of New London, and by three grandchildren: Michael Nieto of Omro, Paul Nieto of Menasha and Zachary Church of West Bend. Church’s brothers and sisters include Jeaneen (Ron) Brown of Vancouver, Washington; Mary Ann Bailey-Webster of Keshena; Faron Bailey of Green Bay; Jeff Bailey of Keshena; Terrence Bailey of Keshena; Dawn Webster of Keshena; Sterling (Dora) Bailey of Keshena; Roni Bailey of Keshena; and Lizette Bailey (B.W.) O’Kimosh of Keshena.
He was preceded in death by one grandson, Joshua Ryan Nieto, and seven siblings: Bridgette Grueb, Dewey Bruce Church, Donald Bailey, Emerson Bailey, Lyndon John Bailey, Renee Leroy and Thomas Bailey.
Church’s volunteer work at the Mohican Family Center made him a visible presence for families seeking community support, and his enrollment at the College of the Menominee Nation reflects a lifelong connection to local institutions. As a veteran, his years of service in the 1970s remain part of the fabric of his life and the memories shared by those who served with him and those he helped in civilian life.
A spring burial is planned at Red Springs Cemetery in Gresham; funeral details will be published in Mohican News, Menominee Nation News and the Shawano Leader when available. For neighbors and friends, the spring service will be an opportunity to honor a local figure whose service, volunteering and easy humor left a mark on family and community alike.
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