Obit: Clark, Homer C. (1875 - 1915)

Transcriber: Ken Wood

Surnames: ALBERS CLARK GARBUSH HANTKE KISSLING LAMB LANGDON NASH PAULSON PHILLIPS RODER SCHUELKE SMITH WELLER WELLS ZIMMER

----Source: Clark County Republican & Press (Neillsville, Wis.) 11/11/1915, Ken Wood & Stan Schwarze

Below is a photo of Homer C. Clark which appeared in the 1905 Plat Book & Atlas for Clark Co., WI and published by George. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, IL (Contributed by Greenwood Public Library) to this ALHN web site.

Clark, Homer C. (25 NOV 1875 - 3 NOV 1915)

No death in many years in Clark County has brought forth here and all over the state more expressions of sorrow than that of Homer C. Clark, briefly mentioned in these columns last week. Mr. Clark Was returning from Marshfield Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 3, where he had gone by auto to take a deposition in a case pending in circuit court. His stenographer, Miss Helen Zimmer, accompanied him to take the testimony and Agnes Paulson went along for a ride. On the return trip, when near the Garbush School House south of Granton, they met a horse and buggy and Mr. Clark Turned out to give the road, as the horse appeared to be frightened, and in some way the auto skidded into the ditch and tipped over, apparently as he tried to steer it back again toward the track. Miss Zimmer was thrown from the car before it went over, and fell clear from it. Mr. Clark was caught by the back of the front seat as he fell face downward and was almost instantly killed by the force of its crushing weight upon his body. Miss Paulson was also pinned down by the body of the car, but as she lay in lower ground she was practically uninjured. Miss Zimmer, after some hard work, released her and the man who they met, Gus Hantke, came to their assistance. Chas. Schuelke and Theo. Kissling came along in a car and together they all succeeded in releasing Mr. Clark’s body. Miss Paulson took Mr. Kissling’s car and drove to Granton for a doctor and telephoned the news to Neillsville. It was too late, however, for any medical assistance to be of avail. Friends from Neillsville were soon on the scene, W.L. Smith carrying home in his car the body.

The news of his death spread rapidly. Within an hour it was known all about the state and constant inquiries as to the facts came in over the wires. A feeling of profound sorrow pervaded the city and country around, greater than that caused by any other death in recent years.

Homer C. Clark was born at Damariscotta Mills, Maine, Nov. 25, 1875. There he grew up, attended school and graduated from Lincoln Academy. When 18 years old he came to Merrill, Wis., and was employed in a law office as a stenographer. After remaining there two years he went to Madison and took the law course in the State University. Shortly after he came to Neillsville and began to practice law, building up by application to his work, a steadily growing practice. July 19, 1899, he was married to Miss Sibyl Wells of Neillsville, who survives him. His mother and one sister live at the old home in Maine, one brother, O.A. Clark, lives in Milwaukee; one sister at Ashland, Mass., and two sisters at South Framingham, Mass.

Mr. Clark’s rise as a citizen and lawyer has been gradual, solid and well earned. He never engaged in work that was not entirely honorable, never sought to take advantage of anyone’s weakness or distress, and was always willing to sacrifice his own interests rather than to offend or inconvenience others. As he grew older he became much interested in helping the younger people of the community toward better things, by offering to them the best possible environment and all the advantages to be secured in a place of this size.

Masonic Lodges for many miles around sent large delegations, and there was scarcely a corner of the state not represented. In the funeral procession 118 Knights Templar were in line with nearly 400 other Masons and a large delegation of Woodmen. The beautiful Masonic burial service was rendered by W.W. Perry of Milwaukee, Grand Secretary. Among the high Masonic dignitaries present were Geo. B. Wheeler of Eau Claire, Past Grand Com., Robert B. Lang of Racine, P.G.H.P., Mr. Lamb of Madison, Em. Com., Walter A. Clark of Menomonie, Grand H.P., J.E. Langdon of La Crosse, G.K., M. Barry of Phillips, G.S., W.W. Albers, Wausau, G.P.S. Special trains were run from Eau Claire and Marshfield, bringing in Masonic bodies and others from all directions. Assist. Gen. Supt. Nash of the C. and N.W. Railway Co. brought a party in his private car. It was apparent that Homer C. Clark was known and honored all over Wisconsin. It would be impossible in our space to give a list of the men of prominence who came to pay tribute to his memory. To our finite, limited view, his death just as he entered the prime of his useful manhood seems a great loss, but we can only bow in submission and take with us all we can of the good that he has wrought.

*Above is a photo of Homer C. Clark which appeared in the 1905 Plat Book & Atlas for Clark Co., WI and published by George. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, IL (Contributed by Greenwood Public Library) to this ALHN web site.

----Source: Marshfield News, November 11, 1915 Page 1

MANY ATTEND CLARK FUNERAL

PROCESSION NEARLY MILE LONG--500 BROTHER MASONS IN LINE

Marshfield and Eau Claire Masons Go Over in Special Trains`

The funeral of Homer C. Clark, held from his home in Neillsville under the Masonic auspices Sunday afternoon, was one of the largest, if not the largest, ever seen in Neillsville and brought together an unusually large number of Masons, there being in the neighborhood of 500 in line, among whom were about 150 Knights Templars, and they with the vehicles and others in line formed a procession nearly a mile in length. It is very rare indeed that much honor and respect is shown one man. The service was conducted by W. W. Perry of Milwaukee, state secretary of the Masonic bodies, and in his talk on the life of the deceased paid a glowing tribute to his memory.

The Marshfield Masons, about 100 strong, were coveyed to the funeral in a special train of two coaches. Other delegations were from Medford, Phillips, Stanley, Thorp and black River falls. E.E. Nash, assistant general superintendent of the Northwestern system, was there in his private coach. He is president of the consistory class of which Mr. Clark was the orator. The Eau Claire Masons also went to Neillsville in a special train, consisting of four coaches. Other prominent among those present were the state officers of the Masonic fraternity.

A new angle of the story of the accident is furnished by a report that a wrist watch had something to do with the cause of the tragedy, the report being that he, in speeding along to make a record trip, glanced at the time piece to see what time he was making and that in doing so he lost control of the car. Whether this happened in connection with the move of turning out for a passing rig was not known.

The accident happened as he turned out for Gust Handke, who had got out of his rig to lead a frightened horse by, near the Paul Roder farm. The car left the road and went down the embankment, turning bottom side up. Mr. Clark was pinned underneath the fron seat in such a way that his chest was crushed and death resulted almost instantly. Miss Zimmer was thrown clear of the car and Miss Paulson was pinned underneath the rear seat, but neither of them were badly hurt and were able to continue on to Neillsville soon after the accident.

Charles Schuelke and Theo. Kissling, two farmers living south of town, came upon the scene immediately after the accident and Gus. Handke extricated the unfortunate ones from underneath the car. Mr. Clark had ceased breathing and Miss Paulson apparently was little harmed for she immediately took Mr. Lissling's car and drove into Granton for help. Mr. Kissling and the others remaining upon the scene.

The car driven by Mr. Clark is the same one in which M. D. Garrison of Thorp was killed about two years ago.

The Granton News, in its account of the accident says: "Mr. Clark, who had been to Marshfield on business made the trip over in just one hour and seven minutes while Mr. Cornelius in his Packard with a number of Mr. Clark's friends autoing over to the Philip Adler funeral made it in just one hour and three minutes and it is the conjecture of many hereabouts that Mr. Clark in the return trip was trying to beat this record."

Mr. Clark had only recently made arrangements to leave Neillsville to enter a well known law firm in Milwaukee.

 

 


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