Obit: Handke, Fred J. (1866 - 1950)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org  

Surnames: Handke, Kurth, Whereatt, Eide, Tyler, Todd, Bergemann, Williams, Marsden, Hoffman

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) November 30, 1950

Handke, Fred J. (29 February 1866 - 18 November 1950)

Fred J. Handke was born in the Town of Barton on a small farm near West Bend, Wis., on February 29, 1866. He was one of seven children of the late William and Christina Handke.

Mr. Handke lived his youth in Washington County, spent a year or two in the state of Virginia and later came to Clark County. Here he lived and worked on the former Kurth homestead an old landmark on Highway 10. He married Miss Amanda Kurth on April 15, 1903, and they established their new home on a farm in the Town of York, near Granton. Together with their family they developed one of the finest farms in that locality now owned by Halvor Eide. Mrs. Handke died April 1, 1930. After 1936 he lived for a time with his daughter near New Lisbon, and since that time had made his home with his oldest son, Carl, at Wild Rose.

Three children were born to this couple: Carl of Wild Rose, who teaches high school in Portage, Wis.; Walter of St. Charles, Minn., who teaches in the high school there, and Frances, Mrs. Gordon Whereatt, of Camp Douglas, Wis.

In apparent good health all his life until two years ago, Mr. Handke was stricken with a heart attack which caused him to fail noticeably. On the morning of November 11 he was stricken with a blood clot, causing him to be only partially conscious and paralyzed on his right side. He was taken to the Wild Rose Hospital, where he rallied for a time. Death came quietly November 18, 1950.

Besides his children he is survived by one sister, Katherine, of West Bend, and five grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at the Jones Funeral Home in Wild Rose, Tuesday, November 21, with the Rev. Robert Hoffman of the Wild Rose Methodist Church in charge. A mixed quartette assisted.

Pallbearers were: Halvor Eide, Dale Tyler, Leslie Todd, Gus Bergemann of Granton; and Roy Williams and Leonard Marsden of Wild Rose. Interment was made in the family lot in the Windfall Cemetery at Granton.

Attending the last rites were relatives and friends from: West Bend, Jackson, South Germantown, Wauwatosa, Neillsville and Granton.

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