Obit: Quimby, Leland Lasher (1871 - 1941)

Contact:  stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Quimby, Thompson, Spicher, Bell

----Source: Spencer Record, Spencer, Wis.) 10/23/1941

Quimby, Leland Lasher (17 MAY 1871 - 19 OCT 1941)

L. L. Quimby Dies At Anoka Sunday

Passed Away Very Suddenly Sunday, October 19, 1941; Many Spencer Friends Feel Loss of a Good Man.

Leland Lasher Quimby was born May 17, 1871, in La Salle, Ill., to Enoch C. and Ellen A Quimby.  Most of the first ten years of his life was spent in Mendota, Ill., after which the family moved to New Richmond, Wis., where he spent the remainder of his boyhood years.  During the early years in New Richmond the two great vocational loves of his life became apparent, his love for music and his love for the newspaper business.  In those days he began singing in the church choir and the community singing organization.  From then until only a few months prior to his death he continued actively singing or leading singing.

He purchased a small printing press and some type and from his home published a humorous periodical which he named the "Paper Jack Bugle."  He began to be called upon to work in the local newspaper office and soon his aptitude and desire to learn made him skilled at this trade.  At the age of 21 he went into business with another young newspaper enthusiast and became half owner and a year later full owner of the Brownsdale Leaflet at Brownsdale, Minn., which he published for many years until his telephone business occupied his entire time.

It was in Brownsdale that he met his future wife, Emma A. Thompson, whom he married Sept. 5, 1894.  Here also all of their three children, two boys and one girl were born.  In 1898 the telephone began to be talked about as a coming invention and always alive to business opportunities, he read technical papers on the subject, visited factories and watched telephones made and then started his business with six telephones in Brownsdale.  This business quickly became popular with the public and soon expanded over four other neighboring communities to which he furnished service until he sold the business in 1917.  After this they moved to Osseo and managed the telephone business there until he purchased a variety store in Anoka, Minn. in 1919.  Four years later he purchased another newspaper, the Cochrane Recorder, of Cochrane, Wis., which he operated with the assistance of his younger son Phillip.  During the ensuing eighteen years he owned and published, besides the Cochrane Recorder, the Earlville Review, at Earlville, Iowa and the Spencer Record and Marathon County Register at Spencer, Wis.  During his years at Spencer he was a very active member of the Wisconsin Press association and organized and promoted many newspaper interests in the vicinity.

He had always enjoyed excellent health until the death of his second son, Phllip, five years ago last August.  Since that time he has steadily faulted until after two paralytic strokes he felt it advisable to retire.  On June 7, 1941, almost twelve years to a day from the time he first came to Spencer, he sold his business to C. B. Spicher, who had been employed in the plant for the previous 1 ½ years, and on Sept. 13 they moved to Anoka to make their future home.

The deceased had been a member of the Modern Woodman lodge since early manhood and since boyhood had been a member of the Baptist church in which he has always been a leader and very active.  He was always careful to have his family attend all church services because he wanted them also to be active Christians and church workers.  He was also a charter member of the Spencer Lions club.

He had always been a thoughtful, loving, husband and father and his sudden death Sunday, Oct 19, 1941, at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 2 days leaves his bereaved wife, Emma of Anoka, one daughter, Joy Bell of Lake Nekagamon, Wis., and one son, Jasper and wife and only grandson, Phillip of Anoka, and one brother, Joe of Staples, Minn. [remaining text unreadable.]