Surnames: Follett

----Source: NEILLSVILLE TIMES (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 02/27/1902

Follette, George I. (1840? - 24 FEB 1902)

George I. Follett, aged 62 years, died at his home in Spencer on Monday, Feb. 24th, 1902, of pneumonia complicated with heart disease, after a short illness. The remains were brought to Neillsville (Clark Co., Wis.) Wednesday for burial. He was a veteran of the Civil War, and comrades of the G.A.R. Post here acted as pallbearers. The funeral services were held at Spencer before shipment.

Mr. Follett came here shortly after the Civil War. He studied law in O’Neill & Sheldon’s office, and in the ‘70’s built the house that is the present residence of Judge O’Neill. He did house painting and other work for Chauncey Blakeslee, and hustled generally. He lived in the white house that stood where Peter Johnson now lives, and traded a span of horses to Dave Smith for the house and lot now the home of Ezra Tompkins. He taught the public school here, in the building now occupied by Henry Marth as a residence, and was an excellent teacher. He lived at Staffordsville at one time, a mile north of this city, and the little creek or drain this side of Hawk’s Hill is known as Follett’s Run, so named by Decate Dickinson and R.J. MacBride from an amusing chase by robbers, which Follett told of, purely imaginary. He was jovial, companionable, and a warm friends of all the old settlers. In his day at Neillsville he had people on the go nearly all the time, and it was Follett this and Follett that, until he decided that Spencer was more to his taste, and he moved away, building the "Blackstone House," and spending the balance of his life there. He leaves a wife, who is spoken of as a noble woman, and a son and daughter, both married. A child was buried here, and in a grave at her side where he now rests, within sight of Follett’s Run.

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George I. Follette who died at his home Feb. 24 was born in Bellevue, Canada, 8, 1840.  He came to the United States when but a boy and spent several years in the east.  He served in the Civil War during the last three months.  On July 13, 1868, at Matamoras, Ohio, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Wilson, who survives him.  The same year they moved to Neillsville where Mr. Follett taught the first school in the first school house i the town.  At this place he studied law and in 1878 the family moved to Spencer where they lived until his death.  He leaves a wife, one son, Alfred, who is fireman on the Greenwood Central branch, and one daughter, Mrs. B. J. Landaal, of this place.  Funeral services were held at the residence Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 and Wednesday the body was taken to Neillsville for interment.  Tokens of sympathy in the way of flowers were presented by the W.C.T.U. and Spencer Lyric Club.  The W. R. C. presented a very pretty palm.  Greenwood Gleaner, 7 Mar 1902