Obit: Mertens, Nicholas (1885 - 1952)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Mertens, Looker, Catura, Nourse, Thiel, Minckler, Crazier

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 10/23/1952

Mertens, Nicholas (19 DEC 1885 - 18 OCT 1952)

Nicholas Mertens, a pioneer resident of the Withee (Clark Co., Wis.) community for the past 40 years, succumbed to the effects of a stroke suffered about 10 days ago and passed away Saturday, Oct. 18, 1952, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield where he had been a patient since that time.

Funeral services were conducted at two o’clock Tuesday afternoon from the Methodist Church at Withee with Rev. Shaw, Stanley, officiating.  Burial was made at Riverside Cemetery.  Serving as pallbearers were Art Meier, Richard Rabska, Harold Williams, Steve Pawlak, Frank Hendricks and Ray Missling.  Those in charge of the floral offerings were Ellen Miller, Molly Mertens, Winifred Walner, Mrs. Frank Hendricks, Mrs. Art Meier and Darlene Cooke.

Nicholas Mertens was the son of late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mertens and was born on Dec. 19, 1885 at Kiel, Wis.  He was 66 years and 10 months of age at the time of his passing to the more eternal and blessed environment.

He spent his early years as a youth with his parents at Kiel, coming to Withee as a young man of 25 years of age, in 1910.  Ten years later he was united in marriage to his widow, Veda B. Looker, in a ceremony performed at Withee on May 12, 1920.  After coming to Withee he purchased a wild 80 acres of land which the couple diligently worked as developing it into a fine farm located one and one-half miles southwest of Withee.  During his years on the farm he labored continuously and untiringly doing custom work for the neighbors and for many years operated a threshing machine.

In 1946 he and his wife retired from the farm purchasing a home one-half mile west of the village of Withee on Highway 29.  Having spent a wholesome life of industrious work he continued to be active until he suffered a fall while unloading farm machinery three weeks prior to his death.

In addition to his many friends and relatives mourning his departure from their affectionate circle are his widow; one son, Pfc. Keith Mertens, now serving with the armed forces in Korea; three daughters, Mrs. Wm. (Phyliss) Catura, Owen; Mrs. Wm. (Inez) Nourse, Thorp and Norma who is at home.  He is also survived by three sisters, Mrs. Mary Thiel of Sheboygan, Wis., Winnie Minckler, Milwaukee; Mrs. Sophia Crazier of Flint, Mich., and three brothers, Peter and Ed of Withee, and Joe of California.  One sister and three brothers have preceded him in death.