Surnames: WEAVER CONTLEY

----Sources: LOYAL TRIBUNE (Loyal, Clark County, Wis.) 09/19/1929

Postcard showing Morris M. Weaver's Tremont Hotel

Weaver, Ellis (24 Sep 1867 - 16 Sep 1929)

Ellis Weaver, long a resident of this community and district conservation warden of the North country died Monday at 12:30 at St. Mary’s hospital at Rhinelander after an illness which lasted since last spring. The cause of his death was given a contributing cause of pneumonia.

Ellis M. Weaver was born in Dodge County Sept. 24, 1867. He came to Clark Co. with his parents when three months old, living in Loyal until his marriage to Jennie Contley Aug. 17, 1892. The same year he came to Oneida county and homesteaded the Weaver farm which consists of 171 acres on the west shore of Johnsons lake north of Woodruff, He set about clearing his land and has one of the finest farms in this part of the country. He also, during this time worked as cruiser for different lumber companies.

Since 1910 operation of the farm has been carried on by sons and Mr. Weaver was in the employ off the state as head ranger for the forestry department, having charge of their nurseries and all their stations in this locality. In 1921 he was transferred to the conservation department as one of their state workers having jurisdiction anywhere in the sate. At the time of his death he was district conservation warden of the entire north woods country.

Mr. Weaver was always prominent in public affairs and has held many public offices which include service on the Woodruff school board, county coroner for six years, justice of the peace, Woodruff and Arbor Vitae. He was one of the organizers of the Woodruff State Bank.

He lived on the farm up till the time of his illness when the family moved to Woodruff.

His funeral was held from the home in Woodruff at 2:00 o’clock Wednesday. The esteem in which he was reflected in the large number of people who attended the last rites.

Fifty conservation wardens from this and other districts assembled in uniform and attended the funeral in a body. Rev. I.C. Lake conducted the funeral and interment was made in the Minocqua-Woodruff cemetery.

He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Woodruff, and had taken up the study of Masonry, having taken his Fellowcraft degree at Minocqua, but illness prevented him form completing this lodge work.

He leaves his widow, who lives at Woodruff, several brothers and sisters, and the following sons and daughters: Percy Weaver, in charge of a fish hatchery at Surgeon Bay; Jess Weaver, Sprague’s Camp, Minocqua; Harry Weaver, Woodruff; Maurice Weaver, who is a director of a girls’ camp in South Carolina and who visited his father only a week ago; Mrs. Victor Bolger, wife of Milwaukee doctor; Mrs. Crystal Birkholz, Minocqua; and Alden Weaver, Woodruff.

Besides these three sisters and one brother survive. They are Mrs. A.K. Church, Loyal Wis., Mrs. Erick Amble, Amburndale, Wis., Mrs. Samuel Johnston, Loyal; Maurice Weaver, Neillsville.

As a guest who may not stay,

Loving and sad farewells to say

Glides with smiling face away:

Thy call has come in ripened manhood;

The noon day call of heart and mind.

While we who dreamed of thy remaining.

To mourn thee, linger still behind:

All day the lake waves sob with sorrow

The birds forget their merry trills:

All day is heard the pines lamenting

With thine upon the homestead hills,

Rugged type of primal man; Grim utilitarian

Loving words for hunt and prowl,

Lake and hill for fish and fowl; To the grand and beautiful.

Happy unto hill and tree, All too near.