8016, Clark County, Wisconsin History & Genealogy

Surnames: Bertrang, Flaeg, Schultz, Mead, Bleashka, Sabin, Fabry, Masset, Holtz, Formagio, Steubs

Formerly of Neillsville, Mabel A. Bertrang, 62, Fairchild, died Monday, February 6, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield after a lingering illness.

Bertrang was born May 8, 1921, in the Town of Weston, to Leonard B. and Anna (Flaeg) Schultz. After her education in Weston, she worked on her parents’ farm for several years. She was married to William O. Bertrang August 17, 1940, in Neillsville. The couple farmed in Neillsville for several years until they moved to Fairchild where they had lived ever since.

She is survived by five sons, Gerald Bertrang of Fairchild, Bernard Bertrang of Eau Claire, William A. Bertrang of Fairchild, Robert Bertrang of San Diego, Calif., and Craig Bertrang of Fairchild; four daughters, Mrs. Michael (Mabel) Mead of Racine, Karen Bleashka of Kenosha, June Sabin of Neillsville and Kimberly Bertrang of Kenosha; four sisters, Leona Fabry of Chicago, Mrs. Raymond (Lillian) Massey of Adams, Mrs. Kenneth (Donna) Holtz of Chicago and Mrs. Vince (Jeanette) Formagio of Harwood Heights, Ill.; two brothers, William Schultz of Neillsville and Bernard Schultz of Elmhorst, Ill.; 12 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters Margaret and Mertle; and one brother, Alfred.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the Gesche Funeral Home, the Rev. Ralph Steubs officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday morning until the time of services, Burial will be in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

A Granton resident all his life, Cyril C. Gardner, 77, died recently at Neillsville Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Gardner was born April 28, 1906, in the Town of Fremont to Frank and Minnie (Retzlaff) Gardner. He farmed and was a navy veteran of WWII.

He is survived by 2 brothers, Charles of Granton and Russell of Marshfield; and two sisters, Mrs. Harold (Mamie) Scharf of Granton and Mrs. Douglas (Dorothy) Crandall of Granton.

Funeral services were held Feb. 4, at the Gilbertson Funeral Home of Granton, with the Rev. C. Arlene Denzer officiating, with burial being made at Yolo Cemetery in the Town of Fremont.

Arnold Hoppa, a well-known rural Neillsville tavern, grocery store and saw mill owner, died unexpectedly on Monday afternoon, February 6. He was taken ill at his Rt. 3 Neillsville home and died later in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield.

The deceased was born May 4, 1907, in Chicago to Frank and Martha (Schreiber) Hoppa. He received his education in Milan schools and then worked at a sawmill and cheese factory in Milan for several years. On September 4, 1929, he married Esther Schade in Wartsbury ceremonies. The couple moved to the Town of Weston, and they purchased the Clark County Central Cheese Factory. In 1935, he added a tavern to the business.

In 1940, the Hoppa’s closed the cheese factory and operated the tavern. The inn, known as “Hoppa’s Corner,” gained fame far and wide. Several years later, grocery and general merchandise lines were added to the tavern area. Hoppa ran the tavern until 1975 when his son took over. He continued to work at the establishment until failing health forced his retirement one year ago. He was a member of the Clark County Tavern League and a member of St. Mary’s Catholic parish.

Surviving him is a son, David, Neillsville; two sisters, Mrs. Donald (Mildred) Schultz of Stratford and Lucille Firnstahl of Colby; and two grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife (May 31,1978); a son; a brother, George; and two sisters, Margaret and Rose.

Funeral services are to be held this Friday, February 10, at 10:30 a.m. from St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Neillsville, with the Rev. Joseph Henseler officiating, with burial to be made in the parish cemetery. (Visitation was set for Thursday evening from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and again on Friday morning until 10:00 at the Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville.)

Marlis A. Klieforth, 44, Neillsville, on Friday, February 3, succumbed to cancer after a three-year battle with the disease. She died at her home, 901 E. Division St.

Klieforth was born December 14, 1939, in Abbotsford to Albert and Minna (Mazewski) Fenske. She graduated from Dorchester High School in 1958. She was married August 23, 1958, in Abbotsford, and the couple lived in Thorp for a short time. Then then moved to Wisconsin Rapids where they lived for three years before moving to Neillsville in 1963.

For the last 10 years she had been employed at the Sears Catalog Agency in Neillsville at various times. She served as the Neillsville City Heart Fund chairperson for several years. She also had a close attachment to the Neillsville Rotary Club. Her husband has se3rved as club secretary tor many years but among Rotary members, Mrs. Klieforth was acknowledged as the “real” secretary. She spend many hours working on the club’s books and minutes for her husband. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the PCCW-St, Remigius Circle.

Klieforth is survived by her husband, Charles; two sons, David of Rhinelander and Jeffrey of Neillsville; one daughter, Mrs. Timothy (Ann Marie) Potter of Eau Claire; 2 sisters, Mrs. Carl (Lavera) Slattengren of Hayward, Calif., and Elayne Emmerich of Bettendorf, Ia.; 2 brothers, Clarence Fenske of Colby and Norman Fenske of New London; and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Rose Klieforth of Abbotsford. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Edwin.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 7, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Neillsville, with the Rev. Joseph N. Henseler officiating, with burial in the parish cemetery.

Former Granton resident, Louis Krause, 75, died recently at Northern Lights Nursing Home, Washburn.

Mr. Krause was born November 10, 1908, in the Town of Grant, to Carl and Lydia (Roder) Krause. He was educated in the Town of Grant and farmed there until he moved to Washburn in 1959. He was married on June 22, 1936, in Oconomowoc to Clara Eliason who died in 1955. He then was married to Esther Nelson on January 1, 1960. She died in 1965.

Mr. Krause is survived by one son, Donald of Milwaukee; six grandchildren; four brothers, Oscar, Carl, Martin and Edward, all of Granton; and one sister, Mrs. Hilda Holt of Neillsville. He was preceded in death by one daughter and one brother.

Funeral services were held February 3 at the Zion American Lutheran Church of the Town of Grant, with the Rev. Maynard Stokka officiating, and burial was made at the parish cemetery.

Everett Peterson, 86, a former resident of Greenwood, died January 25, in a Pontiac, Mich., nursing home.

Peterson was born in Greenwood to Pete and Elizabeth Peterson. His father owned and managed the Greenwood Telephone Company. He was a graduate of Greenwood High School and UW-La Crosse. He was a physical education teacher in Pontiac, from 1915 to 1959.

Surviving him are his wife, Dorothy; and nieces and nephews. He was a cousin of Godfrey Dyre of Greenwood. He was predeceased by his parents and one sister, Cepha Peterson Knudson.

Funeral services were held January 28 at the Sparks and Griffin Funeral Home in Pontiac and burial was there.

Surnames: Rasmusen, Jensen, Anderson, Ruggles, Lund, Hannel, Peterson, Ehret, Thomsen

Funeral services were held on Monday, January 30, for Mrs. Arnold (Martha) Rasmusen, 78, who died on January 26, in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield. The Rev. Peter Thomsen officiated at the Nazareth Lutheran Church services in Withee.

The deceased was born on August 5, 1905, in Tyler, Minnesota, to Olaf and Matilda (Jensen) Anderson. She graduate in 1924 from Tyler High School and was employed by a Tyler bank for six years. On September 14, 1933, she married Arnold Rasmusen in Tyler ceremonies. A year later, the couple moved to the Withee area where they farmed. She was employed by the Withee State Bank for 14 years. In 1954, they retired from farming and moved into Withee. She was a member of the Nazareth congregation and its women’s organization, Friendly Homemakers Club and the Order of the Eastern Star.

Surviving her, besides her husband, are three daughters, Mrs. Robert (Helen) Ruggles and Mrs. Gary (Doris) Lund, both of Withee, and Mrs. Fred (Janet) Hannel of Peoria, Illinois; two sisters, Mrs. Lisa Peterson of Tyler and Mrs. Glen (Ceena) Ehret of Huron, S.D.; 13 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister.

Harold A. Schlinsog, 69, Granton, died suddenly Friday, February 3, in the emergency room of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.

Schlinsog was born August 6, 1914, in the Town of York to Herman and Louise (Handt) Schlinsog. After his education in York schools he started farming with his parents. He was married to Ruth Snyder on August 30, 1940, in the Town of Fremont. The couple farmed with his parents for a couple years. They then purchased the farm from his parents and continued to farm there for many years. He retired about four years ago but continued to live on the farm. He was a member of the Assembly of God Church.

Schlinsog had served on the Romadka School Board for several years. He also was on the Veefkind Church Board for many years. He was a retired farmer.

He is survived by one son, Stevyn Schlinsog of Granton; two daughters, Mrs. Tony (LeOra) Bezlyk of Chili and Mrs. Gary (Karen) Wegner of Marshfield.; two sisters, Mrs. Lillian Zahnow of Neillsville and Mrs. J. V. (Alma) Snyder of Eugene, Oregon; 11 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Esther.

Funeral services were held Monday, February 6, at Gesche Funeral Home, with the Rev. Lloyd L. Hohn officiating. Interment is at the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Lucy White, 91, of Black River Falls, died Friday, January 27, in the Family Heritage Nursing Home in Black River Falls where she resided for the past 10 years.

She was born September 1, 1892, in Dells Dam to William and Annie Davis. She married Raymond White in 1929. They lived in Dells Dam. He died in 1953. She later moved to Merrillan, before settling in Black River Falls.

Survivors include one stepdaughter, Mrs. Michael (Lena) Mullen, Black River Falls; three stepsons, Vernon and Earl White, both of Black River Falls, and Percy White, Wis. Rapids; 10 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.

Services were held Sunday from the Charles Buswell Funeral Home in Black River Falls, Burial was in the Decorah Cemetery, rural Black River Falls.

Surnames: Zilk, Beer, Metz, Plier, Short, Burr, Skroch, Hart, Gault, Drescher, Wolf, Weiler, Kneeland, Bell, Henseler

A bookkeeper for Standard Oil Co. of Neillsville for many years, Theresa F. Zilk, 90, died Tuesday, January 31, at Neillsville Memorial Hospital. She had been a Memorial Home resident for the past several years.

Mrs. Zilk was born August 13, 1893, in Stetsonville to Ignatz and Theresa (Beer) Metz. After her education in Stetsonville, she worked in Milwaukee for several years. She then moved to Neillsville where she began working for Standard Oil.

She was married on January 12, 1921, in Stetsonville to Joseph F. Zilk, who died in 1972. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the PCCW and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Mrs. Zilk is survived by three sons, Glenn and Francis, both of Neillsville, and Joseph, Jr., Milwaukee; a sister, Clara Plier, Shiller Park, Ill.; two brothers, Mathew Metz and George Metz, both of Stetsonville; seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one sister, five brothers and one granddaughter.

Funeral services were held on Friday, February 3, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, with the Rev. Joseph N. Henseler officiating with burial in the parish cemetery. Music at the service was offered by the parish choir accompanied by Coletta Short. The pallbearers were Ray Burr, Everett Skroch, Garald Hart, Floyd Short, Franklin Gault and Art Drescher. The Gesche Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Attending the services from out-of-town were Mr./Mrs. Matt Metz, Esther Metz, Myrtle Metz, Florence Metz and Evelyn Wolf, all of Stetsonville; Mr./Mrs. Ben Weiler, Athens; Mr./Mrs. Joseph Zilk, Jr., and Mr./Mrs. Bartley Zilk, all of Milwaukee; Mrs. Pat Kneeland, Waterloo, Iowa and Mr./Mrs. Norb Bell, Marshfield.

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