Obit: Kearns, John William (1882 - 1935)

Contact: Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Kearns, Kerrigan, Woelffer

----Sources: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 4 April 1935

Kearns, John William (4 July 1882 - 1935)

This community was deeply grieved Tuesday when it was announced that J. W. Kearns had died suddenly of a heart attack at his home on Clay Street. An attack of angina pectoris, which came one Thursday, had confined him to the home, but he seemed better and no immediately serious results were expected. Although Mr. Kearns’s health had not been good for several years past, he remained active in his business, and his death came as a sad shock to the family and the people of this vicinity.

John William Kearns was born at Fort Worth, Texas, July 4, 1882. When he was sever years of age the family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he grew up and was educated. After studying pharmacy he went to the west coast, where he worked at his profession in Alaska and in the state of Washington.

On May 15, 1920, he married to Miss Marguerite Kerrigan of Elroy, then teaching at Raymond, Wash. For a time Mr. Kearns engaged in the drug business at that place, also having a store in Seattle and for a time in Portland, Oregon.

In the spring of 1923 they moved to Neillsville, where Mrs. Kearns had formerly engaged in teaching, and bought the V. C. Woelffer drug store and established the business as a Rexall pharmacy. Mr. and Mrs. Kearns were very popular with the people here and in his business as well as in all the public activities in this city; he was very helpful to the community.

He is survived by his wife and three children; Ellen Marie, 12, Katherine, 10, and John Peter 6.

Mr. Kearns became a member of the Elks in the west about 25 years ago and demitted to the Marshfield lodge after coming here. For some time he was an active member of the Neillsville Kiwanis club.

The funeral will be held at the family residence Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock under the auspices of the Elks lodge of Marshfield. Burial will take place in the Neillsville cemetery.

The Kearns Drug Store will be called all day Friday.