Obit: Winn, Clifford Leroy (1881 - 1935)

Contact: Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Winn, White, Dubes, Marsh, Finner, Isham

----Sources: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 8 Aug 1935

Winn, Clifford Leroy (15 Jan. 1881 -1935)

Clifford Winn, 51 years old, and a prominent farmer living four miles northwest of Granton, was stricken by a heart attack shortly before 7 a.m., Tuesday and died two hours later. Mr. Winn appeared to have been in good health and worked at a nearby pea viner Monday.

The funeral will be held from the home Thursday afternoon with Rev. P. B. White of Neillsville officiating. Burial will be in Windfall Cemetery.

Mr. Winn was born in the Town of York and has lived in that neighborhood all of his life. He was splendid type of citizen and beloved throughout the community. He is survived by his widow, who was Miss Lila Dubes before their marriage, four sons, Ralph, Donald, Ronald and Bernard, his father, W. M. Winn of Neillsville, two sisters, Mrs. Ruby Marsh and Mrs. Bertha Finner, and two brothers, Byrl, Wisconsin Rapids, and Floyd, Granton. Mrs. Finner was expected to arrive Wednesday from her home in Tallahassee, Fla.

----Sources: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 15 Aug 1935

Clifford Leroy Winn was born on a farm in the Town of York on January 15, 1881, the second child and first son of Webster F. and Kate Isham Winn. Here he grew to manhood having completed the usual school course, and he also attended the Neillsville High School. In 1908 in company with his two brothers and some neighbor boys he went to Canada to homestead, but on account of illness he returned to his home in Wisconsin. In October, 1909, he was united in marriage to Miss Fay Dubes, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Dubes also of the Town of York.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Winn took up farming and for many years carried on the work of their respective parents’ farms. In 1920 they purchased a farm on the border line of York and Grant Townships and here they lived until last spring when they moved to this their present home.

To Mr. and Mrs. Winn were born four sons, Ralph at home, Ronald of Stevens Point, Donald and Bernard at the home.

Mr. Winn was stricken with a heart attack Tuesday morning and passed away about two hours later.

Beside his wife and four sons, he is survived by his father W. M. Winn of Neillsville; two sisters, Mrs. Ruby Marsh of Milwaukee; Mrs. Bertha Finner of Tallahassee, Florida, two brothers, Byrl of Wisconsin Rapids, Floyd of Granton, a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ronald Winn, and grandson, Jack of Stevens Point, Wis.

Clifford or "Cliff" as he was usually called by all who knew him was a favorite among his neighbors and acquaintances. When but a school boy he established a reputation of being unusually fair-minded and calm in judgment and these traits developed as the years passed by.

Perhaps no man in our community ever suffered more losses than Clifford, but he never allowed this to embitter him or to mar his philosophical view of life. He accepted whoever befell him with a smile and always looked on and beyond to better times and better things for his community. He served at different times as a member of the school boards in different districts in the Town of York, and for several years was a capable and trusted officer of the Granton P. T. A.

He too a keen interest in school sports and enjoyed the companionship of all young people. The evening before his death the young people of the neighborhood had gathered at his house for a party and he had helped to make the evening so enjoyable for them all that it was with genuine grief and regret that the young people and all the community received the news of his passing on Tuesday morning.

Though he has left us, his good influence and gallant spirit will help us all to "carry on."

"I cannot say and I will not say; that he is dead - he’s just away, with a cherry smile and a wave of his hand. He has wandered into an unknown land. In the love of there as the love of here, Think of him just he same I say - He is not dead - he’s just away." (J. W. Riley)

Funeral services were held at the Winn farm home, north of Granton on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock with the Rev. P. B. White officiating, and burial took place at the Windfall Cemetery.