Obit: Vadder, Gerhard (1871 - 1910)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: VADDER

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 10/13/1910

Vadder, Gerhard (23 AUG 1871 - 4 OCT 1910)

Rev. Gerhard Vadder, pastor of St. Kilian’s Church (now St. Mary’s), in this city (Colby, Clark Co., Wis.), from Jan. 1898 to October 1901, died at the Alexian Brothers’ Hospital in Chicago on Tuesday morning of last week, of molitis, which is an ailment of the spinal cord, after an illness of about three years. The funeral and interment were held at Marathon last Friday. Rev. Vadder was universally liked her by all. The following brief biography of his life is taken from the Marathon Times:

"Rev. Vadder was born on the 23rd of August, 1871, at Weseke, in Westphalia, Germany. He received his elementary education in his native town and then entered the gymnasium of Borken, Holland, completing his high and theological studies at the Pontifical College at Rome, and at St. Francis, Wis.

He came to America in 1895, in company of Rev. W. Daniels, who in that year had made a visit to Europe, while he was still stationed at Hewitt. Rev. G. Vadder was finally ordained at La Cross on July 17, 1896 by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Jacobus Schwebach, celebrating his first holy mass at St. John’s Church at Marshfield, two days later.

During his fourteen years of a priest’s life he has held the pastorates successively of Cumberland, Colby, Mosinee and Haider (at which place he built a beautiful church) and finally at Plains, Sauk Co., Wis. Wherever he was stationed he was beloved sincerely by his parishioners and fellow citizens not of his flock. He was a pious and zealous priest who at all times had the welfare of his entrusted flock deeply at heart."