Obit: Schoengarth, William (1844 -1936)

Contact: Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Schoengarth, Kalassa, Reindal, Walter, Longenecker

----Sources: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 13 Feb. 1936

Schoengarth, William (20 Dec. 1844 - 6 Feb. 1936)

William Schoengarth, one of the oldest pioneers of the town of Grant, died at the farm home where most of his life was spent, Thursday morning, Feb. 6, 1936, at the age of 91 years, 1 month and 16 days. His death was due to heart dropsy.

Mr. Schoengarth was born Dec. 20, 1844, near Breslau, Germany, being the son of Carl and Helene Schoengarth. He came to America in the fall of 1871. He stopped in New Jersey where he worked for a short time and then came to Clark County, Wis., where he bought a piece of wild land which he cleared and made into the fine farm where he spent the remainder of his life.

He married Johanna Kalassa in 1873. She preceded him in death in 1933. He is survived by four daughters, Emma, Mrs. George Reindal, Augusta and Hilda who kept house for him and Anita who teaches at Hillsboro, and by one sister, Mrs. Otto Walter. He also leave six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Mr. Schoengarth’s long lift was filled with many interesting experiences. While in Germany he and two brothers served through the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. In the latter he was aide-de-camp to a Prussian general. After coming to Wisconsin while he was clearing up his farm he for many years went west to work in harvest fields in the fall and worked in the woods in the winter and on the drive in the spring to get money to help develop his farm and care for his growing family. He was always in public affairs and community events until the last.

Services were conducted at the Schiller Funeral Home by the Rev. G. W. Longenecker, on Monday, Feb. 10, 1936.