Obit: Hoffman Mr./Mrs. Carl (? - 1905)
Contact:  Lani Bartelt

Surnames: Hoffman, Bruer, Pickett

----Sources: Marathon County Register Newspaper (Unity, Wis.) Feb 10, 1905

AGED COUPLE CREMATED Too Feeble to Escape, They Are Burned to A Crisp Before Help Arrives

Between 3 and 4 o’clock Thursday morning the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hoffman, who resided about a mile south of the village was destroyed by fire and the aged couple perished in the flames. A 11 year old grandson, who lives with them escaped through a window but was severely burned and cut.

The family of Paul Bruer, a nephew of the couple occupied part of the house but all escaped in their night clothes.

Considerable mystery surround the origin of the fire and as we go to press an inquest is being held under the direction of Justice S.H. Pickett of the town of Unity.

The old couple have resided on the place for the past 18 years, two years ago becoming too feeble to work the farm, they sold it to their nephew, Paul Bruer, with the provision that they were too occupy a part of the house during the remainder of their lives. They were both over 70 years old and very feeble, the husband was at the time of the fire suffering from partial paralysis and was unable to walk, the wife has been blind for many years and for several weeks has been confined to her bed, that had made a desparate effort to escape a horrible death was evidenced by the finding of her charred bones about twenty feet from where the bed stood from which she had not arisen for many days.

In next week’s issue we will give more particulars concerning the fire also the findings at the inquest.