Obit: Schiller, Jake (1855 - 1939)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Schiller, Litzen, Hein, Betz, Wolff, Preston, Christofferson

----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thurs., 20 July 1939

Schiller, Jack (25 Dec. 1855 - 1939)

JAKE SCHILLER, 84, DIES AT RESIDENCE

Infirmities of Old Age Take Pioneer County Resident

Death came peacefully today to Grandpa Jake Schiller, 84, beloved long-time resident of Neillsville and an old-time logger.

Confined to his bed in the North Grand Avenue residence since last Saturday. "Grandpa" Schiller, as he was known by young and old, died about 9 a.m. Wednesday. Infirmities of old age were said to be the cause.

Coming to Clark County during the lumbering days of the ‘90’s with his wife, the former Margaret Litzen, Mr. Schiller started working as a logger for John Hein, one of the well-known lumbermen of this section at the time.

Mr. Schiller and his wife settled down in a log cabin near Wedge’s Creek during these first years in the Clark County wilderness. A few years later the Hein saw mill was moved to the town of York, and Mr. and Mrs. Schiller went along with it. Mr. Schiller was a valued employee of Mr. Hein, and frequently was sent out in search of new timberlands. He made many such trips into other sections of Wisconsin, and at one time his work carried him into northern Michigan.

After 14 years of this work, Mr. and Mrs. Schiller moved to Neillsville, where Grandpa took over a position with the city water works. It was here that un unhappy accident overtook him, nearly a quarter of a century ago. A piece of flying metal lodged into an eye. An operation failed to save the eye, and soon afterward blindness came to the other eye.

But the loss of the sight only served to make Mr. Schiller the more kindly, and consequently, more loved by those who knew him.

The house of North Grand Avenue was one which young and old loved to visit, for Grandpa loved to spin interesting yarns about the logging days and his experience in the country when it was "young."

Hundreds of friends dropped in to congratulate Grandpa and Grandma Schiller on the occasion of their 63rd wedding anniversary, February 6.

Mr. Schiller was born Christmas day, 1855, in the town of Marshfield, Fond du Lac County, and as a youth he was employed on the farm owned by his wife’s father during the years he was courting Mrs. Schiller. Soon after their marriage in 1876, the Schillers’ moved to a farm in Marion County, and then they removed to Clark County.

Besides Mrs. Schiller, he is survived by five daughters, Mrs. William Betz of the town of Seif, Mrs. Ed Wolff of Glendive, Mont., Mrs. Frances Preston, at home, Miss Mildred Schiller, a teacher in the Madison Public schools, and Mrs. Thorwald Christofferson of Juneau; a son, Tony Schiller, well-known Greenwood merchant; 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was the father of the late W. F. Schiller, prominent Neillsville businessman.

The body was removed to the funeral home established here by his son, and now operated by his grandson, Robert Schiller. Funeral services had not been completed early Wednesday afternoon, but is was believed that the services would be held Saturday. All the living children were expected to be present.