Obit: Frantz, Christine (1860 - 1939)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Frantz, Wiesner, Hendren, Roethe, Hetland, McMahon, Brock, Grosedale, Amidon, Seif

----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thurs., 16 Nov. 1939

Frantz, Christine (24 Oct. 1860 - 13 Nov. 1939)

Mrs. Christine Frantz, beloved wife of Conrad G. Frantz, passed away early Monday morning, November 13, 1939, at her home in this city at the age of 79 years. For the past five years she had been a suffer from arthritis, which made it necessary that she relinquish many of the activities to which she had been accustomed during her long and useful life. Her affliction did not reach an acute stage until the past few weeks before which she still busied herself with lesser household duties. She took to her bed three weeks ago and suffered much during that period. The end came peacefully, however, surrounded by her children, who administered to her wants and gave her the most tender care, which she go richly deserved. She has gone to her eternal reward and her immortal soul has left the tired, worn out earthly body to join the innumerable caravan that have gone before, blessed in the assurance of eternal happiness promised all those who believe in Him and have led a useful Christian life.

Christine Wiesner, daughter of Fred and Caroline Wiesner, was born October 24, 1860, in the town of Cedar Creek, near West Bend in Washington County. When she was three years old her parents moved to Maple Creek near New London, in Outagamie County, then to Wood County near Pittsville, where she grew to young womanhood and where she met her husband, Conrad G. Frantz, to whom she was married on August 29, 1881. The ceremony took place at the farm home in the town of Pine Valley of the groom’s father, the late George Frantz, Sr., and was performed by the Rev. W. T. Hendren, pioneer minister of the Presbyterian Church at Neillsville, Wis.

The young couple remained in the parental home for a year, after which they moved on the farm across the way and which they cleared and expanded the developed into one of the finest farm properties in Clark County. The land was covered with timber and without buildings. Mrs. Frantz assisted her husband in building their first home, a log cabin, to which was later added a log barn. Together they labored and improved the place, working with an ox team during the early days.

In 1905 they built a large 12-room stone and frame house, destroyed by fire in 1911, together with part of the old log cabin in which the early years of their married life were spent. The stones for the home were carefully gathered and selected from off the farm. Undaunted by this misfortune they rebuilt the house at once and where they lived until 1926 when they purchased the Trogner property on Grand Avenue, which has since been their home. Their son, Robert, and wife have since operated the home farm, in which, however, their parents never lost interest and in whose management they have until recently, taken an active part.

Three sons and two daughters were born to them: Bessie (Mrs. E. J. Roethe of Fennimore), Robert and Ben of Neillsville, George of Fennimore and Gladys (Mrs. Victor A. Hetland, of Jefferson.)

Besides the children and sorrowing husband, Mrs. Frantz is survived by seventeen grandchildren, also two brothers, Frank of Neillsville, and Fred Hewettville; four sisters, Minnie, (Mrs. Tim McMahon, Mount Pleasant, Mich.) Henrietta (Mrs. George Brock, Osceloa, Wis.); Margaret (Mrs. John Grosedale, International Falls, Minn.); Carrie (Mrs. Sam Amido, Hayward, Wis.). Two brothers, George of Neillsville, and Charles of Granton, and one sister, Mary (Mrs. Fred Seif of Neillsville), have preceded her in death.

Mr. and Mrs. Frantz observed their 50th wedding anniversary on August 29, 1931, surrounded by their family and close friends. Theirs was always a particularly happy home life. Nothing they loved more than to have around them the members of their family and many were the happy gatherings, greatly enjoyed by all, both of their home, down on the farm and in their commodious residence in town.

Grandma Frantz’s whole life was distinctively one of service, first to her own family and relatives, then to her neighbors and friends for whom she delighted to render aid and comfort, when in need or in trouble. Her life was an open book, and her every act showed the warm, sympathetic impulses that governed her every deed. She will be missed in the home, in the church, in which she took a great interest all her life, in the community and by her legion of friends. A kindly, gentle, Christian woman has left us, sincerely mourned by all.

Funeral services will be held at her late home at 1:45 Thursday afternoon (today) to be followed by services at 2 p.m. at the Evangelical Reformed Church of which she was a member, conducted by her pastor, Rev. William Bixler.

Burial will be in the Neillsville Cemetery.