Obit: Milton, George Ferris (1859 - 1941)
Contact:  Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Milton, Zank, Paulus, Palmer, Niles, Kurth, Sawyer, Longenecker, Dux, Schultz, Allen, McKimm, Grabe

----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thurs., 27 March 1941

Milton, George Ferris (23 Aug. 1859 - 21 March 1941)

George Ferris Milton, 81, passed away Friday, March 21, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Louis Kurth, after an illness of almost three months. Mr. Milton’s death also occurred on Friday the 21st, her passing taking place in November, 1913.

Mr. Milton was born at Roxbury, Dane County, Wis., August 23, 1859, the son of James and Mary Milton. The father was a native of England, he and his three brothers, Steve, Isaac and Louis, coming to America together. James, a blacksmith, went to Carthage, Mo., to make his home and to work at his trade. The trip, made by ox team soon after the close of the civil war, was an exceptionally difficult one, for the bitter feeling held for northerners along the southern trail made it impossible to purchase feed for his oxen.

HE made three trips north before settling in Missouri permanently. During their sojourn in Wisconsin, the family lived on a farm in West Pine Valley, which later was known as the Sam Johnson farm and now is occupied by Mrs. Otto Zank and family. Here George Milton grew to young manhood, attending the Grandview School where all of his children later completed the rural school course.

Mr. Milton was married to Luella Paulus March 22, 1887, his grandfather, Rev. Palmer, then pastor of Neillsville M. E. Church, officiating. The couple went to Spooner to make their home, Mr. Milton being fireman for the railroad company on the run between Ashland and St. Paul for several years.

In 1893, Mr. and Mrs. Milton and four small sons returned to Pine Valley, to the Ira Niles farm, then owned by James Paulus, Sr. the house which stood on the farm at that time burned, a new structure, which still is the family homestead, being erected in its place. During the logging days, Mr. Milton also worked on log droves.

Mr. and Mrs. Milton were the parents of seven children, one daughter dying in infancy; a son, Thornton, passing away in Minneapolis in 1935. The surviving children are: Leslie, on the home farm; Harry, Galvin, Wash.; James, Pine Valley; Sylvia, Mrs. Louis Kurth, Neillsville, and Elmo whose whereabouts is not known. There are 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild. He also leaves two half brothers and a half sister, Bond Milton, Carl Junction, Mo.; Elmore Milton and Mrs. Harriet Sawyer, both of Los Angeles, Calif.

The George Milton home was an ideally happy one. Before the death of Mrs. Milton, there were almost nightly concerts in the farm home after chores when Mr. Milton and his sons got out their violins, one of the boys accompanying on the organ. The Milton’s often were called upon to play for social gatherings throughout the neighborhood.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, March 23, at the Lowe Funeral Home, Rev. G. W. Longenecker officiating. Interment was made in the Neillsville Cemetery.

Out-of-town relatives who attended the funeral were his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Thornton Milton, Minneapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Milton, Racine; Lewis Milton, Geneva, Ill.; and Miss Jeanne Kurth, Stevens Point.

The pallbearers were: Paul Dux, Otto Dux, Charles Schultz, Ed Allen, Ernest McKimm and Kenneth Grabe.