Obit: McCutheon, William R. #3 (1857 - 1938)

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Surnames: MCCUTCHEON FEAR BURNS MCEACHERN

----Sources: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 03/24/1938

McCutheon, William R. #3 (9 NOV 1857 - 19 MAR 1938)

Dr. W.R. McCutcheon, a prominent citizen of this village (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.), passed away at his home early Saturday morning, March 19th, 1938, of acute bronchitis, followed by heart complications, having reached the age of 80 years, 4 months and 10 days.

He was one of the early resident physicians of this community and lived here for the past fifty-four years.

William Robert McCutcheon was born in Newtonbarry, County Carlo, Ireland, on Nov. 9, 1857, and was of Scottish and Dutch parentage. In 1877 he came to Canada with his three brothers, John, George and Charles, the latter two who preceded him in death many years ago. Mr. McCutcheon taught school near Ottawa, Canada, for three years before coming to the United States where he followed the same occupation in Colorado and also worked on the railroad. He began the study of medicine there and attended the University of Colorado for two years, finishing his course at Rush Medical College, Chicago, where he graduated in the spring of 1884. He located in Thorp the same year and followed his profession continuously until his retirement about fifteen years ago.

He well withstood the trials of a country doctor of early days and earned a good reputation as physician and surgeon. As a pioneer he grew and prospered with Thorp and the community, and took an active part in civic affairs. Holding the office of village president and trustee for several terms, he later represented the village on the Clark County Board of Supervisors. As a licensed druggist he maintained a drug store here for several years and also served as postmaster under the Republican administration for two terms. He became an early stockholder in the Peoples State Bank, serving as one of its officers until his death, and also had other mercantile and real estate holdings to which he devoted his entire time after retirement from the medical profession.

Dr. McCutcheon was united in marriage to Edith E. Fear at Augusta, Wis., on Oct. 1, 1885. Mrs. McCutcheon died in August 1936.

Surviving relatives are two daughters, Susan (Mrs. E.F. Burns) of Eau Claire, Anna (Mrs. Wm. A. McEarchern), Thorp; two brothers, John W. McCutcheon , Chehalis, Wash., and Samuel McCutcheon of Ballymitty, Ireland; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A Masonic funeral was conducted by Thorp Lodge No. 264 (which the deceased assisted in organizing here as a charter member in 1894.) Services were held at the Bogumill Funeral Home at two o’clock Monday afternoon, A.L. Devos of Neillsville, acting as Grand Master and R.W. Cattanach of Owen, Chaplain. About one hundred Masons from this vicinity and other points attended. Interment took place in the East Thorp Cemetery.