Obit: Biddle, George A. (1862 - 1940)

Contact: Stan
Email:  stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Biddle, Bancroft, Cooper, Sanders, Huth, Christen, Path, Pagel, Prock, Riche

----Sources: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 03/14/1940

Biddle, George A. (15 DEC 1862 - 11 MAR 1940)

Funeral services for George A. Biddle, an old resident of this community (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.), who passed away Monday, will be held at the Methodist Church in the village on (this) Thursday afternoon, March 14th, at two o’clock. An obituary will be published next week in "The Courier."

(Follow on in 3/21/1940 Thorp Courier)

George A. Biddle, 77, passed away at his home in the village at 11:30 o’clock Monday, March 11th, 1940, succumbing to an attack of pleurisy and complications which followed.

Mr. Biddle is another member of the "old school" whose ranks are fast dwindling in this community. He came to the United States in 1880 from Gault, Canada, where he was born on Dec. 15th, 1862. As many of the old timers who settled in this vicinity did, he first located in Colby, Wis., but not for long, as he came to Thorp by stage coach in 1881 and took part in the building of the railroad which made its first trip through this territory in that year. During the next ten years he made a living in the various pursuits of a man of that day, namely, teaming with oxen, logging, driving logs on the North and South Forks of the Eau Claire River, Black River, Popple River, Yellow River and Hay Creek. He was also employed in the Nye, Lusk & Hudson sawmill for five years before purchasing a tract of land in the town of Thorp in 1892, which he developed into a beautiful and productive farm. He became a United States citizen in 1906. On Oct. 15, 1893 he was united in marriage to Mary Bancroft, at Thorp. This union was blessed with a family of thirteen children, who grew to maturity on the homestead in the town of Thorp, from which Mr. and Mrs. Biddle moved in 1938 to spend and enjoy the rest of their days in our little village.

Besides his widow he leaves to mourn, five sons, William and Edward of Portland, Oregon, Melvin of Stanley and James and Marion of Thorp; eight daughters, Pearl (Mrs. George Cooper), Havre, Mont., Alice (Mrs. Marion Sanders), Pike Stone Creek, Alberta, Canada, Ruth (Mrs. Melvin Huth), Baraboo, Wis., Grace (Mrs. Herman Christen), Humbird, Wis., Sarah (Mrs. Adam Path), Turtle Lake, Wis., Katherine (Mrs. John Pagel), Thorp, Virginia (Mrs. A. Prock), Owen and Bernice at home; one sister, Mrs. Katherine Riche, Denver, Colo.; one brother, Richard of Thorp, twenty-two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church on Thursday afternoon, March 14, Rev. James Irish officiating, with songs during the service by Mrs. Loren Bivans, Ruth Thielke and Coleen Biddle, a granddaughter.

Interment was made in the East Thorp Cemetery. Pallbearers were Wm. Glasshof Sr., Fred Glasshof, Mike Ramer, Mike Kronberg, Pete Kronberg, Victor Soli. Honorary pallbearer, John Roth.