Surnames: Laabs, Grafe, Glenzer, Kasper, Meirke, Fenn, Reinke, Johnson, Mildstone

Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 11/18/1954

Laabs, William Sr. (18 Dec. 1873 - 14 Nov. 1954)

William Laabs, Sr., a former resident of the town of Green Grove, Wisconsin, died Sunday at 11:30 P.M. in the Mercy Hospital at Oshkosh, where he had been a patient intermittently the past year, at the age of 80 years. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Green Grove, Rev. William C. Grafe officiating, and burial was made in the church cemetery. Pall bearers were Walter Laabs, Norbet Laabs, Ben Laabs, Orville Laabs, Hubert Glenzer and Harold Kasper.

Mr. Laabs was born on December 18, 1873, in Toledo, Ohio. He came to Clark county during his boyhood with his parents and settled in the town of Green Grove. In February, 1902, he was married to Anna Meirke. Mr. Laabs started to make cheese in the town of Green Grove in 1892 and sold his factory in 1914 when the couple moved to Unity where they operated a tavern and hotel until 1917. They then moved to Greenwood and operated a cheese factory and farm. Since 1936, he made his home with his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Laabs, Jr., in Oshkosh.

Surviving are four daughters, Mrs. Joseph (Leona) Fenn and Mrs. Richard (Mildred) Reinke of Oshkosh, Mrs. Walter (Lorinda) Johnson of Holcombe, and Mrs. Clarence (Eurike) Mildstone of Schullsburg; three sons, Alfred Laabs of Milwaukee and William, Jr., and Franklin Laabs of Oshkosh; four brothers, Albert Laabs of Owen, Emil and Arthur Laabs of Colby and Ferdinand Laabs of Pocatello, Idaho; 26 grand children and 11 great grand children.

His wife died in October, 1930, and a daughter, Margaret, and three brothers, Fred, Herman and Ernest also preceded him in death.