Surnames: Mattes, Best, Keskimaki, Stoll, Wagenknecht

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 31 Jul 1941

Mattes, Philip Sr. (21 FEB 1869 - 27 JUL 1941)

Philip Mattes Sr., 72, prominent farmer, and for many years in business at Reseburg Corners, Town of Reseburg (Clark Co., Wis.), passed away at 6:30 o’clock Sunday morning, July 27th, 1941 at the Luther Hospital at Eau Claire. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, July 30th at one o’clock at the Bogumill Funeral Home, where the body lay in state and at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church in the Town of Reseburg at two o’clock. An obituary will be published in the "Courier" next week.

(Follow on in 8/7/1941 Thorp Courier)

Philip Jacob Mattes, son of Philip and Julia Mattes, was born in the town of Schleswig, Manitowoc Co., Wis., Feb. 21st, 1869.

He came to Clark County in 1895 and bought a general store then owned by Herman Holzhausen in the Town of Reseburg, which was at that time the Reseburg Post Office.

He was Postmaster there until the rural routes from the Thorp Post Office were put into operation and the Reseburg Post Office discontinued.

On Jan. 10th, 1897 he was united in marriage to Clara Best of Kiel, Wis. To this union were born seven children. Two of them died in infancy.

They operated this general store and tavern for seventeen years, bearing the hardships of pioneer life with the people of the community and making many friends. Everyone was a friend of Philip’s and what a few of the old timers remain will carry Philip in their memory until they pass on.

In 1912 they sold their business and moved to their farm nearby, which they had acquired some time before.

Mrs. Mattes preceded him in death in April 1936.

Soon after Mrs. Mattes died Philip sold his farm to his son Philip, Jr. Since that time he spent most of his time with his son Arthur, who operates a farm in the town of Mead.

For the past years he has been ailing off and on. He went to the Luther Hospital at Eau Claire three weeks ago and died there Sunday morning, July 27th, 1941.

He leaves to mourn four sons and one daughter, Hugo of Philadelphia, Penn., Harold, Philip Jr., and Arthur of Thorp, and Norma (Mrs. Eugene Keskimaki) of Withee; two brothers, George of Kiel, Wis., and Arthur of Greenleaf, Wis.; two sisters, Mrs. Katherine Stoll and Louis (Mrs. Albert Wagenknecht) of Kiel, Wis.; four grandchildren and a legion of friends.

Funeral services were held at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church at Reseburg on Wednesday afternoon, Rev. F.H. Sprengler officiating and paying a beautiful tribute to the memory of the deceased. Two beautiful sons, "Asleep in Jesus" and "Sweet Hour of Prayer" were sung by Ruth Thielke and Mrs. Don Marshall.

Pallbearers were, Richard and Henry Coates, Henry Kauck, Herman Buss, bob Telford and Chas. Vetterkind. Interment was made in the Sylvan Cemetery at Reseburg.