Surnames: Wittke, Longenecker, Willms, Brandt, Ziebert, Reichert, Parrett, Sternitzky, Krause, Milbreit, Lewerenz, Hemp, Naedler

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 4 May 1944

Wittke, August (5 July 1851 - 27 April 1944)

Funeral services for August Wittke, Milwaukee, were conducted Monday, afternoon, May 1, at the Jaster Funeral home. Rev. George W. Longenecker, pastor of the Congregational Church, was the officiating pastor. Burial took place in the Neillsville Cemetery. Mr. Wittke passed away on April 27, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Fred Willms, in Milwaukee, after an illness of about five weeks. Death was attributed to old age.

He was born in Germany, on July 5, 1851, and has reached the age of 92 years and 9 months. At the age of 23 he came to this country and settled in Illinois, where he engaged in farming and coal mining for several years. On August 21, 1877, he was married to Miss Ernestine Brandt at Tolona, Ill. Mrs. Wittke died October 10, 1937, also at the home of her daughter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In 1895 the Wittkes came to Neillsville and purchased a farm in the town of Pine Valley. After the house on the farm was destroyed by fire in 1931, Mr. and Mrs. Wittke moved to Neillsville and made this city their home until Mrs. Wittke’s health failed in 1937, and they went to live with their youngest daughter in Milwaukee, where he has since resided.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wittke, two of whom are deceased, Lily died in infancy, and Clara, Mrs. William Ziebert, died in 1918. The surviving children are: August, Jr., Granton; Emma, Mrs. Gust Reichert, West Allis; Ferdinand, town of Weston; now residing in Arizona; Henry, Neillsville; Herman and Edna, Mrs. Fred Willms, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are twelve grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Mr. Wittke was a man of quiet disposition, his family and his home being his chief interests. He was the eldest of the family of brothers and sisters, and was the last survivor.

Mrs. Rechert was ill and unable to be here for the funeral. Ferdinand is in Arizona for his health, and so was unable to be here. He had visited his father in Milwaukee on his way to Arizona. The other children were here for the funeral. Others who were here for the services were: Gust Reichert and son, Raymond, West Allis; Mrs. Herman Wittke, Mrs. Jack Parrett, and Fred Willms, Milwaukee, and Mrs. August Wittke, Granton.

A grandson, G. M. 3/c Daryl Wittke, Neillsville, and a great-grandson, Sm. 2/c Duane Sternitzky, Granton, are in U. S. Navy service.

Pallbearers were Joe Krause, William Milbrecht, Carl Lewerenz, Henry Naedler, Frank Hemp and Albert Hemp.