Surnames: Happe, Gutknecht, Messer, Lindow

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 24 Aug. 1944

Happe, William R. Sr. (20 Mar. 1859 - Aug. 1944)

Funeral services for W. R. Happe, Sr., were conducted on Friday afternoon, August 18, at Immanuel Evangelical Church, Chili, the Rev. S. A. Gutknecht, pastor of the church, officiating. Burial took place in the church cemetery.

Mr. Happe, who had reached the age of 85 years, had been a resident of the town of Fremont the past 44 years. He died at 4 p.m., on Tuesday afternoon, at Luther Hospital, Eau Claire, death being attributed to a heart attack. He had been in poor health about two years.

The deceased was born on March 20, 1859, in Cooperstown, Manitowoc County, and was married on November 16, 1887, to Lydia Messer, who survives him. He received his education at Mayville High School, and Oshkosh normal school, and taught school several winters in and near Lomira, operation his farm during the summer. In 1900 the family moved to Clark County, purchasing a farm in the town of Fremont. In that year Mr. and Mrs. Happe moved to Chili, where they have since resided.

Mr. Happe held many public offices. He was town clerk for 14 years, town treasurer for nine years, school clerk for many years, secretary-treasurer of the Lynn Telephone Co., manager of the Chili Livestock Shipping. Association and secretary-treasurer of the Riverside Co-operative cheese factory. He has also been a notary public. He has been a member of the Evangelical Church since his youth, and served as president of the building committee at the time of the new Immanuel Church was built in Chili.

Four children survive: Miss Alma Happe, who teaches at Rochelle, Ill.; Miss Elda Happe, a teacher at Eau Claire; Irene, Mrs. Albert Lindow, who resides on a farm near Chili; and a son, William R. Happe, Jr., operator of a general store at Chili. There*Rest cut off.***