Surnames: Nehs, Floberg, Musil, Tufts, Zimmerman, Parry, Peterson, Harvey, Nulton, Smith, Ketchum, Stucki, Randall, Hutta, Melby, Hazen, Fitzgerald, Underhill, Wilpolt, Floberg, Durkee, Holverson, Heffernon

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) September 15, 1949

Nehs, Victor W. (28 July 1887– 11 September 1949)

Victor W. Nehs, attorney of Neillsville, died suddenly of a heart attack early Sunday evening. Final services for him were planned for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Methodist Church, with the Rev. Virgil Nulton in charge. Interment will be in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Mr. Nehs had practiced in Neillsville more than 30 years. He came here in March 1917, as an associate of the late Emery Crosby, and was with him until Mr. Crosby was elected Circuit Judge in 1922. Thereafter Mr. Nehs practiced alone.

In addition to his private practice Mr. Nehs had many public responsibilities. He served a term as mayor of Neillsville; was district attorney two terms; was for three terms chairman of the Clark County Board; was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly for two terms, ending in 1938, and during that time failed the election as speaker by a single vote. The single vote was lost because of Mr. Nehs adherence to his convictions, a trait which was strong in him throughout his public service.

Mr. Nehs was born July 28, 1887, in Menomonee Falls, Wis., a community in which members of the Nehs family were pioneers. His father, Franklin L., was a German Evangelical minister, and Victor gathered his schooling as his father proceeded from charge to charge. His parents had both died before he was 17, but he was graduated from Marshfield High School and went on to the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his way through the law school.

When the Mexican border trouble arose, Mr. Nehs was a member of the Marshfield military band; and he went to Texas with that organization as a drummer. Upon his return he was married June 12, 1917, to Clara Floberg, whom he had met in Loyal during a brief period of practice there. He had scarcely settled down to his practice in Neillsville, when the First World War called him. Because of his knowledge of the German language, he was trained for intelligence service, and was to have served in listening posts in front of the American Lines. But the war ended before this perilous service started. He remained in service in France until the summer of 1919, when he returned to Neillsville.

Mr. Nehs was a member of the American Legion; was a Mason; a member of the Presbyterian Church, a Kiwanian. In 1921 he was one of the organizers of the local Kiwanis Club; became its first president; was later elected lieutenant governor of this Kiwanis district.

Mr. Nehs is survived by Mrs. Nehs, two sons and one brother. The sons are DeWayne P., who was born Oct. 17, 1918, and Franklin, Feb. 23, 1922. Both of these sons are attorneys, DeWayne practicing in Milwaukee and Franklin in Appleton.

Pallbearers were: James A. Musil, W. B. Tufts, Joseph Zimmerman, Dave Parry, John Peterson and W. F. Harvey.

In recognition of the services of Mr. Nehs to the community, Mayor Naedler requested business houses to close Wednesday afternoon, during the hour of the funeral.

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----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) September 22, 1949

At the funeral services of Victor Nehs on Wednesday Mrs. Helen C. Smith, Mary Ann Smith, Glenn Ketchum and Henry Stucki sang, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," accompanied by Mrs. Iris Randall at the piano.

Relatives from out of town attending the rites were: Franklin Nehs, Appleton; Mr. and Mrs. DeWayne Nehs, Milwaukee; Charles Nehs, Waukesha; Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hutta, Milwaukee; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Melby, Madison; Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hazen, Chicago, Ill.; Bernard Fitzgerald, Chicago, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Underhill, Milwaukee; Lorraine Wilpolt, Milwaukee; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Floberg, Rice Lake; Agnes Floberg, Rice Lake; Mrs. Mabel Durkee, Virginia, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Holverson, Superior; Ethel Heffernon, Rice Lake.

The Clark County Bar Association attended the funeral in a group. Arrangements were in charge of the Bergemann Funeral Home.