Surnames: Blanke, Mitalai, Thiel, Zenk, Mohr, Dvorak, Riedel, Schmidt, Krase

----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) 01/03/1935

Blanke, John D. A. (3 June 1850 - 30 Dec. 1934)

John D. A. Blanke, aged 84 years, died at his home three miles south of Milan on Sunday, December 30 at 11:45 A.M. of hardening of the arteries. The deceased was born June 3, 1850 at Dondast, Wilhemshaven in northwest Germany. In 1912 he came to America and settled at LaMars, Ia. In 1894 he was united in marriage to Marie Mitalai, who preceded him in death in 1906. In 1921 he moved to his present farm near Milan.

Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 1:55 P.M. at the home and 2:30 at the Peace Evangelical church at Dorchester, the Rev. L. Thiel officiating. Pall-bearers will be Albert Zenk, Emil Zenk, John Mohr, Joseph Dvorak, Gayhardt Riedel and Ernest Schmidt.

The deceased enjoyed good health practically all his life until about two weeks before his death. He leaves to mourn his death, four sons, John H. D. of Barrington, Ill., (editor of the International Engineer), Richard of Denver, Col., Fred of Milan and Cornelius of La Mars, Iowa; five grand children; one sister, Mrs. Helen Krase of Dorchester; and two brothers, Richard of Curtiss and the Rev. W. H. Blanke of Newton, Iowa.