Obit: Short, James A. (1875 - 1956)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Short, Kennedy, Van Fleet, Kann, Wolodsko, Pretsch, Brown, Bell 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) April 12, 1956 
 

Short, James A. (17 August 1875 - 8 April 1956) 
 

Funeral services have been tentatively set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday for James A. Short, 80, long-time resident of the Town of Washburn and a former town treasurer, who died last Sunday in California. 
 

The services will be held in the Georgas Funeral Home, where the body was expected to arrive from California Wednesday night or Thursday.  Members of the family living in California are expected to come for the services, and the schedule has been necessarily set tentatively because of their uncertain time of arrival.  
 

Mr. Short, a retired farmer, was born August 17, 1875, in the Town of Washburn to Andrew and Jane (Kennedy) Short.  He received his education in the Shortville School. Upon completion of his schooling he worked for his father and in 1904, he was married to Leona Van Fleet, who died in 1917.  Four children were born to them.  They are Mrs. E. (Gail) Kann of Los Angeles; Mrs. Opal Wolodsko, Los Angeles; and Mrs. Fred (Wanda) Pretsch of Neillsville.  A fourth daughter, Vivian, burned to death at the age of one and one-half years. 
 

His second marriage took place in November, 1918, at Neillsville, at which time he was married to Ella Brown who survives him.  A daughter, Marie, also survives.  Mrs. Ella Short and daughter reside at Wausau.  
 

Mr. Short was treasurer of the Town of Washburn for 34 consecutive years.  He was very active in town affairs.  He retired from farming about 20 years ago. 
 

For the past several years he had been spending the winters with his daughters in Los Angeles and his summers in the Neillsville area.  During his stay in this community he made his home with his brother, Ralph. 
 

He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Walter (Mary) Bell of Janesville and one brother Ralph.