Obit: Dearth, Joseph A. (1872 - 1955)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Dearth, Westlake, Nielsen, Olsen, Taucher, Bozman, McFerron, Watson

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 03/31/1955

Dearth, Joseph A. (11 MAY 1872 - 22 MAR 1955)

Joseph A. Dearth was born in Hackney, Ohio, on May 11, 1872.  There he grew to manhood, and later went to DeKalb, Ill., and worked on a farm.  He was united in marriage on Nov. 5, 1902 to Miss Charlotte Westlake of DeKalb, Ill.

In the spring of 1903 they left Illinois, coming to Owen (Clark Co., Wis.) where he bought a piece of wild land 2 miles north of Owen, which he cleared, and is today one of the larges farms around Owen.  At the time he bought this land the only road to it was a logging road, and later the road, now known as DD, was built.  In the year 1907 he and his brother-in-law, J. C. Watson, went together and bought a butcher shop known as the Dearth and Watson Butcher Shop.  It was in the same place now known as the Red and White Store.  Part time he delivered meat through the country with horses.  Mike McCray, now deceased, did the meat cutting in the store.  After about two years he sold the store to Joe Fleichman.

In the year 1910 he started a milk route out of Withee and later in Owen, where he served faithful until 1919 when Mrs. Dearth’s health began to fail and then he sold his milk route to Sam Anderson.

After that he devoted his entire time to farming until seven years ago when he built a house on Fifth Street and then retired from active farming, although he still took his daily walk out to the farm, which at this time is owned by his son, Elmer.

Mr. Dearth enjoyed good health until about a year ago.  On Feb. 23^rd he was admitted to Luther Hospital at Eau Claire, where he passed away on March 22^nd, 1955.  He died at the age of 82 years, 10 months and 11 days.

In his passing he leaves to mourn his wife, Charlotte; five sons, Ray and Elmer of Owen, Russell of Prentice, Frank and Harvey of Unity; three daughters, Mrs. Niels (Myrtle) Nielsen of Owen, Mrs. Alfred (Wilda) Olsen of Cut Bank, Mont., and Mrs. Marvin (Clara) Taucher of Dorchester; two sisters, Mrs. Clarence Bozman, Newark, Ohio, and Mrs. Lilly McFerron, McConnellsville, Ohio; and 28 grandchildren.  Five children have preceded him in death.

His body laid in state at the Hoeper and Kraut Funeral Home prior to the funeral services.  The funeral was conducted by Rev. H. D. Wagner at the Alliance Church, on Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock.  Rev. and Mrs. Wagner rendered three songs at the service.  The remainder of the flowers were sent to the Havenet Nursing home.

Pallbearers were Pete Madsen, Roy Anderson, Eldon Anderson, Ted Stegeman, Fred Stegeman and Andrew Olsen.  Honorary pallbearers were Jim Hansen, Jacob Christensen, A. R. martin, W. H. Frey, Ed Klug, Peter Petersen, David Mayo, J. B. Barrett, Walter Fritz, William Pape, H. B. Maule, Sr., Roy Gabriel and Herman Bartholomew.