Rollins, John (1869 - 1947), Clark County, Wisconsin History

----Source: The Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark County, Wis. 19 Oct 1947), Ress Family Album

John T. Rollins, 78, died at his home in Loyal at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. He had been in poor health for several years.

Mr. Rollins, son of the late John and Josephine Rollins, was born in Adams county on Jan. 25, 1869, but Came to Clark county when he was about a year old. He was married on Sept. 14, 1959, to Miss Clara Schultz of Cadott. They then began farming in the town of Fremont, continuing until two years ago, when they retired and moved to Loyal. Mr. Rollins was a member of the Methodist church. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American war.

Surviving are Mrs. Rollins and three children, Mrs. Helmuth (Vera) Lavandowska of Greenwood, Robert Rollins of Spencer, and Mrs. Jake (Cecelia) Kerr of Milwaukee. There are 11 surviving grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted at the Methodist church at 2 p.m. last Tuesday, the military rites being in charge of the Loyal American Legion post and the Rev. Lee H. Holmes as pastor. Mrs. R.A. Prior, Mrs. Calvin Prior and J. R. Colby sang "Face to Face," and "Under His Wing." Donna Mae Gotter was accompanist.

In charge of the flowers were four grandchildren, Joyce Lavandowska, Beverly Rollins, Shirley Ann Rollins and Marlene Rollins, and a niece Marlene Schultz.

Burial was in the Loyal cemetery with Legionnaires Perry Volk, Jesse Raab, Edd Dobbe, Claude Catlin, P. F. Voight and Henry Boe as bearers.

Those from away who attended the funeral were: Mrs. J. C. Kerr of Milwaukee; Mr. and Mrs. Helmuth Lavandowska and two children of Greenwood; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Pickett of Augusta; Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Schultz, Mr. and Mrs. August Schultz and daughter, and Mr. and Mrs. August Pilgrim of Cadott; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rollins and children of Spencer; Mrs. Edith Munroe of Chippewa Falls; Mrs. Edna Allison and Joe Matonich of Wisconsin Rapids; Mr. and Mrs. Chancy Tarbox of Seattle, Wash. and Mrs. William Dankemeyer of Chili.

The Tribune extends to the bereaved its sympathy in the loss of a beloved relative.

This 1909 era postcard was written by my great grandfather (John T. Rollins Jr) to his future wife, Clara Louise Schultz on August 24, 1909. I am hoping to identify these three buildings pictured in downtown Chili, Fremont Twp., Clark Co., Wisconsin around that time. Please contact me if you can help! Kevin C. Ress

Back of Card Above

The postcard above was written in 1909 by John T. Rollins to his future bride, Miss Clara Louise Schultz. It is postmarked August 24, 1909 at 6 p.m. in Spencer, Marathon County, Wisconsin post office. The front of the postcard depicts the street scene in Chili [Clark County], Wisconsin. The back side contains a secret message John writes to Clara that only the two of them could decipher. The initials ?J. R.? in the upper-left hand corner are John Rollins, who was 40 years old at the time; his love Clara would?ve been 28 years old. At the time, John was farming at the Chili homestead. Clara, was working in the kitchen at the Hotel Manley in Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wisconsin. Kevin Ress shared the postcard with members of the Associated Bank Information Security team in January 2014. Very quickly, they decoded it. The message reads:

My love, my darling, my own sweet wife.

This is a picture of your future home.

Dearest how do you like it love?

I am still lame but at work all the same.

Good bye my love.

Write soon. Your loving.

John and Clara would marry a month after this postcard in the Town of Sigel, Chippewa County WI on September 14, 1909. They would subsequently have two children, Vera Louise (Lavandowski) on June 3, 1910 (death March 23, 2004) and a son Robert Roy Rollins on May 20,1912 (death December 23, 1994).

John and Clara also had a third child they fostered, Charolette Helen (Libby) Rollins; known to the family as ?CeCe?. She comes from John?s older brother Charles, who had a daughter named Perseus that bore three children. Unfortunately Spanish Influenza took the lives of Perseus and her husband Thomas Libby. The two oldest children, Thomas Jr (named after their father) and Josephine (named after her grandmother) were sent to an orphanage. The youngest was CeCe; she was sent to live with John and Clara. In 1925, when CeCe was 6 years old, John and Clara adopted her.

Prepared by: KevinRess@yahoo.com; John & Clara?s great-grandson on July 27, 2014.

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