Obit: Mertens, Peter (1883? - 1957)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Mertens, Kelch, Miller, Thiel, Minchler

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 10/17/1957

Mertens, Peter (1883? - 12 OCT 1957)

A Requiem Mass was offered Tuesday morning at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church for Peter Mertens, 74, a pioneer of Withee (Clark Co., Wis.), who died Oct. 12^th, 1957 at the Bellin Hospital in Green Bay.  He had been a patient there for the past two weeks.

Mr. Mertens was born in Kiel, Wis.  He came to the Withee area and opened a butcher shop in 1907, which he operated until 1918.  He was married to Elva Kelch in Milwaukee on Feb. 8, 1910.  They moved to their present home on a farm southwest of Withee in 1918.  He was engaged in farming and the implement business until his retirement several years ago.  He was a member of the Village Board of Withee for one year and a member of the Sacred Heart Church of Withee since his arrival in Withee.

He leaves to mourn, his wife Elva Mertens, a daughter, Mrs. Raymond (Ellen) Miller of Withee; five sons, Joseph of West Allis; Peter Jr. of Madison; August of Stanley, and Eugene of Withee; two brothers, Edward of Withee and Joseph of Hollywood, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Thiel and Mrs. Winnie Minchler, both of Sheboygan; 14 grandchildren and a host of friends.  His parents and four brothers and two sisters preceded him in death.

The Rev. H. L. Crubel officiated at the church services and burial rites were at Riverside Cemetery.  Pallbearers were Keith Mertens, Clarence Mertens, Steve Pawlak, Sr., Harold Williams, Art Meier and Ray Missling.

A number of relatives and friends from Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Winnebago, Wausau, Stanley and Thorp attended the funeral.