Obit: Church, Fred E. (1884 - 1950)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Church, Neuman, Putnam, Braun

----Source: Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark Co., Wis.)   03/23/1950

Church, Fred E. (17 MAR 1884 - 12 MAR 1950)

Fred E. Church, 65, died at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Mar. 12, 1950, at his home here.  Death was due to a heart attack.  Mr. Church had not been in good health for some time and had been unable to care for his work as rural mail carrier since Feb. 6.

He was born on Mar. 17, 1884 in Loyal and had been a resident of this vicinity all of his life.  He was married to Iva Margaret Putnam and to this union was born two daughters.  He began carrying mail in August 1905, when route two was started out of Loyal, being 21 years of age at that time.  In all of the almost 45 years that he served as carrier on route two he has not only been welcomed by patrons as their mailman, but each considered him a personal friend.  Never was he too busy or too hurried to extend a helping hand wherever needed.  Not only to his patrons, but to all others, he showed this same spirit of kindly helpfulness.

Mr. Church was a member of the National Letter Carriers Association and an honorary member of the Loyal Rotary Club.

His wife and one brother, Lynn Church, preceded him in death.  He is survived by his two daughters, Mrs. Raymond (Helen) Neuman and Mrs. Herb (Margaret) Braun, and one granddaughter, June Braun, all of Loyal.

Funeral services were held at the Loyal Funeral Home at 2:30 p.m. last Wednesday.  The Rev. Lee Holmes officiated.  During the service, chimes and organ recordings of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" and "Again as Evening Shadows Fall: were played.  Burial was in Pine Grove Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Percy Voight, Leo Meyer, Dr. W. L. Lee, Otto Weyhmiller, William F. Meyer and James T. Christenson.

Members of the Rural Mail Carriers Association attended the funeral in a body.  Others from away who attended were Mrs. Roy C. Luber and son, Roy, of Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Talford Bea of Stevens Point; and Mr. and Mrs. Clem Rous of Strongs Prairie.

Fred’s cheery face will be missed by one and all who knew him well, both on route two and in the city.  These The Tribune joins in extending sympathy to the survivors.