Obit: Mertens, Oscar C. (1886 - 1957)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Mertens, Haidle, Weber, Hazuga, Weix, Koenig, Nye, Techmeier, Westberg, Sloviak, Wiltgen, Voelker, Jones

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 02/07/1957

Mertens, Oscar C. (27 APR 1886 - 26 JAN 1957)

Funeral services were held in St. Bernard’s Catholic Church here at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, for Oscar Casper Mertens, 70, who died at his home here on Saturday, Jan. 26^th, 1957.

A son, the Rev. Michael J. Mertens, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Viroqua, officiated at the Solemn Requiem High Mass.  He was assisted at the altar by Father Chester Moczarny, St. Adelbert’s, Rusholt, Deacon; Father Edward Hartung, St. Mary’s, Greenwood, sub-deacon; Father Arnold Muckerheide, pastor of St. Bernard’s, Master of Ceremonies; Father Joseph Bach, pastor of St. Patrick’s, Onalaska, delivered the funeral sermon.

Interment was in St. Bernard’s Cemetery.  Those who served as pallbearers were: Louis Walsdorf, John Maier, Charles Driessen, Eugene Wilhelm, William Ramer and Jay Alger.

A life long farmer in the town of Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.), Oscar Mertens was born April 27, 1886, the son of Michael and Catherine Haidle Mertens.  Mr. Mertens died in St. Francis Hospital, La Crosse, Wis., on May 7, 1890, leaving Mrs. Mertens with three little children: Oscar, Irma and Olga.

In 1894 Mrs. Kate Mertens was united in marriage at St. Bernard’s Church to Max Weber.  One child, Frank Weber was born to this union.  In 1907 the Weber family built the house on the Mertens farm, which Michael Mertens had purchased in 1887.  In 1911 Mr. Weber and family built the present residence of Mrs. Kate Weber, while Oscar and his young bride took over the operation of the farm where he worked and lived until his death.

Max Weber, Oscar’s step-father passed away in the summer of 1925.

On March 16, 1914, tragedy struck quickly and severely on a windy day when Oscar was on the top of the windmill making repairs.  He was knocked off the platform and fell thirty feet to the ground below.  The next eight months were spent in the hospital at Chippewa Falls.  The tragic accident left him crippled for life in his left foot, although for the next thirty-five years he was active in farm work.

During the past six years, the crippled limb caused him considerable distress.  On January 3 of last year amputation of the crippled limb was imperative, an operation from which he never fully recovered, complications of which eventually lead to his death.

Oscar Mertens fell asleep in the Lord very peacefully at home at 3:00 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 26, 1957, after being anointed on Friday afternoon, January 25^th.

As a little boy Oscar served Mass for the visiting priests, who used to offer Mass once a month at the Weber home, before St. Bernard’s Parish was established.  He was a member of St. Bernard’s Holy Name Society and a member of St. Vincent’s Court of the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Mr. Mertens is survived by his wife, his mother, who is 93 years old, eight daughters and four other sons, Mrs. John (Catherine) Hazuga, Thorp; Mrs. Frank (Marie) Weix, Colby; Hugo and Robert, at home; Mrs. Joseph (Helen) Koenig, Fond du Lac; Mrs. Manford (Marcella) Nye, Rib Lake; Mrs. Raymond (Ruth) Weix, Colby Mrs. Delores Techmeier, Stanley; Bernard, Thorp; Mrs. Donald (Therese) Westberg, Eau Claire; Francis, serving in the U.S. Army in Korea, and Mrs. Felix (Margaret) Sloviak, Stanley; also two sisters, Olga Mertens, Thorp; Mrs. Irma Jones, Altoona, and one half-brother, Frank Weber of Madison.

Besides his wife and children, Mr. Mertens is survived by Mrs. Paulina Wiltgen and Margaret Voelker of Thorp, half-sisters to Mrs. Kate Weber; 33 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, besides numerous relatives, lifelong neighbors, friends and acquaintances.

Out of town relatives attending the funeral included: Mr. and Mrs. Hilmar Voelker, cousin of the deceased from St. Anne’s; Mrs. Margaret Mueller, Chilton, Wis., sister-in-law; Theresa Nisler, Mrs. Sylvester Schwartz, Mrs. Bernard Gebhart, New Holstein; nieces; Mr. and Mrs. August Heimann, New Holstein; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weber, Madison, Mrs. Irma Jones, Altoona; Mr. and Mrs. William Risinger, Madison.

Out of town friends from St. Philip’s Parish, soldiers Grove attending were: Mr. and Mrs. John Kinney; Michael and James Kinney, Mrs. Helen Tiller; Mr. and Mrs. James P. Gorman; Mr.a nd Mrs. Kyrie Gorman.

Out of town friends from St. Mary’s Parish Viroqua attending were: Miss Catherine Gorman, Mr. and Mrs. Rex Streeter, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Oswald.

Clergy attending the services besides the officers of the Mass were: Msgr. J. Francis Brady, St. Patrick’s, Eau Claire; and Msgr. William Daniles, St. Charles, Chippewa Falls, Wis., in the sanctuary.

Attending the funeral were Fathers Charles Blecha, Menominee; George P. Mathieu, Eau Claire; Eugene Smith, Chippewa Falls; Francis Heindl, John Mauel, O.W. Schulte, Gerald Fisher, Holy Cross Seminary, La Crosse; Rudolph Geissler and Edward Kramer, Stanley; C. Chilicki, St. Hedwig’s G. Sulik, Cadott; Alfred Hemmersbach, Cooks Valley; B. Crubel, Owen; Raymond Schultz, Abbotsford; A. King, Loyal; John Pinion, Colby; Bernard Duffy, Wausau; Charles Herbers, Pittsville; Frank Brickl, Athens; Eugene Comiskey, Adams; Edward Wobyszk, Stanley (Junction).