Obit: Wilding, Mattie (1886 - 1960)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Wilding, Smith, Davis, Southard, Dodte, Drake, Drescher, Ingold, Peterson, Williams, Feig, Thompson, Brockman, Winkler, Lindow, Lee, Gower, Short, Vine, Oldham, Feutz, Linster, Loberg, Holmes

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 3, 1960

Wilding, Mattie (8 October 1886 - 24 February 1960)

Funeral services were conducted Saturday for Mrs. Arthur Wilding, 73, of Neillsville, who died February 24.  She had been hospitalized since February 6, following a fall at the V. F. W. Hall. The Rev. Virgil Holmes officiated at services from the Methodist Church, and burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Mrs. Wilding, the former Mattie Davis, was the daughter of the late William and Laura (Smith) Davis, and was born October 8, 1886, in South Dakota.  When she was two years old the family moved to Vernon County, and at the age of nine she accompanied her parents to Clark County, where they resided on a farm near Neillsville. She taught for many years in Clark County schools.

On October 30, 1908, she was married to Arthur Wilding at Shortville. They resided in Tripoli for 10 years before returning to the Neillsville area, where they have since resided.

Mrs. Wilding was a member of the Methodist Church and was active in its work.  She also belonged to its Women’s Society of Christian Service and at the time of her death was serving that organization as its secretary of Spiritual Life.  She taught Sunday school or many years.  She held many offices in the Women’s Relief Crops and also was a member of the Pine Valley Homemakers club.

She is survived by her husband and a son, Buford, of Milwaukee.  Also surviving are four grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Lena Southard of Appleton; and a brother, Ira S. Davis of Milwaukee.

Pallbearers were: Bernard Dodte, Russell Drake, Arthur Drescher, Roger Ingold, B. H. Peterson, and Oliver Williams.

Two hymns, "Sweet By and By" and "Beyond the Sunset" were sung by vocalists, Mrs. Virgil Holmes and Herbert Feig, accompanied by Mrs. T. N. Thompson.

Members of the Women’s Society of Christian Service and the Women’s Relief Corps attended the service in a group.

People from away here for the services were: Mr. and Mrs. Buford Wilding, Douglas, Dennis, Karen and David Wilding, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Davis, and Mrs. William Brockman, all of Milwaukee; Mrs. Lena Southard, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Winkler, Miss Barbara Winkler and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Southard and Allen, Appleton; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Davis, Mankato, Minn.; Ruth Lindow, and E. W. Lee, Chili; Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Williams, Irving Gower, Mr. and Mrs. Art Short, Mr. and Mrs. Theomore Vine, and Miss Jean Vine, Granton; Mrs. Alfred Oldham, Guy Oldham, and Harold Oldham, Withee; Mr. and Mrs. Chris Feutz, Granton; Mrs. Ollie Linster, and Mrs. Kenneth Loberg, Greenwood.

Funeral arrangements were made by the Bergemann Funeral Home.