Obit: Ayers, Gustavus (1875 - 1948)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: AYERS WELLS BRUCKNER MITCHELL

----Source: Clark County Press June 17, 1948 pg 4

Ayers, Gustavus (1875 - 1948)

Gustavus Rush Ayers, 73, Town of York, died June 12 at the farm of his son Harry Ayers. Funeral services were held at the Georgas funeral home Tuesday, under the direction of Henry Elmhorst, with full military honors, as Mr. Ayers was a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

Pallbearers were all Spanish-American war veterans: the Messrs. William Campman, Henry Siedelman, Emil Mattson, George Rude, Martin Hauge and Jule Neverman. The Misses Phyllis Fahlgren and Hazel Millard sang, as did Mr. Elmhorst. All were accompanied by Mrs. Florence Counsell. Mr. Henry Seidelman and Mrs. L. J. Chapman assisted with flowers.

Mr. Ayers was born May 20, 1875, in Neillsville. After his school years in Neillsville he worked in lumber camps in Wisconsin until 1898, when he entered the service, joining Company A 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, two years after its activation.

He went from Neillsville to join the company in Chickamaugh Park, Tenn., and from there went to Puerto Rico.

Mr. Ayers was taken ill after two months in Puerto Rico, and was sent home where he received his discharge in January 1899. In 1900 he married Lois Wells, and turned to farming in the town of Grant. After his wife's death in 1915, he went into the livery business in Neillsville for two years, and in 1916 he was married to Rena Bruckner at Winona, Minn.

He and his wife farmed until 1928, when they moved to Granton, where they lived until his wife died in 1945. Since that time he had been living with his son and daughter-in-law.

He is survived by his son, Harry, his stepchildren: Lawrence Bruckner of Boise, Ida. and Mary, Mrs. S. Mitchell, of Levis Township by 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Interment took place in the Neillsville city cemetery.