Obit: Riedel, Augusta (1856 - 1917)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Riedel, Barth, Kohl, Rinehart, Hubing, Rustad, Kleinschmidt, Schlinsog

----Source: Granton News (Granton, Clark County, Wis.) 07/20/1917

Riedel, Augusta (27 MAY 1856 - 12 JUL 1917)

Another of the pioneers, one of the early settlers of Clark County, has passed away. On Thursday afternoon, July 12th, 1917, at 4 o’clock, Mrs. Augusta Riedel, who name is familiar to all, breathed her last in the presence of loved relatives and friends who had ministered to her during her last illness with most affectionate and filial devotion at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, where three weeks ago she underwent an operation for gall stones and appendicitis, and from which operation she was nicely recovering. She had sat up some that day, had enjoyed her meals and the visit of her relatives and friends and was looking forward to leaving the hospital within a few days, when suddenly and without warning her nurse discovered her to be dying - an apoplectic stroke. Her oldest daughter, Mrs. Loren Kohl, was with her at the time and physicians and nurse gave the sufferer all the aid known to medical science, hoping to prolong her life, but her time had come and she was gone within a few minutes after receiving the final summons - a peaceful and painless transition.

“Auntie Riedel”, as we loved to call her, enjoyed in the highest degree the respect and good will of her large number of acquaintances. A woman of sterling worth, she detested sham, pretense and hypocrisy. She loved truth, virtue and honor for its own sake. Aside from raising and mothering six children of her own, she was acquainted with the country and people for miles around and their interests were always heres, and the name Augusta Riedel will long remain green in the hearts of many in the community where she was so well known and deeply loved. No one was more willing to aid the suffering, cheer the despondent, sustain the weak and throw over the frailties of our race the mantle of Christian charity and when death came to her as it comes to all, neighbors and friends vied with each other in giving of loving kindness and tender solicitude.

Deceased was born in German, May 27th, 1856 and came to Clark Co., Wis. from the old county with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Barth when she was but 13 years old, and settled in Calumet County. Here in Calumet County when deceased was a young woman of but 20 years, she was married to David Riedel and with him, accompanied by her parents, moved to Clark County, where in this vicinity she has ever since resided. To her and her husband nine children were born. Three died in infancy. The six surviving are Lena, Mrs. Lorenz Kohl of Marshfield, Adolph of Green Bay, Alvina, Mrs. Will Rinehart of Athens, Elsie, Mrs. Emil Hubing of Athens, Ernest, who whereabouts are unknowns, and alma, Mrs. Walter Schlinsog, at home here in the village. Beside these children she is survived by her husband from whom she was divorced nine years ago; her aged mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Barth, a woman of 89 summers; two brothers, John and Ernest Barth of Nasonville, and two sisters, Mrs. Louis Rustad and Mrs. Leo Kleinschmidt of Nasonville.

All of her relatives mentioned, with the exception of the son Ernest, were here and in attendance at the funeral which was held at the Mapleworks German Lutheran Church Sunday, July 15th, at 10 a.m. Rev. Hasz officiated and spoke words of comfort to the bereaved ones. The casket was heaped with a profusion of flowers and several set pieces. The little granddaughters, Martha and Cordula Kohl, with the nieces, Lulu and Stella Kleinschmidt, acted as flower girls.

The pall bearers were T.D. Wage, Herman Thiede, Willis Williams, L.E. Moh, Fred Dopp and H.C. Witte. The remains were laid to rest in the Nasonville Cemetery beside the grave of her father Ernest Barth who died years ago.