Obit: Soderberg, Arthur H. (1890 - 1963)

Contact stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Soderberg, Velcheck, Cleary, Hastreiter, Grace, Stewart

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 01/02/1964

Soderberg, Arthur H. (6 JUL 1890 - 26 DEC 1963)

Funeral services were held Monday morning, Dec. 30, for Arthur Henry Soderberg, who died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls at 2:07 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26, 1963.

Services were held at St. Bernard's Catholic Church with Rev. Francis Brockman officiating, and burial was in the parish cemetery.

Pallbearers were six grandsons, John and Robert Cleary, Dennis and Gordon Hastreiter, and Don and Bill Soderberg.

Art was born on a farm in Thorp on July 6, 1890, to August and Bertha Soderberg. He attended the Thorp Public Schools and Oct. 20, 1914, was married to Mary Velcheck of Thorp, at St. Bernard's Church. Five children were born to this union: Pat of Thorp; (Doris) Mrs. Robert Cleary of Lebanon, Ohio; (Marjorie) Mrs. Gordon Hastreiter of Woodruff, Wis.; and Gerald of Rockford, Ill. One son, Eugene, preceded him in death in 1930. Seventeen grandchildren and one great-grandchild survive, as do one brother, Ted of Marinette, Wis., and two sisters, Mrs. Eva Grace of Marinette and Mrs. Esther Stewart of Thorp. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by four brothers and three sisters.

In his early manhood, he worked in lumber camps in the area and also turnpiked some of the new roads north of Thorp.

In 1919, the home farm was purchased and Art's great love of good horses became part of his farming operation, as he enjoyed dealing in horses.

The farm was passed to the third generation in the Soderberg family in 1952, when the senior Soderbergs retired from farming and moved to the city of Thorp, where they have since resided.

Always an avid sports fan, Art had a remarkable memory for old time players, teams and games. His interest continued down to the present and he enjoyed following the local high school football and basketball teams, as well as the baseball games at the city park.

This past summer, rides around the countryside enjoying the land where he spent his entire life, plus watching the progress of the construction of the new Thorp High School building occupied most of his leisure time.

About a month ago, Art's last trip around town was climaxed with a walk through the new school building. After that he entered the hospital with an illness which proved fatal. At 2:07 p.m. on Dec. 26, and near the end of 1963, the book of life was closed on a man who spent his entire life in our little community, took pride in Thorp, loved to visit with people and was always very content with the simple things of life.

Relatives and friends that attended the funeral of Arthur Soderberg were: Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Soderberg, Rockford, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cleary and family, Lebanon, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hastreiter and family, Woodruff, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Don Soderberg, Wausau; William Soderberg, la Cross; Sister Mary Patrick, Ladysmith, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Ted Soderberg, Marinette; Dick Soderberg, Madison; Mr. Art Sanders, Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Schweingruber, East Chicago, Indiana; Mrs. Frank O'Rourke, Griffith, Ind.; Mrs. Esther Velcheck, Antioch, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Velcheck, Stevens Point, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Myron Sanders, Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burke, Owen; Rt. Rev. Monsignor Victor Plecity, La Crosse; Peggy and Richard Burke, Boyd; Mrs. Alois Aschenbrenner, Schofield, and Mrs. Tom Polzer, Wausau.