----Source: Greenwood Gleaner 8/21/1941

OBITUARY OF ALEX BEHRENS

Alexander Ayres Behrens was born June 24, 1876 in Milwaukee, Wis. At the age of 2 he came to Neillsville, Clark County, where he lived with his mother and step-father, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Roseman.

He was married to Agnes Theresa Haglund, daughter of Mrs. Charlotte Haglund of Greenwood on Dec. 31, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Behrens moved to their present farm, five miles northeast of Greenwood, where they have lived for the past 29 years.

He passed away at the Luther Hospital, Eau Claire on Saturday, Aug. 16, 1941 from a heart ailment. He has been in ill health for many years.

He is survived by his wife, five sons, Edwin of Longwood, Louis of Greenwood, Karl of Ottumwa, Iowa, Harry and William at home and seven daughters, Adeline (Mrs. Adolph Jackson) of Longwood Irma (Mrs. A.J. Hertzog) of Eau Claire Lucille (Mrs. Harold Schmidt) of Suring Lillian (Mrs. James Redgren) of Menomonie Mildred (Mrs. Churchill Eisenhart) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. One son, Lee Arthur passed away at the age of three years. Ten grandchildren also survive.

Two brothers, Fred and Otto Behrens and a step-brother, Albert Roseman, preceded him in death.

Funeral services were held from the Stabnow Funeral Home at 1:30 p.m. and at 2:00 p.m. from the United Lutheran Church on Wednesday, Aug. 20th. Mrs. Albert Dahl and Mrs. Herbert Schwarze sang In The Sweet Bye and Bye and Jesus Savior Pilot Me , accompanied by Miss Marie Johnson.

The pallbearers were Earl Worden, Carl Wetze, Mark Smith, Paul Acker, Ralph Weidman and Fred Busch.

Family Notes

Only  five of his daughters are listed as surviving in the obit above.  I think Eileen would have been single yet then as  well as Edith (Ede). I think Eileen graduated from Greenwood High School about 1938 (?)  & attended Stout College in Menomonie, WI, before her modeling career and such in Chicago, and that is where she married Rex Battenburg.  Edith (Ede) was at home with Agnes and started Greenwood High School  in the next couple of years.  She married my brother Harold "Dick" Warner in 1947.  So. Eileen and Edith both should be added to the obit as single. Norma Telford

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Obit: Re: Emailing: Behrens, Alexander Ayres (1876 - 1941)

I will have to look up my notes, but the time Grandpa Alex was trying to pursue legal training was after the birth of Adeline. He went to southwestern Wisconsin--place unknown but Irma thought LaCrosse-- and Grandma Agnes and Aunt Adeline lived some of the time with Grandma Haglund. Agnes because quite ill one winter for more than two months and that probably caused him to return home. Of course, during this time Grandpa Haglund still spent winters in Chicago as a tailor. Charlotte ran the little store in Greenwood. Then Grandpa Haglund spent 6 months near Hemet, California in the high desert living in a tent in an attempt to find a climate for his tuberculosis. He purchased land there and returned to Wisconsin to get the family to move to California. His health took a turn for the worse on his return and he eventually died--1907. During this time period, Ed was born. I believe Alex's illness was later than the 19 years old some one mentioned. I have a record from Aunt Irma that says he was a member of a Neillsville league baseball team and he was quite athletic and passionate about playing always yelling and laughing. Baseball seemed to be a major activity in the area at the time for the male population. Irma said they used to watch him play when she was little and they would bring a picnic to the games. I have found two pictures of early teams, but neither listed him. I believe she also said he loved and was a boxer and wrestler, perhaps that was the winter activity. She thought it was very hard on him when he couldn't participate in sports anymore.

In 1900 he was running a farm for a widow in Weston township. He is listed as the only employee. So he must have had some farming skill. He was about 26 at that time. In 1910 he was on his own farm. At 42 he filled out a draft card for WWI, so I would think his illness was after that. I always thought his illness came later like during the Influenza epidemic of 1918. Since son Lee died of an enlarged heart at a young age, I thought they may have both become ill at the same time. My dad (Karl) used to say that Grandma would rock Lee for hours in a rocking chair while singing him songs in Swedish.

Aunt Irma also wrote that Alex was always politically active. He was the party chairman for many years and would work to get people elected although he never ran for office himself. She mentioned campaigns he worked on and that he liked that better than farming. She said he was an "antiroyalist" which was probably his WWI opposition to Kaiser Wilhelm. I am guessing his political activity was in the 1920's and 30's. That probably explains his strong, opinionated political positions that was mentioned by others. She thought politics substituted for his inability to do as much physically anymore. Oh, I just noticed I haven't sent this to everyone. Could you forward to whomever you think might be interested. Sue (Behrens) Holman.