Obit: Mertens, Albert A. (1907 - 1968)

Contact: Linda Mertens
Email: mertens@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Mertens, Tennessen, Sailer, Scholz, Schnedler, Rhyner

----Source - Private Collection

Albert A. Mertens (29 Jun 1907 - 15 Aug 1968)

Funeral services for Albert A. Mertens were held Monday from St. Louis Catholic Church. Burial was in Dorchester Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Mertens, 61, died August 15 at about 2:10 a.m. in Bethel Nursing Home, Arpin (about 20 miles southeast of Marshfield). He became seriously ill with complications (a stroke) after surgery on June 12. He was hospitalized until July 25. He re-entered St. Joseph's Hospital July 9 and on August 14, was moved to Bethel.

Albert A. Mertens was born in town of Little Black June 29, 1907 to Mrs. Elizabeth Mertens and the late Henry Mertens. As a young man he went to work in Milwaukee where he and Sylvia Tennessen were married June 12, 1929, at St. Leo's Catholic Church. They resided in Milwaukee where he worked for Milwaukee Transportation Company for 17 years.

In 1944 they moved to Dorchester where he joined his brother, the late John Mertens, in the trucking business and automotive repair as Mertens Bros. Garage. After the war, the firm was a dealer briefly for Kaiser-Frazier automobiles.

In 1949 they became franchised DeSoto-Plymouth Dealers. On May 1, 1952 Albert bought John's interest in the business which became a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer when manufacture of the DeSoto was discontinued. The business was later incorporated, and he and his son Dennis were associated in its operation. The automobile dealership was moved to Medford in 1966 and local facilities converted to a body shop. He also operated a service station on Dorchester Corner.

Mr. Mertens served the village as president eight years. First elected to the office in 1949, he served until 1951, and then was elected in 1953 to the first of three consecutive terms. He also was county supervisor several terms and a member of the Dorchester Fire Dept. many years. He was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church and of the Colby council of the Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include Mrs. Sylvia Mertens; three sons, Henry of Marshfield, Dennis of Dorchester, and Lloyd serving with the U.S. Air Force; his mother, Mrs. Henry Mertens, Dorchester; four sisters, Mrs. Clara Sailer of Owen, Mrs. Pearl Scholz and Mrs. Marie Schnedler of Milwaukee and Mrs. Madge Rhyner of Dorchester; four brothers, Alfred of Jefferson, Carl of Dorchester, George of Waukesha, and Lawrence of Illinois, and eleven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father and brother, John.