Obit: Velcheck, August (1893 - 1965)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Velcheck, Parks, Soderberg, Sigler, O'Rourke, Schweingerber, Asselin, Boardman

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 08 Apr 1965

Velcheck, August (13 MAY 1893 - 1 APR 1965)

August Velcheck, 71, bachelor and lifelong resident of Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.), passed away at the Victory Memorial Hospital at Stanley, Wis., on April 1, 1965. He succumbed to a lingering illness and was a patient of the Veterans' Hospital in Minnesota for nearly a year.

Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Francis Brockman at 10:00 o'clock Monday morning, April 5th at St. Bernard's catholic Church, and interment took place in St. Bernard's Parish Cemetery. Members of Cecil Tormey Post No. 118 of the American Legion, of which the deceased was a member, attended the services in a body and conferred military rites at the grave with Post Commander Thos. Polnaszek acting as chaplain and Past Commander Cyril Alger, as Sergeant of the firing squad which rendered the salute and taps.

August (Gus) was born in Thorp on May 13, 1893. He was brought up on a farm near here and attended the local schools. As a veteran of World War I he spent nearly two years in the services and was discharged in 1919. He operated the Thorp Pop Factory here in partnership with the late Wm. Parks, and also with Edward Asselin who purchased the Parks interest and later bought out Mr. Velcheck. He then went into business with the late Melvin Boardman from 1931 to 1936, when he sold his half interest to the present owner of the Boardman Pure Oil Service Station, Louis Boardman.

Gus spent some time during World War II in construction work in Alaska and prior to his final retirement was an employee of the City of Thorp. During his younger days and for many years, Gus was an active player in Thorp's baseball teams and always as inveterate hunter and fisherman.

The deceased was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and three sisters. Relatives surviving are one brother, Frank Velcheck of Stevens Point, four sisters, Mary, Mrs. Art Soderberg of Thorp, alice, Mrs. Vern Sigler of Crown Point, Ind., Agnes, Mrs. Frank O'Rourke of Griffith, Ind., and Clara, Mrs. Al Schweingerber of East Chicago, Ind.

Nephews of Mr. Velcheck were pallbearers: Myron Sanders, Charles Velcheck, George Burke, Jack Burke, Pat Soderberg and Gerald Soderberg.