Obit: Stelloh, Anna Augusta (1885 - 1918)

Contact: Ann Stevens
Email: ann@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Martens, Stelloh,

----Source: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/7/1918

Stelloh, Anna Augusta (20 OCT 1885 – 4 Nov 1918)

Anna Augusta Martens was born in Chicago Oct. 20th, 1885. In 1893 she moved with her parents to Pine Valley. After about a year her mother died at the age of 33 years, leaving Anna, aged 12, and four small children motherless. To a certain extent she had to mother the smaller children, and now, strange to say, she too was called at the age of 33 years, leaving five small children, Clarence, Frank, Alfred, Florence and Loraine, the latter being a babe of two months. In her childhood Anna received a common school education of which she made practical use. In 1906 she was united in marriage to Fred Stelloh in the Pine Valley Prince of Peace Church, and to her marriage vow she remained faithful unto death.

After residing in Madison for a short time they returned to Neillsville where the happy union was blessed with five children. Mrs. Stelloh was a member of the Reformed Church and the first secretary of the Ladies Aid in which she was a faithful worker, as is evidenced by the fact that she missed only two of the first thirty-eight meetings.

As a wife she was a helpmate of untiring devotion to her household duties. As a mother she exercised much patience and self-sacrifice in caring for her children. Just recently when the children were ill with a light attack of influenza, it was this spirit of self-sacrifice that brought about her run-down condition which rendered her helpless in combating the deadly double-pneumonia which was the cause of her death. Many prayers were offered in her behalf, and our heavenly Father answered them according to His sovereign will. His will be done. Most of the children are hardly old enough to realize that they are motherless, but as they advance in years the time will no doubt come when they will reflect a moment and say:
Mother, come back from the echoless shore;
Press me again to your heart as of yore.
Into the cradle I’m longing to creep;
Rock me to sleep, Mother, rock me to sleep.

The sympathies of this entire community and of many friends who live far away are with the bereaved husband and children.

Mrs. Stelloh died Monday evening at 7:30. The funeral services will be conducted at the house Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock.