Obit: Swarthout, Tillie (1890 - 1975)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Swarthout, Kallapp, Sedlack, Georgas, Sersch, Wachholz, Mannes, Jasperson, Lang, Welsch, Webber, Ruhbusch

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/20/1975

Swarthout, Tillie (3 August 1890 – 12 March 1975)

Funeral services were held Saturday in Spencer for Mrs. B. C. (Tillie) Swarthout, active in the furniture business and as a funeral director in Spencer for approximately 45 years. Mrs. Swarthout died Wednesday, March 12, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield, at the age of 84. The William H. Ruhbusch officiated at services from Trinity Lutheran Church and burial followed in the West Spencer Cemetery. Arrangements were made by the Rux Funeral Home.

The daughter of James and Minnie (Kallapp) Sedlack. Mrs. Swarthout was born August 3, 1890, in the Town of Holton, Marathon County, and was educated in rural schools in the Dorchester area. She was married to Arthur C. Georgas on November 10, 1909, at Dorchester. They moved to Spencer in 1913 and opened a furniture store and funeral parlor, which they operated together until his death on November 14, 1924.

She continued the business after graduating from the Goodman College of Embalming in Milwaukee on August 10, 1925, as the only woman member of the class, and operated the store and funeral home until her marriage, to Blaine C. Swarthout on October 29, 1934, in Spencer.

Mr. and Mrs. Swarthout operated the business for 24 years before selling to Ervin Jasperson in May of 1958.

Mrs. Swarthout was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

Survivors, in addition to her husband, include three children: Mrs. Dorothy Sersch of Rt. 4 Marshfield, Mrs. Isabell Wachholz of Spencer and Elmer A. Georgas of Neillsville; one sister, Mrs. William (Bertha) Mannes of Hibbing, Mn.; and 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and “For Me to Live is Jesus” were sung by the congregation with Mrs. Russell Lang as the organist.

Pallbearers were: Elmer Sersch, Tom Sersch, Arnold Sersch, Jr., Jack Sersch, William Welsch and Vinve Webber.