Bayfield County Wisconsin Obituaries

Amouse
Aberdeen Daily News SD (29 June 1888) transcribed by FoFG MZ

BAYFIELD, Wis., June 28. – Amouse, daughter of old Buffalo Head, chief of the Lake Superior Indians, died at the age of 92 years. Amouse was the widow of a French Canadian names Dragg. She will be buried at Lapointe, near the remains of her noted parent.

Olaf G. Anderson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 28 June 1918; MZ transcribed by FoFG

WASHBURN, Wis., June 27. – Olaf G. Anderson, one of the earliest settlers here, died in a hospital at Ashland Sunday from the effects of injuries received in a plant here four weeks ago. Funeral services were held from the Norwegian church today.

Peter Anderson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 12 Nov. 1919; MZ transcribed by FoFG

WASHBURN, Wis., Jan. 11. – Peter Anderson of the town of Washburn, was taken to the hospital at Ashland last week to undergo an operation for gall stones, died yesterday, and the remains were taken to his old home at Chetek today for burial.

He was a man 63 years old and had lived in the city and town of Washburn for the last 30 years, owning a fine farm. He was unmarried.

Thomas Bert
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 9 Feb. 1921; transcribed by Marla Zwakman

ASHLAND, Wis., Feb. 8. – Thomas Bert, over 100 years of age, and probably one of the oldest men in northern Wisconsin, died this morning at the home of his son, Dr. Harris, at Barksdale. The funeral will occur Thursday morning from the St. Agnes church in this city. He is survived by three sons, Alphons and Harmides of Barksdale and Oliver of Butternut, and one daughter, Mrs. Emelia Harris of Barksdale, with whom he made his home for years.

The deceased was born in Quebec, Can., Sept. 20, 1820, being 100 years, four months and 15 days of age at the time of his death. He came to the United States in 1868, settling at Green Bay where he lived until 25 years ago when he came to the town of Barksdale to reside.

George Bousley
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 9 Jan. 1912; transcribed by Marla Zwakman

ASHLAND, Wis., Jan. 8. – George Bousley, a prominent resident of Iron River, died in this city Saturday at a local hospital from apoplexy. He was taken to Iron River by his sons. He was 77 years of age and was one of the older residents of Iron River.

Mary Cosgrove
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 28 June 1918; MZ transcribed by FoFG

WASHBURN, Wis., June 27. – Funeral services were held here today for Mrs. Mary Cosgrove, wife of Mike Cosgrove, who died at her home here Monday after a lingering illness.

Arthur Elliott
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 23 Sept. 1911; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, Wis., Sept. 22. – Arthur Elliott, a foreman of the lumber mill at Iron River died here this afternoon at 2 o’clock from the results of a hunting accident. Yesterday afternoon when he was nine miles out from Iron River with some companions his gun was accidentally discharged as he was climbing into the rig. The shot tore one of his arms entirely to pieces. He was taken to Iron River at once and kept there until midnight, when he was brought to Ashland on a freight train. His arm was amputated this morning, but he lost so much blood that he gradually grew weaker until he died. He was a well-known citizen of Iron River and left a wife and several grown up children.

Stanley Hajec
----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 15 Dec. 1949; transcribed by Marla Zwakman

Funeral services for Stanley Hajec, 28, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hajec, town of Guenther, who died in a trailer house fire near Iron River Sunday, will be held Thursday morning at 9:30 o’clock in St. Francis Xavier Catholic church in Knowlton, with the Rev. John Nowak officiating. Burial will be in the Knowlton cemetery.

The young man, a veteran of three and a half years of service in the navy during World War II, has been employed the past several months on a road construction project on highway 27, about 23 miles south of Iron River. He was left as a watchman at the construction camp trailers by Otto Weisner of Superior, owner of the construction firm, over the week-end. The fire apparently occurred Sunday night.

Coroner Alvin Bratley of Iron River, said the fire probably was started by a cigarette. Hajec apparently died immediately.

The body will be at the Beste funeral home in Mosinee until the time of the services.

Surviving, in addition to the parents, are three brothers, Ben Hajec, town of Knowlton, and Joseph and Edward Hajec, at home, and four sisters, Mrs. Joseph Mikes, Mosinee, Miss Eugenia Hajec, Janesville, and Connie and Delores Hajec, at home.

Dan Hatch
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 19 Dec. 1912; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, Wis., Dec. 18. – Dan Hatch, a woodman employed at Fullott’s camp twelve miles from Bayfield, was fatally injured yesterday while loading logs and died before he could be gotten to Bayfield for medical aid.

One of the logs slipped from the sleigh and struck Hatch carrying him to the ground. When the heavy log was rolled off him it was found that his side was caved in and that he was unconscious.

He was a single man about fifty years old and has a homestead near Iron River. His remains are being held for instructions from a brother in New Brunswick.

Son Johnson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 16 Nov. 1918; MZ transcribed by FoFG

Issac Johnson of Oulu returned yesterday from Michigan with the body of his son, who died of influenza. Mrs. Oscar Abrahamson, wife of an Oulu farmer, died this afternoon of the disease. She was a pioneer of the district.

Robert Joyce
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 21 Oct. 1911; MZ transcribed by FoFG

IRON RIVER, Wis., Oct. 20. – Robert Joyce, a woodsman in the employ of the Hines Lumber company, dropped dead with heart disease in the woods near Cusson yesterday morning, and his remains were brought to this city and taken to Ashland last evening for burial. Several workmen saw him fall and when they rushed to his aid they found that he was dying. The deceased was a resident of Ashland.

N. LaBonty
Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 21 Oct. 1906; Transcribed by Marla Zwakman

ASHLAND, Wis., Oct. 20. – N. LaBonty, the oldest white settler of Bayfield and one of the oldest settlers of northern Wisconsin, died this morning at his home city after an illness of cancer of the breast, lasting over a year. The deceased came to Bayfield over 50 years ago and has resided continuously there since. He was 71 years of age and leaves a wife and two daughters, Mrs. M. Bashaw and Mrs. E. E. Church, to mourn his loss. Mr. LaBonty came to Bayfield before the present cities at the head of the lakes and on Chequamegon bay were laid out, the only town in northern Wisconsin at that time being the Indian settlement and fur trading station at LaPointe on Madeline island. When the old settlers arrived on the south shore of Chequamegon bay and started the present city of Ashland, Mr. LaBonty had resided at Bayfield a number of years. The funeral will be held at Bayfield and will be attended by a large number of the pioneers of Ashland.

Mary Larson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 3 Jan. 1904; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, Wis., Jan. 2. – Within a short time after she had received news that her son sustained injuries in a saloon row, Mrs. Mary Larson, of Washburn, who was ill in bed at the time, died from the effects of the shock.

Martin Larson became engaged in a saloon altercation at Washburn a few nights ago and was stabbed in the leg. The news of his injuries was conveyed to his sick mother, who died from the shock.

Larson is now in the Rhinehart hospital at this place and is thought to be in a serious condition. He has suffered from loss of blood but it is thought that the injuries are not fatal.

His assailant has been arrested and lodged in jail at Washburn.

Joe Manalson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 22 May 1906; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, Wis., May 21. – Joe Manalson, of Bayfield, died last night at the St. Joseph hospital from injuries received in a logging camp. He was struck by a rolling log, his spine broken, one leg fractured and a large hole torn in his abdomen. He was a well known resident of Bayfield.

B. M. Mattson
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 7 Nov. 1907; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, Nov. 6. – Undertaker Louis Sollie returned last night from Iron River where he was called to assist in the investigation of two deaths at that place. B. M. Mattson died at one of the Hines camps Sunday night under suspicious circumstances, this being the second death to occur in the camp within a week. Upon investigation it was found that the first man who died conceived the idea of mixing his own drinks and used about 80 percent alcohol in doing so. He drank the mixture and it killed him.

Mattson seeing the bottle lying around smelled of the stuff and as it smelled good to him took a drink, with the result that he too fell ill and died before help could be secured.

This is the third death to occur near Iron River this fall from drinking alcohol, the other victim being an Indian during the blueberry picking season.

Charles E. McDonald
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 9 July 1907; MZ transcribed by FoFG

ASHLAND, July 2. – Charles E. McDonald, who was injured at Washburn last week, is dead at St. Joseph’s hospital. A brother, George McDonald of Cumberland, Md., will take the remains back to the old home for burial.

Ed R. Mitchell
----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 20 Apr. 1950; Transcribed by Marla Zwakman

Word has been received of the death of Ed. R. Mitchell, at Bayfield, in March. Mr. Mitchell, a former resident, operated a tavern and also a shoe store in Abbotsford while here and formerly owned the house where the Ralph Scheel family lives. He is survived by his second wife and one son and a daughter.

Aleck Richards Family
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 8 Feb. 1916; Transcribed by Marla Zwakman

BAYFIELD, Wis., Feb. 7. – Four deaths in the family in less than a week is the fate of Aleck Richards of this city. On Monday the youngest child in a family of eight died after a brief illness of grippe, which developed into pneumonia. The funeral was held Wednesday.

Friday the grim reaper again entered his home, this time taking a 3-year-old boy, Ivan, who also died of pneumonia. Saturday morning the mother of the family gave birth to a child and died; and only a few hours later the child also died.

----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 12 Feb. 1916

Mrs. Aleck Richards and two children died of diphtheria in the last week. Mrs. Richards is survived by her husband and a large family of children.

Daughter Robbins
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 5 Dec. 1901; Transcribed by Marla Zwakman

ASHLAND, Dec. 4. – The five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Robbins, of Washburn, was burned to death at Washburn last evening. The mother went to a neighbor’s for a short call, leaving her three small children alone. The girl got to playing with a lamp, and overturned it. Her clothing caught fire, and before it could be extinguished she was so badly burned that she died shortly afterward.

Henry Peter Rondeau
----Source: Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co. Wis.) Saturday, 10 Sept. 1955; Transcribed by Marla Zwakman

Neillsville – Henry P. Rondeau, 62, a former resident of Neillsville, Tomahawk, and Antigo, died at a Fond du Lac hospital at 9:30 p.m. Thursday. He had resided in Chicago for many years before being admitted to the hospital at Fond du Lac three and a half months ago.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Mary’s Catholic Church here with the Rev. Peter J. Leketas officiating, and burial will be in the Neillsville cemetery.

Mr. Rondeau was born Nov. 13, 1893, in Washburn. His wife, the former Katherine Schmidt, died in December, 1940.
Surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Clara Davis, Joliet, Ill.; Mrs. Ida Talbot, Pontiac, Mich.; and Mrs. Lillian McMahon, Milwaukee, and one brother, Eugene, Denver, Colo.

Mrs. Theodore Rude
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 7 Dec. 1919; mz submitted by FoFG

WASHBURN – News has been received here by Mr. and Mrs. P. T. Rude, stating that their son’s wife, Mrs. Theodore Rude, had died at Denver, Col., Tuesday and that funeral services would be held at Dodgeville, Wis.

Ruth Skubra
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 18 Dec. 1918; transcribed by Marla Zwakman

WASHBURN, Wis., Dec. 17. – Ruth, age 8, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Skubra of East Bayfield street, died today at St. Joseph’s hospital at Ashland, where she had been taken for treatment for influenza

Father Chrysotom Verwyst
----Source: Ashland Daily Press (Ashland, Ashland County, Wis.) 27 June 1925; All articles transcribed by Marla Zwakman

Fr. Chrysostom Dies At Bayfield

Aged Priest and Missionary Passes Away After Serving Chequamegon Bay Community For Over Sixty Years
Father Chrysostom, aged priest and missionary who for over sixty years has been serving the Chequamegon Bay community, passed away last night at Bayfield.

He was eighty-three years and seven months of age, having been born in 1841.

Since 1861, when this territory was an absolute wilderness and the Civil War was hardly begun, Father Chrysostom entered upon his duties here. Ever since he has been located in this region. For some time he was priest of the Catholic church at Bayfield and has also acted as a missionary.

An “Early History of the Chequamegon Bay Region,” and a description of the voyages of Father Marquette, and other early fathers which was written by Father Chrysostom has become a standard text and a copy rests with the Wisconsin Historical Society.

At the St. Agnes rectory this afternoon it was said that at least three of the fathers from the local parish will attend the funeral, which will be held at Bayfield Friday morning.

----Source: Ashland Press (Ashland, Ashland County, Wis.) 29 June 1925

Fr. Chrysostom Came to America In 1848 On A Ship That Required 55 Days To Cross The Atlantic

A sketch of the life of Father Chrysostom, pioneer missionary among the Indians, who was buried at Bayfield yesterday, was released at Bayfield today. It follows:

Chrysostom (Adrain) Verwyst was born in Uden, a town of North Brabant, Holland, Nov. 23, 1841. The family immigrated to America in 1848, landing in Boston after spending fifty-five days on the ocean. At Boston or rather at Roxbury, near Boston, the Verwysts remained for some time then moved to Hollandtown, Brown County, Wisconsin, where they bought 60 acres of land.

Adrain (Fr. Verwyst) with his brother Cornelius worked hard all that winter with their father cutting down hardwood and other trees and in general transforming the wilderness into a prosperous little farm. They suffered all the hardships and privations of the early pioneers.

In the summer of 1859 he determined to study for priesthood and under the tutelage of the Rev. Spierings began the study of Latin, Greek and French, while still continuing to work on the farm.

After the death of his father, Rev. Spierings sent him to the Seminary of St. Francis near Milwaukee. The Civil War came on and nearly wrecked his life’s ambition of becoming a priest and missionary, but by the aid of friends he was exempt from entering the military service, and was thus enabled to continue his studies, so that he was ordained to the priesthood in 1865, on November 5.

He was first stationed at New London with Waupaca County for his field of labors. In December, 1865, he made a trip to Keshena, on horseback. In 1868, he was sent by Rt. Rev. Bishop, afterwards Archbishop Henry, to Hudson where he attended St. Croix, Polk and Pierce counties. 1872 found him at Seneca.

In 1878 Bishop Heis sent him to the Indians of the Lake Superior region as there were no missionaries in these parts at that time. Bayfield was his headquarters until the Franciscan Fathers were called upon to take charge of these regions whereupon Fr. Verwyst moved to Superior where he continued his activities for three years. At the end of this time he had acquired a great love for the Franciscan Order, by coming in contact with the Fathers, that he wished very much to join their ranks. His application for membership was accepted, he set out for Teutopolis, Illinois, where he was received into the Order Feb. 10, 1882. In 1883, he returned to Bayfield as a Franciscan. From here and later from Ashland he attended Washburn, Odanah and the Chippewa River country, also taking care of Hurley for a time.

In 1897 his health failing, he was sent to St. Louis, Mo., and later to Los Angeles, Cal. But the climate of California did not please him; he tired of the eternal sunshine as he said and at his request was sent back to his beloved Wisconsin. From Ashland he devoted his time and strength to the people of the Chippewa and the St. Croix counties.

In 1912 he began to succumb to the hardships of missionary life; owing to his weakened condition he was released from the arduous duties of the missionary and was sent to Bayfield again, where he spent his time in ministering to the souls nearby. During this time he also devoted his time to study and writing. But it was not only during these later years of his life that he studied and wrote, even during the years of his greatest activities on the missions he found time for library and research work. He is the author of quite a number of works, among them, the Life of Bishop Baraga, Chippewa Exercisers, The missionary Labors of Fathers Marquette, Menard and Allouez. These works alone would serve to stamp him as a diligent student and an industrious worker, but he has left other works that give evidence of his untiring zeal and restless energy.

Father Chrysostom Was A Real Pioneer

The passing of Father Chrysostom at Bayfield removes from Northern Wisconsin one of its earliest pioneers and one who devoted his entire life to work among the Indiana. Scattered broadcast among the Indians of Red Cliff, Bad River, Court de Oreilles and Lac du Flambeau are homes where the death of Father Chrysostom caused a real heart pang for he was a real friend of the Red man in adversity and trouble.

With the death of Father Chrysostom leaves but one of the early Indian missionaries in Northern Wisconsin. He is Father Odoric who is still able to perform his duties as a priest among the Indians although he is long past the three score years and ten allotted to the human race.

Greater love has no man than the early Catholic missionaries who came into Northern Wisconsin long before the railroads and other white men and labored among the savages, sometimes with very little to eat, no shelter of any kind and occasionally hostile Indians to contend with. They labored on, however, for the love of God with no hope of reward except “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

----Source: La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wis.) 6 July 1925

BAYFIELD, Wis. – July 6, - (AP) – in the death of Father Chrysostom Verwyst at Bayfield monastery of the Franciscan order, several days ago, Wisconsin lost a contributor to its early history and the Chippewa Indians, a life-long friend and counselor, a forthcoming issue of the Wisconsin Historical Quarterly will say.

Father Verwyst was ordained priest in 1865, and was assigned to a station not far from the Menomonie Indian reservation, in Shawano county. Thirteen years later, he was sent to Bayfield to take charge of a mission to the Chippewas of that place.
For many years, Father Verwyst was a contributor to the state historical society’s publications. In 1916, he wrote an account of his early life, in which he described his removal to America in 1848, when he was of the age of seven, and of the settlement made in Hollandtown, Brown county, Wisconsin. He became an authority on the language of the Chippewa and in 1892 contributed an article on Chippewa geographical names.

Rudolph Voll
----Source: Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, St. Louis County, Minn.) 16 Dec. 1897; transcribed by Marla Zwakman

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 15. – A special to the Journal from Ashland says: Rudolph Voll, one of the best known German citizens of Northern Wisconsin and editor of the German Herold, died early this morning at Ashland Junction.

He went to St. Paul two weeks ago, and was taken ill there. He was so much better that he started for home. Dr. Murphy of St. Paul accompanied him on the train. This morning as the train reached Ashland Junction, a few miles from here, Voll was taken suddenly worse, and died in his berth.