52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #4: William Davis Farnsworth

Hi everyone.  Hope you are doing well.  Here is this weeks installment for the 52 Ancestors challenge.  I hope you are enjoying them!

                My third great-grandfather, William Davis Farnsworth was born on 28 March 1853 in Jasper, Newton County, Arkansas.  His father was William W. Farnsworth and his mother was Martha Emiline Henderson.  William W. was born in Pennsylvania and Martha in Tennessee.  The couple was married in Missouri before moving to and settling in Arkansas.  William Davis was the fifth of nine children born to the couple.  William Davis’s father was a school teacher and the postmaster in Jasper.  People say that is because he was the only male in Jasper who could read and write. 

                When the Civil War broke out the Farnsworth family found themselves in a serious situation.  Arkansas is a southern state and William W. was a Union sympathizer.  Soon it was no longer safe for William W. to stay in Jasper.  Bushwackers, who killed all males, young or old, if they did not support the Confederacy were quickly on to William W.  So William W. left for Columbia County, Wisconsin, where his brother lived.  Martha soon followed with the nine children, their cattle and all the possessions.  Along the way, much of their possessions were stolen by the Bushwackers.  Also, along the way tragedy struck when Martha and one of her daughters died in Savannah, Illinois, of diphtheria.  The remainder of the children including William Davis continued on by themselves to Wisconsin. 

                By the time of the 1870 United States census, William Davis had already been though a lot.  In 1870 he was a sixteen year old working on a farm in Caledonia, Columbia, Wisconsin.  In the early 1870s, he went to visit his sister, Mary, in Iowa.  There he met Catherine McDonald, daughter of John and Catherine Ann McDonald.  William Davis and Catherine were married on 18 June 1874 in Delhi, Delaware, Iowa.  After they were married, they settled in Caledonia, Wisconsin, and to this union, twelve children were born – eight boys and four girls.  According to the census records, William was a farmer while in Caledonia.  All of the children seemed to have been raised on the family farm.

                On 10 June 1905, at the age of forty-nine, Catherine passed away following a short illness.  At the time there were still six children living at home – the youngest was five years old.  In 1921, son Ira passed away from a burst appendix.  By 1930, William was seventy-three, retired and living with his youngest two children.  On 4 March 1931, William passed away at his home in Caledonia.  According to the newspaper he had been in failing health the last few years of his life, however was well on the day of his death.  William and Catherine are both buried at the Welsh Cemetery in Portage, Columbia County, Wisconsin. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #3: Felix Nelles

Hello everyone!  I hope you are well.  As promised, today is the biography about Felix Nelles, my father's paternal grandfather.  He was one of the great-grandparents I did not know.  I hope you enjoy!

                Felix was born on 20 June 1906 in Quincy, Grant, Washington.  His parents were Matt and Beata (Hoffman) Nelles.  Felix was the second of six children and the only one born in the state of Washington.  Early on the family seemed to move quite a bit:  Felix’s sister was born in Minnesota in 1905, Felix in Washington in 1906, sister Melitta was born in Minnesota in 1908, in 1910 they were enumerated in the United States census in Washington, in 1912 back to Minnesota where brother Clarence was born.  In 1919, the family went to Texas but did not stay long.  The land they invested in was worthless, Beata could not adjust to the climate, and it is possible that Felix had a brush with rheumatic fever.  Finally when the 1920s came around, they settled in Wisconsin and stayed there.  One more brother, Max, was born in Wisconsin in 1923.

                On 10 May 1927 Felix married Esther Michels who was the daughter of Nickolaus and Tillie (Michaelis) Michels.  They were married at Corpus Christi Catholic church in the town where they both resided.  The 1930 United States Census for Lincoln Township, Wood, Wisconsin, shows the family quickly growing.  Felix and Esther are joined by sons Harold and Dwaine.  Also living close by are Esther’s parents and grandparents.  Felix and Esther are renting their home for $12.  He is working as a blacksmith.   The home that they rented was an apartment above the blacksmith shop where Felix worked.  The owner of the shop was Esther’s father, Nick. 

                The 1930s kept Felix and Esther busy as three more children joined the family:  Edward (my grandfather) in 1931, June in 1933, and Ethel in 1935.  Felix became known as one of the best mechanics in the area – he could diagnose the problem a car was having just by listening to it drive up the road.  Unfortunately, he also suffered from a heart ailment possibly brought on by his brush with rheumatic fever.  My grandfather said they called it a leaking heart back that.  He would easily get tired and have to rest often. 

                Tragedy struck the family when in 1939 Dwaine got an ear infection which quickly turned into mastoiditis.  Before antibiotics became more common in 1942, this was one of the leading causes of death in children.  Unfortunately for Felix and Esther, it claimed their son in January of 1940 shortly after his tenth birthday.  The 1940 US Census finds the family still in Lincoln Township.  Felix is now listed as a trucker for an ice and fuel yard.  Under the employment section he does state that for a time in the last year he was unable to work presumably due to health issues.   Children Ethel and Edward remember their father being sick quite often and hospitalized.  If work required him to go up and down stairs, he would get winded fast and have to take time off.  According to Edward, Felix also had to make regular trips to Milwaukee via bus to the draft board.  They would not take his doctor’s word that he had a heart ailment, so would have to go for a physical every thirty days in order to not get drafted into World War II.

                On 3 December 1943, Felix was admitted to the hospital.  Edward remembered him getting pneumonia from having to walk to a doctor’s appointment in the rain.  Apparently construction was being done on the road and he was not able to drive on it.  I do not know if this is what led to his hospitalization or if this was earlier on.  Felix passed away on 13 December 1943 in Marshfield, Wood, Wisconsin, at age 37.  He was survived by his wife and five children:  Harold, Edward, June, Ethel, and newest addition, Jerry who was only eleven months when his dad passed.  Felix is buried in Bakerville, Wood, Wisconsin, at the Corpus Christi Catholic cemetery. 

                

52 Ancestors #2: Blanche Ethel Wittke

Hello again!  As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to know six of my eight great-grandparents.  The two I did not know will be the subjects of the next two biographies.  I hope you enjoy and as always, look forward to your comments.  Thanks!

            One of only two great-grandparents I never met was Blanche Ethel Wittke.  She was my mother’s maternal grandmother.  Blanche was born on 10 January 1908, in Clark County, Wisconsin to August Wittke, Junior and Ethel Schummel.  August was born in Illinois and Ethel in Wisconsin.  In the 1910 United States census, August, Ethel and Blanche were living in Pine Valley, Clark, Wisconsin, where August was a farmer.  

            The 1920s saw a lot of change in Blanche’s life.  The 1920 US census shows her and her family living in Levis, Clark, Wisconsin.  Blanche is twelve years old and is now joined by two year old sister Olga.  On 14 May 1924, at age sixteen, Blanche married my great-grandfather, Carl Heinrich Sternitzky who was twenty-eight years old.  They were married at the Mapleworks Lutheran Church in Granton, Clark, Wisconsin.  Less than a year later, their first son, Duane, was born.  Two more children were born in the 1920s – Arlene in 1926 and Shirley in 1929.

            According to the 1930 census, Carl and Blanche were living in the township of Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin.  Carl was a farmer while Blanche took care of the children.  The addition of three more children kept the household busy:  Douglas was born in 1931, Patty (my grandmother) in 1936, and finally, Donald in 1937.   However, about six months after Donald was born, Blanche left the family.  Though I do not know for sure, Blanche may have suffered from postpartum depression.  She did say she was overwhelmed having six children so young – she was not yet thirty when Donald was born. 

            According to her obituary, she moved to Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota, in 1938 where she was employed by a hospital.  According to my mother, Blanche worked in the dietary department.  She remained employed there until her retirement in 1970.  The 1940 US census shows Blanche living in Rochester with her new husband, Irving Payne.  He is forty-nine years old (compared to her thirty-two years) and he works in construction.  According to the census, Blanche is a maid in a private home.  I do not know if she had this maid job before working in the hospital or if she held both jobs for awhile. 

            I do not know much about Blanche’s life after the 1940 census.  I know she was married to Irving until his death in 1962, but they had no children of their own.  After her retirement in 1970 she moved to Neillsville, Clark, Wisconsin.  She married Arnold Sternitzky on 10 January 1972 and in 1974 they moved to Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  Blanche lived there until her death on 10 July 1979 from an apparent heart attack.  She is buried in Rochester with Irving.

            I do know that after leaving Carl, she sued for custody of her two youngest children, but Carl retained custody of all of the children.  She did reach out to her children while they were growing up.  The younger ones were more receptive but maybe that is because she brought them candy!  She was not always invited to family occasions, in consideration to Carl, but as years went on, and grandchildren were added to the mix, she was included more.  The grandchildren referred to her as Grandma Payne.

           

            

52 Ancestors: Albert Carl Sternitzky

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  One of my New Year's resolution is to do more writing.  So I want to tackle the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge again and try to do a better job.  Hopefully I will get fifty-two biographies done this year.  The first one I am posting is about Albert Carl Sternitzky.  I hope you enjoy and I look forward to your feedback!

                My great-great-grandfather Albert Carl Sternitzky was born on 10 March 1862 in Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin.  He was a first generation American – his grandfather, grandmother, and their children emigrated from Silesia, Prussia, in 1840.  The family spent a winter in Buffalo, New York, before traveling through the Great Lakes and settling in Milwaukee.  In 1856, after securing land farther north in Clark County, the family left Milwaukee.  The Sternitzky family was one of the pioneering families in that part of the county. 

                Albert was the first born child to Charles Friedrich Sternitzky and Catherine Miller.  He was born on the family farm in 1862.  He would later be joined by brother Wilhelm (William) and sisters Anna and Phoebe.   In the 1870 United States census, Albert is eight years old and living with his family on the farm in Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin.  His father is a farmer with real estate valued at $800.  They are surrounded by family – there are many Sternitzkys on that same page and all through the township of Lynn.  The 1880 US census shows Albert at eighteen years of age, living with his family in the Town of Lynn.  His father is still farming, his mother is keeping house, and Albert is in school along with his three siblings.  I assume all of this information is correct as Albert’s father, Charles, was the enumerator. 

                On 27 May 1885, Albert married Louise Ernestine Garbisch, daughter of John and Dorothea Garbisch.  Louise was born in Lynn on 7 May 1864.  Albert and Louise were married at the Zion Lutheran “Mapleworks” church in Lynn.  Albert and Louise had six children:  Oscar, Arthur, Louis, Alvin, Carl (my great grandfather) and Rudolph.  All of the boys, except Arthur, lived to adulthood.

                The 1895 Wisconsin, 1900 US, 1905 Wisconsin, 1910 US and 1920 US census all show a familiar pattern.  The children grow up and move out and by 1920 it is just Albert, Louise and son Rudolph still on the farm.  Albert continues to farm, but he also has an apple orchard and he also produced maple syrup.  Somewhere along the line, he built and operated a tavern/store called Orchard Inn (the building no long exists).     

                The 1920s were a little difficult for Albert.  On 12 January 1921, Louise passed away.  According to the newspaper, the cause of death was trichinosis, an illness caused by eating undercooked pork.  In 1923, it was reported in a local newspaper that Albert was seriously injured when he was driving into his yard in a milk wagon and was hit by “an automobile at a terrific rate”.  The accident caused Albert to fly out of the wagon and into a ditch.  According to the paper he was a “large, heavy man and it is believed he is injured internally”.  He did break an arm in four places, but the paper doesn’t report any other serious injuries.  Albert was taken to the hospital and luckily someone reported the license plate of the driver. 

                The 1930 US census shows Albert living alone on his farm in Lynn.  It does seem that his son Carl is living close as he is the next family listed.  Albert passed away on 21 September 1931 at his home in Lynn.  He was 69 years old. 

Dr. Abraham Lincoln Farnsworth

Hello everyone!  I hope you are enjoying your fall.  It has been awhile since my last post and I hope to post more in the future.  As always, please feel free to leave comments (or suggestions as to where to take my research!).

            Abraham Lincoln Farnsworth was born on 28 May 1866 in the Caledonia Township of Columbia County, Wisconsin.  He was the eldest of John Robert Farnsworth and Christina Scherf’s ten children. Abraham is my first cousin five times removed – meaning his father, John Robert, and my four times great grandfather, William W. Farnsworth were brothers.  Now you may be wondering why I am researching such a distant relative?  Well my grandmother was given a newspaper article about a Dr. Farnsworth (no first name mentioned) at a recent family reunion.  It was one of those “100 years ago today” write ups – Dr. Farnsworth had reported seeing a black bear while on his way home.  My grandmother gave it to me and asked me to figure out who this Dr. Farnsworth was (and I was property bribed with homemade tapioca pudding!!!)

             So here is what I found and reported back to Grandma.  Through the 1880 United States Census, Abraham is living at home with his parents.  He is attending school and working on the farm.  According to his biography in the Sauk County history book, he graduated from the Milwaukee Medical college (now Marquette University) in 1900.  The 1900 census shows him living in Baraboo, Sauk, Wisconsin, alone, where he is a doctor.  He sees the previously mentioned bear in 1908.  In the 1910 US Census for Baraboo, Sauk, Wisconsin, he is 43, married and still working as a doctor.  Here’s where we hit a little road bump.  It states he has been married for four years and it is his second wife. 

            I knew that Abraham had married Elsie Poppe – a family member who also did genealogy shared that information with me, but we had the year as 1907.  That information was stated in a Sauk County history book.  No other place had that Abraham had been married before so I checked the Wisconsin Historical Society and they had two marriage licenses for Abraham with two different ladies.  I ordered both (along with his obituary) and continued my search. 

            The 1910 Baraboo City Directory had three listings for Abraham.  He was listed as the county’s health officer for the Board of Health.  He had a personal listing which also mentioned Elsie (though they had it as Essie), and their two daughters, Ida and Ruth.  The third was the listing for his practice. 

            Continuing with census research I found the family listed in the 1920 US Census still in Baraboo.  Not much has changed except they have added two sons to the family:  Beech and John.  The 1930 census still finds them in Baraboo except the daughters, Ida and Ruth, have moved out.  Beech and John remain at home.  The 1940 census threw me for a loop.  I had the information that Abraham had died in April, but there he was listed in the 1940 census which was taken on 2 May!  I figured my death date information must be wrong – and then I noticed there was a lot of writing on the census form by the column that normally just says list name here.  Upon closer inspection, the column states to list everyone in the household as of 1 April 1940. 

            According to the obituary I received from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Abraham died on 20 April 1940 and was buried at Tucker Cemetery in Sauk County, Wisconsin.  He was a member of the state medical society, the county medical society, the American Medical Association, Odd Fellows and the Mystic Workers of the World.  The obituary states that he had a part in bringing into the world 2,310 babies and performed or assisted in 1,500 operations.  The obituary also lists his survivors – his wife and five children.  Five children? 

            This takes me back to the two marriage licenses I requested.  The first was from 20 January 1904 between Abraham L. Farnsworth and Emma Farnsworth.  The details about Abraham match what I have – parents, occupation, birth place, but who is Emma (and why does it say her name previous to marriage is Farnsworth??)?  The second marriage is to Elsie Poppe and takes place on 19 October 1905. 

            I did a quick search in the 1910 census to see if maybe Emma and Abraham had divorced and I could find Emma living on her own or with her parents.  And I found her with her parents, listed as Emma Neuman.  She was back in her hometown – but listed at the bottom of the household was a Florence Farnsworth – granddaughter.   Emma is listed as single with one child.  So I went back to the obituary – all the daughters are listed as Mrs. Husband’s Name so I plugged those names into Ancestry.com and the 1940 census.  And there was Florence.  So while Florence is not mentioned in the biography written about Abraham Lincoln Farnsworth in the history of Sauk County, she is mentioned in the obituary. 

            I did search familysearch.org and they had a 3 March 1897 marriage listed for Emma Newmann and Abraham Lincoln Farnsworth.  Florence was born in August of 1897.  So this leaves me with more questions!  Were Abraham and Emma married in 1897?  Why didn’t the Wisconsin Historical Society have that record in the pre-1907 database?  Why did Abraham state in the 1900 census he was single?  Did they split up and then reconcile in 1904 only to split up again?  Were Abraham and his daughter Florence close?  Do any of Florence’s descendents alive today know any of these answers??  I can’t wait to see what I find……..

            

#52 Ancestors: My great grandfather Carl Sternitzky

Hello everyone!  I am back!!!  Sorry for the long delay in posts -- things have been crazy around here.  Awhile ago I had read a post or a tweet about great grandparents and it got me thinking.  I was so lucky to know six of my eight grandparents.  My younger cousins aren't as lucky and so I wanted to pass to them and future generations some of the fun memories that my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and I have of them.  So I set off gathering stories -- and it was so much fun.  People say they don't have any good stories, but with a few prompts or questions, they are off to the races.  So without further ado, my first story infused biography on my great grandfather Carl Heinrich Sternitzky.....

            My great-grandfather, Carl Heinrich Sternitzky, was born on 13 January 1896 in the town of Lynn in Clark County, Wisconsin.  He was the fifth of six sons born to Albert Carl Sternitzky and Louise Garbisch.  

            Carl attended school in Clark County and finished the seventh grade.  His family farmed and Carl followed suit.  The 1920 United States Census for Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin, shows Carl living by himself on his own farm.  He had struck out on his own by 23. 

            On 14 May 1924, Carl married Blanche Ethel Wittke at the Mapleworks Lutheran Church in Granton, Clark, Wisconsin.  Blanche’s family thought Carl would be a successful match for Blanche as he had his own farm.  Between 1925 and 1937, Carl and Blanche had six children:  Duane, Arlene, Shirley, Douglas, Patty (my grandmother), and Donald.  A few months after Donald was born, Blanche left the family.  Probably suffering from post-partum depression, she said she was just overwhelmed being so young with six children – she was not yet 30 years old. 

            The 1940 U.S. Census has Carl living in Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin.  He is divorced (he filed and received custody of the children – Blanche did seek custody of the two youngest, but did not receive it).  He lists his occupation as a farmer.  According to daughter Patty (Sternitzky) Farnsworth, not long after she was born in 1936, Carl also began selling insurance for Lynn Mutual (a company his grandfather founded).  She said that he rode with the milkman to sell his first policy which was for life insurance.  Listed in the household are the four oldest children, but the two youngest (including my grandmother) were missing.  I asked my grandmother about this and she said that maybe they were hiding.  Apparently when anyone official-looking came to the house, the younger children would hide because they were afraid they would be taken away from their father.  However, after a little more searching, I did find the two younger children staying with their maternal grandparents (they would sometimes visit for a week or two at a time). 

            My grandmother said that her father made sure his children went to school and church.  Even if the kids were out the night before, they were expected to be up for church and Sunday school every weekend.  Though they didn’t have much money when she was little (late 1930s-early 1940s), he always made sure they had new clothes for school and for the church Christmas program.  He instilled in them the importance of family and they spent nearly every weekend with his brothers and their children. 

            After the kids were grown, Carl remarried in 1962.  He and his new wife Elizabeth Buchsteiner had no children together.

            As part of this biography and the others of my great grandparents, I wanted to speak with my aunts, uncles, parents, etc to get stories and recollections about their grandparents.  Everyone I spoke to remembered Carl as a kind, gentle man who loved his family dearly.  He didn’t yell at people and he didn’t talk poorly of anyone.  Everyone talked about how he would take anyone who wanted to a Milwaukee Braves/Brewers game.  He would buy everyone tickets and once everyone got there, he would buy whatever snacks you wanted.  He loved Leinenkugel’s beer in bottles (which he told me was root beer), Copenhagen (which he would tell his grandchildren was candy), and telling stories.  He had an amazing memory for not only people’s names but also for stories and poems.  My uncle remembers him telling stories in German when they were camping and everyone remembers him reciting a clock poem (which has been recorded).  All of his children would come together every year for his birthday and enjoy his favorite dishes:  oyster stew, potato dumplings and poppy seed dumplings (or as they are known in our family:  zee zee zee zee zum zums).  My mom said that every Christmas Eve, after they finished their church program, they would take a present out to their grandpa.  He always had oranges, peanuts, candy and money for the kids.  Carl never wore blue jeans instead opting for slacks, a button up shirt, tie, jacket and a nice hat.  Religion was very important to him.  My aunt remembers her and her mom taking Carl to a special church service that was conducted in German.  He remembered all the old German songs and prayers and he really enjoyed that. 

            Carl Heinrich Sternitzky passed away on 24 January 1985 at Neillsville Memorial Hospital in Neillsville, Clark, Wisconsin.  His cause of death was a stroke.  He was buried in Neillsville.  I think my great grandpa would be proud that a lot of what he instilled in his children has passed down to my generation and beyond.  Our family is our number one priority, we try to be compassionate, hard working people, and we contribute to our communities…..and just like Great Grandpa Carl we love to tell stories, laugh, and eat a lot of potato dumplings. 

           

            

#52 Ancestors: The Sad Fate of Adam Specht

Hello everyone!  Life sure has been crazy and once again I have fallen behind on the #52 Ancestors challenge.  Today's post is about Adam Specht, my first cousin 4x removed.  I found the story that I am telling after the Marshfield (WI) Public Library finished a name index of all the local papers.  I used the online index to find all my surnames and when I was home, I went to the library and printed every article I could find -- family or not.  Hope you enjoy reading this story and as always, I welcome your comments.

            Adam Specht was born 4 August 1870 in Liberty, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Jacob and Margaret (Ketter) Specht.  He was the third child out of eleven.  The Spechts were farmers who had immigrated to the United States from Prussia in the 1850s.  In 1870, the family had real estate valued at $3,000 and their home was also home to three boarders – two from Prussia and one from Hesse-Darmstadt.  By 1880, the family had moved to Marshfield, Wood, Wisconsin, where they continued to farm. 

            The 1900 United States Census shows Adam living in the City of Marshfield.  He has been married for five years to Mary Matejowitz.  They have a four year old “boarder” listed also.  I believe that it is possible that this boarder is in fact a child the couple adopted.  Adam is listed as a lumber man.

            Unfortunately, fate intervened on 17 July 1901, when Adam was killed in a logging train accident.  The description given by the Marshfield News on 18 July 1901 (page 1, column 2) was like one I had never read.  I am including it here:

            Adam Specht left his home on North Depot street yesterday morning at six o'clock to go out as brakeman on the Upham logging train and was brought back one hour and a half later with both legs crushed and in a dying condition.

            The sad accident occurred at Romeo and was witnessed by but one person, Engineer Frank Luckenbach.  Specht stood on the pilot as the engine pulled out of a spur and was thrown head foremost between the rails by a violent jar, which after investigation was found to have been caused by a defective "blind" switch.  The engineer saw him fall and speedily brought the engine to a standstill but not before the unfortunate man had received fatal injuries.  He was rolled over and over in front of the pilot and when the train crew reached him the lower portion of his body was under the engine between the pilot and the forward wheels.  Both limbs to the knees were crushed to a shapeless mass.  The injured man was carried to the caboose and strong cords wound tightly above the bruised portion of the limbs to check the flow of blood, after which a lightning trip was made to Marshfield.

            E.E. Finney, of the Upham Co., had received a telephone message and was on hand with a conveyance and physicians.  When Specht was taken from the train at the depot here he was suffering intensely but bore up with great fortitude.  Several friends stepped forward and sympathetically pressed his hand.  To one, Officer Griffin, Specht remarked "hard luck, eh Mike?"  He said he realized death was near and requested the driver to turn up North Depot street that he might look upon his home for the last time.  When the house was reached and his gaze rested upon the happy home he had left less than two hours before tears welled to his eyes.  Before reaching St. Joseph's hospital the injured man gave evidence that his fife was ebbing fast.  He complained that he was becoming deathly cold and asked that the horses be urged to all possible speed. 

            At the hospital the heartbroken parents, wife, brothers and sisters of the young man gathered about his bedside.  It was a most pathetic scene which will never fade from the memories of those who were present.  The only person he recognized was John Gauger, a fellow brakeman for many years on the logging train, who stood head bowed, with tears coursing down his cheeks, and brushed back the hair from his dying comrade's forehead.  Adam Specht breathed his last about 8:30 o'clock a.m.  The crushed limbs were not amputated as the attending physicians realized there was no hope of saving his life.

            The deceased was one of eleven children of ex-Supervisor Jacob Specht, an old and highly respected resident of this city.  The family settled on a farm in the town of Marshfield twenty-one years ago and in 1891 moved to this city.  Adam was 30 years of age and had been employed as brakeman on the logging train for the past twelve years.  The officers of the Upham Co. state that he was one of the most faithful and conscientious men in their employ.  Seven years ago he was married to Miss Mary Mattowitz.  They have no children, but adopted a girl several years ago.  His brothers and sisters are:  Mrs. Michael Noonan of Tomahawk, J.M. Specht of Cornielle, Neb., Philip, George, Henry, Joseph, Jacob and Miss Rosa Specht of this city.  Deceased was a member of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and carried a life insurance policy of $1000 in the order.  The funeral will be held tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock from St. John's Catholic church.  The C.K. of W. lodge will attend in a body.  The bereaved family and relatives have the sympathy of the entire community in their bereavement.