Obit: Reil, George (1815 - 1899)

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Surnames: REIL SEITZ GEIST FIELDING

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 01/05/1899

Reil, George (7 OCT 1815 - 1 JAN 1899)

Died, at the home of his son Joseph, in the town of Colby, Clark Co., Wis., Sunday night, Jan. 1st, 1899, George Reil, in the 84th year of his age.

Mr. Reil was born at Steinsburg, Bavaria, Oct. 7th, 1815, and was united in marriage with Miss Anna Seitz, who survives him, in October 1847; in 1875 he came to America with his family, (except a son and a daughter who had preceded him a couple of years), and came direct to Milwaukee; in March 1876, he came to Colby and located on Section one, on the farm now occupied by his son James, and was the first settler on that section, but of late years has made his home with his son Joseph on the adjoining farm.

He was the father of 9 children, 4 sons and 5 daughters, of whom three sons, Joseph and James, here, and Michael of Chicago, and two daughters, Mrs. Peter Geist of Boyd, and Mrs. Thomas Fielding of Bruce, with the aged widow, survive him, and were present at the funeral which occurred from St. Kilian’s Church, yesterday, Rev. G. Vadder officiating.

Mr. Reil was known to nearly everybody hereabouts, as a genial, honest old gentleman and everybody liked him. He always seemed happy and always had a smile and pleasant greeting for his acquaintances. The past summer and fall he was unusually jolly and happy and even up to Christmastime. On that day he remarked to his son that he felt so good and his health was so good he believed he would live to be a hundred years old, and yet in just ten days he was carried to his last resting place. He was taken, last Thursday, with a bad cold and grip and failed rapidly from that time until he breathed his last about 10 o’clock Sunday night.