Surnames: Bashford, Kempin, Burdick

The Loyal Tribune 16 November 1944

Bashford, Earl M. (1 MAR 1899 - 5 NOV 1944)

Earl Marshall Bashford, 45, died early Sunday morning, Nov. 5, at Gary, Ind., his death resulting from a fall beneath a car in the yard of the U. S. Steel Company, where he was employed as a switchman. He had worked for this company for most of the past 9 years.

Mr. Bashford was born on Mar. 1, 1899, in Dane county and came to Loyal with his parents in 1902, living on a farm near the village until 1915, when the family moved into the village.

He served in the U. S. navy during World War 1. He was married to Miss Elsie Kempin of Chili on Sept, 21, 1922. Most of his married life was lived in Indiana, for many years at Hobart. He was a member of the Masonic lodge, the brotherhood of Trainmen and the American Legion, being a charter member of the Loyal post.

He is survived by his wife, his mother, Mrs. Hattie Bashford, of Loyal, and two sisters, Mrs. Ross (Hester) Burdick of Los Angeles, Cal., and Miss Edna Bashford, a teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

That by his life he had earned the highest esteem and love of devoted friends was proven by the numerous floral tributes and many words of praise. Many spoke of his cheerful disposition, while those by whom he was employed spoke especially of the manner in which he obeyed all safety rules and was always one of the most safety conscious.

Funeral services were held at Gary last Wednesday afternoon with the Rev. Johnson of the Evangelical church officiating. Masonic rites for a departed member were performed, and the Brotherhood of Trainmen and American Legion attended. The Brotherhood of Trainmen provided an escort to Loyal with the body of their deceased member.

The funeral party arrived here on Thursday morning and a military funeral was held in the Methodist church that afternoon in charge of the Loyal Legion post. The Rev. M. E. Taylor officiated and the hymns were sung by Mrs. Ray Prior, Mrs. Calvin Prior, J. R. Colby and R. B. Colby, with Mrs. Arnold Wicklund as accompanist.

Members of the Local Legion post acted as pallbearers, firing squad and color guard.

Color bearers were Charles Esselman and Henry Ryan; color guard, Frank Stange; pallbearers, Perry J. Volk, Carl Christianson, Edd Dobbe, Claude Catlin, P. F. Voight and Leo M. Meyer, firing squad, Verland A. Kauffman, Chester Smith, Emil A. Wepfer and William Murphy, with Jesse Raab as sergeant of the firing squad. Bugler was Charles Theisen.

Those who carried the flowers were Mrs. Frank Coryell, Mrs. Verland Kauffman, Mrs. Frank Oestreich, Mrs. James Bertz, Mrs. August Lemberg, Mrs. Axel Helm, Mrs. Otto Stock, Mrs. Joe Motchenbacher, Mrs. Claude Steiner, Mrs. Carl Christensen, Mrs. Douglas McPherson and Mrs. Charles Davel.

Those from outm of town who came to attend the funeral were: Mrs. Bashford, Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Davis and Gordon Shephard of Hobart, Ind.: Mrs. Ross Burdick of Los Angles, Cal,: Miss Edna Bashford of Milwaukee; Frank Beaver and Miss Emma Beaver of Sun Prairie: Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Johnson of Cottage Grove: Chauncy Hunker of Crown Point, Ind.: Mrs. Mabel Cochran and son Dick, of Warsaw, Ill.: Kenneth Seubert of Chicago: Mr. and Mrs. Al Shephard of Earlham, Ia.: Mr. and Mrs. Otto Kempin, August Kemplin, Mrs. Peter Schmidt and Mr. and Mrs. Louie Faber of Chili: Mr. and Mrs. Wellie Davis of Spencer: Mrs. Mary Graf of Janesville: Jim Davis of Eau Claire: Mr. and Mrs. Martin Krause of Granton, and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Muir and daughters, Beverly and Jean, of Marshfield.

The Tribune extends to the bereaved its sympathy in the loss of a loved one.