Obit: Wirtala, Nels (1879 – 1971)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Wirtala, Puotinen, Mayuy, Ranta, Peterson, Hakola, Anderson

---------Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 23 Sep 1971

Wirtala, Nels (18 FEB 1879 – 19 SEP 1971)

At two o'clock yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, September 22, 1971 funeral services were conducted from Bethany Lutheran Church, Owen, for Nels Wirtala, 92, of route 1, Willard (Clark Co., Wis.). The Rev. M. Puotinen, Ironwood, Michigan, officiated, with burial at Riverside Cemetery.

Mr. Wirtala died Sunday at Victory Memorial Hospital at Stanley.

Mr. Wirtala was born February 18, 1879 in Finland, and was married there in 1900 to Maria Mayuy, who died May 20, 1939. The couple came to the United States in 1900 and had resided in Minnesota and Michigan before coming to the Withee (Clark Co., Wis.) area in 1911. They operated a farm in the town of Longwood for many years.

Survivors include two sons, Henry and Wolfred, both of Waukegan, Ill.; four daughters, Mrs. Carl (Martha) Ranta, Waukegan, Ill.; Mrs. Louis (Selma) Peterson, Glendale Arizona; Mrs. Art (Gertrude) Hakola, Loyal; and Mrs. Melvin (Ruth) Anderson, Withee; 32 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by two sons and a daughter