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Bio: Dittner, Esther (Birthday - 1983)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Dittner, Englebretson

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/19/1983

Dittner, Esther (Birthday – 30 April 1983)

Celebrating her 90th birthday was Esther Dittner of Merrillan on Saturday, April 30. She was born April 30, 1893, in the Town of Sherman in Clark County to Mr. and Mrs. Christ Englebretson. She moved to the Greenwood area with her parents and attended schools there. In 1908, she married Rudolph Dittner, and they farmed in the Loyal area until his death in the early 1930s. She has resided in Merrillan since the early 1950s.

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Bio: Weber, Judith Ann (Engagement – Dec 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Weber, Markow

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 04 Jan 1978

Mr. and Mrs. Francis Weber, Dorchester, announce the engagement of their daughter, Judith Ann, to Wayne M. Markow, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Markow of Medford. Both young people are 1976 graduates of Medford Senior High School.

Wedding plans are indefinite.

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Obit: Meier, Alma (1894 – 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Meier, Schmidt, Handel, Newton, Wentzka, Elstead, Thomsen, Eckerstrom, Prosen, Custer, Ludwig, Reiter

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 04 Jan 1978

Meier, Alma (25 Dec 1894 – 31 Dec 1977)

Mrs. George (Alma) Meier, Dorchester, was pronounced dead on arrival at Memorial Hospital in Medford at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 1977, after suffering an apparent heart attack at her home. She was 83 years old.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 4, 1978 at 1:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Stetsonville. The Rev. Russell Schmidt will officiate and burial will follow in Colby Memorial Cemetery. The Maurina Funeral Home in Dorchester is in charge of arrangements.

The former Alma Handel was born December 25, 1894 in Rhinelander. She married James Newton, who died in 1937, on May 7, 1913. Prior to her marriage to George Meier, who survives, she lived in Moorhead, Minnesota. The couple farmed in the Town of Mayville, and later moved to rural Medford, where they resided until moving to Dorchester. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and its mission group.

In addition to her husband she is survived by three sons, Lynn Newton, Phillips, Ervin, San Antonio, and Lowell, Marshall, Wisconsin; two daughters, Mrs. Frank (Caroline) Wentzka and Mrs. Col. F. B. (Alda) Elstead, both of Atlanta; one stepson, Alfred Meier, Bristol, Wisconsin, and four stepdaughters, Mrs. Beverly Thomsen, Dorchester, Mrs. Lola Eckerstrom, Dorchester, Mrs. Ruth Prosen, Waukegan, Mrs. Dorothy Custer, Bethesda, Maryland.

Two sisters, Mrs. George (Meta) Ludwig, Milwaukee and Mrs. Edward (Caroline) Reiter, Kenosha, 19 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, 9 step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren also survive.

Memorial may be made to Zion Lutheran Church at Stetsonville.

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News: Clark Co – 4 Achieve Dean’s List from UW River Falls (Dec 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Caskey, Drier, Mielke, Pinter, Germanson

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

The University of Wisconsin – River Falls fall quarter Dean’s List, honoring 661 students, announced recently by Registrar Melvin Germanson, included five area students.

Gaining the academic honors were Bradley Caskey, 309 N. 2nd, Colby, Carol Drier, Route 1, Colby,  Richard Mielke, Route 1, Colby, with a perfect grade point of 4.0, and Jeffrey Pinter, Route 1, Abbotsford.

To be named to the UW-River Falls Dean’s List, a student must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5, on a 4.0 scale, or midway between an “A” and “B” average. A total of 153 students earned a grade point of 4.0, or straight “A” average, this fall.

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Bio: Tellock, Rev. & Mrs. Roger – Leaving Curtiss (Jan 1978)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Tellock

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

The Rev. and Mrs. Roger Tellock will be leaving after serving the Curtiss area for the last 16 years. The Tellocks, who have served the churches longer than anyone in their 95 year history, will be moving to Sheboygan Falls. Members of his family will remain in the area, assuring occasion visits from the Tellocks.

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Bio: Kraut, Donald – Sells Interest in Funeral Home Business (Jan 1978)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Kraut, Maurina Polnaszek, Schroeder, Hoepper

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

Donald Kraut, Curtiss, has sold his interest in the funeral homes at Abbotsford, Dorchester and Owen to his business associate, James Maurina of Dorchester. Maurina became the sole owner of the three first beginning January 1, 1978.

Maurina, who has been in business in Dorchester since 1962, purchased an interest in the Hoepper-Kraut Funeral Home in Owen in 1973, when Wm. Hoepper retired. In June of 1975 Kraut and Maurina became owners of the former Polnaszek Funeral Home at Abbotsford.

Maurina has announced his wife, Barbara, who is an RN with Clark County Nursing Service, to his staff, and Russell Schroeder, Wisconsin Rapids, a September graduate of the Cincinnati Mortuary College. Schroeder is presently living in Dorchester.

“It is my aim to continue the best service possible for the public in this given area, and we will strove to maintain the dignified service we have provided in the past,” says Maurina.

Kraut, who was affiliated with the funeral home at Thorp, owned the funeral home in Dorchester for three years prior to entering the Army in 1942. In 1954, he and Wm. Hoepper opened the funeral home at Owen.

Kraut state he does not have any business plans for the immediate future, but will be doing some traveling.

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Bio: Svoboda, Melissa Louise (Birth – 6 Jan 1978)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Svoboda, Kloth, Schwartz

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Svoboda, Stetsonville, are the parents of a daughter born January 6, 1978 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was named Melissa Louise.

Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Svoboda, Colby, and Mr. and Mrs. Lester Kloth, Dorchester. Great-grandparents are Mrs. Clara Schwartz, Dorchester and Mrs. Mary Kloth, Wausau.

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Bio: Mueller, Richard – Earns Master’s Degree (17 Dec 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Mueller

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

Richard Mueller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mueller, Colby, received his Master’s Degree in Vocation Rehabilitation from UW-Stout, Menomonie, December 17, 1977. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education December 16, 1976 from UW-Oshkosh.

He and his wife Cheryl have one son.

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News: Colby – Honors to 4 Royal Neighbors Members (3 Jan 1978)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Pacholke, Duvall, Steinwand, Will

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

Four members of the Colby Royal Neighbors were given grand honors for having perfect attendance records during 1977 at the organization’s meeting on Tuesday, January 3, 1978. They were: Tillie Pacholke, Madeline Duvall, Caroline Steinwand and Evelyn Will.

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Bio: Schmidt, Donell – Engagement (Dec 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Schmidt, Bedroske

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Jan 1978

Mr. and Mrs. Donald F. Schmidt Sr., Colby, announce the engagement of their daughter, Donell, to David Bedroske, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Bedroske, Dorchester.

Miss Schmidt graduated from Mukwonago Senior High School in 1972 and is presently employed at Colonial House of Colby. Her fiancé, a 1971 graduate of Colby High School and a 1976 graduate of La Crosse College, is employed at Bartnik Trucking.

An April 22, 1978 wedding has been set.

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