Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-09
DEATH OF Hon. P. B. CHAMPAGNE.

| After several weeks illness, the Hon.
?. B. Champagne passed away at his
residence in Merrill, at 4:35 O'Clock
Wednesday morning July 1st, 1891 Tie
immediate cause Of his death was
''Thrombi' (blood clotsl.
! We clip the following from the Merrill
News giving a short sketch of his
business life:
P. B. Champagne was born in st.
Felix de Valois, Toilette county, Que
bee, Dec. 8, 1915, and was consequently
at the time of his death, IS years, 6
months % days of age. He emigrated
to the states i'll 1868 and entered the
employ Of Francis Biron, who at that
time was resident and prominent
/ lumberman of Grand Rapids. In the
with Isaac Stone, was engaged in the
logging business on Somo. The follow
ing spring they sold their logging outfit
to Mr.. Biron and the next winter Mr..
Champagne was again in Mr. BirOn'S
employ, experimenting his logging
interests. Sometime in the year 1868
he engaged in the mercantile business
at Wausau, which he conducted a couple
of years, when in 1870 he again engaged
in the lumber business, with Wausau as
his home and where he continued to
reside, with the exception Of a couple
years when he resided at Grandfather,
until in the fall Of 1880 he moved with
his family to this city, then the village
Of Jenny, and went into the mercantile
business where the store of LaChance
< Co. now stands. In 1881 he entered
into partnership with John Woodlocll
and the firm Of Champagne and
WoodlOck erected the present mill Of
the Champagne Lumber Co. In 1884
the partnership was dissolved and the
=. b. Champagne Lumber Co. was
organized, Of which Mr.. Champagne
was the president and active manager
up to the time of the reorganization of
the company in 1883 when the present
Champagne Lumber Co. was organized,
Of which he was the treasurer and
manager. Besides his extensive logging
and numbering interests, Mr.. Cham
pagne was actively engaged in many
other enterprises. 1t was largely owing
to his public spiritcdness that we have
the present splendid electric street
railway, of which company he was
yice-president.
FUNERAL.
The funeral was one Of the largest
ever held in The city of Merrill. A
special train left Babcock on the morn
ing of the 5th, which carried delegations
from this city, Stevens Point, Wausau
and other Intermediate stations. When
the train reached Merrill it delivered
about 500 visitors made up of Knight
Templars, mas' rs and friends of the
deceased. The following named per-
sons went from the twin cities:
Knight Templars:-Wm. Hooper,
Lem Kroner, &. j. Jackson, Robt and
John Parrish, Geo. n. Wood, c. y
Spencer, W. 7. Jones, Capt. Mennett,
z. l.. Tbbits, Mr.. Mcmillan.
Masons and citizens:-N. Johnson,
John Daily, W. G. Martin, Mr.. and Mrs.
Dr.. Witter, Jos. Martin, \. J.. Fontaine,
Dan. ST., Dan. Jr., and Richard Rain,
and perhaps others whom the writer
has overlooked.
The funeral services were very i'm
pressive and were in charge of the
Knight Templar order. The procession
was headed by the Third Regiment
Band, Of Wausau, and was over mile
in length. The floral decorations at the
Rink were elaborate, beautiful and
expensive The interior of the build
ing was heavily draped with black and
white bunting arranged in an artistic
manner. The religious services were
conducted by the united clergy Of
Merrill, after which the Knight Temp
lars took charge. 1t looked as if the
whole people of that beautiful city
were out to pay their last respects to
one who had been an honored one
among them.