Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-02-12
FUNERAL OF AUGUST LEMKE.

Oh w i1lCl AOOIs 1C " NAOSAs
the funeral of Captain August Lemke
took place from the old home of de-
ceased, corner of Fourth and jackson
streets. 1t was very largely attended
by his old friends and neighbors and
was conducted by Rev. f. Schaer, of
st. Paufs German Lutheran Evangel-
ical church. The Lying members of
the first volunteer fire department of
Wausau, met at the Hotel Northern, by
request of ex-president G. H Mueller,
and attended the funeral in body. AS
before stated the old friends named by
Capt. Lemke, acted as pail bearers, viz:
Anton Dern, Conrad Althen, John
Merklein, Sr., Gotlieb kurth, Herman
Lemke, and Gustave Mueller The
remains were followed to their last rest
ing place in the Wausau cemetery by
large concourse of friends and at the
grave, Hon. Louis Marchetti, who was
at the head of the old volunteer fire
department for two years, paid the fol-
lowing eloquent tribute to the departed:
FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITIZENS
We stand at the bier of citizen and
friend whom we have known Intimately
and loved long and we'll. He was one
Of those brave, generous, daring and
whole-souled pioneers who have opened
up wilderness for thousands to follow,
who, protiting by the toll of the piO-
neers, have found homes and comfort
and happiness.
There are but few men still living
who, like the deceased, have seen Wau-
sau grow from mere trading post to
the prominent position it now occupies
in the sisterhoOd of cities of our proud
early youth TO his ripe old age, was
spent here. His life was like an open
book, that could be read by everybody
AT this bier the injunction to speak
only good of the dead becomes insignifi-
cant, because there is no one who could
truthfully say ought against him.
August Lemke never knowingly
wronged man, woman or child in his
life; not even in thought, much less in
act or deed.
In his prime of life his body was that
of giant; yet his soul was that of
child, harmless, guileless, innocent. He
never harbored malice never knew
what it was. Like all human beings. |
he had his joys and his sorrows, his
comforts, his trials and tribulations, but
he was never eXuberant in his happi- |
ness, nor bitter in his grief.
He was an intensely loyal and patri-
Otic citizen. He loved his family and |
brought up his children as good, useful
and honest citizens, not drones in soci-
ETY.. Next TO his family he loved this !
place, his home, and gave his best
thoughts and many months, yes. even |
years, to the service of the community, |
without any compensation.
Who is there that has done more |
than that? How few are there that
have done as much as that. For more |
than twenty years he was an active fire.
man in the volunteer fire department of |
Wausau, and during the whCle of that
time second in command and only his |
mOdesty prevented him from assuming |
first place, which he would have filled |
with equal honor and credit 10 himself |
and benefit to the community.
Often have we seen him enshrouded |
by smoke and surrounded by flames, |
fighting fire, drenched through and |
through, in a cold winter night and |
never finch. He never sent a man to a
place of danger where he would not go
himself.
He served his city and his county in
other capacities as we'll, but he was one
of those quiet. silent men, who rather
shun than court publicity or notoriety.
1t therefore becomes our duty. the |
duty OF those who knew him so well, to
speak at the grave of his merits and |
proclaim them to the younger genera
tiOn, and TO point out to them for their |
the noble example of unself-
ish citizenship set by our departed |
friend.
August Lemke was true disciple of |
Christ. His life was regulated by the
rule: LAS you would that others should |
do unto you, do you even so unto them" |
Like most of the pioneers, he did not |
accumulate great wealth he leaves no
riches to his children but he leaves to
them the priceless inheritance of a |
name hOnOred and beloved for the good |
done in his life, hOnored and respected |
for his civic virtues, for his spotless
character, for his unfinching integrity;
d name that will live in the history of |
Wausau along with the names of other
good and noble men, founders of our
city, who have preceded him to that
bOurn from whence no traveller returns.
Having in some degree fulfilled our
duty to the names of the departed, let
us now reverently and tenderly restore
his earthly remains to mother earth.
and may he rest there in her bosom and
sweetly "Sleep the sleep that knows no
breaking morn of toll, nor night of wax
ing"