Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-12-13
Delivery Commencing Jan. 1913

a familiar sight on one of the barns of
the Bradley estate.
Soon after arriving in Brattleboro Mr..
Retting began work as cabinet maker for
Anthony Van Doom in the building
which stood where Emerson & Sons
house furnishing store now stands, near
the milestone bridge on Main street. In
the autumn of 1858 he and the late c.
L. Brown began business under the firm
name of Retting & Brown, which con-
tinued II months. In 1861 Mr.. Ret
ting began business for himself
in the building at the corner of
Main and High streets. He continued
there until oct 80 1869, when the fire
which swept the west side of Main
a store in the old Masonic building on
High street, now occupied by a hand
laundry, Hertzberg Brothers and the
Salvation Army, and remained there
until Feb. 2S, 1873 n that date he sold
the store to his sons, John Retting and
Leopold j. Retting, and a store which
he had opened in Bellows Falls he sold
to another son, Charles F. Retting
Before the freshet of Oct T. 1869, the
Estey organ company owned a big fac
tory on Frost street. When the Whet-
stone brook overflowed its banks that
day many thousands of dollars worth
of lumber was carried away and the
Estey company decided to leave Frost
street for higher ground and Immediately
made plans to erect the buildings they
now occupy on Birge street. When they
vacated the Frost street building Leav-
lit Sargent and H. p Green took the
quarters and began the manufacture of
furniture. They carried on the business
a few years and then they dissolved
partnership and Mr.. Retting began the
making of furniture there in conjunction
vt.itH hf foil cta
was on the site of the present S. A
Smith Manufacturing company's plant
1t was the building formerly occupied
by the S. A. Smith company which was
burned in 1899
Following his retirement from the
furniture business Mr.. Retting devoted
his time to adding to the many building
lots he owned here and to their i'm
provement. He owned the Retting build
ing on High street, which recently was
torn down to make room for the new
building which E. C. Crosby has erected,
six lots on Green and High streets,
Retting place and other parts of the
town. For the past 80 years he had
lived in the house at l Green street,
where he died. Previously he lived in
West Brattleboro and on Reed hill. Fol-
lowing the death of Mrs. Retting in 1900
he returned to his native town for a
visit. but as many of the friends of his
youth were dead or had come to this
country he did not remain as long as
he had intended.
Mr., Retting was the Oldest member
both in point of years and in member
ship of Wantastiquet lodge. l. o. o. F.,
and from the time he Joined the order
he was intensely interested in its sue
cess and growth. He became a member
in 1854, a few years after coming to
| Brattleboro. and was attracted to ii be-
cause of the brotherly spirit which he
observed among it's members. He held
all the Offices several times and was the
Oldest past grand patriarch in the state,
| also was past grand master of the grand
| lodge of Vermont.
He leaves four sons, Leopold ]. Ret
! ting of Mount Clemens, Mich, Charles
| f. Retting and John H Rettng OF
Grand Rapids, Mich. all of whom are
| enga ged in the furniture business, and
Fred w. Retting of Salt Lake City
| Utah, who Is associated with the Sante
Fe railroad, and one daughter Mrs
| Minna Bishop, wife of w. s. Bishop, a
mechanical engineer engaged in the
building of electrical machinery in New
| Haven, Conn
Leopold J. Retting of Mt. Clemens
Mich, John J. H. Retting and Charles
B. Retting of Grand Rapids, Mich, and
! Mr., and Mrs. w S. Bishop of New Haven
Fred Reese and Fred Veet of Springfield
Mass were the relatives from out OF
town who came to attend the funeral
Mr. Veet's wife. who died several years
ago, was Mr.. Retting's younger daugh.
| ter.
Following a brief service In the home
conducted by Rev. D. E. Trout, tn,
| funeral was held in the Unversalis
church al 23O o'clock Tuesday after
noon. The members of Wantastique
lodge, l. o. o. F.. attended in a body
and Rev. D. E. Trout officiated. Alfret
S. Thompson sang Face to Face" an,