Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-05-05
WILLIAM H SOHN

WILLIAM H. SOHN.
William Henry Sohn departed this
life Thursday morning, April 27, 1916,
at two thirty O'Clock, aged sixty-four
years, nine months and twenty-nine
uays. Mr. Sohn had been taken seri-
ously i'll the week following the death
of his wife on March %, 1915, and
had been an invalid ever since. For
the last three months he was confined
to his bed. The cause was tubercular
trouble.
MIR. Sohn was the son of the late
William and Caroline Swander Sohn
and was born in Tiffin, Ohio. June 20,
1851. He was the second of family
OF seven brothers and sisters, the
others of whom were John F. Sohn,
Mrs. Elizabeth E. Hart, Mrs. Sarah
}. Pittinger, Miss Caroline M. Sohn,
the late Edward M. Sohn and Joseph
b. Sohn, all of Tiffin. His boyhood
and the first few years of his manhood
were spent in Tiffin, where he became
apprenticed to the trade of a marble
and granite cutter. His first business
venture, however was at Wauseon, to
which he came in the summer of 1877,
after having purchased the marble
Springer. Mr.. Sohn continued in this
business until 1892, when he sold it
because of i'll health. The following
year. however, he purchased the towns
two furniture stores, and, combining
the business of each, engaged in the
furniture and undertaking business in
the old Scott opera house building. He
continued in the funiture business un-
til 1899, when he sold it to devote his
time to investments outside of Wau-
seon. In this manner Mr.. Sohn was
engaged for three years and spent
part of 1901 and 1902 with his family
in Clinton, Iowa, where he was presi-
dent of an Independent telephone
plant. In 1902, however, he again
purchased the marble and granite
business, which he had formerly own
ed and thus devoted his time until
1905, when he sold the business to
granite shop in Toledo, later becom-
ing interested in the Sherman Street
Monumental Works in the same city.
Late in 1909 Mr.. Sohn sold his busi-
ness interests in Toledo and did not
again actively engage in business un-
til July, 1911. when he started the un-
dertaking business in which he was
engaged at the time of his death.
One of Mr.. Sohn's most pronounced
traits was his love of artistic designs
in building and the desire himself to
plan them. In no way did he more
enjoy his leisure moments than in
planning or reconstructing home or
building in imagination. Had he been
so educated he would probably have
made a successful architect. In part
this hobby did find expression in his
.hcsen trade. And it also led him to
take an initiative in several public
DuIding plojects. He was chairman
of the building committee of the old
normal school and was a member OF
the building committee of the new
Congregational church. He later serv-
ed in similar capacity in the build
ing of the Wauseon Public Library, OF
which he was trustee, and atthe time
of his death, president of the board
He was also one of the early officers
of the i'll fated Northwestern Ohio
fair association that constructed the
old fair grounds on Ottokee street
and was one of the promoters of Wau-
seon's first street fair. Moreover, un-
til his health failed he was treasurer
of the Fulton County Soldiers and
Sailors Memorial Monumental Asso-
eiation. s't
Mr.. Sohn had been a Knight of Py-
thias for nearly forty-five years. He
was a charter member both of Tiffir
lodge No. 80 and of Wauseon lodge
No. 156. He was likewise a member
of Wauseon lodge No. 349 F. and A
M. and of the G.. A. r. Associates. Fol
many years he was a trustee and trea-
surer of the Fulton County Building
Loan and Savings Association and ht
served several terms as a member Of
the village council.
On October 7, 1880, Mr.. Sohn wa:
united in marriage to Harriet Amelis
Brigham, daughter of the late Joel anC
Betsy Lyon Brigham. Mr. and Mrs
Sohn Immediately began house keep
ing in the home on East Elm street
which they had planned together ant
where they both died. To them weri
born three sons, twins, who died in in
fancy, and Howard Brigham Sohn
who survives his parents.
| Funeral services were held at th'
home on East Elm street Saturday
forenoon at 10 o'clock conducted by
Rev. w. C. Schafer pastor of the Con
gregational church assisted by Rev
F. E. Kenyon.
Mrs. R. B. Darby with Mrs. Ear
Edgar as accompanist sang with feel
ling "No Night There" by Danls anC
Morning Noon and Night by Bond
Interment was made in Wauseor
cemetery by the side of Mrs. Sohl
who died little more than year ago
The services were largely attended by
the business associates, friends anC
neighbors of Mr.. Sohn.
Among those present from out Of
town were Mrs. A. M. Hart, Mis-!
Lima Sohn, Mrs. 1. ]. Matthias and F
M. Pittinger of Tiffin; Mr.. Arthur
Lyon, of Ligionier, Indiana, and Mis-
Margaret Bixler, of Lyons.
| IFIFTY-FIvE YEARS TOGETHER
/ Mr.. and Mrs. A. w. Blake who fo,
thirty years were residents of Wau
seon and who are kindly and loving
ly remembered by their old friend
and neighbors, celebrated their fifty
fifth wedding anniversary in a uniqu
manner at their home in West Unit,
last Sunday. April Both.
They entertained ten couples from
among their West Unity friends VIII
: had been married fifty wears or more