Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-08-10
GEORGE CURTIS
PASSES AWAY
FORMER ASSOCIATE OF A.
H. REID DIED LAST
WEEK FRIDAY

George Curtis, Jr., we'll known at
torney of Merrill. and former asso-
ciate of Judge A. H. Reid of this city,
passed away last Friday.
Following is part of the obituary
that appeared in the Merrill Herald:
Merrill today was bereaved of one
of its great citizens, George Curtis,
Jr., who loved the great outdoors and
who was student of law, literature
and nature. George Curtis, Jr. passed
away at eleven o'clock last evening
following a stroke of apoplexy. He
had been afflicted with heart trouble
since 1899 and although physically in
capacitated, his mind was as alert and
clear up to the time of his death as 1t
had been at any time. He worked in
his law office yesterday morning and
yesterday afternoon and evening,
spent several hours in the vicinity of
| Joe Snow creek amid the woods which
ne so greatly admired, rounding out
perfect day.
George Curtis, Jr., was born in Guy
ahoga county, Ohio, Dec. Is. 1851. He
accompanied his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
George Curtis, to Juneau county near
Mauston. He was united in marriage
with Mrs. Lucia M. Gregory in 1876
and then went to Madison where he
| studied law at the University of Wis
consin, returning to Mauston in 1878
| to practice with his brother, III. II.
| Curtis. He came to Merrill in June
1882, forty years ago, making his first
residence in what is now the Broetz-
man home at Sixth and Spruce streets
and in 1886 erecting the Curtis resi-
dence on Mill street.
AT Merrill, he in turn entered part
nership with T. G. Ryan, f. j. Smith,
Judge "A. H. Reid, r. N. Van Doren
and his son, George G. Curtis now of
Irma. During his early residence here
he was district attorney of Lincoln
county for two terms and rubbed ell
bows with such prominent attorneys
as Barnes, Bardeen, Silverthorn, Hur-
| ley, and e. l.. Bump. In fact, he was
not only the oldest practicing attor-
ney in this section of the city in point
| of service but he was the last of the
! great attorneys of that former day.
He made a speciality of tax law and
appeared frequently before the SUI
preme court, was known for his very
|
| law, and in 1897 became a member OF
] Wisceasin's first tax commission. In
4 ! SsA n eAfenoved to Madison follow
ing his appointment to the permanent
tax commission on which he served
for II years, returning to Merrill in
1912 to resume law practice. He at
one time served as member of the
school board and at the present time
was president of the Lincoln County
bar.
Among his older acquaintances he is
recalled as forceful trial lawyer AS
a member of the Masonic lodge, he
was formerly very active and before
the breaking down OF his health, he
served in several of the offices OF
that organization. He was an ex=
/ tensive reader and student of the
best literature. His home on Mill
street was a bower of flowers, the
handsome arrangement of which was
comparatively perfected by him and
by Mrs. Curtis. All choice specimens
Of trees were admired by him and he
knew them intimately; in fact so in
timately that shortly before his death
he predicted that the towering bass
wood in the southeast corner of his
residence lot would fall The tree fell
during the storm early this week
and in the words of DR.. L. j. Friend
after successfully predicting the fall
OF this individual tree, and seeing his
prediction true, he, himself bowed
his departure, a specimen of the fine
manhood of the past, a lover of the
great expanse of nature and a keen
student of the perplexities of law
When the word of his passing came
to friends this morning, it could
scarcely meet belief as many recalled
meeting him but yesterday, his mind
! unusually active.