Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-02-06
PEOPLE OF CASSVILLE
MOURNS THE DEATH
OF DIR. w. P. HARTFORD

Despite the extremely cold weather
on Friday morning, jan %, st.
Charles Catholic church. was quite
we'll filled by old friends and former
neighbors who came to pay their last
respects to the memory of DR.. w. P.
Hartford, who passed away at Fin
ley hospital, Dubuque, on Tuesday
morning, Jan. 10, after "a few days
illness.
Up to nine years ago he resided in
Cassville. where for 80 years he prac-
ticed his profession and became one
of the most widely known physicians
in western Wisconsin. There are
very few families in west Grant counz
tv or eastern Clayton county, Iowa,
who have not enjoyed and benefited
by his counsel advice and skill in his
professional capacity at one time or
another. No sacrifice was too great
for him in his anxiety to render aid
and assistance to afflicted ones, who
depended on his medical skill and
acumen. And he never hesitated nor
failed to respond to a call regardless
of the circumstances which prevailed
at the time. Duty to those who plac-
ed their faith and confidence in him,
falbble rule. A call was always vital
it always demanded instant and
immediate attention.
Yet despite his answering loyalty
to his profession and the responsible
tiles and sacrifices which it entailed,
he was decidedly active in other re-
spects. He not only took an active
part in the community life, but was
leader in community development,
and also found time to develop and
complete number of valuable pat
ents and inventions. A wood burning
furnace, many of them still in use IN
this village and community, was one
of his first ideas which he put to
practical use, and he established
factory for the manufacture of this
heater. Thus he applied his fertile
mind to other ideas and always man
aged to develop or devise a contrap-
ton which, while perhaps crude in
some instances, nevertheless proved
useful and serviceable. He was al
ways working, planning, schem1ng,
investigating and solving some per-
picking problem, only to find that the
solution of one lead to another even
more puzzling. But this was his
forte. In challenging his ability it
stimulated his desire to master the
apparently impossible and he tackled
the problem with all the force of his
concentrated power and energy, and
he invariably won Such was DR..
Hartford's characteristic. While ne
never achieved greatness or renown
through any of his inventions or his
proclivities in this direction, still not
a few of his friends and associates
benefited directly, and this in itself
was sufficient recOmpense to him.
Cassville and the community owes
more to him than can be repaid in
monetary sense.
Dr. Hartford was lover of the
great outdoors. He knew the river
as we'll, if not better, than any indi-
vidual in this community, and he
| likewise knew where the best sun
fish ponds were and "other good fish
ing places" In fact he knew the
haunts of the finney tribe and it was
his pleasure and delight to take
few friends or cronies with him and
enjoy an outing with rod and line.
AS a public spirited citizen he was
without a peer. He contributed free
~ of both time and money toward
civic Improvement and was always at
the head of any movement which had
for its object the betterment of con-
ditions locally. He served as presi-
dent of the village for several years
and also was a member of the Board.
AS charter member of the Cassville
Fire Company, he always took an ac-
tive interest in the affairs of the or
ganization. He was also a member
of the Grant County Medical Asso-
citation and was it's president for sew
eral years. He was member and
medical examiner of the Masonic
lodge the Eastern Stars, the Wood
man and the Royal Neighbors. To
recite any progress of note in this
community within the past decade, is
TO link with it the name of the de-