Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-07-22
POTOS| EVENTS
General Items of Interest
Gathered BY Our Special
Correspondent.
Another Old Timer Has Passed to
His Eternal Rest.

his home in the village of POtosi We'd
nesday afternoon, July 18th. He had
been in i'll health for a year or so
past, but always appeared in cheer
full mood, and it was not until about
two weeks ago that he was confined to
his bed, to never again arise. The i'm
mediate cause of death was heart fail
ure and enlargement of the liver. He
was born in the village of Potosi, Oct.
oath, 1849 and died in the village of
his nativity July 18th, 1925, aged rs
years, ten months and nine days. He
was a son of Bernard and Susan Hall
Elskamp, early pioneers of Potosi. He
was carpenter by trade learning the
profession from Robert H. Kendrick
an early day carpenter of POtosi. In
the early booming days of Ashland,
Wisconsin he went there with Robert
Kendrick and Lafayette Caskey and
worked at his trade for some time. Mr..
Elskamp was twice married. He was
first married to Miss Christine Kern,
Nov. 18th, 1873 To this union were
born four children, two of whom sur
vive George, of Danbury, Iowa, and
Mrs. Susie Nauert of Boscobel, two
son, William and Charles have passed
the late Frank Kern of Fennimore,
died Nov. 18th, 1879 leaving the be-
reaved husband with four small moth
erless children. Mr.. Elskamp again
took unto himself a wife and on the
25th of November, 1880 he was married
to Miss Caroline Okenfu of Waterloo.
To this union were born four sons
and two daughters, Edward of Susan
vile, California, Matt and Cornelius
of Potosi, Mrs. Josephine Rettwisch
of Lansing, Iowa, Mrs. Jennie Nc
Laughlin, of Potosi. Frederick died
in Potosi in 1918. On the 18th day of
April, 1923 Mr.. Elskamp was bereft
of his devoted and ever faithful wife,
a loss that was keenly felt by him and
that fastened on his illness that ter
minated in death. The passing of
Ben Elskamp as he was Familiarity
known has removed another time hon.
ored old native born resident of POto-
81, and his death, though not really
unexpected, has cast a gloom of sor-
row to his countless number of friends.
He was a man of kind and cheerful
disposition and every ready to do ia
vor for anyone. He was a kind and
devoted husband, an indulgent and
loving father and a true friend. No
word derogatory Of anyone ever es-
capped the lips of Ben Elskamp. In re-
ligion he was strong adherent to
the Catholic faith and died fortified
with all the rights of his religion The
funeral took place Friday morning at
$50 o'clock from his late home to st
Thomas Catholic church where the de-
10 h &c
time. 1t was very largely attended,
manifeSting the high esteem he was
held in in the community where he
had passed his entire life. Following
a requiem mass celebrated by Rev.
Father Scheffer of st. Andrews church
the funeral cortege wended its way
to the cemetery on the hill, and the
last that was mortal Of the loving
father was given to the grave by the
side of his wife. The pallbearers were
L. o. Edwards, Joseph Vogelsburg,
c. M. Schmitz, George and Joe Martin
and w. A. Lesser. Besides the rela-
tives heretofore named, to mourn his
departure are five brother, Cornelius
and Theodore of Telluride, Col, Jos.
of Merrill, Ia, Leo of San Francisco,
Calf, and Herman of Potosi. Corne-
Illus is sheriff of Telluride, and Theo-
dore city marshal, Joseph is retired
harnessmaker Leo is principal of the
oldest and second largest high school
in San Francisco, and Herman is a
farmer There are nineteen grandchil-
dren, numerous nephews and nieces
and many friends to mourn the death
of this good man. His son Edward of
Susanville, Calf, was here to see his
father few months ago.
Miss Nellie Kaltenbach, daughter of
Postmaster and Mrs. Katenbach, OBJ
served her tenth birthday Friday,
July 18th in a very appropriate man
ner. She was hostess to supper in
honor and had as her invited guests
the little Misses Mary McGovern,
Kathlyn Grosser, Helen Wiedman, Ce-
celia Myers, Jean Seaton and Master
Joe Thomas That the occasion was a
joyful one goes without saying. Mr..
and Mrs. Kaltenbach, Mrs. Hannah
McGovern and Mrs. S. A. Thomas en-
ioyed the pleasures with them The
guests and others wish Miss Nellie
many and many more happy birthdays.
Mr.. and Mrs. H. j. Rossiter and Per-
ella Siepker have returned from a
visit of several days with their daugh-
ter and sister. Miss Mae Reuter-, R.
n. at Charles City, Iowa.
The township election last Tuesday
for the purpose of bonding the town
in the sum of S17,500 being one half
the cost of erecting q bridge over
Grant river at Masseyville on the Pc
tosi-Cassville road The proposition
was carried by an almost unanimous
vote there being but one dissenting
vote. The McMahon Bridge company
of Lancaster, have the contract of
building this bridge and the work I'M
der the supervision of Thomas Nc
Mahon will soon be in order
Eugene, the eldest son of Mr.. and
Mrs. c. j. Ragatz, who for the past
four years was a member of the home
of his grandparents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Adam Schumacher at Los Angeles,
Calf, and while there attended high
school, has returned to his home in
Potosi. We are informed that it is his
intention to enter the Wisconsin
State University, the coming term
Mrs Abe I,iVenS of lancaster and