WIRTH, William John 1915-1993

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WIRTH, William John 1915-1993

WIRTH, KLETCHAK, KRAHENBUHL

Posted By: County Coordinator (kermit)
Date: 2/14/2011 at 11:22:26

William John Wirth was born on January 27, 1915 and died on Sepember 28, 1993, while living at Elm Grove, Wisconsin. He fought in World War II, becoming a Major. He is buried in the St. Ansgar City Cemetery, beside his wife, Elvira.
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#1: (BIOGRAPHY)
Bill was born on January 27, 1915 - first child of John and Josephine May Wirth, nee Klecack (Kletchak). At the time they were living with John's two brothers, a sister and their parents in the large farm home on the former Nissen homestead about two miles east of St. Ansgar.
Bill had barely learned to walk before his mother took him to New York City to visit friends and relatives while a new home was built for them at the southwest corner of the farm, on what is now US Highway 218. Bill has no recollection of events on this trip, except for snapshots in the family album.
The farm home was in the Spring Valley School district which had a one-room school two miles away over rutted dirt roads. St. Ansgar, being only 1½ miles away, the District agreed to allow Bill to attend the public school in town. It was a larger school with two grades per room with one teacher for each room. Bill entered the first grade in September of 1919, after some argument over the rule that a child must be five years old by December 15th, which would have delayed the start of his schooling until the next year.
Bill was very shy at first, having been isolated on the farm with no playmates, but he soon developed some lasting friendships. His close buddies, Norris (Puffy) Groth and Harold (Ike) Miller rescued him from the town bullies many a time. Norris's father, Anton, was the rural mail carrier whose 38 mile daily route in a Model T led past the Wirth farm. Norris was a major influence in Bill's life. One day in about the fourth grade, he invited Bill to attend Sunday School with him at First Lutheran Church. This not only brought Bill's mother (a childhood Catholic) into the congregation, but made a life-long Lutheran of Bill. St. Ansgar built the present brick school building during Bill's freshman year in high school. The old one was wood frame with a shaky bell tower. The new building, with its combined auditorium/gymnasium, greatly expanded educational opportunities for the students.
Bill was in most of the class plays and operettas that were staged, participated in declamatory activities, and played first chair also in the school band. Bill's mother refused to let him play football and he was not good enough to make the basketball team, but he did earn the coveted School Letter playing third base on the baseball team. Bill graduated as Class Salutatorian in June of 1932.
That fall he registered in the Engineering School of Iowa State College at Ames, graduating in 1936 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. In addition, he completed ROTC, receiving a commission as 2nd Lt. in the Corps of Engineers.
In July of 1936, Bill started working for the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in West Allis, Wisconsin, an industrial suburb of Milwaukee.
On one of his trips back to the farm, he claimed as his bride a Mitchell County girl who was his high school sweetheart. Bill and Elvira Krahenbuhl were married at the First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar on September 18, 1937. Elvira is the daughter of Frederick J. and Margaret Elizabeth Krahenbuhl, nee Kehm, who were then working the Clausen farm seven miles straight north of Osage. Elvira's public school in Stacyville did not offer all four years of high school, so she entered the St. Ansgar High School in her junior year, earning her board and room through housework around St. Ansgar. After high school graduation, Elvira enrolled in the Hamilton School of Business in Mason City, Iowa, subsequently finding a job as a secretary with Jacob E. Decker & Sons in Mason City.
Bill worked for 43 years at Allis-Chalmers, interrupted only by his four years of service in WWII, retiring in August 1979. Previously, he had taken mandatory retirement at age 60 from the USAR in the rank of Lt. Col.
Bill and Elvira continue to live in the Elm Grove, Wisconsin home they built in July 1953. Their four children, three boys and one girl, are all married. They have to travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Midland, Michigan to see all of the six grandchildren
By William J. Wirth, MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989
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#2:
SOCIAL SEC. DEATH INDEX:
WIRTH, WILLIAM J.
B: 27 Jan 1915
D: 28 Sep 1993
AGE: 78
RES: 53122 (Elm Grove, Waukesha, WI)
SSN: Wisconsin 388-03-6895

Tombstone photo - St.Ansgar City Cem.

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Surnames:	WIRTH,KLETCHAK,KRAHENBUHL
Obituary: William John Wirth was born on January 27, 1915 and died on Sepember 28, 1993, while living at Elm Grove, Wisconsin. He fought in World War II, becoming a Major. He is buried in the St. Ansgar City Cemetery, beside his wife, Elvira. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #1: (BIOGRAPHY) Bill was born on January 27, 1915 - first child of John and Josephine May Wirth, nee Klecack (Kletchak). At the time they were living with John's two brothers, a sister and their parents in the large farm home on the former Nissen homestead about two miles east of St. Ansgar. Bill had barely learned to walk before his mother took him to New York City to visit friends and relatives while a new home was built for them at the southwest corner of the farm, on what is now US Highway 218. Bill has no recollection of events on this trip, except for snapshots in the family album. The farm home was in the Spring Valley School district which had a one-room school two miles away over rutted dirt roads. St. Ansgar, being only 1½ miles away, the District agreed to allow Bill to attend the public school in town. It was a larger school with two grades per room with one teacher for each room. Bill entered the first grade in September of 1919, after some argument over the rule that a child must be five years old by December 15th, which would have delayed the start of his schooling until the next year. Bill was very shy at first, having been isolated on the farm with no playmates, but he soon developed some lasting friendships. His close buddies, Norris (Puffy) Groth and Harold (Ike) Miller rescued him from the town bullies many a time. Norris's father, Anton, was the rural mail carrier whose 38 mile daily route in a Model T led past the Wirth farm. Norris was a major influence in Bill's life. One day in about the fourth grade, he invited Bill to attend Sunday School with him at First Lutheran Church. This not only brought Bill's mother (a childhood Catholic) into the congregation, but made a life-long Lutheran of Bill. St. Ansgar built the present brick school building during Bill's freshman year in high school. The old one was wood frame with a shaky bell tower. The new building, with its combined auditorium/gymnasium, greatly expanded educational opportunities for the students. Bill was in most of the class plays and operettas that were staged, participated in declamatory activities, and played first chair also in the school band. Bill's mother refused to let him play football and he was not good enough to make the basketball team, but he did earn the coveted School Letter playing third base on the baseball team. Bill graduated as Class Salutatorian in June of 1932. That fall he registered in the Engineering School of Iowa State College at Ames, graduating in 1936 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. In addition, he completed ROTC, receiving a commission as 2nd Lt. in the Corps of Engineers. In July of 1936, Bill started working for the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in West Allis, Wisconsin, an industrial suburb of Milwaukee. On one of his trips back to the farm, he claimed as his bride a Mitchell County girl who was his high school sweetheart. Bill and Elvira Krahenbuhl were married at the First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar on September 18, 1937. Elvira is the daughter of Frederick J. and Margaret Elizabeth Krahenbuhl, nee Kehm, who were then working the Clausen farm seven miles straight north of Osage. Elvira's public school in Stacyville did not offer all four years of high school, so she entered the St. Ansgar High School in her junior year, earning her board and room through housework around St. Ansgar. After high school graduation, Elvira enrolled in the Hamilton School of Business in Mason City, Iowa, subsequently finding a job as a secretary with Jacob E. Decker & Sons in Mason City. Bill worked for 43 years at Allis-Chalmers, interrupted only by his four years of service in WWII, retiring in August 1979. Previously, he had taken mandatory retirement at age 60 from the USAR in the rank of Lt. Col. Bill and Elvira continue to live in the Elm Grove, Wisconsin home they built in July 1953. Their four children, three boys and one girl, are all married. They have to travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Midland, Michigan to see all of the six grandchildren By William J. Wirth, MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2: SOCIAL SEC. DEATH INDEX: WIRTH, WILLIAM J. B: 27 Jan 1915 D: 28 Sep 1993 AGE: 78 RES: 53122 (Elm Grove, Waukesha, WI) SSN: Wisconsin 388-03-6895
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