HAAS, Stephen 1881-1939

HAAS, KRAINER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 10/6/2009 at 21:22:16

Funeral Rites Held For Steve Haas Friday Morning

Stephen Haas (Steve, as he was more familiarly known) was born in Bukovitz, Jugoslavakia, on June 11, 1881. He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith there.

At 13 he became an apprentice to a blacksmith in Hungary, a trade at which he worked the remainder of his life.

He married Christina Krainer, February 3, 1904. Four children were born to this union, two sons and two daughters, of whom two sons preceded him in death.

He emigrated to the United States in 1919 and settled in Chicago with his family where he lived until 1917, when they moved to St. Ansgar. He lived here the remainder of his life with the exception of six months spent in Milwaukee. He established his present blacksmith shop in 1921 where he served his many friends and customers until two years ago when he was stricken with heart trouble and was forced to give up his work.

In Septemberr, 1938, he was confined to his home where he gradually became weaker. On March 7, 1939, at 12:40 p.m. he quietly passed away, a few hours after receiving the last rites of his church.

He leaves to mourn his death his wife, Christina, two daughters, Magdalin, a registered nurse of Chicago who has spent the past eight months at home caring for her father, and Mrs. A.J. Fleischer, a son-in-law and grandson, Ronald Stephen of Wells, Minnesota. Two sisters also survive Mr. Haas,.

Requiem mass was held at the Visitation Church at Stacyville on Friday morning; Father H.N. Manternock officiating. Interment was at the St. Ansgar Cemetery. Pall bearers were Carl Nemeth, Wemzil Wirth, August Schrader, Joe Walitschek, Lee Obermier and Fred Rosel, Jr.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, 1939 – St. Ansgar Museum Collections]