OBITUARIES: Wilfred DEMERS, Rice Lake, Barron Co., WI ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Submitted by: Kent Robarge 03 August 2007 ************************************************************************ Obituary of Wilfred A. Demers in Feb. 20, 1935 Rice Lake Chronotype (Rice Lake, Barron Co., WI) Funeral services for the late Wilfred A. Demers were held Monday morning at 9 o'clock from St. Joseph's Catholic church, Rev. B. Niggeman officiating, and interment took place at St. Joseph's cemetery here. Wilfred A. Demers, 69, for many years prominent in the business life of Rice Lake, passed away Thursday noon following a heart attack while apparently onthe way to recovery while at St. Joseph's hospital for treatment. Mr. Demers was connected with the First National Bank for over 25 years, serving as assistant cashier andthen as cashier until he retired. He served as county treasurer from 1898 to 1902, and for some years after that as assistant in that office. Later Mr. Demers served as city treasurer and also as city clerk, and for a time was an alderman, at all times taking an active interest in city and civic affairs. Mr. Demers was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, Nov. 17, 1865, and came to this section with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederic Demers, in 1870, who took on a homestead in Rice Lake township and later moved to the city. During the World war Mr. Demers served fearlessly as an officer of the selective draft board and was active in war loan drives. It was during this time that a barn burned down on Mr. Demers farm after unsigned letters had come to him. Mr. Demers was a charter member of four fraternal orders here, the Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Foresters and the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. His father Frederic Demers, was a pioneer of this section, farming in the town of Rice Lake and later moving to the city, where he engaged in business. Mr. Demers spent his early youth on the farm of his father near Dobie and later assisted him in business in the city. At one time Mr. Demers owned over 400 acres of farm land as well as city property. Mr. Demers is survived by his wife and nine children, being: Miss Alda, Miss Odile and Miss Carol of Chicago, Mrs. Russell Rill (Leontine) of Clintonville, Wis., Miss Clarion of Calumet City, Ill., Miss Maurine of Milwaukee, Mrs. Arno Bahrs (Antoinette) of Sturgeon Bay, and Mrs. Hazel Mesang and Raymond Demers of Rice Lake. One child died in infancy. He is also survived by two brothers, Dr. Joe Demers of Huntley, Mont., and Sam Demers of Seattle, Wash., and two sisters, Mrs. Pat Vaughn of Appleton and Mrs. John Wilz of Rice Lake, and four grandchildren. All of the children were present at the funeral.