Obituary: Jackson County, Wisconsin: George RAAS

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Submitted by Joan Benner, <jmbenner@tznet.com> May 2005

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From the Badger Banner [Black River Falls, Jackson Co., WI], Thursday,
March 9, 1916, Page 1

George RAAS, an old settler of Jackson County, died at his home in the
village of Hixton Sunday last, March 5th, of Bright’s Disease.

The funeral services were held at the Hixton church Tuesday afternoon,
conducted by Rev. Marshall, and the remains were interred in the Pole Grove
Cemetery.

The deceased was born at Wuertenberger, Germany, on January 17th, 1831, and
was hence 85 years, 1 month and 17 days old when overtaken with death. 

He came to America alone in 1848, when 17 years of age, and at
Williamsport, Pa., learned the carpenter’s trade under J. R. SECHLER. In
the spring of 1855 he came with Mr. SECHLER to Wisconsin, and they stayed
at Baraboo until the fall of the same year, where they came and settled in
Jackson county at what afterwards became Sechlerville. There the subject of
this sketch built Mr. SECHLER’s first store, first mill and first
residence, and from that time on erected many buildings for various people
in that section.

In 1859 Mr. RAAS was married to Miss Bessie DUDLEY, at Sechlerville. Mrs.
RAAS died on May 30th, 1865. Of the three children born to them one died in
infancy and the other two are still living--Mrs. J. B. LOWE, now of
Neillsville, and Geo. W. RAAS, now of Darlington, Wis.

In 1869, at Black River Falls, Mr. RAAS was again married, this time to
Miss Frances A. KENSON, who now survives him. In 1871 a son was born to
them, but he died at the age of two years.

In 1883 Mr. and Mrs. RAAS moved to the village of Hixton, where he engaged
in undertaking and carried a modest stock of furniture. He continued in
business until two years ago, when on account of declining health, he sold
out. He did considerable work at wagon-making, besides doing carpenter and
undertaking work.

Mr. RAAS was a man who held the respect and high regard of all who knew him
for his qualities of integrity and goodness. He attended strictly to his
own business and never intruded himself upon anybody in an offensive way.
Everybody was his friend and he was everybody’s friend. While he possessed
the intelligence to have made himself more prominent he never sought great
riches nor political honors.