Obituary: Portage County, Wisconsin: Frank CLIFFORD 

Gazette, Wed. Apr. 21, 1909 

Young Man Drops Dead 

Frank Clifford, Son of the Late Michael Clifford,  
Expires Very Suddenly in Milwaukee Sunday Evening 

Patrick Frances Clifford, familiarly known to his boyhood and 
numerous other friends as Frank Clifford, met with a sudden death 
in Milwaukee, last Sunday evening, due to heart failure, brought on 
by an acute attack of pneumonia, as revealed in the post mortem 
which was held the following day.  The deceased young man had 
suffered with heart trouble andother less serious complications 
for a number of years, and had often expressed the belief that 
he would die suddenly, being discourage at times, but nevertheless 
having nooutward fear for the future. 

Last Sunday he was about as usual and was met at about 5 o'clock 
in the evening by hisbrother, Robt., who chatted with him for a 
time before parting.  He roomed at a private residence on the 
east side of the city, and evidently started for home at about 
10 o'clock.  A heavy rain setting in and Frank being without an 
umbrella, he stopped at the home of Mrs. Collope, 421 Market 
street, and stepped on the porch to escape its fury.  Noticing 
him without, he was invited to step inside, but excused himself 
by saying that the rain would be over in a few minutes and he 
would go on.  Some fifteen minutes later a young man who was 
rooming at the house came along and found him lying on the steps, 
face downward, where he had evidently fallen from the porch railing.  
An ambulance was quickly summonedand Frank was removed to the 
Emergeny hospital, but was dead before arriving there.  There 
was no evidence of foul play, and the post mortem revealed the 
true cause of death. 

The deceased young man was born in this city Apr. 7, 1875, at 
which time his parents resided on Normal avenue, and was 
therefore a little past 34 years of age.  His education was 
securied in St. Stephen's parochial school and the local business 
college, after which he entered his father's store as clerk and 
bookkeeper, later going to Rhinelander,where remained for some time, 
but for the past ten or eleven years has been located in Milwaukee.  
Most of the time he had held a clerkship in the C., M & St. P. 
railroad offices, where he was recognized as a most competent 
employee.  Later he entered the employ of Romadka Bros., the trunk 
manufacturers, but for the past few months had been engaged as 
collector for Collier, the publisher.  Frank was a bright young man, 
industrious and reliable, and those with whom he had been 
associated for years speak highly of hisability.  His sudden 
taking away comes as a sad blow to his relatives and friends.  
His fahter, the late M. Clifford, passed away three years ago last 
February, and those who survive are his mother, five brothers and 
five sisters, Rev. M.H. Clifford, of Oshkosh; Rev. Geo. A. Clifford, 
of Chilton, Miss Margaret, teacher in the 8th grade our public 
schools, and Mrs. J.N. Peickert, of this city; Mrs. W.R. Smith, of 
Kent, Wash.; EdwardClifford, of Chicago; Robt. A. and Raymond, 
of Milwaukee; Miss Mamie of Kent and Miss Genevieve, of this city.  

The remains arrived her on the early train Tuesday morning, 
accompanied by threebrothers of the deceased, Rev. M.H., Robt. 
and Ray, and were taken to the family home, 312 Strongs avenue, 
from where, thence to St. Stephen's Catholic church, the funeral 
took place at 9 o'clock this morning, followed by interment in 
the family lot inthe parish cemetery.  Solemn requium [sic] 
mass was celebrated.  Rev. M.H. Clifford acting as celebrant, 
Rev. Geo. A. Clifford as deacon, Rev. W.J. Rice as sub-deacon and 
Rev. W.J. Fitzmaurice, of Appleton, as master of ceremonies.  
Rev. L.J. Pescinski of St. Peter's church was also present.  
All the brothers and sisters were here except the two in Washington, 
and other relatives and friends from outside the city were 
J.P. Leonard and Jos. E. Leonard and son, of Stockton, and 
Miss Jean Whitcher, of Milwaukee.  The pallbearers were 
F.A. Krembs, Wm. Moll, E.A. Krembs. F.M. Glennon, Jos. Koshnick 
and Frank Peickert.  There were a number of beautiful floral offerings.  
Members of Branch No. 11, Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, to which the 
deceased belonged, acted as an escort. 

************************************************************************ 
Submitted by Kathy Grace, <gendiva@vbe.com> 10 June 2004 
© All rights reserved. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm 
************************************************************************