Obituary: Rock County, Wisconsin: Perry C. WILDER

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Submitted by Ruth Ann Montgomery, <rmontgomery@cishome.com> June 2005

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Although he had been sick for several months and death was not entirely
unlooked for, it was, however, with feelings of deep grief and sense of
loss that his many friends in Evansville and throughout the state learned
of the death at 5 o'clock Thursday morning, Aug. 26, of Perry C. Wilder.

Mr. Wilder was one of our first citizens and probably more widely known
throughout the state than any other man in the city, and wherever known he
had many friends. Although having been prominent in politics he was known
as the fairest and squarest kind of a man, and was one of Senator Robert M.
LaFollette's staunchest supporters and most valued and trusted lieutenants.

At the request of the widow we publish the obituary statement made by the
Rev. Thos. W. North, who preached the funeral sermon, as follows:

"Mr. Perry C. Wilder was born at Granger, Medina County, Ohio, on the
seventh of Nov., 1852, and died at his home in the city of Evansville,
Wisconsin, Aug. 27, 1909. He had been in failing health for several years
but has been about to within a few days of his death.

"He was of New England parentage, his great-grandfather serving in the
Revolutionary war. His father, a preacher in the Baptist church, came with
his family to Wisconsin in 1864 and settled in Argyle and in 1866 came to
Evansville and for a time Perry C. Wilder attended school at the Evansville
Seminary.

"He taught school for a short time and then served as clerk for Mr. L. T.
Pullen and was bookkeeper for the first bank in the village of Evansville.
For a time he was engaged in mercantile business; he was postmaster under
President Harrison from 1890 to 1893 and then resigned because of other
responsibilities and for a number of years he has been a member of the well
known firm of Barnard & Wilder of our city.

"Mr. Wilder has for many years been active in local and state politics. He
served for a time as village president and for five years as mayor of the
city of Evansville; he also served as clerk of the town of Union and member
of the county board and has for a long time served as member of the
Republican State Central Committee from the First Congressional District
and was the District delegate to the Republican National Convention that
nominated Wm. H. Taft for the presidency of the United States. Mr. Wilder
has also for a number of years served on the School Board of Evansville,
being clerk of the board at the time of his death. He took a deep interest
in the public schools and no work that he did afforded him a greater source
of satisfaction than that which he did on the school board for the welfare
of our public schools.

"On the twenty sixth of June, 1890, Mr. Wilder was married to Miss Alice D.
Pease, who, with two children survives to mourn the loss of the husband and
father. There are also three brothers, Carey C. Wilder of Denver, Stephen
C. of Chicago, and Newton D. of Evansville. Mr. Wilder was well known in
and about Evansville and will be missed by a very large circle of
relatives, friends and acquaintances. 

"In early life Mr. Wilder joined the Baptist church, in which church he has
ever since held a membership. He was a man of kindly disposition and made
friends wherever he went. He was a modest man but a man of good ability,
and honest and upright in his business affairs and held in the highest
esteem and respect by his fellow citizens and during most of the years of
his matured life he has been kept by the people in one or more positions of
public trust and responsibility. He always endeavored to serve the public
faithfully; to him a public office was a sacred trust, not for private gain
but for service in behalf of the people.

"In his religious life Mr. Wilder was quiet and undemonstrative. He had a
fixed faith in the Great Father and as he approached the end of life he
assured his friends that he had nothing to fear for he had made his peace
with God. We shall all miss him, but he will be most missed in the home
where he was a model of kindness and thoughtfulness."

Mr. Wilder belonged to the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and
Knights of the Globe fraternal orders and was a member of Janesville
Commandery, Knights of Templar, under whose direction the funeral ceremony
was conducted Sunday afternoon. 

Many people from out of town were present at the funeral, among them Gov.
J. O. Davidson, who came to pay a last tribute to his friend. The funeral
was one of the largest and most impressive that was every seen here,
everybody seeming desirous of paying the last tribute of respect to the
departed. 

September 1, 1909, p. 1, col. 4, Enterprise, Evansville, Wisconsin