Clarence Fredrick John (1898 - 1954)

Born 29 Oct 1898 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Esther Edwards — married 10 Jan 1922 (to 24 Oct 1923) in Waukegan, Lake, Illinois, United States

Husband of Myrtle Caroline Hamm — married 9 May 1931 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1954 at age 55 in Gillett, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States

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Biography

Clarence was the first of three child born to Victor Hugo John and Gertrude Cain. He was born 28 Oct 1898^[1] in Oconto, Oconto County, Wisconsin. At the time of his birth his father was the train depot operator and postmaster in Wabeno, Wisconsin for the C&NW Railway. Victor and Gertrude had two more sons before the family moved to Lander, Wyoming, where Vic was to be the station agent for the new line there (W&NW).

This move only lasted 7 months before the family was back in Wisconsin. Clarence continued in school, graduating at the age of 16 from 8th grade. The eighth-grade graduates this year were...Clarence John...^[2]

On 10 Jan 1922 he married Esther Edwards in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois.^[3] They had one child, a daughter Gertrude Marie John, who was born 8 Aug 1922. Esther filed for divorce which was finalized on 24 Oct 1923 in Merrill, Lincoln County, Wisconsin^[4]

Clarence remained single for quite a while after his divorce before he met his, soon to be, second wife, Myrtle Hamm. This "meet cute" happened when he become injured by a train car and was hospitalized where she was working as a nurse.

Clarence F. John, Victim of the Accident, Suffered a Fracture of His Leg -- The following account of the injury to a Gillett boy was taken from the Stevens Point Journal of July 18th: "C.F. John, a Soo Line fireman, whose home is at Gillett, Oconto county, was painfully injured at Owen at 6 o'clock Sunday morning when he jumped from his engine on fast freight No. 22 as it hit the rear end of a 'pickup' freight going in the same direction..."^[5]

Clarence and Myrtle were married on the 9th of May in 1931, in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.^[6]

Eventually he became the State Building Inspector for the northern half of Wisconsin.^[7]

He died of a heart attack in 1954.^[8] Both Myrtle and Clarence are buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Obituaries

There were several obituaries in different papers regarding his death, which occurred in the family vehicle while they were traveling home from his father's birthday party in Gillett. His wife and children were all in the car at the time of his death. Each obituary has slightly differing 'facts'.

Clarence John Dies of Heart Attack in Gillett -- Gillett - Clarence F. John, 55, of Schofield, died at Gillett Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. of a heart attack. The family drove to Gillett on Saturday to help celebrate his father’s birthday. After a nice visit and dinner, the family started home and death occurred very suddenly.

Mr. John was born October 29, 1898 at Oconto, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vic. H. John. He was married May 9, 1931, at Rockford, Illinois to Myrtle C. Hamm, after their marriage they lived at Oconto, Gillett, Laona, Crandon and Schofield.

He was a member of the Peace Evangelical Church, Wausau, American Legion, 32nd Degree Masons and Masonic Lodge, was a corporal in World War I took active part in degree work in the consistory at Madison, and was state building inspector for ([DC] Everest High School at Schofield) Northern Wisconsin.

Survivors are his wife Myrtle, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vic John; one son Victor; two daughters, Claire and Carole; two brothers, Link John of Fresno, Calif, and Victor John, Jr. of San Jose, California.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church at Wausau, with Rev. Carl Nagel officiating. Burial was held in the Pine Grove Cemetery at Wausau, WI. [transcribed from unsourced newspaper clipping found in John family documents]

Area Building Inspector Dead -- Funeral services were held Wednesday in Wausau for Clarence F. John, 55, of Schofield, who served 17 area counties as district building inspector for the state. Prior to moving to Schofield six years ago, he had lived in Crandon.

Mr. John died Saturday night in his car in Phillips, only couple of blocks from the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor John. He had been ailing for some time.

Surviving are the widow, a son, Victor; two daughters, Claire and Carole John, all at home; his parents and two brothers. Mr. John was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Crandon.^[9]

State Building Inspector Dies in Car at Phillips -- Clarence F. John, 55, Schofield Route 1, district building inspector for the state, died Saturday night while in his automobile within a couple blocks of the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor John, in Phillips, where he planned to visit. He had been feeling ill for sometime. He was believed to have been alone in the car.

Funeral services will be held here Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Helke funeral home. The Rev. Carl Nagle, pastor of Peace Evangelical and Reformed Church, will officiate. Masonic ritual services will be conducted and burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery. The body is at the funeral home.

Mr. John was born October 29, 1898 in Oconto. He had lived in Crandon before moving to the Schofield area six years ago. He became building inspector about seven years ago and his district included 17 counties. He was married May 9, 1931, in Rockford, Ill., to Myrtle Hamm.

Surviving are the widow; a son and two daughters, Victor, Claire and Carol John, at home, his parents and two brothers Lincoln and Victor John, Fresno, Calif.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Crandon was a 32nd degree Mason, holding his affiliations in the other Masonic bodies at Madison.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Clarence Fredrick John, Certificate of Birth, vol. 4 page 48, register of Deeds, Oconto, Oconto County, Wisconsin
2. ↑ Laona Department, Happenings of the Town by our Regular Correspondent, Forest Republican, Crandon, WI, Friday 11 Jun 1915, p10c6, No. 40 29th year.
3. ↑ Esther E. Johns 2nd marriage registration no. 4632, issued June 30, 1933, Langlade County register of deeds, Antigo, Wisconsin. [date of marriage to Clarence indicated on this, her second marriage certificate.]
4. ↑ Esther E. John vs. Clarence John (divorce), October 24, 1923, Lincoln Series 59, box 46, case #7009, Circuit Court; UW Stevens Point Area Research Center, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
5. ↑ Gillett Man Injured in a Car Collision, The Gillett Times, Gillett, Wis., Tuesday, August 4, 1927, page 21 column 2.
6. ↑ Clarence John and Myrtle Hamm marriage license, marriage register 17: 46, no. 522, Vital Records Office, Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois. August 16, 2001
7. ↑ Clarence F. John entries 1948-1954, Wisconsin, Bureau of Personnel: State Employee Roster Cards, Series 2198, box 204; Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, Madison, Wisconsin.
8. ↑ Clarence F. John death certificate, local registrar's number 223, Oconto County Register of Deeds, Oconto, Wisconsin.
9. ↑ Area Building Inspector Dead, The Rhinelander Daily News, Rhinelander Wisconsin, February 18, 1954, p2c5; Newspapers.com online database.
10. ↑ State Building Inspector Dies in Car at Phillips, Wausau Daily Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin) 15 February, 1954 Monday, page 2, column 3.