#1-9 Sept., 1908 - The Pilot - Joseph Ketchmark

Joseph Ketchmrk died at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon of excessive alcoholism after an illness of about two weeks. The funeral will be held at the house at 2 o’clock today, Rev. Hillman officiating. Mr. Ketchmark leaves a wife and five children besides his aged parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Ketchmark of this place, five brothers and two sisters. He was born in Maderiaville, Ind. July 15, 1873, and has kept bar here for several years having gone into the saloon business for himself last July. He was a member of the W.O.W. lodge and carried $1,500 insurance in that order.

#2-Printed in the September 10, 1908 Blair Democrat, Blair, Nebraska

DIES AFTER SHORT ILLNESS

The news of the death of Joe Ketchmark in Calhoun last Monday came as a great surprise to his many old acquaintances in this city. Mr. Ketchmark was in Blair two weeks ago seemingly in the best of health and spent a few hours with folks here, going home that evening.

After reaching home he was taken ill and the doctors pronounced his ailment brain fever. He was quite poorly for several days and on Sunday afternoon was able to sit out on the porch at home and listen to some music on the phonograph. Later in the evening he was taken worse and continued to sink until the end at 2:30 Monday afternoon.

The funeral was held from the house Wednesday afternoon and the remains laid to rest in the Calhoun cemetery. Deceased was born in Indiana in 1872 and the following year came to Calhoun with his parents, where he continued to live. He was married to Miss Emma Steffen fourteen years ago and besides a wife, leaves two boys and three girls, a father and a mother, and six brothers and two sisters. He was a member of the W.O.W. lodge at Calhoun, the Eagles lodge of Blair, and the German Verein of Omaha.

#3-16 Sept., 1908 - The Tribune - Joseph Ketchmark - Veteran

JOSEPH KETCHMARK

Joseph Ketchmark of Ft. Calhoun was born in Madieryville, Indiana July 16, 1873, and was buried here Sept. 9, 1908.

Plain Joe, as he was known to his many friends, was one of those good natured, free-hearted men, whose only fault was his lack of self control. He was a man of very few enemies and for years has been one of our personal friends.

His parents celebrated their golden wedding two years ago and his father fought in the Holstein-Freshien and American civil wars. He also leaves five brothers and two sisters, a wife (a nobel woman) and five nice young children, having married the daughter of the late Fritz Steffen.

The sermon was in German and English by Rev. Hillman. The Ft. Calhoun Young People’s choir, assisted by Rev. Lay of Iowa, sang in both languages. The pallbearers were Mr. O’Connor, F. L. Winter and Harry Michelsen of the Blair Eagles, and Louis Clasan, Herman Wolff and Martin Brandt of the Ft. Calhoun Woodmen of the World. Over fifty carriages followed the hearse to the cemetery.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

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