ERIC ESSE, 79, DIES TUESDAY

Eric Esse, 79, retired farmer and a resident of this vicinity for 63 years, died Tuesday afternoon at his home here after a short illness.

He is survived by eight daughters, Mrs. Henry Arndt and Mrs. Gustav Olson, both of Milwaukee; Mrs. Oscar Nordness, Mrs. Russell Loberg, Tinka and Gudrun Esse, all of De Forest; Ruth, Madison; and Mrs. Tom McEvilly, Mendota; four sons, George, Milwaukee; Paul, Madison; Ove and John, both at home; one sister, Mrs. Betsey Skutley, Minneapolis; two brothers, Andrew, De Forest, and Peter, Waunakee; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the home, and 2 in Norway Grove Lutheran Church. The Rev. J. O. Tweten will officiate and burial will be in Norway Grove Cemetery.
Obituary will be published in next week's issue of the Times. (The De Forest Times, De Forest, Wisconsin, April 22, 1938, Page 1, Column 5)

ERICK ESSE

Erick Esse passed away Tuesday afternoon, April 19, after a brief illness, at the age of 79 years, 4 months, and 19 days. He was born December 1, 1858 at Balholm, Sogn, Norway to Gjert and Kari Thue, and was baptized and confirmed there.

At the age of 16 he emigrated to America, arriving at Spring Prairie in the spring of 1875. With the exception of brief absences he had been a constant resident of this community since his arrival from Norway.

September 25, 1855, he was united in marriage to Anna Linde, of De Forest. This union was blessed with a large family. He was preceded in death by his wife who died in December 1936, and a son, Joseph, a world war veteran who died 12 years ago.

The first few years of wedded life were spent in and near De Forest. In 1892 they purchased the John Ollis farm at Norway Grove, where they lived until 1930 when they retired to live in De Forest. In September, 1935 they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mr. Esse took an active interest in church and local affairs. He served a number of times on the Norway Grove School board, was a director of the Norway Grove Cheese Factory, the De Forest Farmers' Exchange, and had been an active director at the De Forest-Morrisonville Bank for the past 16 years.

The members of the family that survive are: Mrs. Clara Nordness, Mrs. Edna Loberg, of De Forest; Mrs. Ingebor Arndt, Mrs. Carolyn Olson, of Milwaukee; Mrs. Mabel McEvilly, of Mendota; Ruth and Paul, of Madison; George of Milwaukee; Tinka, Gudrun, Ove and John, at home. He is also survived by two brothers, Andrew, of De Forest; Peter of Waunakee; and one sister, Mrs. Betsey Skutley, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; by 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

The funeral services were held Saturday, April 23, services at the home at 1:30 and at 2 o'clock from the Norway Grove Lutheran Church, the Rev. J. O. Tweten officiating, assisted by Dr. O. J. H. Preus of Decorah, Iowa.

The church choir sang "Abide With Me", and Mrs. A. L. F. Anderson, accompanied by Mrs. Carl Knudtson, sang two solos, including an old favorite, "Jeg ved mig en soon in Jesu navn."

The flower girls were Chrystene and Mary Ellen Nordness, granddaughters. The pall bearers were: Emery and Gerhard Nordness, Albert and Paul Arndt, James and Stanley McEvilly, grandsons. The honorary pall beares were: Andrew Mell, R. J. Kuhlman, O. J. Boehm, Virgil Roick, August Junge, Mr. Wangerin, W. H. Paulman, fellow directors of the De Forest-Morrisonville Bank, S. S. Daley, Erick Engeseth, Simon Wangsness, Ole Eggum, A. A. Tenjum, old friends and neighbors.

Many beautiful floral tributes together with a large number of memorial gifts were brought by relatives and friends. The remains were laid to rest in the family lot at Norway Grove Cemetery.

Blessed be his Memory
A precious one from us has gone,
A voice we loved is stilled;
A place is vacant in our home,
Which never can be filled.
God in His Wisdom has recalled,
The boon His love had given,
And though the body slumbers there,
The Soul is safe in Heaven.
(The De Forest Times, De Forest, Wisconsin, April 29, 1938, Page 1, Column 6)