MARY GERHARDT WEST
(nee MARY STELLA COFFMAN)
DOB: February 27, 1896
Lacon, IL USA
DOD: July 25, 1989
Anitgo, WI USA
Daughter of James Plummer Coffman and Ella Priscilla (nee Gray) Coffman
Sister to: Emma Olive (Gardner R. Williams), John David (Lizie Ledbetter), James Plummer (Henrietta Beck), Ethal, Elsie, William Gray, Teresa (Marion H. Bennett) and Grace E. (unknown Shafer) Coffman
Wife of William Paul Gerhardt, married Aug. 28, 1918 in Chicago, IL (age 22).
No children were born to this union.
After William Gerhardt’s death in 1954, Mary was married to Roy Foster West on December 16, 1961 (age 58), which is why her name is listed as Mary Gerhardt West.
MARY GERHARDT WEST
Former Beecher resident Mary Gerhardt West, 93, died July 25, 1989, at Eastview Manor nursing home in Antigo, Wisc.
Mrs. West was born Feb. 27, 1896, in Lacon, IL to James and Ella Coffman.
A graduate of Illinois State University, she was formerly a school teacher in the Beecher area. She was a member of the Beecher PTA, Women’s Welfare Club, Hazel Chapter 390, Order of Eastern Star, and the Beecher Community Church.
Mrs. West is survived by a stepdaughter, Norma Jean (West) Wentland of Fence, Wisc. and a sister Grace Shafer of Lacon.
Her husband Paul Gerhardt, was a longtime superintendent of schools in Beecher. He died July 18, 1954. Her second husband Roy Foster West, died August 13, 1971. She was also preceded in death by four sisters and four brothers.
Services were conducted by Rev. Bill Beagle Saturday at the Hack Funeral Home. Entombment was in the Beecher Mausoleum.
The star on Mary’s headstone is the “Eastern Star”
(Editor’s note: What Mary’s obit does not tell us is that before William Paul’s death, Mary and Paul vacationed at a resort in Summitt Lake, Wisconsin. Mary continued to go back to Summitt Lake after William Paul’s death. Mary met and married her second husband, Roy Foster West, at Summit Lake. Roy West also died at Summitt Lake, WI and is buried next to his first wife, Frances Stevens West, in Delavan, Wisconsin, in Spring Grove Cemetery)
Mary’s family members also resting in the mausoleum are:
Husband: William Paul Gerhardt
Born January 17, 1897, in Carbon Cliff, Illinois, Mr. Gerhardt had been a resident of Beecher for 20 years and was superintendent of Beecher Schools for 16 years. From 1951-1954, he taught social science and acted as guidance director for the schools.
Announces That Schools Will Open Here On The Day After Labor Day
Since we are becoming road or highway conscious in Illinois, as well as education conscious, I want to comment on the excellent condition of the highways all over Wisconsin. There has been extensive improvements over a year ago, and the detours all over concrete or black top only indicate the fact that Wisconsin is doing a lot of road work. Even her off-roads are far better that our trunk lines. How can a poor state, relatively speaking, like Wisconsin be so progressive as far as all its highways, county as well as state, are concerned, and the richest state, with due apologies to California, be so hesitant to improving its highways much less building new ones? Perhaps we should not even mention our county roads at all. A year ago, in driving 600 miles of Wisconsin’s main highways and county roads, the writer hit only a few miles of bad roads, and it was awful. However, it was a stretch of highway passing a federal explosive storage area and the Federal Government had control of the upkeep of that strip of road.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. today for Paul Gerhardt, 57 an instructor and guidance director for Beecher Schools, who died Sunday morning at his home on Prairie Avenue in Beecher after a long illness.
secretary of Beecher Lodge 1087; president of the Beecher Community church board; a bible class instructor; a member of the Royal Neighbors of America; a member of Kappa Delta Phi and Phi Delta Kappa; and a member of the National Education Association and Illinois Education Association. He was a graduate of Augustana College and had received a master’s degree from the University of Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Thielman entertained about sixty of their friends, Tuesday evening, at their beautiful home at the corner of Hodges and Reed Streets. The printed cards which were sent invited the receivers to “come and grab a piece of fun,” and in accordance they all came with both “grabbers,” and each vied with one another in the effort to grab the biggest piece. Games, word contests and various other amusements were indulged in to pass the time away. Every minute was fun and every guest mingled in the fun. In the word contest there were two divisions – the letters composing the names of a great man, and the making of as large a number of words from the letters in a given time. Mrs. Arthur Struve and Mrs. Frank Hunte were tied for the honors of discovering the name of the great man – Henry Thielman – and drew cuts to ascertain the winner, Mrs. Hunte coming out victorious and received a handsome china plate as the prize. Mrs. Arthur Ehrhardt wrote the largest number of words and received a beautiful mustard cup as a prize. Gus. Hoff and Christ. Eskilson were tied for “booby” prize, and they, too, were compelled to draw cuts. Mr. Eskilson won out and was presented an alphabet book. At about midnight the guests were seated at a banquet spread in the basement, where a most bounteous repast was partaken of. After the feast the guests were escorted to the beautiful parlors where more fun, music, both vocal and instrumental, and general mirth prevailed. It was one o’clock before the party broke up and each member bid Mr. and Mrs. Thielman as having an enjoyable time. Mr. and Mrs. Thielman are royal entertainers.
Wife of Henry F. Thielman, married September 26, 1901, Beecher, IL USA
Funeral services were conducted, Friday, June 26, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Hack Funeral Home, where Rev. G. Horst spoke fittingly to a large number of relatives and friends. Two duets by the sisters, Mrs. Herman Seitz and Mrs. Irvin Albers, greatly enhanced the services. Many beautiful floral pieces spoke eloquently of the high esteem in which the departed was held by all who knew her. She was laid to rest in the Beecher Mausoleum.