Andrew Clayton Chase - Bloomer Advance, January 11, 1940

Former Resident Dies At Colfax:

A. C. (Clayton) Chase, for many yrs. a res. & school teacher in the Bloomer community d. at his home in Colfax at 1:10 Tues. morning foll. a long illness. Clayton Chase was b. in Sauk Co., WI., Aug. 5 1863 & came to Bloomer with his pars. when a boy & for sev. yrs. he taught in the schools of the county. Some 42 yrs. ago he moved to Colfax, where he owned & operated the Messenger until he retired in 1917. He was mar: to Jennie Conry in Bloomer on Oct. 3, 1886 who survives together with 1 dau., Mrs. Chas. Bitney of Baraboo, & sev. nephews & nieces.

Funeral services were held this afternoon at the Meth.t Church in Colfax & interment was made in the Bloomer Cem.

Colfax Messenger, Jan. 11 1940

Death Summons Former Editor Andrew C. Chase Founder of Messenger died at Home in Village, Tuesday, at 1:10 a.m.

Former Editor Andrew C. Chase, and founder of the Colfax Messenger, passed away at his home in the village on Tues. morning at 1:10, at the age of 76 yrs., 5 mos. & 11 days. Death was due to a general decline in health, which he had suffered especially during the past 6 mos., although his condition wasn't considered serious until the past 6 wks.

In spite of the best of medical care & loving devotion, Mr. Chase was unable to rally from a sudden collapse on Mon. when hopes were given up for his recovery, & he passed peacefully away early Tues. morning at 1:10 o'clock.

The following auto-biography of Andrew C. Chase's life was prepared by the subject of this sketch on April 15, 1930, & is printed herewith:

Andrew Clayton Chase, son of James and Hannah (Gay) Chase, was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin, August 6, 1863, the family moving to Chippewa County when the subject of this sketch was but three years of age, the father homesteading an eighty of land five miles northwest of what is now the City of Bloomer, where the writer spent his boyhood days until the death of his father on Oct. 17 1883, the writer then being past 20 yrs. of age. The mother then sold the homestead & moved to Cook's Valley, & soon after the writer began teaching ungraded (rural) schools, cont. in that profession for 12 yrs.

On Oct. 3 1886, the writer was married to Miss Jennie M. Conry at Bloomer, Wi., in the vicinity of which they resided & cont. teaching until April, 1897, when they moved to Colfax, Dunn Co., & estab. The Colfax Messenger, a weekly publication, operating a job printing shop in connection with the publication of the paper for 20 yrs., until March 1, 1917, when the plant was sold, & they retired to private life in a speculative mood, investing in a cautious manner in various ventures.

The writer was elected as first Village Clerk when the Village of Colfax was incorp., cont. in the office for 3 yrs., also serving as assessor for many terms. The writer's father was for many yrs. a Meth. minister, as also a bro. older, who spent his life in the ministry. The writer & wife early united with the Meth. church, being faithful workers for the church.

Surviving to mourn his departure is his wife, & one sister, Mrs. C. W. Bitney, Baraboo. She is the only survivor of the ten children, all brothers & sisters of the deceased. Also surviving are the foll. nieces and nephews: Lee German, Bloomer; Ray German, Eau Claire; Rose and Luella Ellis, Bloomer; Mrs. Oscar Hilson, Colfax; Mrs. L. R. Christianson, Fond du Lac, and numerous other relatives.

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