Mary Ida Winchell 1886-1956

Mrs. Joel Winchell Died Friday at Her Home Here

Funeral Services for Mrs. Joel Winchell, 70, who died Friday were held from the Salem Evangelical United Brethren Church here Monday. The Rev. Harold Welch, pastor, officiated at the rites at 2 p.m. Hugo DeJong sang "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" and "What a Friend we have in Jesus" during the rites, and Herbert Juneau was the organist.

Internment was in Dorchester Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Fuchsgraber Funeral Service, which had charge of the arrangements. Pall bearers were Arthur Leichtnam, Elmer Leichtnam, Alvin Nelson, Milton Nelson, Lloyd Tischendorf and Earl Procknow, nephews of the deceased.

Mrs. Winchell died Friday night at her home here. She was taken seriously ill shortly after she and her husband had embarked upon their summer's work with a Duluth carnival company. They returned home for hospitalization, at which time her illness was diagnosed as cancer.

Came here in 1891

Mary Ida Tischendorf was born, June 13, 1886, in Germany and at the age of 5 years came to this community with her parents. They settled on a farm a mile north of the village where she spent her youth, during which she was confirmed in the Peace Evangelical Church here.

She and Joel Winchell were married Sept 9, 1908, in Salem Evangelical church here, and settled on their farm, two and three fourths miles northwest of the village (now operated by Kenneth Gowey), where they resided for 35 years. In 1943 they moved to the village and had resided here since. During summer seasons they operated concessions for amusement companies, spending three seasons with the Skerbeck Amusement Company, three with the Greaser Amusement company, and had started their third season with Arrohead Carnival company of Duluth, Minn., when she was stricken with her final illness.

Surviving are her widower; four children Albert Winchell, Merrill; Mrs. George (Margaret) Johnson, Chicago, Ill.; Ernest Winchell, Dorchester; and Mrs. Melvin (Irene) Atzen, Abbotsford; eight grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Martha Dahl, Ogema and Mrs. Ed Leichtnam, Abbotsford. Two brothers William and Robert Tischendorf preceded her in death.

All the children were here for their mother's funeral and other relatives and friends came from Oskosh, Allens Grove, Kenosha, Weyauwega, Mattoon, Minocqua, Ogema, Medford, Tomahawk, Marshfield, Colby, Stratford, Athens, Abbotsford, Merrill, Detroit, Mich., Chicago and Lombard, Ill.

SOURCE: Dorchester Clarion, Dorchester WI Vol XIX No. 24

Extracted and contributed to this site by Judy Groh