website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Emil
Luther
1877
- 1936
Watertown Daily Times, Feb, 1936 / Date of death:
02 04 1936
The funeral for Emil Luther, 58,
veteran member of the volunteer fire department
and for many years janitor of the city hall who died yesterday following an
operation will be held Saturday afternoon from the Nowack
funeral home with services in St. John’s Lutheran Church . . . Interment will
be in the Lutheran cemetery.
Mr. Luther was a native of
Watertown and was born
Mayor W. F. Reichardt
announced that all city officials are requested to meet at the city hall Friday
evening at
Mayor Reichardt,
at the opening of last night’s council meeting, took occasion to pay a personal
tribute to Mr. Luther.
“I speak without fear for
contradiction when I say that no city worker was more faithful and more
conscientious and more ready to be of service than was Mr. Luther. We are all going to miss him and we all feel
sorry over his loss to the city which he served so well.”
________________________________________________
Mr. Luther was a city employee
for more than 30 years. He served as
city hall janitor for something like 25 years, being appointed year after year
by each successive mayor. Some years ago
when the position was abolished and the rules of the volunteer fire department
were revised distributing the work among the various fire truck drivers, Mr.
Luther continued as a driver and worked continuously until last week when he
prepared to go to the hospital. He had
long been a member of the fire department.
He is survived by his wife. There are no children, but a niece has for
years made her home with the couple.
Mr. Luther’s record of service to
the city was unique. He was a
conscientious worker and each succeeding administration, in the days when the
janitor was appointed by the mayor, named him to the position. No mayor would even think of replacing him
and when Dr. A. H. Hartwig
first came to the office of mayor and advocated several changes he declared the
Mr. Luther’s service was such that he wouldn’t replace him and said he felt he
was entitled to reappointment year after year.
Many other mayors in naming him paid tribute to his long and faithful
record as a city worker.
The flag on the city hall was
lowered to half staff when news of his death was received there.
