website
watertownhistory.org
ebook
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
William Wetter
1861 - 1891
Found Dead in the Woods
Last Saturday morning
the lifeless body of William Wetter of the 2d ward (west side of Eighth Street, two houses north of Cole) was found in Bentert's Woods in the town of Emmet, about one mile
northeast of this city.
The evening previous he
was seen entering the Woods carrying a stick and accompanied by his dog, the
supposition being he went there to train his dog to hunt and that shortly after
was attacked with heart disease and died.
When found his faithful
dog was by his side, making a great fuss over him - whining, howling and
licking his face, and running around the body in a distracted manner, and when
approached seemed reluctant to allow any one to touch
his dead master.
A coroner’s jury was
summoned and rendered a verdict of death from heart disease.
Wetter's body was
conveyed to his mother's home in the 2d ward, and on Monday afternoon his
funeral was held therefrom, a very large number of mourners following the
remains to their final resting place in St. Henri's cemetery.
The procession was
headed by the Watertown brass band and several other musicians, followed by the
cigarmakers of this city, the hearse bearing the remains, and relatives and
friends in carriages, all forming a lengthy and solemn cortege, and bearing
silent testimony to the high esteem in which the young man was held by his
friends and neighbors.
Deceased was 29 years
of age, and the main support of a widowed mother and younger brothers and
sisters [ webmaster’s note: father
(Ferdinand) had died two years earlier, in 1899 ]
He was an excellent
musician, and for years past has played in the Watertown brass band and in the
orchestra at nearly every entertainment that has been given in this city. During the late Saengerfest in Milwaukee he
played in Clauder’s band. He was a quiet, steady, unassuming young man,
and was much beloved by all his acquaintances, all of whom heard of his tragic
death with profound sorrow, and now mourn his death as that of a good and
faithful friend and citizen.
From 1870 U.S. Census:
Age
Wetter,
Ferdinand 44 Carpenter Prussia
Wetter,
Eva 28 Keeping house Austria
Wetter, William 9 Wisconsin
Wetter,
Lawrence 7 Wisconsin
Wetter,
Theresa 5 Wisconsin
Wetter,
Mary 4 Wisconsin
Wetter,
Gertrude 6 mo Wisconsin