Obit: Brandsness, Hjalmar E. #2 (1897 - 1962)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Brandsness, Soli, Sneen, Caswell, Nerdrum, Bjornstad, Farmer

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 12/27/1962

Brandsness, Hjalmar E. (4 MAY 1897 - 18 DEC 1962)

Funeral services for Hjalmar Brandsness, 65, of Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.), were conducted by Pastor Carl Peters at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at Stanley at 2:00 o’clock Saturday afternoon, Dec. 22, 1962. Songs were rendered by Anton Long during the services. Mr. Brandsness died at his home at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. He had been ill for the past four months and received treatment for a tumor which may have caused the loss of speech and paralysis of his left side about a week before he passed away.

Mr. Brandsness was born in Stanley, Wis., on May 4, 1897 where he grew to manhood and enlisted in the army in World War I. He was united in marriage to Valborg Soli of Stanley at the Bethesda Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on Oct. 30, 1920. He came to Thorp in the 20’s and was employed by the Thorp Lumber Co. He served as manager of the lumber concern after it was later sold to the Lyman Lumber & Fuel Co. and was with the company continuously until retiring during the past year. His entire life was spent in the lumbering industry.

Hjalmar had served for many years past as a member and secretary of the board of the east Thorp Cemetery Association and also was on the Board of Trustees of the Village of Thorp in the forties. He was a member of Thorp Lodge No. 264 of the Thorp Masonic Order and a member of Cecil Tormey Post of the American Legion, serving a number of years as that organizations’ Finance Officer. He belonged to the Thorp Lions for many years and was a past president of that club.

Surviving are his wife, Valborg, one son, Harvey of Paramus, N.J., five grandchildren; one brother, Carl of Stanley; five sisters, Mrs. Oliver Sneen, Mrs. Vino Caswell and Mrs. Harley Nerdrum, all of Stanley; Mrs. Melvin Bjornstad of Owen, and Mrs. Alvin Farmer of Eau Claire.

Masonic funeral rites were conducted by Master Ray Arndt and members of the Thorp Lodge No. 264, F. & A.M. for the deceased at the Thorp Funeral Home Chapel at 8:00 o’clock Monday evening. Military rites were conferred by members of the Thorp American Legion Post at the grave with a salute by the firing squad and the sounding of taps. Interment took place in the Evergreen Cemetery at Stanley. The following World War I veterans served as pallbearers: Harry Smith, Tom Polnaszek, Frank Sierocuk, John Barth, Wilfred Vanderhyden and Wm. S. Wagner.

The following relatives and friends from out of town were present at the funeral of Hjalmar Brandsness on Tuesday last: Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. James Sneen, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Simenson and Gena..(some unreadable names).. Mr. & Mrs. Gust Soli Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Gust V. Soli Jr. and Robert Solie of L’Anse, Mich.; Mr. and Mrs. James Solie, Marquette, Mich.; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hanson, Lake Mills, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Bjornstad, Milwaukee, Wis., Owen, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Soli, Washington, D.C.; Mrs. Oliver Sneen….(more unreadable names on my copy)