"Just before noon Wednesday the spirit of David Caldwell, one of our oldest and most highly respected residents, answered the summons, and in painless peace the tired body yielded up its spirit to the Giver of all life and entered into eternal rest. The deceased was born in the county of Restigouche, New Brunswick, April 12, 1838, and was just 76 years and 10 days old. During his early years he worked on his father's farm which is now owned by the estate of the late President Chester A. Arthur. Later he was employed on the boats that ply the waters in the country, but came west when a young man and settled in Oconto County. Here for years he was engaged as cruiser and foreman of lumber camps for the Oconto Lumber Company. July 13, 1867 in the old Beaumont House at Green Bay, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Slattery, who survives him. Shortly after his marriage he built a hotel at Oconto Falls, which he conducted until about 15 years ago when he sold it to O, M. Saunders. About that time the St. Paul Eastern Grand Trunk railway built through this place. Mr. Caldwell established a general store which he and his son, A. J. Caldwell of Oconto, conducted for a number of years. Becoming possessed of considerable land in the early days the natural enhancement in values placed him in very comfortable circumstances. Much of the present village of Oconto Falls is built on land sold by Mr. Caldwell, and at his death he was still the owner of a considerable tract."
"He was frequently elected chairman of the town of Oconto Falls and represented his town on the county board. He was also for many years an efficient school officer of the district, and largely owing to his efforts the first brick school building in the place (the Lincoln School) was built. Until within the last year or so he has always been deeply interested in the progress and development of Oconto Falls."
"Mr. Caldwell is survived by his sorrowing wife, who is herself an invalid, four sons and two daughters, as follows: A. J. Caldwell of Oconto, H. H. Caldwell of Oconto Falls, Arthur G. Caldwell of New York City, E. Ward Caldwell, musician with Winninger Bros., with headquarters at Wausau, Wis., Mrs. G. W. Burnside of Neenah and Miss Effie Caldwell of Oconto Falls."
"For 56 years Mr. Caldwell had been a resident of Oconto county, enjoying during that long period the respect and esteem of hundreds of warm friends and in his death is mourned as one whom the community can ill afford to part with. His work in building and developing our thrifty city stands as a monument to his energy and progressive spirit. -- Oconto Falls Herald."
"The funeral was held from his late home at 9 o'clock Saturday morning. Rev. E. J. Symons, pastor of the Oconto Falls M. E. church officiating and his remains brought to Oconto and laid at rest in the family lot in Catholic cemetery."
"The following account of a touching incident regarding Mr. Caldwell's death appeared in the Beloit Daily News last Thursday:
" 'You haven't got no family when serving the queen,' Kipling once wrote in a poem and the same is equally true in this country when the country is threatened
'When the war news was received at the Wilson theatre Tuesday night and the orchestra played, "The Star Spangled Banner," everyone was carried away by his patriotism -- yet possibly no one in the house knew that not five minutes before the dramatic and thrilling episode, Ward [Red] Caldwell, piano player with Winninger Company, had received a telegram which read as follows: "Ward, come home at once, father just died." When the war news was received Mr. Caldwell was the first to start the "Star Spangled Banner," although his heart was heavy from the sad news which he had just received from his home in Oconto Falls, Wis.' "
"Mr. Caldwell left for Oconto Falls immediately to attend the funeral services." end mbj