contributor: Richard A. McLean

Oconto County Times Herald  
 

. It is always saddening to us to record the death of those in the heyday of youth, whose lives are filled with ambition and hope, yet deeper is the feeling and more poignant the sorrow that attunes our thought when we are compelled to pen the obituary of one with whom we have maintained almost daily business relations of a pleasant character for several years. In December 1903, Miss Ida A. McLean entered The Herald office as a compositor, and from that date until last Friday evening, with the exception of brief annual vacations, she performed the duties as- signed her with a faithfulness, cheefulness and efficiency that won her the respect and confidence of employers and fellow-workers. In speed and accuracy she had few equals; but her last line has been set, her last proof corrected, for Ida has answered a sudden summons from the dark angel, and while her earthly form is locked in the bondage of death her freed spirit has winged its flight to the realms beyond the ken of man, where it is safe from plaudit or criticism by finite mankind, and will receive its reward at the throne of the Infinite.

Saturday morning last Ida was indisposed and did not come to the office, during the afternoon she developed a high temperature was from on Sunday afternoon that day that she removal of the appendix fully performed, and the indications for her recovery were good. Tuesday evening her symptoms became alarming, and a few minutes after seven yesterday morning the tired body yielded its spirit to "Him who doeth all things well."

Ida Arlene McLean, fourth daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John A. McLean, of Spruce, was born in the town of Lena March 11, 1885, and was educated in a district school in that town and in the Oconto high school. She came to this village in September, 1903, and in December of that year entered The Her- ald office, and here she has faithfully labored unto the end. Since her parents moved to Spruce about two months ago Miss McLean has boarded at the Hotel Schrubbe, where her death occurred, and from which place she was removed yesterday evening to the home of her sister Mrs. Henry Ryan, on Depot street. She is survived by her parents, five brothers and six sisters.

The Herald force join in tendering their sepmpathy* to the family of their late companion in work, whose sudden death is greatly deplored by all of us.

The funeral will take place Saturday morning, with interment at the Catholic cemetery east of the village.

* The entries have been transcribed exactly from the original so that any misspelling or errors of a person's name, place name, date, or any other entry is intentional.

1907 Calendar - days and equivalent dates:
Friday - August, 16th
Saturday - August, 17th
Sunday - August, 18th
Tuesday - August, 20th
Wednesday - August, 21st

This obituary was transcribed from an original newspaper clipping which over the years has deteriorated. A few lines from the middle are missing.

Her death certificate states that her birth place was Spruce, Wisconsin, BUT the Oconto County Times Herald obituary states that she was born in Lena, Wisconsin. Her death certificate states that her middle initial is "M", BUT her obituary gives her middle name as Arlene and her gravestone has Arlene on it. Her death certificate states that she is buried in Saint Anthony's Cemetery, BUT she is NOT. She is buried in Saint Charles Catholic Cemetery. She is buried in Lot 38, Section A; BUT that numbering system was discontinued on November 01, 1970. Under the new system she lies exactly in the middle between two lots of two graves each.