This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: BLISS HALE SLOWTHOWER AGNEW BANGLE CATE LAMERE KELLY LAMIEUX ATWELL CLARK SMITH CARTMILL Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DFC.2ACE/2316 Message Board Post: From SPDJ Thursday, 26 December 1907 SPWJ 28 Dec. 1907 (identical) MRS. N.F. BLISS Stevens Point's First School Teacher Rests in Last Sleep Mrs. N.F. Bliss passed away at 12:15 this morning at her home, 213 Bliss avenue, after an illness of four weeks with erysipelas and stomach trouble. Toward the latter part of November she contracted a severe cold and on Thanksgiving day eryspelas developed in her face, which was very painful and annoying for a few days, but which finally yielded to treatment. Meanwhile, however, she began to suffer from stomach trouble, and not being able to take nourishment her strength rapidly ebbed away. Mandana Hale was born at Smithfield, Penn., on Sept. 18, 1826, but as a child of ten emigrated with her parents by wagon to Bonus Prairie, or Caladonia, Ill. They made the trip from Ohio to Illinois with the families of the late John Slothower and David Agnew. In 1847 Peter Bangle, afterwards for many years a resident of Amherst, who was at that time interested in logging operations in this section, made a trip down to northern Illinois and persuaded Miss Hale to come up to Stevens Point and take charge of a small private school. On the trip north into the then almost trackless wilderness, Miss Hale drove a "tote team" with a big load of supplies. The few residents of the village seeing the need of instruction for the children, had taken up a collection to defray the expenses of conducting a school. Miss Hale opened her school in a building on the north side of the square, where the Chilla block now stands. Of the children then enrolled only a few survive. The students that can now be recalled are Mrs. G.W. Cate of this city, Mrs. Henry Cate of Stockton, Louis La Mere of Mosinee and J.N. Kelly, now receiver of the U.S. land office at Bozeman, Mont. The compensation was small and the school teacher had to eke out a living by sewing clothes for the woodsmen and made more from this line than from her teaching. In the fall she drove a team back to Bonus Prairie and remained there until the following June, when Nathaniel F. Bliss, whom she had met up here in the pineries, went to Illinois and brought her back as his bride. After her return here she taught one more term of school. When she first came here there were only 14 white women in all this community, from Plover north to Wausau. Mr. Bliss was elected the first justice of the peace in Stevens Point, being elected the year following his marriage, and continued in office for many years. He also conducted a real estate business and kept store, supplying provisions for many lumbering concerns in the pineries. In this connection, both Mr. and Mrs. Bliss became widely known throughout central Wisconsin. Mr. Bliss passed away in October,1876. The family home throughout the life time of Mr. Bliss was maintained at the corner of Third and Water streets on the property now owned by Peter LaMieux and M.E. Bruce. After his death the family lived for some years on the Bliss farm, now owned by V.P. Atwell, in the south part of town. They were parents of nine children, Mrs. Geraldine B. Clark of this city, Adelbert, who died in July, 1905, Mason of Grand Rapids, Josephine, who died in 1872, Harvey, of Big Timber, Mont., Charles, who died in 1860, Mrs. Anna Smith of this city, Frank of Livingston, Mont., and Mrs. Susan Cartmill of this city. All the surviving children have been with her in her last illness and all are here to attend the funeral. Mrs. Bliss was a woman of strong character and ability. She had read and traveled widely and could talk intellegently and very entertainingly on many subjects. She returned in October from a very pleasant visit with her sons in Montana, this being her thirteenth trip out west. She made the trip entirely alone, without any inconvenience. She has always been remarkably strong and active for one of her years, and a few weeks ago her nearest friends would have predicted a long term of life ahead of her. On one of her visits to Montana she made an extended trip through Yellowstone park and made an exceptionally fine collection of mineral specimens. She would frequently sit down to her cabinet containing this collection and take her friends on what she termed "A Trip Through the Yellowstone". She gave her little lecture in a very interesting manner. Mrs. Bliss had been a member of the Baptist church since she was 16 years old and had always taken a great personal interest in the work, being one of the most generous contributors in the congregation. The funeral will be held from the residence Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, Rev. James Blake of the Baptist church officiating. The interment will follow in the family lot in the Union cemetery. **courtesy posting only, no relation.