RITES TOMORROW FOR MRS. PARISH

Blair Woman, 75, Widow of Merchant, Died Tuesday Evening

Mrs. Bertha Parish, 75, widow of a former Blair merchant, Freeman L. Parish, died at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ralph Mencke, 605 West Park Street. She had been in poor health since last spring.

Funeral services will be held at Trinity Evangelical-Lutheran Church at 2 p.m. Friday, the Rev. H.C. Jul. Frese officiating. Interment will follow in Blair Cemetery. The Campbell Mortuary is in charge.

Bertha Wilhelmina Sas, daughter of John and Marie Sas, was born December 9, 1864, at Marine City, Michigan. When only 18 months old, she came with her parents to Boone, Iowa, where her father freighted with teams before the railroads had been extended that far west. Later the family moved to a farm near Dayton, Iowa, returning to Boone in a short time, where the father worked for the Union Pacific railroad.

When a young woman, she moved to Harrison County, Iowa, with her parents, and in 1891 when 26 years of age, she came to Blair to work with her brothers at the Sas Bros. store here.

On July 5, 1895, she was married to Freeman L. Parish. In later years Mr. Parish and his brother-in-law, Fred Sas, operated the Sas & Parish store where the Safeway store is now located. Mr. and Mrs. Parish resided here until 11 years ago, when they moved to Pender. Since the death of Mr. Parish on April 20, 1935, Mrs. Parish had made her home partly with her son, Dr. Harold Parish, of Pender, and her daughter, Mrs. Mencke, in Blair.

Surviving Mrs. Parish are her son and daughter; two grand-daughters, Marilyn Mencke of Blair and Corinne Parish of Pender; and a nephew, William J. Sas of Blair. Five brothers, William, Rudolph, John, Henry and Fred Sas, and a sister, Ida, preceded her in death.

Mrs. Parish was a life-long member of the Lutheran Church, having been baptized and confirmed in that faith. For 32 years she had served as treasurer of the Lutheran Aid.

#2-18 Jan., 1940 - The Enterprise - Bertha Wilhelmina (Sas) Parish

MRS. FREEMAN PARISH RITES TOMORROW

75 Year Old Blair Woman Died At Home Of Daughter

Mrs. Freeman L. Parish passed away Tuesday, January 16, at 6:30 a.m. at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ralph Mencke, in this city, at the age of 75 years, 1 month and 7 days, after a long illness.

Bertha Wilhelmina Sas was born to John and Marie Sas at Marine City, Michigan on December 9, 1864.

At the age of one and one half years she moved with her parents to Boone, Iowa where her father freighted with teams before the railroads had been built this far west. Later they moved to a farm near Dayton, Iowa, returning to Boone in a short time where her father worked for the U.P. railroad.

When a young woman her father purchased a farm in Harrison county, Iowa, and she lived there until she moved at the age of 26 to Blair to work with her brothers at Sas Brothers store. She lived in Blair until eleven years ago when she moved with her husband to Pender, Nebraska.

After her husband’s death, April 20, 1935, she made her home partly with her son and part time with her daughter.

Bertha Sas was married to Freeman Parish July 5, 1895. To this union were born three children, the first dying in infancy. The two children, Dr. Harold Parish of Pender and Mrs. Dorothy Mencke survive her, also two granddaughters, Marilyn Mencke and Corinne Parish.

Five brothers, William, Rudolph, John, Henry and Fred and a sister, Ida, preceded her in death.

She was a lifelong member of the Lutheran church, being baptized and confirmed in that faith. She served as treasurer of the Lutheran Aid for thirty two years.

Funeral rites will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the German Lutheran church, and interment will be made in the Blair cemetery.

* Blair Cemetery records lists her death as 16 Jan 1940

Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clipping on file at the Blair Public Library.