Occupation: Teacher

Prof. Ernest Fickweiler Sr., from 1871 to 1900 a popular and efficient teacher in St. John's Lutheran schools, died yesterday afternoon at his home on A street of paralysis, after an illness of nearly eight years. During these years, when he was almost helpless, his wife showed the depth and strength of her love and devotion and a frequent sight was the faithful wife wheeling her husband about town in a large chair. By all who knew him, Prof. Fickweiler was highly respected and in the Lutheran church he was beloved by the children and the members. Out of respect for his memory the parochial school was dismissed today. The deceased was 76 years old and is survived by the wife, three daughters, Mrs. H. W. Sallwasser, Mrs. Dora Neblung and Mrs. George Blankschein, and three sons, Ernest, Carl and Lawrence. One daughter died recently and a son, Willie, was killed in the explosion of a gun on a United States warship on which he was a middy.

Funeral services over the remains of Prof. Ernest Fickweiler will be held at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at St. John's Lutheran church. Rev. Paul Eichstaedt will officiate and the burial will take place at the Lutheran cemetery, with Weir & Sievert in charge. A telegram received last night from Carl, the son, who is employed as a street car conductor in Los Angeles, Cal., is to the effect that he had started for LaPorte and would reach here Tuesday. Ernest Fickweiler was born in Dobaruth, Prussia, Germany, April 4, 1835, and came to St. Louis, May 1, 1864. He entered the Teachers' seminary at Addison, Ill., and graduated there in 1867. His first call was to Columbia City, Ind., where he remained until 1869. On April 13, 1871, he was installed as teacher of the primary department in the parochial school of St. John's Lutheran church, and held that position in a most satisfactory manner until June 15, 1899, when he was stricken with paralysis. This necessitated his resignation. Since that time he had suffered two additional slight strokes, but death was due more particularly to a wearing out of the vitality than the paralysis. Prof. Fickweiler was married Dec. 6, 1868, to Wilhelmina Wampner, who has been a most faithful and devoted wife and who now survives to mourn the loss of a loving husband. Ten children were born to this union. Two children died in infancy, and two died within the past two years, leaving six surviving children, Mrs. Caroline Sallwasser, Mrs. Dora Neblung, Mrs. Marie Blankschein and Lawrence Fickweiler of LaPorte, Ernest Fickweiler, Jr., of Wanatah, and Carl Fickweiler of Los Angeles. So far as known there are no living brothers and sisters, though the deceased learned a few years ago that several nieces and nephews were living in New York city.

--The LaPorte Weekly Herald
(LaPorte, IN), Thurs., Mar. 19, 1908, Pg. 5

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Indiana, U.S., WPA Death Index, 1882-1920
Name: Ernest Fickweiler
Date: Mar 12, 1908
Location: La Porte
Age: 72 Yr
Gender: Male
Race: White
Source location: County Health Office, Laporte
Source notes: The source of this record is the book H-28 on page 3 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.