Fred F. Wetzler, German Immigrant

Frederick F. Wetzler was born in 1866 to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wetzler, who were both natives of Germany. Frank was born in Prussia, and Mrs. Wetzler had been born in Bavaria, according to the 1870 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio. Fred F. Wetzler died on October 16, 1928, after he suffered a stroke while driving a vehicle on Hayes Avenue. Area residents who witnessed the accident removed him from the truck and took him to the home of Henry Homberger. He was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, where Dr. G. H. Boehmer cared for him, but he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Fred F. Wetzler had a plumbing and heating business in Sandusky for many years, at 908 Columbus Avenue. An article in the June 16, 1908 Sandusky Register gave an account of Mr. Wetzler’s business. It read, in part: “The plumber is more important in many respects than the physician, as he keeps out disease, while the doctor only drives it out, or tries to do so, after it has gained a foothold in the family. In this connection, it is a cheerful task to call attention to the work in practical plumbing done by Mr. Wetzler, who is located at 809 Columbus Ave, and has been established in our city for the past five years…”

The drawing below was included in the 1908 newspaper article.
The funeral for Fred F. Wetzler was held first at Lutz Funeral Home, and later at the Masonic Temple. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery. Mr. Wetzler was survived by his wife, his daughter Winifred, and a brother, Frank Wetzler. You can read the obituary for Fred F. Wetzler in the 1928 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK in the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.