This file part of www.watertownhistory.org website
Emil Doerr
1879 - 1956
11 08 1956
Emil M. Doerr, 77, retired Watertown printer who was for many years
associated with the Times Publishing Co. and the Watertown Daily Times, died
November 8, 1956, in St. Mary's Hospital.
His death followed surgery which he underwent at the hospital recently.
Mr. Doerr was born in Watertown on
On
Mr. Doerr was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Funeral will be held at the Schmutzler Funeral Home. Interment
will be in St. Henry’s Cemetery.
Mr. Doerr went to work as a boy in the shop of the Weltbuerger,
weekly German newspaper here, located at 119 North Second Street, which at that
time was published and edited by the late David Blumenfeld,
father of Ralph D. Blumenfeld - who rose to the
position of editor of The London Times.
The late Otto R.
Krueger, who later became editor and publisher of the Weltbuerger, was foreman of the
shop when Mr. Doerr started.
After nine years with
Mr. Blumenfeld, Mr. Doerr
got a job with the Daily Times which
was then a few years old. It was then
located at the rear, second floor, of the present Krier's
building, South First and Main Streets. The office of the Wisconsin Telephone
Co. was then located in the front part of the building.
Mr. Doerr was later associated for a short time with Ward Swift
in the printing and publishing business, located in the A & P store
building on
In April, 1917, Mr. Doerr helped organize the Watertown Leader, a tri-weekly newspaper, with the late J. P.
Holland, Eugene Killian, Jack Kuenzi and Zeno Bruegger.
In February, 1919,
this group purchased the Daily Times
in cooperation with the late John Clifford of Juneau. The paper was reorganized
with Mr. Clifford, father of the present editor, serving as editor, along with
Mr. Holland as associate editor. The reorganized company also included the late
E. J. Schoolcraft. Mr. Doerr was vice president of
the company.
Mr. Doerr was one of the city’s first two linotype operators
along with the late Eugene Killian. In its early days the paper had but one
linotype when those machines were first being installed in small town printing
establishments.
During the time that
Mr. Doerr was with the paper it occupied various
locations. It was first located where the Mullen Dairy is now operated. From
there the paper moved to the basement quarters in the Masonic Temple. After a fire which destroyed the temple, the paper
occupied quarters for a time in the Buchheit building
and from there moved into its present building in
Mr. Doerr had been a member of the Typographical Union since
1903, being a charter member here.
He recalled that his
first job work as a printer was in getting out some cheese wrappers for the Jossi-Habhegger
firm. These were printed on tinfoil, which required special handing and which
in those days was considered a special job. In his early years he also did a
great deal of translating from German into English, for in those days
practically all auction bills were printed in both English and German.
Later, when the Times gave up its job printing
department and devoted its facilities exclusively to the publication of the
daily newspaper Mr. Doerr devoted himself to his
duties as a linotype and intertype operator. He retired some years ago but paid
occasional visits to the Times because, as he said, "once printer's ink
gets in your blood it stays there and I like to see how the boys in the back
shop are doing."
Mr. Doerr was a man of many fine qualities and he was a good
companion whose many years with the Times
were shared pleasantly with many of the present staff members and the composing
room force. He was always a welcome visitor around the shop.
The City Hall flag
was flown at half staff today for Mr. Doerr. In his earlier years, had been a member of
the old Watertown Volunteer Fire Department.