Obituary: Perry Fess - Class of 1906

Perry Fess, 84, Hotel Owner, Dies

Perry T. Fess, 84, of 1840 Yahara Pl., the last of the Fess family to own the 113-year old Fess Hotel, 123 E. Doty St., was found dead at his home Sunday (Apr. 22, 1973).

Deputy Coroner Donald Scullion said he died of natural causes.

The Fess Hotel, which was recently purchased by the Hovde Realty, Co., was built in 1860 by George Fess, an English immigrant. Perry Fess was the third generation of his family to own and operate the hotel.

Fess was a road contractor, and was also a well-known baseball player for the defunct Madison Blues baseball team.

Surviving are his wife, Alice, at home; a daughter, Miss Barbere Fess, Mill Valley, Calif.; and two sisters, Mrs. Madeline Mehlig, Sarasota, Fla.; and Miss Marie Fess, Madison.

The funeral is tentatively set for Thursday. Arrangements are being handled by the Frautschi Funeral Home, 3610 Speedway Rd.

Note: The above was originally published in the Obituaries section of the Wisconsin State Journal on April 23, 1973. At this time, obituaries were still "news stories," written by newspaper staff, not families.

Additional notes: Perry Fess's class year is based on information in the 1906 Tychoberahn, where his photograph appears among those of the graduating seniors. The article accompanying this obituary was published in the Wisconsin State Journal on June 3, 1973, several weeks after Perry Fess died. In addition to providing some additional background information, it demonstrates how widespread and influential the achievements of Madison Central High School alumni have been and continue to be: Both the photographer, George Stein, and the illustrator, J.P. Schmelzer, are Central alumni.