USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River, Vol. II > Part 85
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his course in the business college he was for six months in the employ of the Becker Paper Company, Fort Wayne, and thereafter was in the em- ploy of the Western Gas & Construction Company. In 1917 he removed to New Haven, so he could better handle the affairs of the New Haven Lumber & Supply Company, of which he is now the active executive officer, besides being a stockholder in the New Haven State Bank. In polities he is not constrained by strict partisan lines but supports men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. In his home village he is an influential member of the Commercial Club, and here he and his wife are active communicants of Emanuel Lutheran church. In Fort Wayne he holds membership in the Friars' Club, the One Hundred Per Cent. Club, and the Walther League of St. Paul's Lutheran parish. June 7, 1916, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wehrenberg to Miss Ruth Furste, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Waldron) Furste, of Hunting- ton, Indiana, and they are popular factors in the representative social life of their home community.
Henry Wehrenberg, who has won through his own ability and well ordered efforts a secure vantage-place as one of the successful and repre- sentative contractors and builders in the city of Fort Wayne, was born in Hanover, Germany, on February 22, 1861, and is one of the two sur- vivors of the seven children of Frederick and Mary (Schroeder) Wehren- berg, five of the number having died in childhood and the one other survivor being a daughter who resides in Bremen, Germany. The par- ents passed their entire lives in the German fatherland, and thus the subject of this review is the only representative of the immediate family in the United States. Henry Wehrenberg is indebted to the excellent schools of his native land for his early educational advantages, and there also he served his apprenticeship to the bricklayers' trade. In 1881, as a self-reliant and ambitious young man of twenty years, he severed the home ties and set forth to seek his fortunes in America. He landed in the port of New York city and remained in the national metropolis eigh- teen months, at the expiration of which he came to Indiana and estab- lished his permanent home in Fort Wayne. Here he was employed for several years as a journeyman at his trade, and since 1891 has here been engaged in contracting and building in an independent way. He has erected many private dwellings in this city, besides a large number of buildings of more pretentious order, including the Washington school and the school building on Holton avenue, the People's Trust Company's fine building and also that of the Lincoln National Life Insurance Com- pany. Though he has not withdrawn from business as a progressive and successful contractor, Mr. Wehrenberg is at the time of this writing giving much of his time and attention to promotive service for the Gen- eral Electric Company of Fort Wayne. He is a wide-awake and progres- sive citizen, is a Democrat in his political adherency, and both he and his wife are communicants of St. Paul's Lutheran church. On May 3, 1887, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wehrenberg to Miss Minnie Albersmeyer, who likewise was born in Germany, and they have five children-Frederick H., Paul, Henry, Wilma, and Alfred. The two older sons are active and popular young business men of their native county, Frederick H. being manager of the Lumber Supply Company at New Haven, and Paul is associated with his father in business, being a member of the municipal council of Fort Wayne.
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Fred H. Wellman is a member of the firm of Wellman & Ulmer, which conducts one of the best appointed undertaking and funeral-directing establishments in the city of Fort Wayne, and from the same the most effective and considerate service is always assured, including that af- forded through automobile funeral cars and carriages. Mr. Wellman was born in Fort Wayne on January 28, 1878, a son of Carl and Henrietta (Witte) Wellman, both natives of Germany. Carl Wellman was a skilled millwright by vocation and established his home in Fort Wayne in the year 1874, both he and his wife having here passed the remainder of their lives and the subject of this review being the older of their two surviving children. The younger child, Sophia, is the wife of William Koch, of Fort Wayne. He whose name introduces this sketch acquired his early education in the parochial school of Emanuel Lutheran church and later attended for a time the Fort Wayne Medical College, largely for the purpose of obtaining knowledge of anatomy, as an adjunct of the undertaking business. Later he completed a course in the Champion School of Embalming, at Springfield, Ohio, in 1896, and since that year has been actively associated with the undertaking business in Fort Wayne. In 1910 he purchased an interest in the well established business of his uncle, Henry Wellman, and after the latter's death, in 1915, obtained full control of the business, which he has since conducted in an individual way, until May 15, 1917, when he and C. J. Ulmer consolidated their undertaking businesses and the new firm name now is Wellman & Ulmner. Their well equipped establishment is at 211 West Berry street, and under the provisions of the Indiana laws Mr. Wellman is licensed both as an undertaker and an embalmer, having been one of the first in Fort Wayne to register under the laws thus provided. Both he and his wife are active communicants of the Lutheran church. On September 23, 1903, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wellman to Miss Edith Schwartz, daugh- ter of Henry and Louise Schwartz, of Fort Wayne, and the one child of this union is a daughter, Valetta.
Joel Welty was a man whose sterling character expressed itself in earnest and consistent stewardship during the course of a long and useful life, and he achieved success and influence in connection with business affairs of important order. In 1895 he established a well equipped book bindery in Fort Wayne, and under his effective direction the Fort Wayne Binding Company became one of the important and prosperous business concerns of the Allen county metropolis. He amplified the enterprise eventually by engaging also in the manufacturing of paper boxes, under the title of the Fort Wayne Box Company, and of both of these sub- stantial corporations he continued the executive head until his death, which occurred December 20, 1903, his widow still retaining his stock interest in the box company. Mr. Welty was a man of energy and mature judgment, of broad mental ken and of exalted integrity, so that his death was looked upon as a distinct loss to the community with which he had fully and loyally identified himself and in which his name is held in enduring honor. Joel Welty was born in Wayne county, Ohio, on April 15, 1857, a son of Christian and Magdalena (Lugenbuehl) Welty, the former of whom was born in the United States and the latter in the canton of Berne, Switzerland, the Welty family lineage likewise tracing back to staunch Swiss origin. Christian Welty continued his alliance with agricultural pursuits in the old Buckeye state until 1868, when he removed with his family to Moniteau county, Missouri, where he and his wife
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passed the remainder of their lives and where he was a prosperous farmer and influential citizen, both he and his wife having been most devout members of the Mennonite church. Of their children the first born, Elizabeth, is deceased ; Caroline is the wife of Andrew J. Moser and they reside in the state of Missouri; Daniel is a resident of California; Rosa is the wife of Michael Wenger, and they maintain their home in Idaho; John B. resides at Berne, Adams county, Indiana; Benjamin F. lives in Tacoma, Washington; Amelia is the wife of John Rhorer, of Winnie, Chambers county, Texas; and the subject of this memoir was the sixth in order of birth of the seven children. Joel Welty gained his rudimen- tary education in the Ohio schools and was about twelve years old at the time of the family removal to Missouri, where he was reared to man- hood on the home farm and made good use of the advantages of the public schools of the period, this discipline having been supplemented by a course of study in the Mennonite college at Wadsworth, Ohio. As a youth he put his scholastic attainments to practical use by entering the pedagogic profession. He taught first in the schools of Wayne county, Ohio, and later was a successful teacher in the village schools of Berne, Indiana. There, on May 9, 1882, he opened a book and wall-paper store, and somewhat later established the first printing office in the village. From the latter was developed eventually a well equipped printing and binding plant that came into the control of the Mennonite Book Concern. Of this business Mr. Welty continued the manager until 1895, when he removed the machinery and general equipment of the bindery to Fort Wayne and here initiated business under the title of the Fort Wayne Binding Company. Of his excellent success in the upbuilding of this enterprise and also that of the Fort Wayne Box Company mention has already been made, but it may further be said that Mr. Welty gained secure and honorable place as one of the thoroughly representative businss men and valued citizens of Fort Wayne. He was a staunch Republican in politics, and while a resident of Berne, Indiana, served several years as postmaster. He was a man of the deepest Christian faith and service, and was a zealous and influential member of the Men- nonite church. On April 3, 1887, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Welty to Miss Dina Lehmann, daughter of Peter and Verena (Sprunger) Lehmann, of Berne, this state, and she survives him, as do also their six children. Of these Magdalena is the wife of Norman Tolson, of Chicago, and they have one child, Norman Welty Tolson; Harrison resides in the city of Detroit, Michigan; and Viola, Paul, Ivan and Carl remain with their widowed mother in the pleasant home in Fort Wayne. Peter Leh- mann, father of Mrs. Welty, was born in Muensterburg, Switzerland, as was also his wife, and there their marriage was solemnized. In 1852 they came to the United States and established their home in Adams county, Indiana, where Mr. Lehmann engaged in farming and also gave effective service as a clergyman of the Mennonite church. For several years he was similarly engaged in Hickory county, Missouri, but later returned to Adams county, Indiana, where he and his wife passed the residue of their lives and he was living retired in the village of Berne at the time of his death. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Lchmann the following brief data are available: Anna is the wife of Christian P. Lugenbill, and they reside in the state of Kansas; Mary is deceased; Rachel is the wife of Peter Gilliom, of Berne, Indiana; Katherine is the wife of David C. Neuenschwander, of Berne, where also resides Japhet
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F., the only son ; Mrs. Welty was the sixth child and was born in Adams county, this state, on February 27, 1863, her education having been received principally in the schools of Missouri; Emma is the wife of James McCaslin, of Kansas; and Lydia is deceased.
Charles R. Wermuth .- One of the leaders in construction work in Fort Wayne is Charles R. Wermuth, who has carried on an independent business in that city for the past thirty years. He has to his credit the building of a good many of the finest specimens of the builder's art that the city possesses and has won a reputation for careful and honest work- manship that any man might envy. Mr. Wermuth is a native German, born in Saxony, Germany, August 18, 1853, son of Gottlieb and Johanna Wermuth, who passed their lives in their native land. Of twelve children born to them, three survive. Charles Wermuth left home at the age of twenty-three, going to Dresden, Germany, where he learned the trade of a carpenter and builder. He spent six years there and was wholly proficient in his trade when he came to America. He came to Fort Wayne, in 1881, and worked at his trade for about six years before he felt the time was ripe for the establishment of a business of his own. He was successful from the beginning, having already won a reputation in the community for reliable workmanship, and his progress has been steady and consistent with the character of his operations. Among the many well known buildings Mr. Wermuth has brought to completion are St. Paul's Cathedral, the Presbyterian church on Harrison street, the Sunset Building, the St. John's School, the Fort Wayne Knitting Mills, and the Deister Machine Shops. He has also built a large addition to the Wayne Oil Tank and built most of the Western Gas Company's plant. Mr. Wermuth was married, in 1876, to Miss Marie Pretchendorf, a native of Germany, whom he met in Dresden while located there learning his trade. They came to America soon after their marriage. Of nine chil- dren born to them, six survive. They are Helen, the wife of Harry C. Rehm, of Fort Wayne; Freda, Alfred, Martha, Selma and Thekla, all living at home with their parents. The two eldest, Clemence and Adolph. died in mature years, and the third child, also a boy, died in infancy. The family are members of the German Lutheran church.
John Wessel .- The late John Wessel II passed his entire life in Fort Wayne, as a scion of one of the honored pioneer families of the city and it was given him to achieve success in connection with business affairs, as well as to exemplify those sterling characteristics that invariably be- get unqualified popular confidence and esteem. He was still a young man at the time of his death, which occurred March 1, 1889, and it is especially interesting to record that his parents, now venerable in years, still reside in Fort Wayne, where they have maintained their home for more than sixty years. He to whom this memoir is dedicated was born in Fort Wayne on November 6, 1856, and thus he was not yet thirty- three years of age when he passed from the stage of life's mortal en- deavors. His parents, John and Elizabeth (Kientz) Wessel, were born and reared in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and their marriage was solemnized after they had established their home in America, the mother having become a resident of Fort Wayne, in 1854, and the father located in the city of Chicago, 1848, soon after his immigration to the United States. From the future metropolis of the west he came to Fort Wayne and here followed for many years the vocation of stationary engineer. In 1862 he enlisted for service as a soldier in the Civil war, but the exig-
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encies of family affairs led him soon afterward to provide a substitute. and thus he did not see active service on the field of battle. The year 1917 finds him living in well earned retirement in Fort Wayne, at the age of eighty-five years, and his wife likewise is an octogenarian. Of their three children John II, subject of this memoir, was the eldest: Sophie, first of the name, died in infancy ; and Sophie, second to be thus named, is the wife of Philip Graf, of Fort Wayne. John Wessel, Sr .. and his wife have been lifelong and devoted communicants of the Catholic church, and his political allegiance is given to the Democratic party. John Wessel II, to whom this memoir is dedicated, acquired his youthful education in the parochial and public schools of Fort Wayne and for ten · years prior to his death had been engaged in the retail grocery business in his native city. He was most vital and loyal in his civic attitude, was a staunch adherent of the Democratic party and served two terms as a member of the city council. He was a man of exalted integrity, and his genial personality gained and retained to him a host of friends, so that he was deeply mourned in his home community when he passed to the life eternal, in the very prime of his young manhood. He was an earnest communicant of St. Peter's Catholic church, as is also his widow. who still resides in Fort Wayne. On the 11th of February, 1880, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wessel to Miss Caroline Neidhofer, who likewise was born and reared in Fort Wayne, a daughter of the late Wil- liam and Mary (Draker) Neidhofer, both natives of Germany and resid- ents of Fort Wayne for many years prior to their death, the father having here been engaged in the grocery business for a long period. Of the four children Mrs. Wessel is the eldest; Anna is the wife of James Handley, of Fort Wayne; Joseph died in infancy, and Mary is the wife of Julian F. Franke, of Fort Wayne. Mr. and Mrs. Wessel became the parents of five children, of whom only one is living, John III,
William Westhoff abandoned his trade of brick mason to engage in contracting in Fort Wayne, in 1896. Since then he has been identified prominently with the erection of some of the finer buildings in and about the city, and has been gratifyingly successful in all his undertakings. Mr. Westhoff was born in Germany on January 18, 1859, son of Jule and Mary (Musman) Westhoff, who lived and died in their native land. Of their three children only the subject survives. He learned his trade in Germany and, in 1882, came to America, locating in Fort Wayne almost immediately. He followed his trade for some years, and was successful from the beginning. He gathered some capital together as a result of his labors, and, in 1896, embarked on a building career on his own responsi- bility. Among the more prominent pieces of work he has carried to com- pletion might be mentioned the Jefferson school, the Elks' Building, the Broadway school house and Concordia church. Also, the remodel- ing of the Methodist church was a creditable example of his work, and the Presbyterian church on Harrison street should be mentioned in the list of his more notable work. Mr. Westhoff married Caroline Weigman, also of German birth, on October 15, 1886, and to them were born seven children as follows: Mary and Emma, deceased; Lena, Freda, Martha and twins who died at birth. Lena is living at home, as is also Martha, and Freda is the wife of Fred Everding, of Fort Wayne. The family are members of the German Lutheran church, and Mr. Westhoff is a Demo- crat in politics.
Henry A. Wetzel is a well known representative of a sterling German family that was founded in Allen county more than half a century ago.
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his father having become one of the substantial landholders and success- ful farmers of the county and having ever commanded inviolable place in the esteem of the community in which he continued his residence until his death. He whose name initiates this paragraph has well upheld in his native county the prestige of the family name, both as a loyal and public-spirited citizen and as an influential exponent of the basic in- dustries of agriculture and stock-growing. He has served, since 1914, as a member of the board of county commissioners and has shown marked loyalty and progressiveness in administration of public affairs in the county. Mr. Wetzel was born in Springfield township, this county, on April 8, 1866, a son of William and Mary (Plummer) Wetzel, both of whom were born and reared in Germany. The parents established their home in Allen county, Indiana, more than fifty years ago and the father was one of the honored citizens and prosperous farmers of the county at the time of his death, in 1890, his widow having been venerable in years when she too was summoned to eternal rest, in 1907, and both hav- ing been lifelong and earnest communicants of the German Reformed church. Of their children the eldest is William, who maintains his residence in Fort Wayne; John W. is a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Elizabeth is the wife of Frederick Fark, of St. Joseph township, Allen county ; and the subject of this sketch is the youngest of the number. Henry A. Wetzel was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, was afforded the advantages of the public schools of Allen county, and here has been actively identified with farm industry from his early youth to the present time. He now has control of about two hundred acres of fertile and productive land, principally in St. Joseph township, and though he gives attention to diversified agriculture and stock-growing makes a specialty of the propagation of corn, of which he raises large crops each successive season. In his farm enterprise he brings to bear the most approved and scientific methods and is essentially one of the leading representatives of the agricultural interests of his native county, besides being an influential citizen whom his fellow citizens have called upon to serve in various offices of trust, the culminating preferment hav- ing come to him, in 1914, when he was elected to his present office as a member of the board of county commissioners. Mr. Wetzel is a stalwart and well fortified advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, he is affiliated with the Loyal Order of Moose, and he and his wife hold membership in the German Reformed church. His official duties demand his presence in Fort Wayne, the county seat, much of the time, but he still maintains his residence on his fine homestead farm in St. Joseph township. The marriage of Mr. Wetzel was to Miss Mary Smith, who was born in the state of Michigan. Of the three children of this union Elmer and Raymond are successful young farmers in St. Joseph town- ship, and May remains at the parental home.
John Wilding is a native son of England, but has entered most fully into the progressive spirit of America and has here won advancement to a position of prominence and influence in connection with important business enterprise in the metropolis and judicial center of Allen county, where he is treasurer and manager of the Fort Wayne Printing Company, one of the largest and most successful concerns of the kind in Northern Indiana. Under the title of the Fort Wayne Paper & Blank Book Com- pany this business was founded on July 20, 1903, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars and with the following named persons as the constituent members of the board of directors of the new corpor-
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ation : H. C. Rockhill, I. G. Stafford, Joel Witte, Peter Boegli, A. H. Perfect, A. K. Mehl, and C. E. Hadsell. With headquarters at 214-16 East Main street, the company opened a well equipped establishment in which employment was given to a corps of thirty persons. In 1906 the business was incorporated under the present title, and in February of the following year the company purchased the plant and business of the job-printing department of the Fort Wayne Journal, the capital stock having been inereased to fifty thousand dollars. The officers of the com- pany at the present time are here noted: W. F. Graeter, president; A. H. Perfect, vice-president; John Wilding, treasurer and general man- ager; Harry Wilding, secretary; and Mrs. Rosa B. Ueber, A. C. Brase, A. J. Moynihan and Joseph Baum likewise being members of the direc- torate of the corporation, the capital stock of which was increased to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in September, 1911. A thoroughly modern lithographing department was added to the large and well equipped plant in 1907, and in 1912 was established the special adver- tising department. The establishment now gives employment to fully two hundred persons and the annual business has attained to an average aggregate of four hundred thousand dollars-a status that marks the company as one of the most important printing concerns in the Hoosier state. In 1912 the company erected its present substantial and modern brick building, which is sixty by one hundred and fifty feet in lateral dimensions and four stories and basement in height. The company does a general job-printing business and manufactures and sells full lines of bank and office supplies, including blank books of the most approved modern type, and also various legal and general business blank doeu- ments. The mail-order business of the company, for 1916, reached the noteworthy aggregate of three hundred thousand dollars, and the im- portance of the concern as touching the general civic and business pros- perity of Fort Wayne may be understood when it is stated that its weekly pay roll aggregates three thousand dollars. In connection with its gen- eral printing and binding business the company secured in 1916 an im- portant contraet for the state printing of Indiana-this being a notable recognition of the splendid facilities of the institution and of the effective and straightforward management of the business, which is an important adjunct to the industrial and commercial activities of Fort Wayne. John Wilding, the efficient and popular manager of this extensive enterprise, was born in Oldham, England, on August 9, 1873, a son of Robert Wilding, who came to the United States in 1890 and engaged in mercantile busi- ness in Indianapolis, where he continued his residence until 1905, since which time he has maintained his home in Fort Wayne, where he is now living virtually retired. John Wilding was afforded the advantages of the excellent schools of his native land and as a youth was there em- ployed for some time in a cotton factory. He was seventeen years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to the United States and after the family home had been established in the capital city of Indiana he was there employed in a hotel for a few weeks. He then assumed the dignified position of "printer's devil" in the office of the Indianapolis Sentinel and there initiated his association with the "art preservative of all arts," in the intricacies and mysteries of which he has become an expert. After leaving the Sentinel Mr. Wilding was for six years employed in the printing office of the Baker-Randolph Com- pany, in Indianapolis, and later passed six months in the office of William
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