USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume II > Part 22
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CARL PIEPER.
Carl Pieper, who is living retired in the village of Waucousta, where for · many years he was successfully engaged in business, was born in Germany, on · the 27th of September, 1844. He is a son of Michael and Louisa Pieper, who emigrated to the United States with their family in 1855, coming direct to Wis- consin. Upon his arrival here the father purchased eighty acres of partially cleared land in Dodge county, and diligently engaged in farming. He erected a substantial house and barn on his place and later sold it to good advantage, investing the proceeds in a hundred and sixty acres of land in Rubicon town- ship, that county. He there continued his agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1868, at the age of forty-nine years. The mother, who passed away in 1858, was forty at the time of her demise. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Pieper numbered three, two sons and a daughter, of whom our subject is the eldest. William was the second in order of birth and Albertina the youngest.
The first eleven years in the life of Carl Pieper were passed in the land of his birth, where he began his education. After coming to America he con- tinued his studies in the district and German schools of Dodge county until he had mastered the fundamental principles of English learning. As is usual in the country he early began assisting his father with the work about the farm. fitting himself for the duties of a rural vocation. He remained at home un- til qualified to become self-supporting when he started out to earn his own living. After the death of his father, he bought the interest of the other heirs in the old farm, engaging in its cultivation until 1894. In the latter year he disposed of it and invested the proceeds in a cheese factory and a store, which he established at Waucousta, Osceola township. He successfully conducted these two enterprises for twelve years, and then sold the factory to his son Adolph and closed out his stock of merchandise. By the exercise of thrift and
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the intelligent expenditure of his energies in early life, he managed to acquire a competence that now enables him to live in comfort and retirement. He has a very pleasant modern residence in Waucousta, which he erected in 1906, and there he expects to spend the remainder of his life. Mr. Pieper has made judicious investments in real estate at various times, from which he real- izes good returns. In 1902, he purchased an eighty acre tract located on the boundary line between Osceola and Eden townships, and four years later sold it to one of his sons. The year he disposed of this property he bought a hun- dred and forty acres adjoining the village of Waucousta, which he disposed of last fall. It has formerly been cultivated by his son Roland.
In 1868, Mr. Pieper was married to Miss Wilhelmina Matthies, a daughter of Frederick and Augusta Matthies, natives of Germany, whence they came to America in 1847, locating in the town of Lebanon, Dodge county. Mrs. Pieper, who is a member of a family of five, was born in a log cabin on her father's farm in Lebanon on the 17th of November, 1849. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pieper, the two eldest of whom, William and Lena, are de- ceased. Matilda, who is the next in order of birth, married Christian Inder- muele, of Dodge county, by whom she has had four children, Christian, Evaline, Erhardt and Alexa. Henry, who is the eldest living son, married Amelia Schultz, and they have four children, Verona, Victor, Walner and Paul. Linda became the wife of Richard Rose of Dodge county, by whom she has had two children, Frieda and Amanda. Edward married Elvina Marquard and to them have been born four children, Elsie, Arnold, Johannes and Erhardt. Johannes, who is a minister in the German Lutheran church, now residing in Minnesota, married Lydia Henica, and they have two children, Cecilia and Adelgunda. Adolph chose for his wife Minnie Wachs, and they have two sons, Carl and Gilbert. Roland married Ella Husman and to them have been born two chil- dren, Urban and Ortense. Herbert, who owns and operates two cheese factories, one located in Waucousta and the other in Eden township, married Hilda Kreuger and they have one child, Ingeburg. Hilbert is the youngest member of the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Pieper both hold membership in the German Lutheran church in the faith of which they reared their children. His political allegiance he gives to the democratic party, but he never sought official honors, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his own affairs, although he is not remiss in the duties of citizenship.
LOUIS RUEPING.
Louis Rueping, who is financially interested in various local enterprises has been identified with business interests of Fond du Lac since 1854 and since 1867 has been independently so engaged. He is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Essen on March 16, 1839, and is a son of William and Wilhelmina (Haumann) Rueping. The father, who was a merchant in the old country, emi- grated to the United States with his wife and family in 1853. He first located in Milwaukee but the next year he came to Fond du Lac and opened a tannery with the operation of which he was connected during the remainder of his active life. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rueping, the subject of this review being the third in order of birth. William, the eldest, married Hen- rietta Bruett and they became the parents of four children, William, Frederick, Robert and Bertha. Frederick married Margaret Thuerwaechter and they also have four children, Frederick, Ida, William and Clara. Alvina became the wife of Louis Muenter and they have five children, Bertha, Meta, Otto, Johanna and Alma. Charles married Emma Noehle and to them have been born three chil-
LOUIS RUEPING
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dren, Adela, Elsie and Wilhelmina. Henry married Ida Wolff and they have four children, Henry, Frank, Estelle and Rolland.
Louis Rueping, who was a youth of about fifteen years when he accompanied his parents to America, obtained his education in his native land, where he at- tended school until he was fourteen. After the family located in Fond du Lac he assisted his father in the tannery until 1867 when he was made a partner in the business. He continued to be identified with this enterprise until 1890, when he sold his share in the business to his brother Fred. Together with his brother Charles he subsequently went into the hide and tallow business, their industry having been established in 1895. Mr. Rueping is still identified with this enter- prise, which has proven to be very successful and has netted them gratifying returns. He is also president of the Fond du Lac Table Manufacturing Com- pany. This concern was organized in 1901 and is numbered among the thriving and prosperous industries of the city. Mr. Rueping was also one of the organizers of the brewery at Superior, Wisconsin, which was reorganized in 1897. He is likewise a stockholder in the Fond du Lac National Bank and is the owner of several pieces of real estate.
Mr. Rueping married Miss Ida Haevernick and to them have been born five children : Emma, Laura, Alvina, Lena and Louis H.
The family was reared in the German Evangelical faith. Mr. Rueping be- longs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while his political support he accords to the republican party. He erected a handsome home in 1902, which is one of the best homes in the city. Although he has attained the venerable age of seventy-three years, Mr. Rueping is still actively identified with commercial affairs and by his diligence and perseverance puts to shame many a man years his junior.
GEORGE W. WATSON.
George W. Watson is filling the position of postmaster of Fond du Lac, to which he was appointed in July, 1910. He had previously filled other public positions and had demonstrated his trustworthiness and his efficiency. Moreover, he is well known to the citizens of this county where he has always lived. He was born in Eldorado township, November 28, 1860, his parents being James and Sarah (Edwards) Watson, natives of England and Wales respectively. The paternal grandfather, James Watson, died in England, leaving two children, James and Ann. His widow afterward married a Mr. Clark and there were sixteen children by that union. The maternal grandfather of our subject was David Edwards, an inn-keeper of Wales. Both he and his wife died in that country, leaving a family that included William, Edward, Jane and Sarah.
James Watson was only ten years of age at the time of his father's death and it became necessary for him to then start out in the world and on his leaving home he went to sea and followed a mariner's life for several years. He worked his way upward to the position of first-mate on the vessel on which his future wife crossed the Atlantic. They became acquainted on shipboard, were married in Philadelphia and immediately afterward removed to Wisconsin. Soon they settled upon a farm in Eldorado township, taking up their abode there in 1847, before the state was admitted to the Union. They lived amid pioneer conditions and environments and Mr. Watson performed the arduous task of clearing his farm from the heavy timber. In the midst of the dense forest he built a log house and in that primitive home he reared his family. He died in November, in 1860, when about forty-five years of age and his wife survived him until 1902, passing away at the age of eighty three years. She was a member of the Bap- tist church and was ever loyal to that belief. In politics James Watson was a. Vol. II-10
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democrat, earnest and zealous in the support of his party, yet all of his sons had become republicans, supporting that party since the Civil war. In the family were seven children: Edward, who died when serving as a drummer boy in the Civil war when only thirteen years of age; David, of Fond du Lac; Sarah Jane, the deceased wife of William Lowrey; Franklin Pierce, of Fond du Lac; Anna E., the wife of H. W. Dewey, in this city; and James B. and George W., also living in this city.
George W. Watson spent his youthful days on the home farm in Eldorado township, being practically reared by his mother, who, desirous that her son should have good educational privileges, sent him to the district schools and later to the Oshkosh Normal School. For a short time, thereafter, he engaged in teaching, which profession he had also followed during the completion of his education. He was for two winter terms a teacher in a country school and for two years was principal of the public schools of Oakfield. He then began clerk- ing in the store of Bristol and Worthing, in Oakfield being thus employed for a year and ten months. During that period he carefully saved his earnings and ambitious to engage in business on his own account he purchased the store of George B. McLean at South Byron, where he continued in general merchandizing from 1887 until the fall of 1894. While at South Byron he was also connected with the firm of Bristol, Morgan & Company, general merchants of Oakfield, and with them also engaged in the butter and cheese business. He also pur- chased a farm of one hundred and fifty acres known as the old Blank farm, which he cultivated for several years and then sold. During the entire time spent in merchandizing at South Byron he was also postmaster, station agent, and express agent there. He resigned the different positions, however, when in 1894 he was elected sheriff of Fond du Lac county, which position he accept- ably filled for two years. He then engaged in the real-estate business for sev- eral years, maintaining an office in the city of Fond du Lac but since July, 1910, at which time he received the appointment as postmaster here, he has concen- trated his energies upon the conduct of the postoffice, the work of which he has carefully systematized. In the discharge of his duties he is prompt, faithful and determined and has made an excellent record in this connection.
In March, 1885, Mr. Watson was united in marriage to Miss Flora Bristol, a daughter of Abel and Abigail Bristol. Mrs. Watson passed away in 1891, and on the 2d of November, 1899, Mr. Watson was again married, his second union being with Miss Bessie C. Cheney, a daughter of Seymour H. and Adelaide Cheney, the former a native of Fort Covington, New York, and the latter of Michigan. They came to Fond du Lac county many years ago and are still living here, Mr. Cheney being numbered among the representative and honored business men of the city. He has remained in business at one place on Main street for twenty-nine years and is one of the oldest merchants connected with commercial circles in Fond du Lac. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cheney have been born four children who are living: Dr. Henry W. Cheney, who is practicing in Chi- cago; Dr. Charles Cheney, an active representative of the dental profession in Fond du Lac ; Bessie C .; and Seymour W., a mechanical engineer, who is a grad- uate of the University of Wisconsin. The only daughter, Mrs. Watson, was born in Fond du Lac and has been a life long resident of this county. She holds membership in the Baptist church and is well known socially. Mr. Watson is a member of Fond du Lac Lodge, No. 140, F. & A. M .; Darling Chapter, No. 20, R. A. M .; Fond du Lac Commandery, No. 5, K. T., of which he is now eminent commander ; Wisconsin Consistory, S. P. R. S .; and Tripoli Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He, likewise, belongs to Fidelity Lodge, No. 19, K. P .; Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Equitable Fraternal Union. Politically he has ever been a republican and is recognized as one of the local leaders of his party. He served as chairman of the republican county committee for six years but resigned that position when appointed postmaster. While a resident of South Byron he was elected chairman of the town board and for a term of two
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years he served as a member of the board of aldermen of Fond du Lac. He was president of the Mckinley and Hobart Clubs and he has done everything in his power to legitimately promote the success of his party and extend its influ- ence. It is a recognized fact, however, he believes in patriotism before partisan- ship and the general good before the interests of the individual.
LEONARD MOWERS.
Leonard Mowers is retired from active life and is living in Ripon, Wiscon- sin, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. He has been prominently identified with the affairs of this city for some time and he is one of the fast diminishing army of those who wrested the United States from defeat in 1861 to 1865. He loves to remember the days of the war and the movements of the army in which he served his country with such fidelity and honor during the four years. He was born in Elmira, New York, September 25, 1843, and is a son of George and Julia (Houston) Mowers. His mother died when he was only six weeks old and his father removed to Wisconsin in 1845, where he lived with his family for two years and died in this state in 1847. He left his children in the care of their uncle, James Mills, who took Leonard Mowers to the town of Dartford, now Green Lake, Wisconsin, where he kept him as a member of his family until our subject was thirteen years old. When he had attained that age he was put to work on the farm belonging to B. Davis and spent some years assisting in the labor incident to agricultural pursuits. In 1858 he came to Ripon to work upon the farm of J. N. Bacon one mile west of Ripon, where he remained until the outbreak of the Civil war. He enlisted in 1861 in Company F, First Wisconsin Cavalry, and served with great distinction for three years. At the end of that time he received his honorable discharge in November, 1864. On February 3, 1865, he reenlisted in the First Army Corps, Second United States Veteran Vol- unteer Infantry, and served during the Atlanta campaign, until the end of the war. Mr. Mowers was engaged in several of the greatest battles of the Civil war. He was present at Cape Girardeau and at Lanfield River. He was taken prisoner in the latter place but escaped by a valiant effort. He broke away from his guard and jumped into the river amid a volley of over one thousand shots, swam to the other side and rejoined his comrades. After this event the cam- paign took him into the southern states. He was in the Shenandoah valley when Lee gave up his sword and was a witness of the great surrender. After this event he was ordered to Washington as city provost guard under General Han- cock. He was then sent to New York and later to Connecticut, from which state he was mustered out on February 13, 1866.
After the war Mr. Mowers returned to Ripon and engaged in the cultivation of the soil in the employ of others for some time. In 1873 he left Wisconsin for South Dakota. He made the journey in a wagon drawn by a team of horses and remained in South Dakota and engaged in farming for nine years. In the famous grasshopper year in that state his crops were entirely ruined and the damage done by the grasshoppers was completed by the drought and Mr. Mowers was obliged to return to Ripon. Here he rented a farm from W. B. Kingsbury and spent twenty-seven years in the improvement and cultivation of the soil. He retired from active life in 1907 and came into the city of Ripon, where he has resided since that time.
On December 6, 1870, Mr. Mowers was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Soule, of Vermont, a daughter of J. S. and M. P. (Kingsburg) Soule. Her par- ents came to Ripon in 1863, where they bought land and where they resided until their deaths. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Mowers have been born seven children: George,
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living in Washington; Fred, who makes his home in Ripon; Mabel, the wife of Livy Johnson, state senator in the North Dakota legislature; Pearl, who lives at home; Bert, in business in Wichita, Kansas; Roy, a lieutenant of the home guards in Ripon; and Charles, a resident of Spokane, Washington. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mowers are loyal and patriotic Americans. Mrs. Mowers is president of the Women's Relief Corps of Ripon and her husband has been commander of the H. S. Eggleston Post, No. 199, G. A. R., for a period of service covering five years. He has never lost his intense loyalty to the American cause and he loves to remember his services in the Federal army. Every year the number of comrades is lessening and every year the number of flag-draped graves in our cemeteries on Memorial day is increasing, but the spirit of 1861 is alive today in the sons and daughters of the veterans of the Civil war and is making the United States a great country and a prosperous nation.
MATT SUPPLE.
Matt Supple for many years has been one of the highly respected and leading business men of Fond du Lac, where he is engaged in a very lucrative and exten- sive ice business. He was born in Pana, Illinois on November 26, 1860, and is a son of Mathew and Catharine (Niesen) Supple, both of whom were natives of Germany. His father was by trade and occupation a brick maker and in the practice of his trade traveled extensively throughout the state of Wisconsin and was employed in many of the brick-manufacturing plants for varying periods of time. He enlisted to serve three years during the Civil war, from Pana, Illinois, on August 12, 1861, and was mustered in the United States service as a private of Company M, Third Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, under Captain George E. Pease and Colonel Eugene A. Carr. One of the principal skirmishes he took part in was during the siege of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 4, 1863. He was wounded by a minie ball through the left hand and had his horse killed under him, breaking two ribs and his left shoulder blade by falling. He was hon- orably discharged August 25, 1864, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the expira- tion of his time of service. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Supple seven children were born. Frank is the husband of Margaret Conway of Fond du Lac, and they have two children. Matt is the second in order of birth. The remaining members of the family are Anna, Louis, William, Sarah and Mary, of. whom Louis and William are deceased. The father died April 12, 1876, having met his death by accident, drowning near the Neenah railroad bridge of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail- road. The mother now resides in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Matt Supple, of this review, was reared at home and received his education in the public school. At the age of sixteen years he had the misfortune to lose his father, and the support of his mother and the family largely descended upon his shoulders. He devoted his attention to his widowed mother and his brothers and sisters until he was twenty-five years of age, during the latter portion of which time he also supported his own family as he had married before he left the parental roof. For the past thirty-five years Mr. Supple has been engaged in the ice business in Fond du Lac and during that time he has met with uniform and gratifying success. During the winter seasons he employs two hundred men in his service engaged in cutting and storing ice. The entire supply is always taken from Lake Winnebago, upon whose shores he has constructed substantial and well equipped ice houses for storage. For the past twenty-three years he has been the sole owner and proprietor of the Star Ice Company of Fond du Lac and at present the extensive operations of his business require the use of eleven ice wagons of modern and up-to-date construction.
Mr. Supple was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Sharron of Fond du Lac,
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in March, 1886, and to them fourteen children have been born, eleven of whom are living, namely, Sadie, Fred, Wallace, Louis, Tessie, Herbert, Clarence, Ruth, Hazel, Douglas and Bernice. All are at home with their parents.
Mr. Supple is affiliated with the democratic party and fraternally he is asso- ciated with the Order of Eagles and also with the Catholic Knights and the St. Joseph's Society. The family are members of St. Patrick's Catholic church. For many years he has been one of the most successful and influential business men of Fond du Lac. He is known among his friends and acquaintances as a man who systematically devotes his attention to the interests of his large and rapidly in- creasing business, in which he has met with gratifying success. In his transac- tions he is characterized by strict integrity and he is a man deeply interested in any public measure intended to improve the condition of the people.
FREDERICK ALBERT FOSTER.
Frederick Albert Foster, a lawyer, is junior partner in the firm of Williams & Foster, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Born at Port Washington, Wisconsin, June 20, 1871, he is a son of George W. and Mary E. (Coe) Foster. He spent four years at the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1895 from the law de- partment. He practiced his profession with the firm of Winkler, Flanders, Bottum & Vilas, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until 1906 in which year he moved to Fosterville, Wisconsin, being employed by the Vilas County Lumber Com- pany. Coming to Fond du Lac in November, 1910, he entered into his present partnership.
On October 5, 1901, he married Katharine L. Kimball, and they have two children, Frederick Kimball Foster and Katharine Lewis Foster.
JAMES McEVOY.
James McEvoy is a son of a pioneer settler of Fond du Lac county and has lived in this section since he was three years of age. He cultivates the farm which his father cleared and developed in the early days and follows methods of operation which he learned through practical experience, bringing his forty acres to an improved and excellent condition. He was born in New York state February 25, 1846, and is a son of Matthew and Katherine (Welsh) McEvoy, natives of Ireland. His father was born in County Queens and came to the United States in 1840, settling first in New York state where he worked as a farm laborer for some years and was married. His wife was also a native of County Queens, in which section of Ireland their acquaintance began. In 1849 Matthew McEvoy came to Fond du Lac county where he purchased forty acres of land in Ashford township. The tract was wild and unimproved and upon it he built a rude log cabin in which he lived for many years. This he later re- placed by a comfortable and modern frame house, residing in the same until. his death which occurred in 1887, when he was eighty-two years of age. His wife survived him until 1891, dying when she was eighty-four years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Matthew McEvoy were born three children: James, the subject of this sketch; Mary A., whose birth occurred in New York state, December 24, 1848; and Richard H., who is a native of Fond du Lac county.
James McEvoy spent his childhood upon his father's farm in Ashford town- ship and attended the district school of that section. When he was twenty-five years of age he learned the carpenter's trade, and worked at it for eight or nine years in the employ of the Northwestern Railroad. After his father's death he
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