USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume II > Part 90
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CHARLES E. WONSER.
Charles E. Wonser, conducting farming interests in Fond du Lac county, was born in the town of Oakfield, April 22, 1878, his parents being George W. and Helen (Leemon) Wonser. The mother was also a native of the town of Oakfield, while the father was born in Illinois in 1846. He enlisted in the army as a member of Company I, One Hundred and Fiftieth Illinois Volunteer Infan- try, and after the war lived for a time in Milwaukee, while later he made his home in Green Bay. Following his marriage he took up his abode on a farm in Oakfield township, Fond du Lac county. There were but two children born
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of that union, Charles E. and Finneta. When the daughter was but three weeks old the mother died, leaving the little one to the care of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Leemon, with whom she continued until they passed away. She is now the wife of Guy Webster, of Lamartine.
George Wonser remained upon his farm in Oakfield township for a year or two after the death of his wife, and then went west, leaving his son Charles with his grandparents, with whom he remained until about sixteen years of age, when he began working on a farm in Sheboygan county. Two years later he returned to Fond du Lac county and has since resided here. He has forty acres of land which he has brought under a high state of cultivation. He keeps six cows and three horses and he has all necessary machinery for the develop- ment of his farm and the care of his crops.
On the 23d of May, 1903, at Lamartine, Mr. Wonser was married to Miss Eleanor G. Newton, a daughter of Isaac and Esther (McCain) Newton. The father was born in Surrey, England, in 1833, and in early life emigrated to the United States, where he met and married Miss McCain, who is a native of Delaware county, New York. The mother is still living but the father passed away in 1892. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having served for three years as a member of Company A, First Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, while at the same time he had a brother serving in a Confederate regiment. Mr. and Mrs. Newton were long residents of Lamartine township, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. They became the parents of two children, the elder of whom is a son, Charles A. He married Miss Meda Dutton, of Rogerville, and they with their eight children are now residing in Eldorado, where he follows farming. To Mr. and Mrs. Wonser have been born two sons, Newton E. and George C.
In his political views Mr. Wonser is a republican but does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. He has spent much of his life in Fond du Lac county and has a wide and favorable acquaintance here.
HENRY RICKERT.
Henry Rickert, who is numbered among the farmers whose progressive work along agricultural lines has done much to promote the development of Fond du Lac county, was born in Eldorado township, Wisconsin, in 1861. His father, Charles Rickert, settled in this state in 1861 and died in Wisconsin some years ago. His wife is still living and has reached the age of eighty-four years.
Henry Rickert received his education in the district schools of his native section and at an early age became acquainted with practical agricultural work. His early youth was spent amid the scenes and labors of farm life and he gained personal experience by assisting his father in the work of tilling the soil and planting and harvesting the crops. He spent some years after he attained his majority in working in the northern pine woods but later abandoned this occupa- tion in order to buy a farm of his own on section 10 in Fond du Lac county, which he is now operating and developing. He is recognized as one of the progressive men in the section and his farm is equipped with every modern improvement in the way of machinery. He has given his personal attention to making his property valuable and productive and is also interested in keeping it attractive in appearance. He plants the most suitable grains and vegetables and has gained a considerable fortune by his intelligent activities. On June 21. 1892, Mr. Rickert was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Nitscke, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christ Nitscke, who were among the pioncer settlers in El- dorado township. Mr. and Mrs. Rickert are the parents of three children : Sylvia, who is seventeen years of age and a student in the Fond du Lac high
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school; Lola, aged fifteen; and Verna, who is eleven years of age. The two youngest daughters are pursuing their education in the grammar schools of their native township.
In his political views Mr. Rickert is a firm republican and always votes the party ticket. He has served for several years upon the school board and has done able and efficient work in educational development. He was also a roadmaster for two years and carried on the duties of this occupation in an intelligent and constructive manner. His genuine personal worth and his modern activity in a useful line of occupation combine to make him an enterprising and representative man whose career has been an influential factor in agricultural development.
DANIEL D. SUTHERLAND.
Daniel D. Sutherland, attorney at law of Fond du Lac, has well qualified for professional duties of an honorable and responsible connection and in his profession is recognized as a strong and able lawyer, devoted to the interests of his clients. He was born in Winnebago county, Wisconsin, July 4, 1858. His grandfather, Samuel Sutherland, was a native of Vermont, and later lived in New York, settling in Otsego county, where he engaged in farming. During his later life he came to Wisconsin, making his home with his son Andrew, near the village of Waukau, where he died. He was a zealous and earnest mem- ber of the Baptist church and served as one of its deacons. He married Amy Smith, who died in middle life, while he reached old age. Their children were Warren, Andrew, Samuel, George, and two daughters who died in early life.
The second son, Andrew Sutherland, was born in the Empire state and was reared as a farm boy of Otsego county. Coming to Wisconsin in 1857, he settled near Waukau, Winnebago county, where he and his wife together taught one of the first schools of that place. He had married Harriet A. Beebe, a native of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Beebe died there when well advanced in years. Their family included : Samuel, Calvin, Maria, Rebecca, Sarah, Emorette and Harriet, the last named becoming the wife of Andrew Sutherland. Following their removal to Wisconsin, the father of our subject developed and improved the farm, being long prominently connected with agricultural interests in this community. He died in the fall of 1910 at the ripe old age of eighty-five years, having for three years survived his wife, who passed away at the age of seventy- five. She was a woman of deeply religious nature and a consistent member of the Baptist church. Mr. Sutherland was active and prominent in public affairs, serving as a member of the county board, and for thirty years he was president of the Utica Fire Insurance Company, occupying that position until his death. Unto him and his wife were born five children: Harriet M., the wife of H. I. Washburn, of Florence county, Wisconsin; Daniel D .; Emorette B., who is an assistant principal in the public schools of Chicago; Margaret, who is principal of the A. B. M. Girls School at Kemmendine, near Rangoon, Burmah, and a mis- sionary there; and Frank, a resident farmer of Florence county, this state.
On the old homestead farm in Winnebago county, Daniel D. Sutherland was reared and after mastering the branches of learning taught in the village school, he entered Ripon College, from which he graduated in 1883. He then entered Columbia College Law School of New York city and completed the law course there in 1884 and the same year was admitted to the bar. He then came to Fond du Lac, where he has since followed his profession. He has been ac- corded a good clientage that has constantly increased in volume and import- ance, and his clear and forceful presentation indicates the careful preparation that he has made.
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On the 13th of April, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Sutherland and Miss Grace E. Jones, a daughter of George W. and Jennie (Merriman) Jones. Mrs. Sutherland was born in Fond du Lac and her mother is a native of this state, while her father was born in New York. Removing to Wisconsin Mr. Jones engaged in merchandising in Fond du Lac and later took up mining engineer- ing, which he followed to a considerable extent in the west. He died while ex- ecuting a mining contract in Mexico in 1883, being then fifty years of age. His widow still survives, as do their four children: Minnie, the wife of John E. Mason; Jennie, the wife of W. C. Wise; Grace, now Mrs. Sutherland; and George H. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Sutherland was at one time sheriff of New York county, New York, and was the colonel of the celebrated Seventh Regiment there. Both he and his wife lived to a good old age and reared a large family.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland have been born four children: Ethel, Alfred, Roger and a fourth who died in infancy. All of the family are members of the Congregational church and Mr. Sutherland is one of the church trustees, which position he has filled for many years. Mrs. Sutherland is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and other societies, and the family is liberal in its support of all worthy public interests. Mr. Sutherland has been a republican in his political views with independent tendencies. He belongs to the Milwaukee Commandery of the Loyal Legion. In matters of citizenship he stands for progress, in his profession for high ideals, and in his home life and in his friendships for fidelity and kindly consideration. He is a director of the Fond du Lac Land Company, The Northern Casket Company and of several other business corporations in Fond du Lac, including the Commercial National Bank, with which he has been associated in that position since its organization, and he is and has been a trustee of Ripon College for many years.
HENRY F. BURMEISTER.
A valuable property of one hundred acres, well improved and developed, is controlled and managed by Henry F. Burmeister. It is located in Lamartine township, Fond du Lac county, and is an intelligently operated place, having all the conveniences of equipment and the accessories of a model farm. Mr. Burmeister was born in West Rosendale, Fond du Lac county, on November 18, 1877, and is a son of Henry and Jennie (Dernbrook) Burmeister, natives of Germany. His father was born in 1849 and spent his early life in his native country. He fulfilled his military term by his service in the army during the entire period of the Franco-Prussian war. His residence in Wisconsin dates from 1872, in which year he purchased one hundred and ninety acres of land at West Rosendale and since that time has been active and successful as a general farmer. His marriage occurred in Ripon, Fond du Lac county, and they have three children : Henry F., the subject of this sketch; Charles W. ; and Nellie.
Henry F. Burmeister was educated in the district schools of Rosendale and pursued his studies until he was sixteen years of age. He has been identified with agricultural pursuits since his early childhood and when he was still young was an able assistant in the work of his father's farm. He continued in this capacity for many years and did not commence his independent career until 1909. In that year he purchased one hundred acres of farm land in Lamartine township, Fond du Lac county, and has since been successful in its operation. Mr. Burmeister displays excellent business ability and thorough efficiency in the details of his vocation. He derives his income principally from general farming but also does a small amount of stock-raising, having nine head of cattle and three horses.
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On May 7, 1903, Mr. Burmeister was married at Ripon, Wisconsin, to Miss Hattie Zoerb, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zoerb of that city. Her father was a prosperous farmer and followed agricultural pursuits all his life. Mr. and Mrs. Burmeister have three children, William C., Edna and Elvina.
In his political beliefs Mr. Burmeister is a republican but has never sought public office. He gives his entire time to the improvement of his farm and has done his full share in raising the standards of agricultural development in this section. In his maintenance of. a high grade of efficiency in his farming he is entitled to be classed among Fond du Lac county's progressive and enterprising citizens.
JAMES L. STONE.
James L. Stone has been cashier of the German-American Bank in Ripon since 1902 and in his work in this capacity is carrying out the policies of strict honesty and integrity along financial lines which are the foundations of the success of that institution. He was born in St. Albans, Vermont, on July 8, 1873, and is a son of James P. and Ruby A. (Church) Stone. The family is of Eng- lish origin and was founded in the New England section of America in colonial days. Levi Huttoon, an ancestor on the paternal side, served as a lieutenant in the American army during the Revolutionary war. The family remained in New England until 1873, when James P. Stone and his wife came to Wisconsin and located in Fond du Lac. Here they remained for two years, removing to Ripon in 1875, where the father carried on a livery and insurance business. He had been identified while a resident of Fond du Lac with the wholesale gro- cery business but gave up this line of activity when he came to Ripon and was prominent in the insurance circles of that city for fifteen years before his death in 1902. His wife is surviving him and living with her son James L. Stone, the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. James P. Stone were the parents of two children: Harriet E., a resident of Ripon; and James L.
The public schools of Wisconsin afforded James L. Stone his early educational opportunities and he supplemented a course in the local high school by a few years in Ripon College. When he laid aside his books he entered upon a govern- ment position as stamp clerk and assistant postmaster at Ripon and in this capacity served for nine years. He became identified with the German-Ameri- can Bank in 1899 and has been prominent in its affairs since that time. He first served as bookkeeper in the bank, where his systematic and accurate mind and his unwavering integrity and honesty gained him rapid promotion. He was appointed to the position of assistant cashier in 1901 and in the following year was made cashier. He has held this office since that time and every succeed- ing year marks an increase in his ability and in the volume of the work which he is able to perform.
Mr. Stone has taken an active interest in local affairs for some time. He has held the position of city comptroller for the past ten years and has made a record in this capacity for fair-minded and unbiased efficiency. He is inter- ested in the cause of education and has done much to elevate the standards of the public schools of Ripon and acts as trustee of Ripon College. Fraternally he is a prominent Mason, holding membership in Ripon Lodge, A. F. & A. M .; Ripon Chapter, R. A. M .; Berlin Commandery, K. T .; Wisconsin Consistory, S. P. R. S .; and Tripoli Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He has served as secre- tary of the blue lodge and has been its treasurer for several years. He is also prominent in the affairs of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a well known figure in fraternal circles of this city. He is an active member of the Congregational church and his work in religious circles has been constant
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and effective. Socially he is popular and holds membership in the different clubs in the city. His work as a banker has been characterized by a systematic thoroughness and he brings to his duties as cashier of an important financial institution an active, energetic and discriminating mind and the characteristics of uprightness and integrity which make him a successful banker.
HENRY PIE.
Henry Pie is the oldest cheese-maker in Fond du Lac county in point of ac- tive service, having a record of thirteen years' continuous identification with this occupation. He is a native of Germany and brings to his business life in America the energy and perseverance which are his national qualities and which have made his career rapidly successful. He was born in Frankfort, on October 18, 1875, and is a son of John and Anne (Becker) Pie, natives of Germany. His father died when our subject was still a child and his mother is still residing in her native country, having reached the age of seventy-five years.
Henry Pie attended public school in Germany until he was fourteen years of age and then crossed the Atlantic to America. He settled first in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where he worked as a laborer for ten years. At the end of that time he learned cheese-making and established himself in business. He has met with gratifying success during the period of his identification with this line of activity and is recognized among the farmers of Lamartine, Rosendale, Eldorado and vicinity as an upright, straightforward and reliable business man. His practical methods and his efficiency, combined with his progressive tenden- cies, have united in making him successful, and his prosperity has a solid founda- tion in his industry and ability.
On December 5, 1908, Mr. Pie was united in marriage, at Eldorado, to Miss Emma Marquardt, a daughter of Ferdinand and Bertha (Totz) Marquardt. They are the parents of three children, Grover, Palma and Helen. In his political views Mr. Pie is a consistent republican and intelligently interested in local affairs, although he never seeks public office. He belongs to the Lutheran church and is well known in the affairs of the Modern Woodmen of America. Thirteen years' identification with the various details in connection with operating a modern cheese factory has gained him a gratifying reputation among his fellow citizens. His increasing trade is an evidence of his prosperity and he is recog- nized as a successful man, whose business and business ability are a valuable public asset.
HENRY BOOM.
Henry Boom, who has been a resident of Fond du Lac county since early boyhood or for about six decades, followed general agricultural pursuits through- out his career but is now living retired on his farm on section 13, Alto township, enjoying the fruits of his former toil in well earned ease. His birth occurred in Holland in the year 1842, his parents being Christian and Henrietta Boom, natives of that country. In 1847 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States, taking up their abode among the pioneer settlers of Fond du Lac county, Wis- consin. Christian Boom, who was an agriculturist by occupation, took up one hundred and forty acres of government land in Alto township and as his finan- cial resources increased, owing to his untiring industry and capable management, he extended the boundaries of his farm by purchase until at the time of his demise it embraced four hundred and forty-five acres of rich and productive
HENRY PIE
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land. In his passing the community lost one of its substantial and respected citizens and a pioneer whose efforts had been a factor in the work of early development and upbuilding here. Unto him and his wife were born the fol- lowing children: William, who is deceased; Anthony, a retired agriculturist residing at Alto, this county; Johanna, who is the wife of Carl Heideman, a farmer living at Waupun, Wisconsin; Mina, who is the wife of Henry Prange, . a retired agriculturist of Alto, this county ; Orren, who has passed away ; Henry, of this review; and Christopher, deceased.
Henry Boom, who was but a little lad when he accompanied his parents to the new world, obtained his education in the district schools of Fond du Lac county and remained at home until after the death of his father and mother. In 1882 he purchased eighty acres of farming land on section 13, Alto township, this county, and was engaged in its cultivation until 1909, the well tilled fields annually yielding golden harvests in return for the care and labor which he bestowed upon them. Three years ago he laid aside the active work of the fields and rented the place but still resides thereon. He owns an automobile and is spending the evening of life in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence. In politics he is a republican, while his religious faith is indicated by his member- ship in the Dutch Reformed church of Alto. He has won an extensive acquaint- ance throughout the country during the long period of his residence here, and the circle of his friends is a wide one.
GUSTAVE DE NEVEU.
People of French nativity or descent have played an important part in the upbuilding of Fond du Lac county. To this class belongs Gustave de Neveu, the son of Francis Joseph and Elizabeth F. (Mannior) de Neveu. He was born on the 30th of March, 1811, at Savigny, France, and acquired his education in the military academy of La Fleche and in the college of Vendome, from which institutions he was in due time graduated. He afterward studied law for a year and in 1836 came to the United States, making his way first to Batavia, New York, where resided his brother, Lieutenant de Neveu, who had just grad- uated from St. Cyr, the most noted military school of France. At Batavia Gus- tave de Neveu studied English and taught French for a brief period but in the spring of the same year returned to his native country. In 1837 he once more came to the United States; making his way direct to Wisconsin. In Detroit he met Governor Doty who advised him to go to Fond du Lac county, which he did. He then purchased six hundred and forty acres of government land, all of which was wild and unimproved, not a furrow having been turned nor a rod of fence built upon it. At the northern end of a lake which was on his property he erected a log house which he occupied for a year, and then built another log cabin on the east side of the lake, living in true pioneer style at that early period for it was almost impossible to obtain the comforts known to an older civilization. In 1848 he erected a frame residence which was the first frame house built in the town of Empire. There he lived until his death, which occurred on the 27th of December, 1881. In that year he started on an extensive trip through California and the west and died while away from home, his remains being interred on the banks of the Columbia river.
On the 4th of January, 1840, Gustave de Neveu was married to Harriet Putoff Bousman at Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was born on the island of Mackinac on the 16th of December, 1818, a daughter of John and Rosalie (LaBorde) Bousman. Mrs. de Neveu was one of seven children born to her parents and died on the 26th of December, 1906, at the age of eighty-eight years. To Mr. and Mrs. Gustave de Neveu were born eleven children : Mrs.
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Matilda Tusten; Mrs. Julia Beeson; Edward, who is living in France; Emelie B., residing in Empire; Gustave, deceased; Frank Joseph; Arthur, who has passed away ; Mrs. Virginia Darling; Mrs. Harriett Wright; George; and Lucy. For forty-four years Mr. de Neveu was a resident of Fond du Lac county and was closely connected with the work of general improvement and development. He was among those who first reclaimed the land for the purpose of civilization, transforming an entire section from a wild tract into one of rich fertility. His name is associated with many of the early events which shaped the history of the county and his record deserves a prominent place on the pages of this history.
CHARLES WESLEY KEYS.
Scientific and efficient methods are factors in modern agriculture. Improve- ments are constantly being made in the machinery and implements of soil cul- ture and farming has now become a science. Exhaustive study of the composi- tion of the soil, its fertilization and productivity and also of the means of insect extermination and weed elimination is made, the work is systematized and liv- ing conditions are greatly improved by the installation of modern urban con- veniences. One who has taken advantage of this marvelous advancement in a field of labor as old as history and whose standards and methods have been vitally influenced and guided thereby is Charles W. Keys, cultivating one of the larg- est and most up-to-date farms in Empire township, Fond du Lac county, Wis- consin, a progressive, modern and thoroughly intelligent agriculturist. His farm has been improved and equipped with all the new agricultural machinery upon the market. It is today representative in Fond du Lac county and owes its remarkable development entirely to the sagacious management and activities of its owner.
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