History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 18

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885

USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 18
USA > Wisconsin > Pepin County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 18

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who is older than the others and their cousin, and who was left an orphan when young.

Leopold Brantner, until recent years a well-known and successful agri- culturist of Lima township, Pepin county, but now passed away, was born in Taupschein, Austria, Oct. 30, 1862. His parents, John and Mary (Roes- sler) Brantner, were born and married in that country. There the father died when his son Leopold was five years old, or about the year 1867. His widow, Mrs. Mary Brantner, continued to reside in Austria until 1881, when she came to America with her family, and from that time until her death about 1884 her home was on a farm in the north part of Lima town- ship. Leopold Brantner was the third born in a family of seven children, and was educated in his native land. After coming to this country and settling in Lima township, he worked for others until his marriage in 1886, and then engaged in agriculture on the farm now occupied by Vinz Wise. Six years later he sold that place and came to the farm in section 36, which was his home until his death in March, 1916, and which is now carried on by his widow. There were then no improvements on it, and these he made himself, erecting modern buildings and installing necessary machin- ery. Besides the 80 acres contained in the farm proper, he had 40 acres of timber and 20 acres in another tract nearby. Mr. Brantner was an industrious man, a successful farmer and a good neighbor. In politics he was independent and in religion a member of the Roman Catholic church. Leopold Brantner was married in November, 1886, to Mary Risler, who was born in Austria, daughter of Michael and Mary (Frazel) Risler. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brantner, namely: Henry, John, An- toine, Adolph, Barbara, Louisa, Leopold, William and Joseph. Henry, who resides on a farm at Eau Galle, Wis., married Frances Sinz and has had four children: Ernst, Walter, Julius and one that died in infancy. John died in infancy. Antoine married Lena Rochide and resides in Lima town- ship. Adolph is at present residing on the home farm with his mother. He married Elsie Ninniman. Barbara is the wife of Joseph Weisenbeck, a farmer of Maxville township, Buffalo county. Louisa married Frank Kothbauer, Jr., an extensive farmer and stock raiser of Lima township, and has one child, Louisa. Leopold, William and Joseph are living on the home farm.

Michael Risler, an early settler in Lima township, Pepin county, was a native of Austria and was there married to Mary Frazel. With his wife and family he came to America in 1864 and located in the western part of Lima township, where he engaged in farming. His original trade was that of carpenter, and after coming here he followed it more or less as a con- tractor, besides carrying on agriculture. About 1887 his health began to fail and for the last 25 years of his life he was an invalid, his death occurring in or about the year 1912. It was Mr. Risler who built the Lima church, which now stands as a monument to his mechanical ability. His wife is still living, being now 82 years old, and resides with her brother John on the old homestead. They were the parents of eleven children.

Frank Kothbauer, Jr., proprietor of the old Kothbauer homestead of 290 acres in section 36, Lima township, was born on this farm March 3,

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1895, son of Frank, Sr., and Clara (Schulner) Kothbauer. He acquired his education in this township, attending district school, and, after he was old enough, assisted his father in the development and improvement of the home farm to the ownership of which he eventually succeeded. Here he carries on general farming and stock raising with good financial results, raising pure-bred Holstein cattle and a good grade of hogs, and is also doing a good dairy business. The farm is an excellent piece of agricultural prop- erty, and Mr. Kothbauer, who has managed it since he was 19 years old, is now numbered among the prosperous citizens of this township. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church. In politics he is independent. Mr. Kothbauer was married Jan. 12, 1915, to Louisa Brantner, who was born in Lima township, daughter of Leopold and Mary (Risler) Brantner. He and his wife are the parents of one child, Louisa.

Frank Kothbauer, Sr., founder of the Kothbauer farm in section 36, Lima township, was a native of Austria, where he acquired a knowledge of farming. Coming to America when a young man, he found his way to Pepin county, Wisconsin, and locating on the farm in Lima township now owned and operated by his son and namesake Frank Kothbauer, Jr., he began the work of development and improvement. Three acres of the land were already broken and there was a log house in which he took up his residence and which was his home for a number of years. To his origi- nal tract of 40 acres he added by degrees until his farm attained its present dimensions of 290 acres, also erecting suitable buildings and installing ma- chinery from time to time in order to keep up with the improved methods of agriculture. Here he resided until Jan. 1, 1915, when he retired from active work and took up his residence in Mondovi. While engaged in farm- ing he assisted in organizing what was known as the Bear Creek Creamery, and also took part in other local enterprises. He married Clara Schulner, a native of Austria, and their family in time numbered five children, of whom the youngest, Frank, Jr., is, as already stated, the present proprietor of the home farm.

Christian O. Sankey, an early settler of Nelson township, Buffalo county, was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, March 18, 1818. He became a farmer, and in April, 1861, a married man, he came with his wife and children to Buffalo county, Wisconsin, locating in Nelson town- ship, near the present site of the Burnside cemetery. On the tract of wild land which he took he built a log house, and from that time on devoted all his energies to getting a living from the soil, becoming in time the owner of a fine farm. Soon after arriving in Buffalo county, his first wife had died, and he had married for his second, Mrs. Mary Ann Joiner, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of John Cathcart. By her he had two children. She died on the homestead in the town of Nelson in 1867, and Mr. Sankey then went to Riverside, Cal., where he resided for a while with a daughter. In 1869 he married for his third wife, Elizabeth Peasley, and in 1872 moved to St. Croix county, Wisconsin, where he farmed for about three years. From there he removed to Crookston, Minn., where he re- mained for thirteen or fourteen years. He then went to Elmira, Idaho, where he sustained another bereavement in the loss of his third wife, Eliz-

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abeth, by whom he had one child. In 1915 Mr. Sankey took up his resi- dence in Bisbee, Ariz., where he died Feb. 18, 1917, at the venerable age of 98 years and 11 months, having almost rounded out a century of exist- ence. At intervals during his active career he had held local office and was a man highly respected in the various communities in which he made successively his home.

George W. Sankey, who is engaged in dairying and stock raising on a farm of 210 acres in section 33, Lima township, Pepin county, was born in Nelson township, Buffalo county, Wisconsin, Sept. 19, 1865, son of Christian O. and Mary Ann (Cathcart) Joiner Sankey. He attended school in his native township and also at Crookston, Minn. In July, 1879, when in his fourteenth year, he went to Minnesota, where he worked out for a number of years, returning to Buffalo county in 1887. There, about two years later, he was married and bought his first land in Canton town- ship, where he resided eight years. Selling his property there in 1899, he came to his present farm, a valuable and well-improved place, where he is doing a good business in dairying and stock raising, breeding Guernsey cattle, of which he has a number of imported animals, and Poland-China hogs. His farm is registered as Oak Grove Guernsey Farm. Mr. Sankey is also a stockholder in the Inter-County Telephone Company. He belongs to the Blue Lodge of Masons at Durand and to the camp of Modern Woodmen of America at the same place, having been a member of the latter for 20 years. He is now serving as clerk of his school district. In politics he is independent, and, religiously, was reared a Methodist. Mr. Sankey was married Nov. 25, 1889, to Lora E. Sweet, who was born at Modena, Buffalo county, Wisconsin, Jan. 8, 1864, daughter of Eri P. and Sarah. Elizabeth (Bowen) Sweet. Of this marriage five children have been born: Lillian Orma, Eri O., Homer Vere, Levi and Robert B. Lil- lian Orma is the wife of John Farner, Jr., a farmer of Colfax, Dunn county, Wisconsin, and has one child, Donald. Eri O., residing with his father, married Ethel June Cantrell, of Downsville, and has one child, Howard Leroy. Homer Vere, formerly employed in the creamery, is now in France as a member of the 341st U. S. Infantry. Levi is in the marine service of the United States. Robert is living at home.

Eri P. Sweet, a pioneer farmer of Buffalo county, formerly postmaster at Modena, was born in the state of New York. He was married in La Crosse county, Wisconsin, to Elizabeth Bowen, a native of New York State, and in 1863 settled on wild land in Buffalo county, Modena township, which he developed and cultivated until his death in 1886. His wife re- mained there until about 1897 and then removed to La Crosse county, where she is now living. Mr. Sweet served as postmaster at Modena for a number of years and was for many years notary public. In November, 1861, he enlisted as a soldier at Sparta, Wis., and after going to the front, was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh and confined nine months in Libby prison. Being then exchanged, he subsequently re-enlisted and served in Missouri against the guerilla leader, Quantrell. After being mustered out, he returned to his farm, but never fully regained his health, experiencing for many years the effects of the hardships he had encoun-

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GEORGE W. SANKEY AND FAMILY MR. AND MRS. ERI P. SWEET-CHRISTIAN O. SANKY

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MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL SCHUCH-MR. AND MRS. LEOPOLD DENZINGER FRANK SCHUCH AND FAMILY

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tered, which finally brought his life to a close in November, 1886. His wife now resides at Bangor, La Crosse county. They were the parents of three children, their daughter Lora E., who was educated in Buffalo county, being now the wife of Geo. W. Sankey.

Alex Komro, who is prosperously engaged in general farming in sec- tion 5, Lima township, Pepin county, was born in this township, Feb. 23, 1893, son of Vinz and Katherine (Lachner) Komro. His parents were Austrians, Vinz Komro coming to the United States and to this township when a boy with his parents, Joseph and Johanna (Shabel) Komro, who engaged in farming here. Vinz also became a farmer in Lima township and is still living here, having a fine farm of 200 acres in section 18. Alex Komro attended the Oak Grove school in Durand township and was brought up on the home farm, on which he resided until he was 21 years old, acquiring a knowledge of agricultural methods. On coming of age, he started out in life for himself, purchasing his present farm of 207 acres, which he is operating on a profitable basis, participating in the benefits arising in the present high prices of all farm products. In politics he is independent, but takes no part in local government affairs. He is a member of the Catholic church in Lima. On May 18, 1915, Mr. Komro was united in marriage with Anna Pfeifer, who was born in Waterville township, daughter of Henry and Racey (Youngman) Pfeifer. The Pfeifers were early settlers in this vicinity, coming from the Duchy of Luxemburg, where Henry Pfeifer was born. He is now a prosperous farmer in Water- ville township, his farm being located near Arkansaw. His wife, a native of Austria, is also living. Of their eleven children. Mrs. Komro was the first born, and in her girlhood attended school in this county. She and her husband have two children, a son, Louie, born May 13, 1916; and a daughter, Mary, born Jan. 3, 1918.

Frank Schuch, a prosperous general farmer in section 12, Lima town- ship, Pepin county, was born in Austria, Dec. 3, 1878. His parents were Michael and Julia (Pomeisel) Schuch, both natives of Austria, who came to America in 1897, locating on the farm now occupied by the subject of this sketch. This farm he improved, and after residing on it for a num- ber of years, died in the year 1910. His wife, who survived him, still lives on the homestead. They had a large family, numbering ten children, four of whom-Carl, Finze, Julia and Frank-are now living. Frank Schuch, who was the third born of his parents' children, attended district school in Lima township. He has always resided on the home farm of which in time he became the owner. It contains 220 acres of land which he devotes to general farming purposes with good financial returns. He is a member of the Catholic church at Lima and in politics is independent. Mr. Schuch was married May 19, 1908, to Mary Danzinger, who was born in Lima township, daughter of Leopold and Stella (Boehm) Danzinger. Her par- ents were Austrians and came to the United States about 1870, locating at Fall Creek, Pepin county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Danzinger engaged in farming. He died in 1907 and his wife now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Schuch. The latter was an only child and was educated in Pepin county. Mr. and Mrs. Schuch have five children: Clara, Marion, Rosa

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MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL SCHUCH-MR. AND MRS. LEOPOLD DENZINGER FRANK SCHUCH AND FAMILY

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Elizabeth, Annabel Margaret, Albert William and Leo Frank, all residing at home.

Patrick J. Ryan, in early days a prominent citizen of Durand, Pepin county, was a native of New York State, and when a young man learned the carpenter's trade. He was still quite young when the gold excitement of 1849 broke out, and, thinking to make an easy fortune, he joined a party traveling west with saddle ponies and oxen. The trip was long and hazard- ous, and long before they had reached the promised land, all or most of the other members of the party had become discouraged and returned east. He, however, persevered and reached California. There he found that "all is not gold that glitters," and that for the great majority riches were just as hard to obtain in the land that was called the new El Dorado as in other states apparently less favored. After a while, accordingly, he returned east, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin, richer in experience if not in material wealth, and went to work at the carpenter's trade, working for others for a year or two. He then came to Pepin county, continuing to follow carpentry, but also being engaged for two or three winters at scaling in the north woods. Then he became foreman and scaler in the lumber yards at Durand and was thus occupied for a number of years. Later he bought land and engaged in farming, in which occupation he continued until after the second election of President Cleveland, when, being ap- pointed postmaster at Durand, he performed the duties of that office until his death, which occurred near the end of his term. At different times he also held various local and township offices, including that of chair- man of the township board in which he served 23 years. Mr. Ryan mar- ried Emma E. Calvert, a native of England, who is still living and resides with her son, Edmund J. Ryan, in section 23, Lima township.

Edmund J. Ryan, a prominent representative of the agricultural in- terests of Lima township, Pepin county, was born on the farm in section 32 where he now lives, Dec. 26, 1873, son of Patrick J. and Emma E. (Calvert) Ryan. Here he was reared and acquired a knowledge of agri- culture through assisting his father. When he was 23 years of age he took over the farm and has continued to operate it on a profitable basis. It is known as Hedgewold Farm and contains 320 acres of valuable land, its situation being on the Durand-Mondovi road, five miles from Durand. Mr. Ryan breeds Holstein cattle, also good grades of horses, sheep and hogs. His buildings are substantial and well equipped with all useful accessories and implements. Mr. Ryan for the last ten years has been manager of the Bear Creek Co-operative Creamery and for 13 years has been chairman of the township board. In politics he is a Democrat. He was married April 19, 1899, to Blanche C. Butler, who was born in Modena, Buffalo county, Wisconsin, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth (White) Butler. Her father was a native of Philadelphia and is now liv- ing retired with his wife at Mondovi, Buffalo county. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have three children, Patrick J., Elizabeth E. and Edmund J., Jr., all residing at home. Mr. Ryan's fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen of America, he belonging to the camp at Durand. One of the

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JOSEPH PATROW AND FAMILY

MR. AND MRS. EMERSON WRIGHT-MR. AND MRS. CHARLES PATROW

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leading citizens of his township, he and his wife have a large acquaint- ance, and are active in the social life of Lima township.

Charles Patrow, for many years a well-known and highly esteemed citizen residing in the vicinity of Durand, but now deceased, was born in Versia, Canada, April 20, 1825, and there resided until he was eight years old. In 1833 he accompanied his parents to Vermont, in which state he was married in 1847 to Louisa Bashaw. Two years later he removed with his wife to New York State, where they made their home until 1864, coming in that year to Pepin county, Wisconsin. Mr. Patrow's first industrial occupation was that of a farmer, but later he engaged in shoemaking and afterwards became a stone mason, which trade he con- tinued to follow in Durand and vicinity until his advancing years pre- vented him. His death took place at the home of his son Joseph in Durand on Monday, March 25, 1906, he having then attained the ad- vanced age of 80 years, 11 months and 6 days. Mr. Patrow was a hard working and industrious man, and until the infirmities of age came upon him, was always diligent in providing for his family. A kind and faithful husband and father and good neighbor, he was held in much esteem by all his many relations and friends. His wife survived him until 1911. Of their large family of 14 children, four died before the father. Those who survived him were five sons: David, of Gilmanton; Charles, of Mondovi; John, of St. Paul; and Saul and Joseph, of Durand; and four daughters: Lydia, Mrs. William Moore, of Modena; Lucy, Mrs. Eli Bilderback; Rosella, Mrs. Albert Yarington, of Maxwell; and Oreal, Mrs. Simeon Yarington, of Durand. Mr. Patrow left 52 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren, with many other relations to mourn his loss.

Joseph Patrow, a general farmer residing in section 25, Durand township, Pepin county, where he is successfully operating 260 acres of land, was born in this township, Sept. 27, 1867, son of Charles and Louisa (Bashaw) Patrow. He was the twelfth member in a family of 14 children and attended school at Spring Creek, Buffalo county. Until he was 22 years old he resided at home with his parents, and then en- gaged in the teaming business in Durand, continuing in that occupation for 18 years. At the end of that time he went back to the soil, taking his present farm of 260 acres of valuable land in section 25, Durand town- ship, where he has since carried on general farming with profitable re- sults. Mr. Patrow has made some important improvements on his farm, one of the buildings he has erected being a fine barn measuring 42 by 100 feet, with a nine-foot basement and 16-foot posts. His other improve- ments are on the same ample and complete scale. Mr. Patrow is also a stockholder in the Inter-County Telephone Company. In politics he is a Republican with independent proclivities and has served as road com- missioner. The Methodist Episcopal church numbers him among its mem- bers. In September, 1889, Mr. Patrow was united in marriage with Mary Wright, a native of Ionia, Mich., and daughter of Emerson and Sarah Ann (Wray) Wright. The four children born to them are as follows: Myrtle Hazel, wife of William Rice, a conductor on the Northern Pacific Rail- road residing at Staples, Minn .; Lillian Ethel, wife of Lafe Christ, a farmer

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of Hannibal, Wis .; Clesson Emerson, a farmer of Durand township, Pepin county, who married Annabell Pierson; and Edith May, residing at home. Mr. Patrow is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, now holding the office of vice grand; also of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Beavers and the F. R. A., while Mrs. Patrow belongs to the Ladies' Circle of the G. A. R.

Emerson Wright, who was formerly engaged in farming in the vicin- ity of Durand, Pepin county, was born near Ionia, Mich., Oct. 13, 1845. In early manhood he took up the occupation of farming. United in marriage with Sarah Ann Wray, who was born in England Feb. 7, 1847, they came in 1871 to Mondovi, Buffalo county, Wisconsin, and from there, about 1887, to Durand, in which vicinity, after farming for some two years, Mr. Wright died in December, 1909. His wife passed away in 1911. They were the parents of a large family, numbering 11 children, of whom their daughter Mary, as elsewhere mentioned, became the wife of Joseph Patrow.

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History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 18

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 885

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885