History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical, Part 40

Author: Keyes, Elisha W. (Elisha Williams), 1828-1910
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Madison, Wi. : Western Historical Association
Number of Pages: 998

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John F. Hebl was born in Austria, October 20, 1846, and came to America with his parents when he was three years old ; his first home was in Jefferson county, and it was in the common schools of that county that he received his education; after a residence there of twenty-five years he came to Dane, (1876). He located on the farm which is at the present time his home, and entered into the life of the community as a member of the Catholic church, as a member of the Grange, as a supervisor of the township,-an office to which he was elected several times, at the present time serving his second term as as chairman of the board,-and, since 1890, as president of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Co. He married, in 1860, Miss Frances Springer, daughter of Joseph and Anna Springer, early German settlers of Medina township. Their children are Matilda, Mary, Charles, Alvina, Ulma, Lotty and Tena, of whom all except Tena and Lotty are living. Mr. Hebl's parents, John and Mary (Odoum) Hebl, were natives of Austria, and came to the United States in 1850, making their home in Jefferson county, where Mrs. Hebl died the same year; her husband survived her nearly half a century, dying in 1897. He was a farmer by occupation, a Democrat, -as was also his son, the subject of this sketch,-and both he and his wife were members of the Catholic church. Of their seven children five are living.

Charles M. Heer, one of the prominent farmers and stock breed ers of Roxbury township, has been a life-long resident of Dane county, having been born in the township in which he resides, June 25, 1868. He is a son of Martin and Amelia (Honeisen) Herr, both of whom are natives of Germany, the former being born in 1826 and the latter on April 7, 1832. The father migrated to America about 1847 or 1848, and the mother a year or two later, both settling in the state of New York, where they met, and they were married in 1850. Four years later they continued their travels westward, selecting Wisconsin as the state for their permanent abode, and after a year spent in Dodge county they came to Dane county and established their home in Rox- bury township, on the farm now owned in partnership by their son, George M., and daughter, Anna. Here they lived the remainder of their lives, maintaining the high regard of their neighbors and the

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veneration of dutiful children. They were members of the Lutheran church, and the father claimed allegiance to the Democratic party. These worthy parents had born to them eight children, and it is fitting in this memoir that mention should be made of each: John, the eld- est, is a prosperous farmer in Sauk county. Margaret and Emma are residents of Lodi. George M. remains upon the old homestead of one hundred and fifty-three acres, and also owns eighty acres in Dane township; with his brother (the firm being known as Heer Bros.), he is a breeder of Short-horn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs ; he is also an extensive feeder of stock. In politics he is a Republican. Anna also lives on the homestead. Mary, another daughter, died at the age of four years and three months. Charles M. is the immediate subject of this review, and Frank is a resident of Caledonia, Wis. Charles M. Heer received his education in the common schools of the vicinity and in the high school at Lodi. Upon reaching manhood he decided to make farming his life's occupation, and that he selected wisely is shown by the flattering success that has been his portion. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and ninety acres, and is an extensive breeder of short-horned cattle and Shropshire sheep. He showed his cattle at the international stock show in Chicago, in 1905, and had the dis- tinction of receiving several first premiums. At the Wisconsin state fair he took nearly all of the second, besides some first premiums. He also raises Duroc Jersey hogs, and is an extensive feeder and ship- per of live stock in general. For "Royal Sultan," the prize-winner at the international stock show, standing at the head of the short-horned herd, the owner has refused $3,000. In politics Mr. Heer is an adher- ent of the Republican faith, and has filled the position of clerk of his district for twelve years in succession. He was married, on May 8, 1893, to Miss Mary M. Mills, of Columbia county. Wis., the daughter of Job and Mary Amanda (Dye) Mills, who were very early settlers of Columbia county, and who now reside in Lodi, Mr. Mills being af extensive land-owner and an active participant in affairs generally. Mr. and Mrs. Heer have a family of four very interesting and prom- ising children : Francis, Vernon, Josephine and Marion.

William C. Hegelmeyer, secretary of the Storghton Wagon Co., is of German origin. His grandfather, Frederick Hegelmeyer, was one. of the advance guard of the mighty army of Germans who settled in Milwaukee county, where he located in 1835. He was a farmer in Milwaukee county as was also Leonard Wiler, maternal grandfather of William Hegelmeyer, who came to Milwaukee county from Penn- sylvania in 1836. John Hegelmeyer, son of Frederick, was foreman of a lumber yard in Milwaukee and for several years was ward fore-

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man for the eleventh ward of that city. He served four years in the Civil War as a private in Company C, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Vol- unteer Infantry, participated in the battles of Missionary Ridge, · Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and minor engagements and saw much hard service. He married Hannah Wiler and both are now living at Greenfield. Milwaukee county, retired from active life. Their son William was born in Milwaukee county, October 16, 1869, received his education in the Milwaukee public school and high school and also attended Excelsior College in Milwaukee. When a young man he left home and entered the employment of the T. G. Mandt Manufacturing Co. at Stoughton as a stenographer. With this com- pany which is now known as the Stoughton Wagon Co. he has been connected ever since and has been secretary for over three years. Mr. Hegelmeyer is affiliated with the Republican party and takes an active interest in local affairs. In 1895 he was city clerk of Stough- ton and was elected a second time without opposition. He has also served on the city council as alderman from the fourth ward and has been vice-president of the board of education. Mr. Hegelmeyer is a member of the K. of P., U. R. K. of P. and the Modern Wood- men of the World. February 28, 1891, he was married to Miss Fleta B. Hibbard of Stoughton, daughter of John M. and Jennie (Warren) Hibbard, Four children were born to the marriage; Warren, Grace, Harlow and Gretchen.

William Heiliger was for nearly thirty years a well known citi- zen of Madison, where he worked at the trade of a blacksmith and for a few years prior to his death conducted a livery business. He was a native of Germany, from which country so many of Dane county's residents came, and he was born there on January 28, 1837. He re- ceived his education in the excellent schools of the Fatherland, and at the age of eighteen years migrated to America. He first located in Milwaukee, and there worked at his trade for about two years, when the promising inducements offered by the thriving village of Madison attracted him hither and he resided within her confines the remainder of his life. He soon became one of the leading blacksmiths of the cap- ital city and foliowed that employment during the greater part of his active 'life, but in the late years conducted a livery business, meeting with flattering success in all of his undertakings. His livery estab- lishment was on East Washington Avenue. While not an office-seeker in any sense of the term ,yet he took the interest of a good citizen in public affairs and rendered an unswerving allegiance to the principles and policies of the Democratic party. His religious faith was attested by a life-long membership in the Catholic church, and he was also a

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HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

member of the St. Michael's society. Mr. Heiliger was married on November 10, 1866, to Miss Frances Minch, who was also a native of Germany and the daughter of John and Salone (Fisher) Minch, who migrated to America and became prominent residents of the town of Montrose, where the father followed the occupation of farming. The parents are now deceased, as are three of the five children born to them, the surviving ones being Frank H. Minch, of Paoli, Wis., and the wife of the subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. Heiliger became the parents of five children, all of whom were born in Madison and received their education in the city schools. Their names follow : Adeline, Elenora, Emma, Otto, and Walter. The latter is a dentist, having received his professional education in the dental college at Milwaukee. Mrs. Heiliger resides in her pleasant home at No. 320 West Wilson Street, in Madison.

John B. Heim, superintendent of the Madison city waterworks, now serving his twenty-fourth year, was born in Rochester, N. Y., July 15, 1848. His father, Conrad Heim, was a native of Unter- le chtersbach, Bavaria, Germany, and a son of John Heim, a prominent leader in his township. Anastasia (Aut) Heim, mother of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born near Fulda, Hesse, Germany. The father of subject emigrated to America in 1846, the mother coming the year following, to seek their fortunes in the new world, leaving behind in the old country their parents, brothers and sisters. They both made the voyage across in sailing vessels and in each instance fifty-six days were spent on the water. They first met and became ac- quainted at Rochester, N. Y., and in that city they were married. The father was a tailor by trade and at this trade he found work in Roches- ter, and soon he had accumulated a sufficiency to establish a home. The depression in business caused by the hard times of the year 1857, was the cause of the father leaving the east the following year and coming west, he and his family landing in Madison on April 22, 1858. From the east he brought with him a stock of goods and he opened a clothing store in this city. But the fashions of the eastern goods being ahead of those of the west, and the hard times following him, he did not succeed in his undertaking, and finally his entire accumulations were swept away. Later, however, he again engaged in business on a small scale, meanwhile learning the art of cutting. To the latter vocation he finally gave all his attention and became assistant cutter in the establishment of Samuel Klauber & Co. On May 27, 1865, the mother departed this life, aged forty-three years. The father was again married and, after living a retired life for many years, died November 11, 1900, at the ripe old age of seventy-nine years. John B., the eldest of a family

BIOGRAPHICAL.

of ten children, received a common school education, leading his class in the different grades and was anxious for a higher education, but because of the misfortune of his parents was unable to obtain it, and was apprenticed to B. W. Suckow to learn the trade of a book-binder, and assisted his parents in the support of the family until he was over twenty-one years of age. He finished the trade in all its branches and accepted the management of the establishment of W. J. Park & Co., April 12, 1871., which position he resigned October 11, 1882. During this period of over eleven years, he built up a large trade and re- gained the state work which had been lost to the firm; secured the supreme court reports, which work had been lost to a firm in Chicago ; secured the work of the city and university libraries; designed the new cover for the blue book and the style for the geological reports, both of which were adopted; and carried off the first prize for the best and most artistic work at both the state and county fairs. In April, 1881, he was nominated, against his wishes, as alderman in the republican second ward and elected for a term of two years. This was a turning point in his career. At the first meeting of the common council, May 1881, an ordinance for a franchise for a system of water- works by a private corporation was introduced. This he opposed at once and had it referred to a select committee of four citizens and four members of the common council, of which committee lie was made a member. The company, fearing the opposition, withdrew, and an- other company asked for a franchise. Alderman Heim again took the lead, urging municipal ownership, and backed by Mayor James Conk- lin and the city attorney, R. M. Bashford, succeeded in defeating the ordinance, and legislation was secured by which the city was em- powered to construct, own and operate its own waterworks. Mr. Heim, the youngest member of the council, was then made chairman of a committee of construction, which committee rendered most ef- ficient service to the city. On completion of the work Mr. Heim, at the urgent request of the mayor, city attorney, city clerk and members of the committee, after a two weeks deliberation, accepted the manage- ment of the waterworks and was so elected by the common council. From a plant, the original cost of construction of which was $95,027.54 with twelve and one-half miles of water mains, it has grown, under the supervision of Mr. Heim, until the plant now repre- sents a valuation of $453,224.51 with forty-six and one-half iniles of main and a total indebtedness of only $35,000. Superintendent Heim was always an advocate of the meter system and in his first annual report recommended its adoption by the city. Finally, in 1888, after presistently urging the matter, the general meter sysem

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was adopted, Madison as a city, taking the lead in this method of selling water. In May, 1895, Supt. Heim presented a paper at the national convention of the American Water Works Association at Atlanta, Ga., on his experience with water meters. This gave him a national reputation and was the incentive to a general adoption of the meter system not only in municipalities but by water companies as well. Mr. Heim has also presented the following papers at national conventions : "Laying and Lowering of Water-mains," Denver, Colo., 1897; "Meters and Meter Rates," Buffalo, N. Y., 1898; "Artesian Wells," Richmond, Va., 1899; "Thawing of Frozen Mains and Ser- vices by Electricity," Columbus, O., 1900; "Management of Water Works," Chicago, Ill., 1901; "Meter Rates," St. Louis, Mo., 1903. Superintendent Heim has held important positions on committees of the American Water Works Association, being chairman of the pub- lishing committee, through whose hands all papers must pass before they are read at the convention; member of the executive committee; and vice-president for years, which position he now holds. As an ex- pert in his line he has a reputation all over Wisconsin, and his services. have been frequently secured by different cities and companies as ap- praiser in the sale or transfer of water works plants. He has repre- sented as appraiser the cities of Sheboygan, Appleton, Waukesha, Portage, and was the expert to accept plants at Evansville, Wis., and at Jefferson, Wis. He has also been called as expert to Fond du Lac and Monroe, Wis., and was recently appointed as chairman of the commission to appraise the plant of the Water Co. at Monroe, Wis. Mr. Heim's long service of twenty-three years as superintendent of the Madison city water works, demonstrates his entire fitness for the position. He has taken an active part in city matters and has served on innumerable committees. Politically he is a Democrat, and has. been a delegate to city, county, congressional and state conventions. He is religiously inclined and is a member of the Holy Redeemer congregation, being its secretary in 1877-8, the youngest member ever elected, and now again serving his seventh: year. He is a member of the board of directors. In 1892, he was appointed, by the archbishop, chairman of a committee to erect a large school building in Madison, but preferred to have the oldest member act as such and nominated him, Mr. Heim accepting the chairmanship of a committee to solicit the funds. The amount raised by the committee exceeded $13,000. He is the founder of a free eight grade school in connection with the parish. He was chairman of the three bazaars held by the congre- gation to liquidate the church debt, which netted the congregation $14,190, author of an Easter offering which netted $4,300. He is

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also a member of the St. Michael's Benevolent Society and was its secretary from 1891 to 1897, and has been its president for eight years, since 1898, which is for a longer period than any former president has served. He represented the society at the national and at every state convention, and has been a member of the executive committee of the state organization since 1891. He is a member of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and has been treasurer of the local branch for years and its president for five years longer than any predecessor. Mr. Heim is also a member of the Relief Association, Madison No. 2, which was originally a hand fire-engine company, and of which he was a torch boy. This company afterwards organized itself into a benevolent association and will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary July 30, 1906. Mr. Heim is now serving his thirty-fourth year as secre- tary and is chairman of the Golden Jubilee committ. e. He was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Rickenbach who was born in the town of Bloom- ing Grove, Dane county, in 1853. Her parents and grandparents were all natives of Pennsylvania, and her father, Abraham Ricken- bach, was one of the early settlers of Dane county. Mrs. Heim d.ed in Madison, May 14. 1889, aged thirty-six, after suffering as an in- valid for many years. She was the mother of four children, Oliva, John B. Jr., Katie and Petronilla. Mr. He.m afterward married Miss Prudence Rickenbach, a sister of his first wife, and they have one daughter, Mary Prudence.

John K. Helgerson, a prosperous farmer of the town of Dunn, was born on the farm where he now resides on May 13, 1863. He was the fourth of five children of Knute and Breta (Iverson) Helger- son, natives of Norway; the other children living are Eric, a farmer in the town of Dunn, and Anna, now Mrs. Ere of Soldiers Grove The subject's mother with her first husband, a Mr. Olson, came to Dane county from Milwaukee on foot. The husband worked as a farm hand in the town of Cottage Grove for a couple of years, and then did the same work for a couple of years in the town of Dunn, where he died, leaving a widow and four children, only one of whom is living, Thomas Olson of Fort Dodge. Ia. Knute Helgerson went to Canada from Norway; from Norway he drifted to Wisconsin, where he had the same work as in Canada,-grading on the railroad. Shortly after his arrival in Wisconsin he married Mrs. Olson and pur- chased eighty acres of land in the town of Dunn. From time to time he added to it, until at the time of his death in 1882 he had two hun- dred and eleven acres. John K. Helgerson received his education in the district schools in the town of Dunn and in the Northwestern Busi- ness College of Madison. He was but nineteen years old at the time

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of his father's death, but under a guardian he bought forty acres of his father's place and started life for himself. So successful was he that before many years he was enabled to add to the place until it con- tained one hundred and nineteen acres. Not long ago he sold forty acres, realizing a handsome profit on it. In politics Mr. Helgerson is independent. His religious affiliations are with the Norwegian Lutheran church. In 1893 he married Bessie, daughter of Peter and Mary (Iverson) Hanson, natives of Norway. Mrs. Helgerson was born February 19, 1864, received her education in the common schools of Norway and was the only member of a family of ten to come to America. Six children have blessed this union,-Maltha Berdena, born December 15, 1893; Clifford Johan, born July 18, 1895; Nora, born September 10, 1897; Inger, born February 20, 1899; Anna Ber- tina, March 31, 1901 ; and Athel Caroline, August 11, 1903. Mr. Hel- gerson's domestic relations are such that any man might well be proud of them. His spare moments are given to the entertainment of his children. For several months his wife has been in failing health and it has been the husband's most devoted effort to relieve her of the drudgery attendant upon a woman's part of the farm life, and to make her comfortable. Although he has expended a goodly part of his hard-earned savings in attempts to benefit his consort, he does not begrudge it. If he thought the remainder of his wealth would make her well he would willingly use it all, and begin again at the bottom of the ladder.

Ole Hellickson, who is engaged in the merchant tailoring, cloth- ing and men's furnishing goods business in the city of Stoughton, controls a most prosperous enterprise and is one of the popular busi- ness men of the city. Mr. Hellickson is a native of Norway, having been born December 25, 1853, and having thus been a welcome Christ- mas guest in the home of his parents, Hellick and Beret (Hellicks- datter) Christenson. He was reared and educated in his native land, where also he served a thorough apprenticeship, of three years' dura- tion, at the tailor's trade. For two years thereafter lie was engaged in business on his own account, and he then decided to come to America, whither many of his sterling countrymen had preceded him. In May, 1876, he landed in New York city, whence he came forthwith to Dane county, taking up his residence in Stoughton, where he worked at his trade, as a journeyman, for four years, at the expiration of which, in 1880, he engaged in business in an independent way. From a small beginning he has built up a flourishing enterprise and he caters to a discriminating and appreciative trade. In 1889 his establishment was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of one thousand dollars, and he

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at once erected his present building, which is modern and well equip- ped and he has attained prestige as one of the leading merchants of the city. In politics he is a Republican, he is affiliated with the Mod- ern Woodmen of America, and both he and his wife hold member- ship in Christ Norwegian Lutheran church. July 29, 1885, Mr. Hel- lickson was united in marriage to Miss Anna C. Holten, daughter of Levi G. and Sonnev (Christopher) Holten, formerly of Utica, Wiscon- sin, but now of Stoughton, and they have five children,-Henry. Sophia, Levi, Bessie and Gustav.

Hon. Joseph R. Henderson was born in Menstrie, Clackmannan- shire, Scotland, August 14, 1848, and was the son of Andrew and Margaret Robinson, both natives of Perthshire, Scotland. The father was a farmer by vocation and . acted as foreman on one farm for twenty-one years. In 1854, when Joseph was six years of age, the family came to America. They came first to Canada and landed at Quebec, reaching the United States via the St. Lawrence river and the Great Lakes. They reached Madison by rail and Mrs. Henderson and the children remained at the depot while Mr. Henderson walked to Verona and procured a team for the transportation of his family and their goods to the town of Springdale. He located on section twenty-five but afterward moved to section fourteen where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a man who would take no part in politics and refused to accept office, but was a generous contributor to the Presbyterian church of Verona. He died January 19, 1900. aged eighty-four years, three months and nineteen days. His wife died December 29, 1859 at the age, of forty-nine years. They had a family of six children: William, of St. Mary's, Minn .; Rachel, married James McKeand, of Hamilton county, Nebraska; Katharine, died, aged sixteen; Joseph R., the subject of this sketch and Andrew his twin brother, a farmer of Wells, Minnesota; Bessie, of Wells, Minne- sota; Elizabeth, married John Farley, of Owatonna, Minnesota. Mr. Henderson received his education in the public schools of the town- ship, at Professor George's academy, of Madison, and in the high school of Wilton, Minnesota. He remained with his father until he was twenty years of age when he went to Minnesota and remained four years, working most of the time on a farm; he then returned to his father and remained with him until his death. He is now one of the large farmers of that locality, owning four hundred acres of land in sections 10, 11, 13, and 14. He was married September 28, 1876, to Miss Margaret Nimmo, of Springdale, the daughter of Henry and Margaret (Blake) Nimmo, pioneers who settled on section thirty-six

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in 1854, and there their daughter was born. They came to Wiscon- sin from New York state, but were both natives of Scotland, and they still living, having their home in Verona. Mr. Nimmo served in the Civil War, belonging to Company E, Eighteenth Regiment, Wiscon- sin Volunteen Infantry. To Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have been born five boys and three girls: Maggie, married Andrew E. Patten, of Springdale, died aged twenty-seven ; Andrew, resides at home ; Joseph, with Gisholt Machine Co., Madison; Mary, married Charles Himsel, of Verona; Gracie, died, aged thirteen; Clarence, Lester and Forrest, all attending school. Mr. Henderson served as clerk of the district school board for twenty-one years, and until he refused to longer ac- cept the position; he was a member of the board of supervisors for seven years, chairman of the town board for four years, assessor for five years and was representative of the third assembly district in the legislature of 1891-92. His district was so gerrymandered at the time that it was forty-two miles long and only six miles wide and was known as "the shoe-string district." Mr. Henderson is a member of the M. W. A. and belongs to the Presbyterian church of Verona. He is a clever writer and has written a good deal of verse, his longest production of this kind being called "Uncle Joe's Advice to His Father, or Abraham Lincoln." Another entitled "On the Road to Riley" received much local commendation.

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History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical, Part 40

Author: Keyes, Elisha W. (Elisha Williams), 1828-1910 Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Madison, Wi. : Western Historical Association Number of Pages: 998

Author: Keyes, Elisha W. (Elisha Williams), 1828-1910
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Madison, Wi. : Western Historical Association
Number of Pages: 998