USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 63
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Martin Mason is the only son of Mads Olson and Bertha (Gur- ena) Olson, who spent their entire lives in Norway, where Mr. Olson was employed in the silver mines. Martin was born March 16, 1847, attended the public schools in Norway and worked out among the farmers of the neighborhood as a boy. The prospects for the acquisi- tion of property of his own did not seem bright at home so in 1867 he left Norway and took passage in a sailing vessel for Quebec. In a short time after landing in Quebec he continued his journey by boat to Milwaukee and thence to Edgerton, Wis. Until 1884 he was ob- liged to work out but by that time was able to purchase a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Albion, which has since been his home. The property was almost unimproved and Mr. Mason has brought it to a fine and profitable condition by unremitting energy. Substan- tial and comfortable buildings have been erected and everything done to render it a pleasant home. Mrs. Mason was before her marraige Miss Karen S. Anderson of Albion, daughter of Ole O. Anderson and
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Gurie (Peterson) Anderson, pioneer residents of Albion. Mr. and Mrs. Mason were married in December, 1878, and five children have blessed the marriage. Claude M., the oldest son, is a prosperous farmer of Pleasant Springs; Clara married Fred Lintnedt and lives on a farm in the town of Christiania; Oscar G. resides at the old home- stead with his parents; Matilda lives with her brother Claude in Pleas- ant Springs: Neil H. is still at home. The family is identified with the Norwegian Lutheran church of Edgerton, havng remained in the same faith as their parents. Mr. Mason is an enthusiastic member of the Repubican party and has held several local offices, taking an active interest in town and county matters. The children all attended the district schools of Albion and are successful farmers.
Vroman Mason of Madison, a prominent attorney of that city, was born there, March 15, 1873. He is the son of Edwin C. and Jos- phine (Vroman) Mason, and on his mother's side of Dutch ancestry, the Vromans being one of the old Dutch families of New York. His ancestors, on both sides. took part in the Revolutionary War, and his paternal grandfather. L. B. Mason, was chaplain of the Twelfth Wis- cons'n Regiment in the Civil War, and died in service. His maternal grandfather, William Vroman, was one of the pioneers of Dane county, coming in 1836. Mr. Mason was educated in this city; was graduated first from the high school; from the University of Wiscon- sin, in 1895; and from the college of law in 1899. He began practice at Dodgeville; as a member of the firm of Reese, Curtis & Mason. For three years he was a member of the firm of Chynoweth & Mason, of Madison, and in January, 1906, opened an office by himself. He is a Republican and has served the city of Madison as an alderman of the first ward. He is a member of the Congregational church, and be- longs to several professional and fraternal societies; the Wisconsin Bar Association, American Historical Society. Free Masons. (Madi- son Lodge, No. 5), and Elks.
John O. Mawney, a retired dentist of Mazomanie. was born at Penn Yan, Yates county, N. Y., May 7, 1831. His father, John Mawncy, was born at Saratoga Springs, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Briggs, was a native of Yates county. The father grew to manhood and received his education at Saratoga Springs, after which he went to Yates county and engaged in mercan- tile pursuits. He died in 1844 and his widow lived until 1895, when she died at the age of seventy-six years. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and were consistent in the practice of their faith. Of their seven children William, Robert, Sarah and Mary E. I've in Yates county : John G. is the subject of this sketch ;
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Semah is deceased, and Caleb died in the Chicago fire in 1871. Rob- ert Mawney, the grandfather of John G., was a soldier in the War of 1812. John G. Mawney received his elementary education in the schools of his native county and in 1852 graduated at the Philadelphia dental college. He began the practice of his profession at Penn Yan, where he remained until his marriage on April 14, 1858, to Miss Ruth Ward, daughter of John and Eliza Ward, of Yates county. Shortly after his marriage he went to Richmond, Ill., and practiced there until he enlisted in July, 1862, as orderly sergeant in Company D, Ninety- fifth Illinois Infantry. His regiment was assigned to duty in the de- partment of the Mississippi under General Grant, and the company was Grant's provost guard at Holly Springs. After the surrender of Vicksburg Sergeant Mawney was taken sick and sent home for three months to recover his health. He then rejoined his command and was for a time on the Red River, but was again taken ill and sent home for two months. He then went to the marine hospital at Chicago, from which institution he was discharged in the fall of 1864. After receiving his discharge from the army he located at Horicon, Wis., where he practiced dentistry until the year 1871, when he located at Mazomanie. For twenty years he had an office in Sauk City, in con- nection with his practice at Mazomanie. In 1903 he retired from active professional work. Politically Mr. Mawney is a Democrat, and while he takes a keen interest in all questions relating to the public welfare, he can hardly be classed as an active politician. He is a member of A. R. McDonald Post, No. 56, Grand Army of the Republic, at Mazomanie, and has frequently been called to some of the office of the post. Mrs. Mawney died on October 28, 1905. She joined the Methodist Episcopal church at the age of fourteen years, but after coming to Mazomanie attended the Congregational church. They never had any children.
Cheney C. May, cashier of the bank at Cambridge, was one of the original members of the banking house of E. P. May & Co., who or- ganized the international bank at Cambridge in 1893. In 1904 its organization was changed to that of a state bank. The May family have lived in Wisconsin since 1839, when Christian May, grandfather of Cheney C., came to Fort Atkinson from Chester, Oneida county, N. Y. Five children were born to Christian May and his wife Eliza- beth : Zida, George, Chester, Eli and Elizabeth, of whom Eli P. is the sole survivor. The farm at Fort Atkinson consisted of six hundred acres and this the family improved and upon it built the first frame house erected in Fort Atkinson. Iron was discovered by Mr. May at Mayville and the village was named in his honor. He died in 1846
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and his wife in 1879. Eli P. was born in Oneida county, N. Y. in 1825, worked on the farm for his father and managed the farm for several years. He then became a merchant in Fort Atkinson and afterward engaged in the milling business in which he was very suc- cessful. He has been active in village affairs, served as supervisor and president and belonged to the Republican party. Harriet ( Vos- berg) May, his first wife, died in May, 1856, leaving one daughter, Ida, who married Edward Scott. Mrs. Scott died, leaving two daughters, Laura and Margaret. Mr. May's second wife was, before her marriage, Miss Ann Curtis, a native of Vermont and daughter of Cyrus Curtis, founder of the Northwestern Manufactuing Co. of Fort Atkinson. Four children blessed the second marriage. Dorr C. the oldest son, resides on the old homestead at Fort Atkinson and car- ries on a general farming business. Cheney, the subject of this sketch, is the second son. Clara is Mrs. John Wurtzburg of Edenville, Cal .. and has two sons, Harold and Russell. Hattie ( deceased) married Willard Frost. Two children, Rowland and Zida, were born to them. Cheney C. was born at Fort Atkinson, September 7, 1859, atten led school in Fort Atkinson, lived with his father until he was twenty-six years of age and was employed for a number of years in the Fort At- kinson Roller Mills owned by E. P. May. For nine years he was em- ployed in milling at Rockdale and in 1893 located at Cambridge, where he opened the bank. May 9, 1883, he married Miss Mary Delano, daughter of Henry and Sarah (Westcott) Delano of Fort Atkinson, who came to Wisconsin from New York. One son was born to the marriage, Harry C., May 29, 1886. Harry was graduated from the Cambridge high school in 1902 and holds the position of assistant cashier in the bank.
George A. Meek, of Dane, was born at Westminister, London, Eng., November 20, 1852. Both his paternal grandparents, George and Jane (Morris) Meek, and his maternal grandparents. James and Ann Roof was born in Yorkshire. Eng., and spent their lives in their native shire. George Meek, the father of the subject of this sketch, and his mother, Ann (Roof) Meek, were also born in Yorkshire, the former on October 12, 1816, and the latter Decem- ber 6, 1823. They came to this country in 1857, landing in New York, and soon coming on to Cambria, Columbia county ; after a residence of three years there they moved to Vienna township, Dane. They experienced the hardships incident to life in a new country, and for the first year in Wisconsin, substituted the friendly shelter of a big oak for the conventional roof-tree. The father, at least, was somewhat inured to severe conditions, as be-
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fore coming to the United States, he had served in the Crimean war; that he did not fear to face them was shown by his enlistment in the Twenty-second regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, as a pri- vate, March 10, 1865. He was discharged June 28, 1865, after three months of service. Geo. A. Meek attended the common schools of Columbia and Dane, and early began life on his own ac- count His first independent work was in lumbering in the pine woods ; at the age of twenty-six he turned his attention to farming, but continued in that occupation for only one year ; following that brief experience he took up the business of wagon-making in Dane, in which he was engaged for eight years. His early work in the lumber camps, and the knowledge necessarily gained of the values of woods, determined the work of his later years, which has been that of builder and contractor for five years, and, since 1896, the allied business of the lumber dealer. Mr. Meek has held a number of elective offices; was town treasurer for nine years, supervisor of Dane village for three years, and chairman for two, also deputy sheriff for some time. He is one of a family of twelve children, ten of whom are living ; one brother, David, was killed on the railroad, at Dane, when he was eighteen years old. A talent for adaptability is a characteristic of the family, Geo. Meek. Sr., also having been able to turn himself to any work that circum- stances demanded, from warfare to railroading and pioneer farm- ing, which itself, necessitated a large and varied knowledge. Both father and son achieved competency, the former having increased his first investment in one hundred and twenty acres in Arlington township, Columbia, to three hundred and sixty of unencumbered property at the time of his death in Arlington, July 20, 1894; his wife and helpmeet died October 25, 1901. Geo. Meek, Jr., also owns a farm in Dane, real estate in Madison and other property. An interesting item in connection with the coming of the family to America, was that the Northumberland, the boat in which they came, was the same that conveyed Napoleon to St. Helena. The elder family was connected with the United Presbyterian church, but the subject of this sketch is associated with the Catholic church of which his wife and family are members. Like his father he is an adherent of the Republican party. He married Miss Catherine Albrecht. August 4, 1878. She was born in Ba- varia,-November 12. 1857,-as were also her parents, Geo. and Anna Mary (Weigl) Albrecht, he in 1820 and she on August 31, 1827. They came to Dane in 1873 and lived for nine years on a farm one mile south of Dane ; he afterward kept a hotel in Dane, but had re-
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tired from active work at the time of his death, which was the re- sult of an accident on the railroad at Dane, December 7, 1899 ; his wife died April 14, 1900. Mr. Meek and wife have four children, Rosa, born May 5, 1879; Catherine, born October 8, 1881 ; Geo. W., born September 29, 1884; Anna, born July 19, 1886. All have been graduated from the Lodi high school ; Rosa was for four years the post mistress of Dane, and is now, with her youngest sister, a nurse in St. Joseph's hospital, Milwaukee. Catherine taught school for three years and is now studying in the University of Wiscon- sin, at Madison ; George spent four years in California, and is now brakeman on the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.
Christian J. Melaas, senior member of the firm of Melaas-John- son Co., proprietors of the "Big Daylight Store," one of the largest de- partment stores in the city of Stoughton, is a son of John J. and Christie J. Melaas, natives of Bergen, Norway, who settled in Pleasant Springs on one hundred and sixty acres of government land immed- iately after their arrival in this country in 1844. The father made all the improvements on the property and lived there until his death. which occurred in his sixty-second year. The widow, now eighty- two years of age, still resides on the homestead. The subject of this sketch was the eldest of the five sons in the family, the others being Mons J., Ole J., John J. and Louis J. All were born on the Pleasant Springs homestead. Christian J. Melaas first saw the light of day on September 5, 1845. After attending the common schools he entered Albion Academy, receiving his certificate as teacher when eighteen years old. For three years he followed the vocation of teacher and then went to Madison where until 1868 he was employed as a clerk and bookkeeper in a dry goods and clothing house. He then returned to Stoughton and engaged in the drug business, continuing at it six years. His connection with the drug enterprise was severcd to em- bark in the clothing business with Matthew Johnson under the firm name of Johnson & Melaas, which firm has cont:uned up to the pres- ent time. M. A. Johnson purchased his father's interest upon the lat- ter's death, in 1883 and since 1904 the concern has been managed under the name of the Melaas-Johnson company. The present own- ers are C. J. Melaas, Martin A. Johnson, cashier of the First National bank of Stoughton, and J. F. Melaas, who acts as general manager and superintendent of the company. Their store is the handsomest in the city and one of the best equipped places of business in the county. It is exceptionally well lighted, and from that fact has re- received the name of the "Big Daylight Store." All lines of goods ust- ally found in a department store are kept in the "Daylight" and a spec-
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ialty is made of hardware and agricultural implements and machinery. Mr. Melaas has been twice married. Elizabeth F. Sheldrup, a native of Norway to whom he was united on December 5, 1869, died Feb- ruary 1, 1893, leaving the following children, -- Julius Ferdinand ; Christiana Amelia, the wife of George A. Nohr, a banker of Okla- homa ; Nellie Josephine ; Wilma Amanda ; Guda Olive; Wilbur Guy, a graduate of Rush Medical college of Chicago, who has served as in- terne in the Milwaukee county hospital; Alva Jeanette; and Ruby Dagmar. Mr. Melaas' second marriage was to Emma J. Evanson of Albion, to whom he was united on August 2, 1894. This second un- ion has been blessed with two children. Elizabeth Marie and Christian Karel. Mr. Melaas and his family are communicants of the Lutheran church. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Sun- mit club. Politically he is a stanch Republican and as the candidate of that party was two times, eleted mayor of Stoughton, filling the chair to the satisfaction of the whole community. Besides his com- mercial interest he is largely interested in agricultural pursuits. He is well entitled to the place he has won as one of the most enterprising and progressive business men of a rapidly growing city.
Prof. Edward Christopher Meland is principal of the Windsor township free high school of which he has had charge since 1895, and prominent in educational and business circles in De Forest. The Meland family is of Norwegian origin. The first representa- tive in Dane county was Anthon Nelson Meland, who was born in Ydre Sogn, Bergens-Stift, Norway, June 16, 1830. He came to the United States in 1849 and worked for a time in Leeds township, Co- lumbia county. Wis. and then went to the northein woods, where he found employment in the lumber camps. After three years in the north he obtained a farm in Dane county of two hundred and thirty acres, all but eighty acres of which are in the town of Windsor. Nels Rasmusson, father of Anthon, after the death of his wife, Anna Ten- ningen, in 1849 married Bryteva Fjerstad and came with his wife to the town of Leeds, where he spent the remainder of his life. An- thon Meland married Miss Anna Graue, who was born in Voss, Berg- ens-Stift, Norway, April 14, 1833 and fifteen children were born to them, of whom five are living; Anna, Britha, Elward C., the subject of this sketch, Sophia and Tena. Mr. Anthon Meland lives in De Forest and has been for some years retired from active business. From 1883 to 1903. he was editor of "Den Kristelige Laegmand" and he and his wife have always been leaders in the work of the Evangel- ical Lutheran church. Their son Edward Christopher was born in the town of Leeds, Columbia county, Wis. January 30, 1866, attended
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school in Leeds and also the academic department of the Northwest- ern Business College, at Madison. He was graduated from the Uni- versity of Wisconsin in 1889 and while he was a student he also taught German and Latin in the preparatory school. For four years after graduation he was employed in the preparatory school and left it to take charge of the public schools of Deerfield. During the two years of his work there, Mr. Meland organized the high school at Deerfield and in 1895 he was called to De Forest. Prof. Meland is an active and energetic principal and much progress has been made by the schools under his government. In 1895, he and his father estab- lished the De Forest Times and he also was one of the first stock- holders of the De Forest state bank, of which he is a director. A Re- publican in political affiliations, Mr. Meland has served as town clerk at De Forest and as village clerk at Deerfield and has been sent as delegate to both county and congressional conventions. May 27. 1890, Prof. Meland married Miss Isabel Woll, who was born in Norway, September 7, 1868, daughter of Ole Woll. Five children were born to the marriage ; Agnes, who died in infancy. Hazel, who is a sopho- more in the high school. Elsie, Ruth and Reuben. The family is prominent in the Evangelical Lutheran church and Mr. Meland is one of the national board of trustees of the church.
Thor J. Mell, a native of Norway, where his mother and a brother and sister, the oldest and youngest of a family of seven children, still reside, was born January 24, 1864. His father, John Torsen Mell, was born in 1832 and died in 1879; his mother Gojra (Omel) Mell was born in 1840. The children are, Ole, Thor J., Hans, Susie, Betsey, (the last three live in Minnesota). Andrew, who lives in De Forest with his brother. Thor, and Johanna lives in Berlin, Norway. Mr. Meli obtained his education in his native country as he did not camel to Dane county until he was twenty-four years of age. He be- gan life by working by the month, as a farm hand, but by his industry and frugality he was able, in 1898, after a residence here of only ten years, to purchase a farm of his own. He now owns one hundred and seventy acres which he runs as a stock farm, principally raising short-horn cattle and China-Poland hogs. He also cultivates a con- siderable acreage of tobacco. He is endebted only to his own energy and good management for his possessions, and is esteemed by those who have knowledge of methods, as a first class farmer. He is a Re- publican and he and his wife belong to the Norway Grove Lutheran church. On April 2, 1896, he was married to Miss Carrie Swallen, and they have two children. Ruth Genevieve, born 1896, and John Otto, born July 6, 1898. Mrs. Carrie (Swallen) Mell is the daughter
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of Ole Swallen and Rande (Fetcn) Swallen, natives of Norway, who came to Vienna in an early day, where they were married. They had twelve children, of whom eight are living. He was a farmer, voted with the Republican party, and with his wife, belonged to the Nor- way Grove Lutheran church. He passed away some time ago, al- though his widow is still living. One son, Thomas O. Swallen, born in Vienna, January 10, 1853, resides at Dane. He married, October 8, 1885, Miss Betsey Eggum, daughter of Lars and Gertrude ( Holms) Eggum., They have seven children, Rhoda Jenett, Leonard Orton, Olin Bernhart, Gertrude Amanda, Lottie Josephene, Ida Beatrice an } John Leonard : of these all except Leonard O. are living.
Adolph F. Menges is the president and treasurer of The Menges Pharmacies, incorporated, with establishments in the city of Madison at 28 West Miffl'n street and 829 University avenue. He is also a di- rector in the Savings, Loan & Trust company of Madison, and is a di- rector in the Wisconsin Brick company, holding the office of treasurer in the same. He is the vice-president and one of the directors in the Starks-Levis Land Company and has been a member of the state board of pharmacy for ten years and secretary of the same for the three years ending May 1, 1906. He is also a member of the board of water commissioners of the city of Madison. Mr. Menges is a native of the capital city, having been born in Madison, November 1, 1863, and his parents were Adolph and Louise Menges, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was born in Hessen-Darmstadt, De- cember 8, 1810, and migrated to America in 1833, locating first in Mis- souri, where he remained until 1847, and then came to Wisconsin. He established his residence in Milwaukee, where he remained two years, the four years following he lived in Watertown and then removed in 1853 to Madison, where he spent the remainder of his life. dying on May 21, 1878. He became widely and favorably known as a substantial citizen of this part of the state. His wife died on June 15, 1890, at the age of fifty years. The subject of this review is one of a family of four children that were born to the above-named parents, and the following facts are given concerning them: Louise married J. W. Gardner, and died in 1890 at the age ot thirty years; Emma is the wife of William Kayser and resides in Mad- ison ; Adolph F. is he to whom this sketch is more particularly dedi- cated, and Angusta is the wife of George W. Bradshaw with residence in Milwaukee. Adolph F. Menges received his education in the pub- lic schools of Madison and at the University of Wisconsin, graduating in the college of pharmacy with the class of 1886, receiving the degree of Ph. G. After leaving school he clerked for a time with Duming &
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Sumner, and in 1891 he engaged in business for himself, establishing the Mifflin street pharmacy. In 1900 he added the University avenue establishment and incorporated the business, with two of his clerks- A. H. Glenz and George H. Fett-as partners. The company carries a full line of drugs and photo and stationery supplies. Mr. Menges was married on June 19, 1901, to Miss Eva Frattinger, a native of Milwaukee. Mrs. Menges died February 5, 1903, at the age of twenty-nine years. On July 18, 1906, he was married to Hilda Shak- shesky, of Watertown, Wis. Mr. Menges is a member of the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks at Madison.
S. W. Merrick, secretary and general manager of the Wisconsin Rubber company, whose headquarters are in Madison, was born in Niles, Mich., March 30, 1844. His father was L. H. Merrick. a native of New Hampshire and a tanner, currier and shoemaker by trade. His first labors were in the vicinity of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Adrian. Mich. From Adrian he went to Niles, where he en- gaged in agricultural pursuits and made shoes until 1855 and then removed to Prescott, Wis. Here he died at the age of sixty-four years, while carrying on a grocery business. The subject's mother was Cornelia Whelpley. a native of New York state, who passed away one year previous to her husband's death. Of the six chil- dren in the family George Byron Merrick and S. W. Merrick are the only survivors. S. W. Merrick received his education in the schools of Prescott, Wis. He learned the printer's trade but did not follow it, engaging in carpentering, building and millwright- ing until 1895. In that year he organized the Lodi Mutual Fire Insurance company at Lodi, and continued as secretary of that company for five years. Then he engaged in the sale of stock of the Philidelphia Plantation Company and in 1903 with Prof. R. B. Anderson, Dr. C. H. Hall, and F. C. Hutson he organized the Wisconsin Rubber Company without severing his connection with the Philadelphia concern. On March 24, 1823, he married Car- rie R., daughter of John B. and Mary (Thornton) Taber. natives of Wisconsin, and to this marriage three children have been born, -- George W., a graduate from the Lodi high school. died May 1, 1895, aged seventeen years; Jessie B., a graduate from the Uni- versity of Wisconsin with the class of 1904, and now taking post- graduate work in the same institution; Grace Gladys, a pupil in the Wisconsin Academy. Mrs. Merrick is a member of the Pres- byterian church.
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