USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 66
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his preliminary education in the parochial school at Barton, and supplemented the knowledge thus gained by taking a classical and theological course in the St. Francis seminary at Milwaukee. He was ordained on June 20, 1897, by Archbishop Katzer, and he cele- brated his first mass on the fourth day of the following month, at St. Michael's church in Milwaukee. His first charge was as as- sistant pastor to Rev. William Piel at St. Bonaface's church in Manitowoc, where he remained four years, and then for one year he was first assistant to Rev. Ruckengruber at St. Michael's church in Milwaukee, since which time he has been located at his present charge. The St. Ignatius church at Mt. Horeb was established in 1894, but Father Mueller has made many improvements, putting in stained glass windows, three new altars, statuary, and he has also furnished the residence and made several improvements thereon. He has organized the Ladies' Altar society, and he gives a great deal of attention to music, playing all kinds of instruments. While he was at Manitowoc he was active in organizing and had charge of the Holy Family hospital, organized an Abysius boys' society, and also a Nicolette club, which was a social organization for ladies and gentlemen. He also organized a boys' and young men's athletic club there.
John G. Mueller, of the brewing firm of Brunkow & Mueller, of Pheasant Branch, Dane county, Wis., is of German origin. His father is John C. Mueller of Racine, Wis., who was born in Herzog- thum, Germany, and his mother was, before her marriage, Miss Paulina Bauer, of Weimar, Saxony. J. C. Mueller, who was a blacksmith by trade, came to America in 1856 and lived for two years in New York. He then decided to try his fortune in the west and located in Rac'ne, where he was employed by the J I. Case Machine Co., with whom he remained for the rest of his working days. He is now retired and has reached the age of eighty-four years. Mrs. Mueller is seventy-six years of age. Four children made up their family. John G., the oldest; Louisa, the wife of A. F. Brunkow of Pheasant Branch ; William, also employed by the J. I. Case Co. in running one of their largest steam hammers ; and Charles, a clerk in Racine. John G. Mueller was born in Racine. July 4, 1860, educated in the public schools and lived at home until he reached the age of nineteen years. At this time he went to Weyauwega and learned the cabinet-maker's trade, at which he worked but a short time. In 1884 he bought the Pheasant Branch brewery, at that date in very unpro- fitable condition. With the aid of a partner, Mr. Brunkow, the brewery was put in good condition and a large and profitable business 41-iii
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established. Madison, Middleton, Cross Plains, Mazomanie, Spring Green and many more of the surrounding towns are supplied with the product of the Pheasant Branch Brewing Co. Mr. Mueller is a Democrat but not active in poliitcs. He is always interested in the welfare of the schools of his community and directs much attention to their concerns. He is clerk of the Middleton high school, district No. 6: treasurer of joint district No. 7, town of Middleton. He is also a member of the I. O. of O. F. and past grand master of the Mid- dleton lodge. He is a member of the German Lutheran church of Middleton. May 25, 1886, he married Miss Johanna Wuestenburg, daughter of John and Louisa Wuestenburg, natives of Mecklenburg Schwerin, Germany. One son has been born to them; George J., seventeen years of age, who has been graduated from the high school.
Iver Munson is a successful farmer of De Forest and a veteran of the Civil War. He came to Dane county, Wis., when he was one year old, with his parents. M. Simonson and Inga (Rewsdal) Simonson, who were natives of Norway. They were followed in 1846 by the grandparents, Simon Simonson and his wife, who spent the remainder of their lives in Dane county. Mr. Munson's par- ents purchased a farm in Pleasant Springs and made that their per- manent home. They improved it and built upon it and resided there until their death. Eight children made up their family and four are yet living. They were associated with the Lutheran church. Iver Munson was born in Norway. August 28, 1843. came to the United States in 1844, attended school in Pleasant Springs and, in 1862, enlisted in the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infan- try as a private in Company B. In 1864, at the expiration of his term of service he was mustered out and re-enlisted in the United States Veteran Corps, with which he served until 1866. He was with the Army of the Cumberland at Lookout Mountain and Mis- sionary Ridge, participated in the engagements during the siege of Knoxville and followed General Sherman in his campaign to Atlanta which included the "Hundred Days Battles." After the war was over Mr. Munson engaged in farming in Pleasant Springs and lived there until 1885, when he moved to the town of Windsor and purchased a large farm which is now his home. It consists of four hundred and twenty-five acres and upon it Mr. Munson carries on a general farming business, having equipped it with modern farm machinery and improved it in other ways. Mr. Mun- son is active in local affairs, is a Democrat and has for two years been chairman of the town board. December 21, 1874, he married Miss Caran Hanson, who was born in Norway and came to Pleas-
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ant Springs with her mother, sister and brother after the father's death. Five children were born to the marriage; Martin H., the oldest son, is deceased ; a daughter, Olive, died and Cora, Ida and Henrietta are the living children. The family is identified with the Norway Grove Lutheran church.
Frank Murray, a retired farmer residing just outside of the cor- porate limits of Madison, is of Scotch parentage but was born in Parish Baslick, Ireland, September 29, 1820. On August 10, 1847, he arrived in the United States, landing in Maine, in which state he made his home for ten years, following his vocation of ship car- penter. In 1857 he removed to Dane county, purchasing a small farm in the town of Burke from Mr. D. J. Powers. Here he re- mained with his family until 1903, when he sold out and removed to the home he now occupies. On June 28, 1842, Mr. Murray married Miss Beatrice Feenaghty, of Spanish and Scotch descent, although born in Parish Yulley, Ireland, on October 25, 1815. The wedding occurred in Parish Yulley, county of Roscommon, Ireland. This union was blessed with five children, four of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Murray died January 10, 1901. The only surviv- ing child, Maria J., was born in Bowdonham, Sagadahoc county, Me., eight miles from Bath, and came to Dane county with her parents when but three years of age. Her education was received in the county schools. Of late years Miss Murray has devoted her entire time to the care of her aged and decrepit father. The tend- erness and devotion with which she is ministering to him are worthy the admiration and respect of everybody.
John Murray, deceased, for many years a plastering contractor of Madison, was born in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, May 4, 1833. The date of his arrival in the United States and Madison was 1857 and besides a brother, William Murray, a farmer of Richland county, he was the only member of the family to leave the native heath. His father, Nathaniel Murray, died in his Scotland home a few years ago. The subject of this sketch served his apprenticeship in Scot- land and after coming here was associated with the late Eri Oakley and just before his retirement was a partner of William Sharp. The plastering work in the state capitol, the Park hotel and of many pri- vate and public buildings of Madison, was done under his direction. By industry and thrift he won a competency sufficient to allow him to retire from active life in 1890. He was an active and influential member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and like so many of his countrymen was a communi- cant of the Presbyterian church. His political affiliations were with
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the Republican party and he was twice elected to the board of super- visors as a representative of that party. In 1861 Mr. Murray was united in marriage to Miss Mary Henry, also a native of Moffat, who crossed the ocean to become his bride. On January 17, 1899, after an illness of eight or nine months, Mr. Murray died leaving besides the widow two sons and two daughters,-Anna, the wife of Colin R. Davidson of Chicago; William H., who married Mar- garet W. Long of Virginia City, Nev., and is now chief operator of the Western Union Telegraph company in Madison; Mary, who mar- ried James McCurrach of Chicago and John D. of Los Angeles, Cal. All the children were born and educated in the capital city. Mrs. Murray still occupies the home at 713 State street. She has seen many changes in Madison since her arrival after a stormy passage across the sea more than forty years ago. She was but eighteen when she made the trip, which threatened to end in shipwreck, and al- though she is the only member of her immediate family who immi- grated, she is as loyal to Madison and interests as are her children.
T. Gibbs Murray, junior member of the firm of Burdick & Mur- ray Co., is a native of Minnesota, where he first saw the light of day in Wright county, on December 29, 1868. His father was Robert Murray, a native of Prince Edward's Island. He had been educated for the ministry, but in 1864 left college and enlisted in the Union army. He saw some service in the south and then was sent west and was engaged in the Indian service. After his dis- charge from the army he completed his college course, but his health had been so impaired by the exposures and hardships of army life that it was impossible for him to enter the active work of the ministry, so he removed to Minnesota and followed agricul- tural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1872, when he was but twenty-nine years old. Robert Murray's wife was Martha A., a daughter of Seth and Mary (Brown) Gibbs. She was born September 14, 1847, and is still living, making her home with her only other child, Fred, a merchant of Clearwater. Minn. Seth Gibbs was one of the early settlers of the Gopher state, arriv- ing there in 1848. He had been a merchant in the east, but went into the lumber business in his new home. T. Gibbs Murray, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the graded schools of Clearwater, Minn. His first employment was as a clerk in the store of G. R. Shirley in Clearwater and in this position he passed four years. At the end of that time he came to Madison, arriving here on February 16, 1887, and went to work for an uncle, S. B. W. Brown, in a wholesale notion store. After four years there he
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accepted a position as bookkeeper for R. B. Ogilvie, and at the end of three and a half years formed a partnership with H. N. Antisdel, the firm name being H. N. Antisdel & Company. Eighteen months later A. L. Burdick purchased Mr. Antisdel's in- terest and the firm became Murray & Burdick. The firm became. established in its present place of business about two and a half years after its organization. On October 10, 1891, Mr. Murray married Hannah, daughter of Theodore and Marie (Siggelko) Herfurth, of Madison. Mr. Herfurth was engaged in the fire insurance business at the time of his death, which occurred Octo- ber 28: 1903, and had served as city assessor. Mr. Murray is a Royal Archmason, of which order he has served as steward, and is at present a member and regent of the Royal Arcanum.
I. J. Naset, son of Johann Jensen, the first representative of the pioneer Naset family, in Christiania, Dane county, came with his fam- ily from Bargenstadt, Norway, in 1845. He obtained one hundred sixty acres of farm land in the township, to which more was added from time to time. On a part of this property Ingebrigt Naset now resides. Johann married Ella Fios in Norway and six children were born to them: George. Gunila, who married H. L. Lien of Christiania, and Mary are deceased ; Jens J. resides in Stoughton : I. J., the subject of this sketch lives upon the old homestead and Johann is a retired farmer of Bloomer, Wis. Ingebright J. was born in Norway, Decem- ber 31, 1833. was twelve years of age when he came with his parents to Wisconsin and found little opportunity for schooling in the new home, as the combined efforts of father and sons were necessary to clear the new farm and build a home. For a number of years he was engaged in threshing and for many years has carried on a general farming business on his share of the old homestead. He has a farm of one hundred sixty acres on which he has made all the improve- ments and has also done carpentering and mason work in the neigh- borhood. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church and has been instrumental in building three different churches in the vicinity. Mr. Naset is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party and has held a number of local offices. In 1855. he married Miss Sarah Ann Larson, a native of Norway and, after her death, Miss Mary Johnson of Vardahl. Norway, became his wife. Eight chil- dren blessed the first marriage and seven the second, but four of whom are living. Lars resides at Robindale, Minn .: Gustave lives in Janesville, Wis .: Otto is a farmer in the town of Christiania ; Jo- sephine is the widow of Ole Peterson of Christiania.
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Rev. John M. Naughtin, pastor of St. Raphael's Roman Catholic church of Madison, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, June 24, 1854, and came to Wisconsin with his parents the following year. They settled in Madison, and he thus became for a time a member of St. Raphael's parish, of which he afterward became the efficient spiritual head. In 1857 the family removed to Juneau county, and there his boyhood was passed and the first thought of his young manhood turned toward commercial work. When he later decided to enter the religious vocation he found the necessary edu- cation and intellectual and spiritual equipment for his work at St. Bonaventure's Seminary of Allegany, New York. He was or- dained in June, 1882, and after two years spent as a teacher in Pio Nono college, near Milwaukee, he was sent to St. John's Cathedral, Milwaukee, as assistant. He remained there until the autumn of 1892, at which time Archbishop Katzer appointed him to establish a new parish in the southwestern part of Milwaukee. He entered upon this work with characteristic method and zeal and success- fully established it during his three years residence. November 14, 1895, he was appointed rector of St. Raphael's church of Madi- son and entered upon his duties there on December 1st, of the same year, a position which he has faithfully filled up to the present time. These eleven years of marked success have demonstrated the wisdom . of the appointment, as the church has prospered greatly under his administration. St. Raphael's church was organized in 1848 and the present building was begun in 1854 and has been in use since 1862. It has a membership of two thousand three hun- dred, and has in connection with its organization the following societies : the Young Ladies' Sodality, the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, the Catholic Order of For- esters, the Woman's Catholic Order of Foresters, the League of the Sacred Heart and the St. Raphael's choir. Of these Father Naughtin is the spiritual head and his connection is not merely nominal; he takes the most active interest in all matters concern- ing his charge, whether near or remote. A man having in charge the spiritual direction of so large a congregation might easily find himself excused from participation in the larger affairs that per- tain to the well-being of the whole community, but Father Naugh- tin has never shielded himself from municipal and secular duties and responsibilities on account of his pastoral work. On the con- trary there are few enterprises which concern the betterment of general conditions in which he is not interested and to which he has not lent aid and sympathy. He is a member of the board
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of the public library, of the city hospital board, of the Madison Park and Pleasure-drive association and of many other of the city enterprises and associations, and is one of the men frequently called upon on occasions of public demonstration, as at the citizens' meeting held on the day of President McKinley's funeral. While his kindly spirit and personal interest have endeared him to the members of his own church and congregation, his scholarly at- tainments have won him a place in the intellectual life of the city and his liberality and public spirit gives him a position in the pub- lic regard that is not bounded by church or personal limitations.
Charles Neath, who is one of the prosperous farmers of the town of Rutland, is a fine example of the self-made mali, and his life is an illustration of the opportunities that America affords for the industri- ous and persevering youth. Mr. Neath was born in Somersetshire, England, and was one of a family of ten children, born to Reuben and Caroline (Criddle) Neath, the parents having spent their lives and died in their native country. Charles Neath made the journey alone from England to America, in 1880, and Dane county, Wis., was the terminus of his long journey. He secured work as a farm hand and continued so employed for about eight years, by which time he was able, as the result of the strictest economy and industrious habits, to purchase a small tarm comprising thirty-two acres in the town of Rut- land. When he arrived in Dane county, in 1880, his financial stand- ing was represented by a fifty-cent piece, which had been given to him by a gentleman in Milwaukee. Mr. Neath carried this coin in his pocket as a mascot for three years, and it still remains as one of his most highly prized possessions. On March 20, 1892, he was married to Miss Hattie Osborne, daughter of Andrew B. and Delene Osborne, worthy citizens of the town of Rutland, and Mrs. Neath is one of seven children born to these parents. Six of the children are living, of whom one resides in Iowa, one in Dayton, Wis., and the other four are residents of Dane county. Mr. and Mrs. Neath resided on the small farm spoken of above until 1905. when they sold it and bought eighty acres of the Osborne homestead, which had been the home of Mrs. Neath's parents, and have since resided thereon. Many im- provements have been made on the farm, in the way of residence. barn, etc., and Mr. Neath is as completely equipped for the business of general farming as could be desired. He is certainly a self-made man in the truest sense of the term, and his present prosperous condi- tion represents a remarkable triumph over discouraging obstacles. He never attended school a day and his success has been due entirely to his natural ability and his personal efforts, aided in no small measure
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by the encouraging words and wise counsel of a dutiful wife. Al- though handicapped by the lack of an education. Mr. Neath is con- ceded to be well-posted and in possession of a high order of intelli- gence. Besides himself, two of his brothers also sought homes in America-Albert and Robert-and they both reside in the town of Rutland. Mr. and Mrs. Neath have one child, a daughter named Myrtle Delene, who was born January 1, 1901. Mr. Neath is a Re- publican in his political affiliations, and he and his wife are members of the Baptist church.
John C. Neill, one of the leading business men of Waunakee, has interests outside of that village, as he is one of the members of the' Caldwell & Neill Co., of Lodi, Dane and Waunakee. He was born in Caledonia, Columbia county, April 19, 1873, but is of Scotch ancestry. His father, John Neill, was born at Perthshire Down, Scotland, and the mother, Martha (Caldow) Neill, at Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. They were married in Caledonia, Columbia county, Wis., June 1, 1870, but received their education in their native land. J. Niell, Sr., came to New York in 1855 and after a residence there of about two years removed to Cadedonia township, Columbia county ; in 1875 he located in Arlington township, and in 1893 retired from business and settled in Lodi where he lives at present. He owned a large farm of three hundred and twenty acres and is considered one of the wealthy men of the county, having accumulated his fortune by his own industry and business ability. In politics he is a Republican and both he and his wife are members of the united Presbyterian church. Their four children are John C .; William K .; Henry H .; Margaret E. The pa- ternal grandfather of John C. Neill was John Neill, a native of Scot- land who came to New York in the early fifties and to Caledonia in 1856, where he died in 1880. He was a blacksmith by trade, and also a farmer ; he owned about six hundred acres of land. His wife, Mar- geret (Moreland) Neill was born in Scotland; she died in Dekorra, Coumbia county, October 17, 1900, about ninety years of age. The maternal grandfather, William Caldow, was a Scotchman, and came to Dane and located in Vienna township; later he went to Caledonia, but died in Arlington. He bought his first land of Jas. McClay, of Madison. The subject of this sketch was educated first in the com- mon school of the village and the district school of Arlington. He prepared himself for active participation in commercial affairs by a supplementary training at the Northwestern Business college of Madi- son. His first occupation was that of a farmer and stock-raiser, but in 1897 he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits and engaged in a wholesale and retail business covering flour, feed, seeds, hay,
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straw, grain, coal, and live-stock. He is a Republican but does not enter largely into the field of practical politics as regards office-hold- ing. He and his family are connected with the Presbyterian church. He was married October 19. 1900, to Miss Anna Hyslop, born in Dane. May 7, 1874, daughter of Robert and Martha (Anderson) Hyslop, who were both born in Scotland, he in 1829 and she in 1832,. and married there. About 1855 they came to Dane where he died in February, 1901. His widow now lives at Lavalle. Sauk county. They had a family of ten children and nine are living.
William Kenneth Neill, of Dane, was born at Arlington, Colum- bia county. June 1. 1879. He is the son of John Neill, mentioned in this work. He attended first the common school in the town of Arlington, then the high school of Poynette, and was graduated from the Northwestern Business college of Madison. After leav- ing school he worked in the grain business at Lodi, for Caldwell & Neill. for two years, and then became a partner in the business. known as Caldwell & Neill Co., located at Lodi. Dane and Wauna- kee. Mr. Neill has charge of the business at Dane, where he re- sides, and is an active participant in the life of the village, having been a member of the board of trustees for two years. He and his wife are interested in the religious affairs of the community as members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Republi- can in his politics. He was married. October 29. 1903 to Miss Nellie May Folsom, born in Dane. October 29, 1882. daughter of William H. and Ella (Worthing) Folsom. Mr. Folsom is a na- tive of Gilford. N. H., and his wife of Roxbury, Wis. Mrs. Neill's grandfather, Samuel F. Worthing, was born in Bristol, N. H., in 1822, and his wife. Belinda (Sleeper) Worthing, in the same town, in 1824. They now make their home in West Point, Columbia county of this state. Although Mr. Neill is a young man, he is very successful in his business enterprises and beside other prop- erty, owns a fine home in the village of Dane, in which there are two children. both sons; William Folsom Neill, born December 23, 1904 and John Henry, born May 3, 1906.
Alexander Nelson, a retired farmer of the village of Deerfield, was born at Voss, Norway, March 14, 1830. He was a son of Nels and Chiste (Fladequal) Nelson. natives of the same locality. Alex- ander had a limited education in the public schools of Norway. At the age of twenty he came to America, locating in Chicago first. There he worked for the city a couple of years. In: 1853 he secured a job as carpenter on the Panama railroad and went to the Isthmus. Upon arriving there those in authority claimed there was no timber
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on hand for the carpenter work, and the carpenters were told to go to work shoveling gravel at $1.50 per day, whereas they were hired as carpenters for $2.50 per day. He refused to do this and determincd to make his way across the Isthmus on foot notwithstanding the many dangers. After a walk of over fifty miles he reached old Panama city, on the Pacific, hungry and tired, without a cent of moncy in his pockets. He applied for work on that end of the railroad and had to work a day to show that he was a carpenter. After three weeks hc was taken with the fever, and upon his discharge from the hospital he again found himself without money or food. A ship about to sa.l for San Francisco was short of hands and Alexander was given a passage for which he had to work aboard vessel. For eight years after his ar- rival in California he worked in the gold mines, and then concluding that the old country was better than the new he started for Norway. While in California he worked in the gold fields for himself, and he met with fair success. He made enough in m'n'ng to buy his present farm. He suffered all the privations incidental to the gold fields of California of that time, but kept his health, and now looks back on those days with interest and pleasure. In 1858 he went to British Co- lumbia to the Frazer River where he spent about four months-but that venture was a failure on account of the high prices they had to pay for everything, flour, for instance, selling at $25 a sack, and everything in proportion. About Christmas time the cold drove them back to California. On the voyage down the river their sailing vessel sprang a leak. They made shore, but almost froze to death. When he got across the continent as far as what is now Decrfield he became infatuated with the lady later to become his wife and decided to settle down. He accordingly bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on part of which the village of Deerfield now stands. After farming for twenty-two years he retired, and has since :ented his farm on shares. Mr. Nelson, about 1882, erected four frame stores and a . bank building in Deerfield, which was destroyed by fire in 1896. He then built two brick store buildings and the bank building. He was one of the organizers of the bank of Decrfield, of which he was a part owner. This bank was succceded by Fargo & Co. private bankers. He erected his present handsome residence in 1900. His political affiliations are with the Republican party, and although he has been urged many times to become a candidate, he has always re- fused to run for office. In 1862 he married Anna, daughter of Nels and Rhode ( Sctrel) Nelson, and to th's marriage twelve children have been born-Christene, Edd'e. Rhode, married Peter Fjeld, Nels, Willie, Emma, Martha, Andrew, Albert and Bennie. Mr. Nelson is
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