USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 62
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Mr. Bissell's boyhood was not one of leisure, his duties beginning early even while attending the district school, and by the time he was thirteen years of age he was considered old enough to provide for his own support. He began in the mill as errand boy and by 1872 was bookkeeper. In 1877 he entered the employ of the Ford River Lumber Company, at Ford River, Mich., where he remained until 1883, when he returned to Wisconsin as manager of the Brooks & Ross Lumber Company, then operating at Schofield. Five years later he became man- ager and secretary of the Wisconsin Valley Lumber Company, and in 1893, in association with John D. Ross, he organized the Ross Lumber
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Company and established a large plant at Arbor Vitae, which is still. operating, cutting Wisconsin pine.
In 1905 Mr. Bissell in association with C. C. Yawkey and Walter Alexander, organized the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, which ac- quired a tract of pine timber in Vilas county with mills at Arbor Vitae and at Hazelhurst. It is undoubtedly true that the limits of pine tim- ber are receding; it could not be otherwise when enterprises of so exten- sive a character as those mentioned are yearly expanding. With the foresight that his thirty years of experience in the industry have given him, Mr. Bissell has to a large degree provided for the day when white pine can no longer be cut in Wisconsin and he and his business associates for the past ten years have interested themselves in the almost inex- haustible pine timbered lands of other sections, particularly Mississippi. In recent years the Wausau Southern Lumber Company has established a plant, with modern equipment, near Laurel, Miss., which promises to open up an almost unsettled region, bring prosperity to that section and for many years provide one of the necessities of commerce, a fine quality of pine lumber. Of this company Walter Henry Bissell is presi- dent, and his brother, S. B. Bissell, is treasurer. His financial and official interests are numerous and among these may be mentioned : the Wausau Lumber Company, of Rib Falls, Wis. ; the Bissell-Wheeler Lumber Com- pany of Marshfield, Wis., being president of both concerns; is sec- retary of the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, of Arbor Vitae, Wis .; is a director of the Marathon Paper Mills Company, of Roths- child, Wis .; a director of the National German-American Bank of Wausau, and a director of the Great Northern Life Insurance Com- pany, of Wausau.
In 1880 Mr. Bissell married Elizabeth M. Boardman, of Ford River, Michigan, who died in 1897, and by whom he has two sons and three daughters: May, who is the wife of W. W. Gamble; F. K., who is con- nected with the business of the Bissell-Wheeler Lumber Company at Marshfield: J. M., who is superintendent of the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, of Arbor Vitae: Katherine and Margaret who still grace the Wausau home. In April, 1898, he married Miss Grace Gamble at Wau- sau, in which city he continues to reside .. One son has been born to them, Walter Henry, Jr., now attending school at Wausau. Mr. Bissell and family attend the First Presbyterian church at Wausau. He is a Mason of high degree, a Knight Templar and Shriner. His social relations are with the Wausau Club and the Wausau Country Club.
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ANTON M. MUNES, owner and proprietor of a general store at Athens, Wis., interested in numerous other successful business enter- prises and somewhat prominent in public matters, was born at Sauk- ville, Wis., July 6, 1867, and is a son of John and Marie (Dries) Munes. John Munes was born in Germany and was brought to the United States when six years old and died at Athens, Wis., in 1901. Prior to com- ing to Marathon county he engaged in farming in O'Zaukee county, Wis., and in 1882 opened the first store at Athens and continued in the mer- cantile business here until 1900, when he sold out to the Athens Far- mers' Store Company. He was a well known and highly respected pioneer here. He married Marie Dries, who was born in Ger- many, eighty-one years ago, and still lives at Athens. They had the following children: Nicholas; Anton, Mary, wife of August Kreft ; Margaret ; Anna ; and Fannie, the last named being Sister Vivine in the Franciscan Convent at La Crosse, Wis.
Anton M. Munes attended the public school and afterward spent two and one-half years in a Catholic school at St. Francis, Wis. For some eight terms he afterward taught school, mainly in the winter time and during other seasons assisted his father in the store, later becoming his partner. In 1904 he opened his own store at Athens and has con- ducted the business ever since, making it one of the first class business houses of the village. He is a stockholder in the Bank of Athens; in the Athens Manufacturing Company; the Geo. Ruder Brewing Company ; the Marathon County Telephone Company; and also of the Wisconsin and the National Life Insurance Company of Oshkosh, Wis. A stanch Democrat he has frequently served in public office, was town chairman for one term, clerk for four years and a justice of the peace for five years.
Mr. Munes was married in 1893 to Miss Elizabeth Hildebrand, who was born in Switzerland, and died in 1893, five months after mar- riage. She was a daughter of Alexander and Maria Hildebrand, farming people, who came from Switzerland directly to Athens with two of their children, Samuel and Elizabeth, while four sons and one daughter re- mained in their native land. Mr. Munes belongs to St. Anthony's Cath- olic church at Athens, and he is identified further with the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Wisconsin Catholic Family Protective Asso- ciation.
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WENZEL PIVERNETZ, superintendent of the schools of Marathon county, Wis., and one of the best known educators in the state, was born in Kewaunee county, Wis., August 5, 1877, a son of Frank and Annie (Zeman) Pivernetz. His parents were natives of Bohemia who came to the United States in 1855. Frank Pivernetz was a wagon maker and followed his trade in the village of Kewaunee for 20 years. He then moved to a mill site some distance out in the country, where for another 20 years he was engaged in milling. In 1892 he moved to Edgar, Marathon county, being one of the first permanent settlers in the village. Here he resumed his original trade of wagon making and continued to reside until his death in 1898, at the age of 64 years. His widow, who still resides in Edgar, came to America with her parents in 1857, they settling on a farm in Kewaunee county, Wis., where they spent their last years.
To Frank Pivernetz and wife four sons and three daughters were born, as follows: Milosh, a miller by occupation, who married Anna Zelinka and died in 1889 at the age of 26 years; Frank, who married Mary Peroutka and is in the employ of the Paine Lumber Company, of Oshkosh, Wis., as lumber inspector; Vlasta, who died in 1878 at the age of 12 years : Joseph, a wagon maker residing at Edgar, Wisconsin; Anna, wife of Jacob Duevstein, a lumber scaler and grader for the Quaw Lumber Company: Libbie, who died in 1901, after being for six years a teacher in the public schools, and Wenzel, subject of this sketch, who is the seventh and youngest member of the family.
Wenzel Pivernetz was fourteen years of age when his parents settled in Marathon county. He completed the public school course here and was graduated in the class of 1904 from the Stevens Point Normal School, having previously taught school for three years in the county. He has been exclusively engaged in educational work, for which his natural inclinations, with years of special training, have well qualified him. He has worthily filled some responsible positions in the educational field in different parts of the state; for two years he was principal of the state graded schools and he has been principal of the high schools of both Athens and Mosinee. In the spring of 1909 he was elected county super- intendent of the schools of Marathon county, being re-elected to the same office in 1911. He takes a keen interest in educational advance- ment, to which he has efficiently contributed through public lectures and literary work. In politics he is affiliated with the Republican party and he is a member of the E. F. U., and the Western Bohemian Fraternal Association.
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CONRAD BOPF, general merchant, with place of business at No. 701 Washington street, Wausau, has been a resident of this city since 1880 and a merchant here for eighteen years. He was born in Ger- many, June 18, 1857, and is a son of Conrad and Maria Bopf. In 1870 the family came to Marathon county from Germany and settled on a farm in the town of Wausau, where the father died in 1899, the mother surviving until 1905.
When twenty-three years old Conrad Bopf left the home farm and came to Wausau, going to work on the delivery wagon of Anton Schutz a merchant here, and one year later became a clerk and remained with this employer for twelve years and was valued by him as a faithful and intelligent young man. When he went into business for himself it was on Scott street but since 1910 he has been established on Washington street. In addition to his mercantile business he is associated with his brother-in-law, Carl Lotz, in dealing in real estate, they owning the Lotz & Bopf addition on the west side of the city.
Mr. Bopf married Miss Louisa Dinnis, of the town of Berlin, Mara- thon county, and they have two children, Walter and Ella. The son is associated with his father in the mercantile line, the firm name being C. Bopf & Son. Mr. Bopf is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. As a citizen he is held in high regard and in all matters of a public character relating to the welfare of the city, his interest and co- operation may be counted on.
WILLIAM CALLON, whose death occurred at Wausau, Wis., in 1894, was one of the best known men of Northern Wisconsin and for many years was prominent in the lumber industry. He was born in County Armaugh, Ireland, February 24, 1833, and came alone to America, arriving in the United States, June 10, 1849.
During his first year William Callon lived in Susquehannah county, Pa., then went to Clearfield, Pa., finding plenty of hard work in the lumbering districts, and after two years there located in Cattaraugus county, N. Y. In October, 1854, he moved from there to Stevens Point, Wis., and there engaged in logging and lumbering for three years and then came on to Schofield, and from there to Wau- sau in 1874, in which year he erected a comfortable residence at No. 634, Grand avenue, which was one of the first houses built in that section of Wausau. Lumbering in all its phases continued to be his business although he engaged to some extent also in farming in the town of Wes-
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ton, Marathon county, and was a member of the town board. He was a man of energy and of sterling integrity and his honesty and capacity were recognized by his appointment as receiver in the U. S. Land Office at Wausau. For some years prior to his death he had lived retired from business cares.
In August, 1854. William Callon was married at Lumberville, Clear- field county, Pa., to Miss Nancy Atchison, who was born at Burnside, Clearfield county, January 22. 1834, and died at Wausau when almost seventy-seven years old. They had two children: William A. and Jen- nie, both of whom were born at Schofield, Wis. The latter is the wife of Dr. L. E. Spencer. Mrs. Callon was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In all the trials and hardships of early married life she was a cheerful and helpful wife, became a devoted mother and was held in esteem and affection by all who knew her in later years.
William A. Callon, only son of William and Nancy Callon, was born November 13, 1873. at Schofield, in the town of Weston, Marathon county, and was a babe of one year when his parents settled permanently at Wausau. He was educated in the city schools and at Lawrence Uni- versity. On February 16, 1911, he was married to Miss Margaret E. Delaney, a daughter of Patrick Delaney, a pioneer of Wausau. Mr. Delaney was born at Montreal, Canada, March 3. 1846, and in 1856 came to Fond du Lac, Wis., where he lived for two years, then lived for several years at Oshkosh and afterward spent five years at Baraboo Valley, in Sauk county. He returned then to Oshkosh and from there in 1872 came to Wausau. For many years he was in the liquor business but now is a commercial traveler, making his home, however, with Mr. and Mrs. Callon. At Oshkosh, April 28. 1870, he married Miss Johanna Sheepy, who was born in Ireland in April. 1846, and five daughters were born to them. Visitors to the neighborhood of the old Callon homestead have watched with admiration the completion of the elegant bungalow which Mr. Callon has erected at No. 702 Grand avenue, its appearance being that of a handsome club house while it is probably one of the finest appointed homes in the city. All its surroundings are equally attractive including a garage for the housing of his automobile. Mr. Callon has numerous social connections and his late father was a member of the Knights of Honor and of the Masonic fraternity.
EDWARD C. FISH, M. D., who has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Mosinee, Wis., for almost thirty years and is known
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and respected all over Marathon county both personally and profession- ally, was born August 16, 1858, and is a son of Isaac F. and Eliza (Liver- more) Fish. They had other children: Sarah, wife of Elemuel Wing, John, Rush and Fidus.
Edward C. Fish continued to live with his parents on the home farm until he was eighteen years of age, attending the country schools and then taught school for three years before taking a higher course for himself at Valparaiso, Ind. After one year there he decided upon the study of medicine and later became a student in the medical depart- ment of the University of Michigan, where he was graduated in 1883. Ever since, with the exception of one and one-half years spent at Hur- ley, Wis., Dr. Fish has followed medical practice at Mosinee. He has been a very useful and active citizen and for the past twenty-five years has been a justice of the peace.
On October 20, 1886, Dr. Fish was married to Miss Jennie Clark, of Mosinee, a daughter of Stephen H. and Rachel (Barnes) Clark. Mr. Clark was a farmer and logger in Marathon county for many years. His children were: Lodemia; Anna wife of Bowen Van Bosenberg; Marcus; George ; Hiram ; Jennie, wife of Dr. Fish, and Wesley: To Dr. and Mrs. Fish one son was born, November 5, 1891, whose life of promise was cut off in his sixteenth year. Dr. and Mrs. Fish belong to the Episcopal church. He is identified with the E. F. U. and the M. W. A. Although he has always been a Democrat in political belief, he has reserved the right to frequently exercise his own judgment in supporting party can- didates.
JOHN H. JENKINS, manager and one of the stockholders of the Marathon County Farmers' Creamery Company, of which he was the main organizer, was born May 25, 1867, in Waukesha county, Wiscon- sin, and is a son of Howell and Elizabeth (Evans) Jenkins. The par- ents of Mr. Jenkins were born and reared in Wales and immediately after marriage they came to the United States, their objective point being Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which city they reached in the spring of 1852. Howell Jenkins worked there for three years as a carpenter and then bought farm land in Waukesha county, on which he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. They were estimable people and became parents of a large family, all of whom became respected members of their com- munities, namely : David; Margaret, who is the wife of Richard Felix; Evan ; Mary, who is now deceased, was the wife of Daniel Felix ; Howell;
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John H .; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Richard Jones; and Helen, who became the wife of Charles Will.
John H. Jenkins went to school more or less regularly until he was eighteen years of age, mainly in the winter time as his father needed his help on the farm in the summers, and when twenty-two years of age took charge of a farm owned by George Bullen of Chicago, situated near Oconomowoc, where he remained for four years and for five years after- ward was manager for Mrs. J. T. Bartlett, whose estate adjoins the Bul- len place. For ten years after coming to Marathon county he was on the Halsey farm, but in the meanwhile had bought land for himself, of which he took charge after leaving the Halsey farm. He owns one farm of eighty acres situated in the town of Rietbrock and another of eighty acres in the town of Johnson, both of which he has rented to capa- ble tenants. In March, 1906, the Marathon County Farmers' Creamery Company was organized with the following officers: John H. Jenkins, president and manager, and A. F. Hoge, secretary and treasurer. The present officers are: William Riehle, president; Rinehold Paersch, sec- retary ; M. M. Schartzl, treasurer, and John H. Jenkins, manager. The following are the directors: Fred Hoge, August Fiedler, William Stark, John Kreutzer and Henry Ritter. The output of the plant is butter and cheese. This is an important business enterprise of this section, $60,000 being paid out yearly to the farmers for cream and milk.
Mr. Jenkins was married in September, 1889, to Miss Lilly Rogers, whose twin sister, Ida, is the wife of Orlo Lane. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins have nine children: Mary, Roger, Jesse, Fern, Howard, John, Edna, Florence and Christmas. Mr. Jenkins and family belong to the Pres- byterian church. In politics he is a Republican and has been clerk of the school board of his district since its organization. He is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America.
GEORGE SILVERTHORN, a former well known citizen of Wausau, now deceased, was for many years one of the prominent business figures of Marathon county. His chief attention was given to banking and lumber- ing, but he became connected with various other interests as the city of Wau- sau, and the county generally, developed along its many lines of commercial and manufacturing activity. Possessing great business foresight, he had both the courage to enter untried fields and the dominant qualities which enabled him successfully to direct others.
Mr. Silverthorn was born in Canada and came to Wisconsin when a boy
GEORGE SILVERTHORN
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about ten years old. Through practical experience in logging camps he acquired that thorough knowledge of lumber which afterwards proved one of his greatest business assets. One of the earliest banking firms of Wausau was that composed of George Silverthorn, W. C. Silverthorn and D. L. Plumer. At the time of the organization of the First National Bank at Wau- sau, George Silverthorn retired from his former firm as an official, retain- ing his stock, however, and becoming also a stockholder in the First National. Subsequently he disposed of all his banking interests and during the rest of his life devoted himself entirely to his large real estate and lumber interests. His death took place at Battle Creek, Mich., June 8, 1904, and his remains were brought back to Wausau for interment.
Mr. Silverthorn on a return visit to Canada met Miss Mary A. Alder- son, whom he married seven years later. She was born near Toronto, Can- ada, and was reared and educated in the Dominion. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Silverthorn came directly to Wausau, and this city has been Mrs. Silverthorn's home ever since. She is widely known both in social and charitable circles and is very sincerely esteemed. To Mr. and Mrs. Silver- thorn two children were born, a son, George Thomas, who died in infancy, and a daughter, Caroline Sarah, who is the wife of I. E. Fosnaugh, and resides at Clinton, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Fosnaugh have three children : George A .. Irvin S. and Dorothy Jean.
WILLIAM BRAUN, president and general superintendent of the Braun Bros. Company, at Athens, Wisconsin, and one of the represen- tative business men of Marathon county, was born November 14, 1865, in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, and is a son of Mathias Braun, of an early Wisconsin family, of German extraction. .
William Braun attended the public schools until he was thirteen years of age and then began to assist his father on the home farm and remained until he was eighteen years old when he went to work in mills as a saw- yer, after which he worked for about seven years in Wausau as a cooper. In 1907, after the death of his brother, the late Joseph Braun, he bought an interest in the Braun Bros. Company and has been actively identified with this business ever since.
On September 27, 1892, Mr. Braun was married to Miss Mary Meyer, who was born in Switzerland and was eight years old when she accom- panied her parents, Stephen and Mary (Frey) Meyer to Marathon county where she was reared and married. Her parents live on a farm, and her mother died in 1908. She was the third youngest born of their children,
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the others being: Joseph, Emil and Robert; Anna, now deceased, was the wife of John Vollenweider; Josephine was the wife of Peter Bearis; and August and Albert. Four children make up the family of Mr. and Mrs. Braun : Albert, Lucy, William and Marie, all attending school and Miss Lucy belongs to the graduating class of 1914. The family is of the Catholic faith and Mr. Braun is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters. In his political views he is a Democrat.
GEORGE STOLZE, proprietor of the Northern Machine Works, at No. 630 Washington street, Wausau, Wis., and manufacturer of the Lit- tle Cut-off machine, is one of the successful young business men of his native city, for he was born here June 17, 1882. He is a son of Gustave and Marie Stolze, and is a brother of Paul F. Stolze, who is publisher of the Deutche Pioneer.
George Stolze was reared at Wausau and after attending both the public and German schools, spent four years at the bookbinding and printing trade, under the supervision of his father. His talents, how- ever, lay in another direction and when permitted to follow his own incli- nations he entered upon an apprenticeship to the machinist trade and served under D. J. Murray, in the Wausau machine shops. In 1906 he embarked in business for himself and not only is an inventor but a thor- ough all-round mechanic, and does his own blacksmithing and pattern- making. He manufactures his own patent device, the Little Giant, which is a machine for cutting off pipes, shafting, etc. ; he also does all kinds of repairing and makes special machinery of all designs, having his shops equipped with two lathes, one with a 26-inch swing and the other with a 13-inch swing, two drill presses, a five horse-power electric motor sup- plying power, and his Little Giant is sold all over the world.
In November, 1909, Mr. Stolze was married to Miss Lena Ziegel, of the town of Hamburg. Marathon county, and they have one son, George, who bears his father's name. Mr. Stolze is a member of the Equitable Fraternal Union.
HUGO R. K. BELZ, who is serving in the honorable office of pres- ident of the town of Athens, Wisconsin, is also one of the well known business men, dealing in a general line of clothing in connection with his tailor shop. He was born in Germany, October 14, 1874, and is a son of Edward and Wilhelmine (Miehlke) Belz. The father of Mr. Belz was a butcher by trade and spent his entire life in Germany, where he
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died in 1880. The mother kept her children together and in 1893 came to the United States with Frederick, Hugo and Paul. Emily, the eldest, had married Henry Hinz.
Hugo Belz attended school in Germany until he was eighteen years old going through the full elementary course including Latin and French. After he secured work in a store at Appleton, Wis., where the family first settled, he applied himself to books at night, helped by his knowl- edge of French and Latin, and thus learned the English language. After completing his apprenticeship to the tailor's trade he made preparations to go into business for himself and opened his present store at Athens on September 1, 1901. He carries a dependable class of goods, is honest, courteous and obliging and has many personal as well as business friends in this village. He has taken much interest in the well being and proper government of the town and has served as a member of its council for many years and is also one of the directors of the High School.
On June 26, 1900, Mr. Belz was married to Miss Minnie Carstens, who was born in Fond du Lac county, Wis., a daughter of John and Dorothy (Schwartz) Carstens. The mother of Mrs. Belz is deceased but the father survives and conducts a butcher shop at Medford, Wis. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Carstens were : Theodore ; Louis ; Rose, who is deceased, was the wife of William Hansman ; Emma ; Min- nie, who is Mrs. Belz; Lilly, who is the wife of Herman Marks; Cather- ine, who is the wife of Joseph Paustenbach ; and Nellie. Mr. and Mrs. Belz have four children: Margaret, Erna, Meta and Edward. They are members of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Belz is a Democrat.
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