History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens, Part 67

Author: Marchetti, Louis. cn
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1042

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Mr. Walker married Miss Annette Morrow and they have two chil- dren : Isabelle and J. Gordon. Mr. Walker is not active in politics, being more interested in business, and he is fraternally identified with the Masons, Odd Fellows and the Beavers.

REV. A. E. MUEHLENKAMP, pastor of St. Anthony's Catholic church at Athens, Wis., has had charge of this parish since July 17, 1896, having been assistant priest at Marshfield, Wis., for one year previously. Father Muehlenkamp was born in Monroe county, Wis., January 31, 1870, and is a son of John and Caroline (Stute) Muehlenkamp. The parents of Father Muehlenkamp were born, reared and married in Ger- many. In 1854, in search of better opportunities for their children and

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more comfortable surroundings for themselves, they came to the United States and selected a farm in Waukesha county, Wis., for a home, remaining on that land for ten years before moving to another farm in Monroe county. There the rest of their quiet, useful lives were passed and their death took place, burial being at Summit, Wis. They were faithful Catholics and the home influence was such that three of their children chose a religious life. There were seven in the family, all sur- viving: Frederick; Bertha, who entered the Franciscan Convent at La Crosse, Wis., is known as Sister Cecelia and is now connected with St. Mary's Domestic Science School, at Sparta, Wis .; Charles; John; The- resa, who is known as Sister Andrea, in the Convent at La Crosse; A. E .; and Margaret, who remains with her brother, Father Muehlenkamp, as his housekeeper.

Father Muehlenkamp first attended the common schools in Monroe county and afterward took a business course at Milwaukee. Determin- ing then to enter the church, he pursued his classical studies at St. Lawrence College, Calvary, Wis., studied philosophy and literature at Montreal, Canada, and completed his course in theology at St. Fran- cis Seminary, in Milwaukee county, Wis. He was ordained at the La Crosse Cathedral, June 16, 1896, by Right Reverend James Schwe- bach. He has a large parish to oversee and is much beloved by his con- gregation and respected and esteemed by those of other communions.

FRED W. KRAUSE, who is one of the active, important, and substan- tial business men of Marathon county, has been a resident of Wausau since 1881 and is president of the Wausau Iron Works and has numerous other interests in this section. He was born in Germany, October 29, 1859, and is a son of Fred and Millie Krause, the latter of whom is now deceased. The father of Mr. Krause is a member of his household.

Fred W. Krause was reared in his native land, and there learned the carpenter trade. He was twenty-two years of age when he came to America, but prior to this had served for two years in the German army. After land- ing in the harbor of New York, he came immediately to Wausau and began to work at his trade. Through his skill and ability he found himself, by 1885, in a position to engage in the contracting business and, although he started in a small way, he steadily advanced. Contracting has continued to be one of his main lines of business ever since and is now a very large one. he being recognized as a leader among the city's building contractors. He is additionally interested in other lines. is a member of the general mercantile

FRED W. KRAUSE

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firm of Krause & Schaefer, and is vice president of the Wausau Land, Lum- ber & Mining Company of this city.

Mr. Krause was married first to Miss Augusta Lambrecht, who, at death, left two children: Annie, who is the wife of Fred Schaefer; and Herman. The second marriage of Mr. Krause was to Bertha Pagel, and five children were born to that union: Dennie, Alma, Walter, Elmer, and Fred. Mr. Krause was married third to Mrs. Minnie Bazlen, who had four children by her former marriage: Nora, Otto, Clelia, and Lester. The firm of Krause & Schaefer carry on their mercantile business in a fine brick building which Mr. Krause erected on Third avenue, South. His handsome residence is located at No. 1018 Third avenue, South Wausau. As a citizen Mr. Krause enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens as is evidenced by his being continued as supervisor of the Seventh Ward, an office he has con- tinually held for the past seventeen years. He is a man of social tastes and is a member of the well known German organization, the Liederkranz, at Wausau.

PAUL F. STOLZE, printer, publisher and bookbinder, and editor and proprietor of Der Deutsche Pionier, the leading weekly German newspaper in Marathon county, was born in Saxony, Germany, March 17, 1868, and is a son of Gustav and Mary (Noak) Stolze. Gustav Stolze came to America in April. 1881, and located at Wausau and in the fol- lowing August his family joined him. In the fall of 1882 he went into the bookbinding business, being skilled in the art, and continued to be so interested until his death on August 19, 1899. His wife survived until June 4, 1902.

Paul F. Stolze was fourteen years old when the family came to Wau- sau. He had partially learned bookbinding in Germany and hence was prepared to give his father all needed assistance and later worked as a bookbinder for the Milwaukee Sentinel for one year. returning then to Wausau, where he has remained. In 1907 he erected his fine building, covered entirely with sheet iron for safety, and here his different indus- tries are expeditiously carried on, employment being given twelve hands. Der Deutsche Pionier was established at Wausau in 1882 by A. W. Young, who disposed of it to Mr. Stolze in 1897, under whose editorial and financial management it has been developed into a welcome visitor into almost every German home in the county.

Mr. Stolze married Miss Lena Understock, who was born in Lowell, WVis., and they have two children: Victor and Ari. In politics he is a

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· HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY

Republican and he has served acceptably in the city council, represent- ing the Third Ward. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Equitable Fraternal Union, and the Wausau Liederkranz.

EDWARD E. SCHULZE, who is president of the city council of Wausau, Wis., and is coroner of Marathon county, has spent almost his entire life here and is one of the city's well known business men. He was born March 26, 1879, in Mayfield, Cal., and is a son of Ernest and Augusta (Luebke) Schulze. The Schulze family is of German extraction. The parents of Mr. Schulze moved from Wausau to Cal- ifornia in 1870 and in 1879 returned to Wausau, when he was an infant. The father was a shoemaker by trade and later operated a hotel. His death occurred in 1895 but the mother survived until 1908.

Edward E. Schulze was reared in this city and obtained his education in the public and parochial schools, his parents belonging to the Luth- eran church. After his school days he learned the jewelry trade and for the past seventeen years he has been associated with the C. F. Dun- bar Jewelry Company. He has been very active in Democratic politics and since 1908 has served as secretary of the Marathon County Demo- cratic Executive Committee. In the fall of 1910 he was elected coroner of Marathon county. In civic matters he has been earnest and public spirited and at different times has represented the Fifth and Third Wards in the city council, belonging to the latter at the present time.

Mr. Schulze married Miss Gertrude Delaney, of Avoca, Wis., and they have one daughter, Kathleen. His fraternal connections include the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows, the Eagles and the E. F. U.

JOSEPH P. KANTER, supervisor of the village of Mosinee, Wis., president of the Mosinee Electrical Light and Power Company and the treasurer of Mosinee High School and treasurer of Mosinee Telephone Company and the owner of productive property here, was born in Cal- umet county, Wis., February 29, 1869, and is a son of Peter and Mary Ann (Baer) Kanter. Peter Kanter and wife were both born in Prussia and both came to America prior to marriage. After marriage they lived on a farm in Wisconsin, where his death occurred, she still surviving and living at Jefferson in Jefferson county. They had children as fol- lows: Mary, who married Phillipp Stauss; Anthony; Peter; Joseph P .;

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Nicholas; John Michael; Mathias; and Margaret, who is the wife of John Findorf.

When Joseph P. Kanter was young he was permitted to attend school until old enough to be self supporting and after that he worked as a laborer until he was seventeen years old and then learned the black- smith trade, and in 1889 established the business at Mosinee which he has continued until the present, his blacksmith shop and wagonmaking establishment being among the old business stands of the place. He has been a very active and public spirited citizen and has ever been ready to further improvements promising to be generally beneficial.

On April 25, 1892, Mr. Kanter was married to Miss Emma Rondeau, who was born in Wood county, Wis., a daughter of Frank and Bell (Hance) Rondeau, Mr. Rondeau being a farmer in Wood county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rondeau are: James; Geneva, wife of A. E. Dowville; Emma, wife of John P. Kanter; Laura, wife of Martin Keefe; William; Arthur; Susan, wife of John Krieg; Exelia, wife of John Remke; Viola, wife of Frank Schwabodau; Nellie, wife of Sebastian Ahles; and Bell, wife of Arthur Lashua. To Mr. and Mrs. Kanter five children have been born : Mabel, Pearl, Laura, Lina and Gertrude. The family belongs to the Catholic church and Mr. Kanter is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Catholic Relief Society and the Fraternal Reserves.

KILIAN STRACHOTA, buyer and shipper of cattle and well known in the business in Marathon county for the last fifteen years, occupies his comfortable residence at No. 202 South Fourth street, Wau- sau, of which city he has been a resident for the same length of time. He was born in Fond du Lac county, Wis .. September 25, 1869, and is a son of John and Geneva Strachota, both of whom died there.

Kilian Strachota was reared on the home farm and attended the pub- lic schools and continued to work for his father until he married, after which he rented the farm from his mother for five years. After that he moved to Marathon county and having secured an interest in a saw mill near Athens, he went to work in the woods, in Halsey township, where he continued for a year and then came to Wausau. Here he bought the Farmers' Home Hotel and Saloon, which he conducted for almost four years, since selling that business having been engaged in handling cat- tle, in the buying and shipping of which Mr. Strachota does about $110,000 worth of business annually.

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On January 30, 1894, Mr. Strachota was married in Fond du Lac county, to Miss Maggie Schill, a native of that county, and they have had six children : Jennie, Albert, Maggie, Lena, Eleanor and Oscar, all of whom survive except Eleanor, who passed away when not quite one year old. The family belongs to St. Mary's Catholic church and Mr. Strachota belongs to the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. He has always taken more interest in business than in political life but has firm con- victions of right and expediency and is never afraid to disclose them when called upon.

FERDINAND A. LONSDORF, treasurer and manager of the Ath- ens Farmers' Store Company, at Athens, Wis., is a member of the vil- lage board and chairman of the conference committee, and in every way is a useful and representative citizen. He was born September 1, 1878, at Manitowoc, Wis., and is a son of John P. and Theresa (Kestley) Lons- dorf. The parents of Mr. Lonsdorf were also born in Wisconsin and they reside on their farm in Manitowoc county. Their family consists of the following children : Ferdinand A., John, William, Arthur, Herbert, Raymond, Laura and Nora. Laura is the wife of Arthur Blecha, and Nora is the wife of Wenzel Houfec.

Ferdinand A. Lonsdorf was educated in the Manitowoc schools and was graduated from the High School in the class of 1898. He then secured a position as clerk in that city and continued in that capacity there until he came to Athens. The Athens Farmers' Store Company was organized to meet a general demand for commodities, first class in quality and moderate in price, November 1, 1900, and is an incorporated concern with officers and directors as follows: William Lehman, pres- ident ; Rinehold Paersch, secretary; Ferdinand A. Lonsdorf, treasurer and manager. and Gustav Leak, Charles Dietrich, Gustav Deering, Carl Vetter and August Fiedler. In addition to owning stock in this prosper- ing enterprise, Mr. Lonsdorf is one of the stockholders in the Athens Bank, and owns a comfortable residence in the village and twenty acres in the village of Athens.

In October, 1902, Mr. Lonsdorf was married to Miss Margaret Freid- ers, who was born at Appleton, Wis., a daughter of Philip and Lucy (Miller) Freiders. The father of Mrs. Lonsdorf was a brickmason by trade. Her brothers and sisters are: Rose, who is the wife of Richard Snyder : John: Elizabeth, who is the wife of Eugene Schmidt ; Anna, who is the wife of Frank Shubert; Tena, who is the wife of Frank Buhl; and

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Marie. Mr. and Mrs. Lonsdorf have five children : Marie, Charles, Mar- garet, Herbert and Mildred. The family belongs to the Roman Cath- olic church. Mr. Lonsdorf is identified with the Eagles and the Catholic Order of Foresters. In politics lie is a Democrat.

HENRY SCHWISTER, who, under civil service rules, fills a very necessary and important office in the city government of Wausau, Wis., that of city detective, has occupied this position since 1909, when he was appointed by Mayor Lamont, the office later coming under civil service. He was born at Milwaukee, Wis., August 26, 1880, and is a son of Matthew and Catherine (Schneider) Schwister. In 1882 the parents of Mr. Schwister moved to Marathon county and the family lived at Wau- sau until he was six years old and then moved on a farm in the town of Stettin but two years later returned to Wausau, where the mother died in 1892. The father of Mr. Schwister survived until 1905. He was a well known stock dealer. They were members of the Catholic church.

Henry Schwister attended the public schools and afterward St. Mary's Catholic school for two years, returning then to the public .schools and enjoying their advantages up to the age of nineteen years. For two and one-half years afterward he was a student in Boyle's Busi- ness College and thus is well equipped for either business or professional life. Prior to accepting his present office he dealt to some extent in land. On April 5, 1910, Mr. Schwister was married to Miss Margaret Donnelly of Wausau and they have one son, John Henry, born July 31, 19II.

FRANK PATRICK REGNER, attorney at law and a member of the well known law firm of Regner & Ringle, of Wausau, was born at West Bend, Washington county, Wis., September 13, 1877, and is a son of Mathew and Barbara (Detling) Regner. Mathew Regner was born in Germany and came to America when he was a boy of fifteen years, hav- ing as his objective point, West Bend, Wis. There he engaged in busi- ness during his active years and now lives retired, having passed his seventy-second birthday. He married Barbara Detling, who was of Ger- man extraction but was born in Washington county, Wis., and she also survives. Of their family of ten children, Frank Patrick was the second born son.

West Bend offered excellent public school advantages when Mr. Regner was a pupil and after completing the High School course he

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tauglit school for three years before entering the University of Wiscon- sin, where he was graduated in the class of 1901, when he came directly to Wausau and became the junior member of the law firm of Miller & Regner, Hon. Carl H. Miller being at the head of the firm. Two years later he entered into his present partnership, with Oscar Louis Ringle, since when the firm name has been Regner & Ringle. . Mr. Regner is a member of the Marathon County Bar Association and at present is city attorney of Wausau and previously served five years as district attorney. In addition to his profession he is interested to some extent in handling real estate. In politics he is a Democrat and both frater- nally and socially is identified with leading organizations. Mr. Regner is unmarried.

JOHN J. OKONESKI, attorney at law and the junior member of the well-known law firm of Kreutzer, Bird, Rosenberry & Okoneski, of Wausau, Wis., who occupy the fine offices in the Wisconsin Valley Trust Co. building, has secured his present high professional standing largely through his own efforts. He was born December 16, 1873, and is a son of Frank V. and Mary Okoneski. The first five years of his life were spent in Milwaukee, and then with his parents he came, to Marathon county where the father took up a homestead, the family moving to the city of Wausau in 1882.

John J. Okoneski had public school advantages and after complet- ing the High School course at Wausau, attended the Wausau Business College and subsequently taught school for three years. He then became interested in business and for one year served as foreman in the plan- ing mill of J. E. Leahy, but by that time had determined upon his future career, and in 1893 entered the law office of Bump & Kreutzer as stenog- rapher and law student. He continued there until 1895 and then entered Lawrence University where he took up studies preparatory to a law course and in 1897 became a student in the law department of the University of Wisconsin, from which department he was graduated in 1900. He began to practice law in the city of Wausau in the summer of 1900, and January 1, 1901, became a member of his present firm.

Mr. Okoneski married Miss Edith Markstrum, of Bessemer, Mich., and they have two children: Eunice and Vida. For a number of years Mr. Okoneski has been a factor in republican politics in Marathon county, but has worked unselfishly, never having demanded any political reward for himself. He served as secretary of the Marathon County

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Republican Committee in 1902-04, and as chairman of the same body from 1904 until 1908. As an earnest and public spirited citizen he is frequently called on to do his part in advancing civic movements and is always ready to cooperate.

HON. JOSEPH CHESAK, who has been identified with mercantile and lumber interests in Marathon county for many years and has been prominent in public affairs as well, was born at Pilsen, Bohemia, Decem- ber 8, 1853, and is a son of Martin and Mary (Sigmond) Chesak. The parents of Mr. Chesak were born, reared and married in Austria and from that country they came with their children to the United States in 1857 and settled in Washington county, Wis. For three years after coming here the father followed his trade of brickmaker, then turned his attention to farming until 1884, when he came to Marathon county and for a number of years afterward was connected with his son Joseph in the mercantile business and also with all his sons was concerned in lumbering. Both he and wife have passed away. They had the follow- ing children: Joseph: Barbara, who is deceased, was the wife of Her- man Schrieber ; John H .; Mary, who is the wife of Joseph Masak; Frank F., who is a prominent business man and politician in Marathon county ; and Josephine, who is the widow of John A. Blecha.

Until he was sixteen years of age, Joseph Chesak was mainly inter- ested in his school books and the sports and occupations of boyhood but then he was deemed old enough to begin the work of a man in the lum- ber regions, where he worked as a laborer until he was twenty-one years old. Then, after completing a business course at Milwaukee, he started a general store at Newberg, Wis., which he continued from 1875 until 1880, when he came to Marathon county and continued merchandising until February, 1912, a period of thirty-two years. He was postmaster of Poinatowski from August, 1881, to April, 1906, when he retired and moved to Athens, Wis. In 1891 the Chesak Brothers started the mill at Athens, now known as the Athens Manufacturing Company, which is one of the important business enterprises of this section.

In 1876 Mr. Chesak was married to Miss Mary S. Wilger, who was born in Washington county, Wis .. a daughter of Mathias and Susan (Hentz) Wilger, the former of whom was born in Prussia and was a farmer after coming to Wisconsin. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Wil- ger were : Elizabeth, wife of John C. Searing ; Mary S .; and John, Joseph and Nicholas. To Mr. and Mrs. Chesak five children were born, namely :

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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY

Mary B., wife of George M. Blecha; John C .; Thomas M .; Agnes J., wife of Joseph N. Miller; and Anna R. Mr. Chesak and family belong to the Catholic church. In politics he is a Republican and while living in the town of Trenton, served as town clerk and for twenty-three years was clerk of Town Rietbrock; for fourteen years was a justice of the peace ; and in 1888 was first elected a member of the General Assembly, serv- ing most acceptably in 1889 and 1890. He was also trustee of the village of Athens in 1907 and 1908; supervisor of the village 1909 and 1910; trustee of the Marathon County Insane Asylum 1894-1895-1896-1897 and was elected president of that body. His only fraternal connection is with the Eagles.

JOHN H. KOEHLER, who has been prominently identified with the lumber industry for many years and is treasurer of the Winton Lumber Company, of Wausau, with offices in the Marathon Bank Building, is probably still better known in connection with the ginseng industry, which through his interest and efforts has been developed into a busi- ness of vast volume. He was born at Hamburg, in Marathon county, Wis., in 1866, and is a son of Gotthilf and Emelia Koehler, both of whom were born in Germany and the father is deceased.

Until he was twenty-four years of age, John H. Koehler was employed on his father's farm in Marathon county, in the meanwhile having secured a public school training at Hamburg. He then went to Merrill, Wis., and worked in a lumber yard for two years for $1.50 a day, and there gained his first practical knowledge of lumber. He came to Wausau, April, 1893, and worked as cruiser for the Wisconsin Land Company for a few months, later entering the sales department for the same company and established branch offices at Chicago and Milwaukee and at other points, always retaining, however, his home at Wausau. It is estimated that through his individual efforts Mr. Koehler, as land agent, has brought over 500 families to Marathon county as permanent settlers. In 1901 he became associated with C. J. Winton of Minneapolis, and C. S. Gilbert and others of Wausau, in the lumber business and this partnership has continued, and in this connection Mr. Koehler has visited many parts of the South and West, as well as parts of Canada, purchas- ing valuable timber tracts. Besides his local interests, which consist principally of some valuable real estate on the west side in the city of Wausau, he is financially interested in the Rose Lake Lumber Company

JOHN BRAUN

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of Rose Lake, Idaho, and is also president of the Koehler Land Com- pany of Medford, Wis.

It was in 1901 that he began to raise ginseng, at first as a fad, for his own recreation, but later in the same year organized the Wis- consin Ginseng Garden, of which company he continues to be the head, and as the industry has been developed, through his intelligent management other companies have been organized. Mr. Koehler is also president of the Badger Ginseng Company and president of the Wausau Ginseng Gardens, the latter of which was incorporated in 1908, with a capital stock of $30,000, the Badger Ginseng Company being incorporated in 1910, with a capital stock of $50,000. The business has grown to enormous proportions, the export of the root to China being very heavy. Mr. Koehler is an authority on the growing of this valuable medicinal plant and has written a book on the subject. He is a man of pronounced public spirit and has been a valuable citizen ever since locating here in 1893.

Mr. Koehler was married first to Miss Ida Boettcher, who died in 1904, survived by four children: Emma, Elsa, Gertrude and Florence. His second marriage was to Miss Lydia Hirschmann. He was reared in the Evangelical Lutheran church and has always remained connected with this religious body and is interested in promoting its avenues of influence and benevolence.

JOHN BRAUN, junior member of the firm of Braun Bros. & Co., own- ers of saw mills and planing mills at Athens, Wis., conducting with increas- ing prosperity one of the large industrial plants here, was born in Fond du Lac county, Wis., March 30, 1867, and is a son of Mathias and Gertrude (Stein) Braun.

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History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens, Part 67

Author: Marchetti, Louis. cn Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1042

Author: Marchetti, Louis. cn
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1042