USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 68
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Mathias Braun and wife came to Wisconsin from Germany and set- tled first in Fond du Lac county, where he engaged in farming and lumber- ing, but the last thirty-one years of his life were spent in Marathon county. They had the following children: Joseph, who is deceased; William; John; Anton, who is deceased; Mary, who is deceased, was the wife of Peter Phil- lippi; Anna, who is the wife of Michael Meyer: Margaret, who is the wife of John Kropp; and Ablonia, who is the wife of Robert Meyer.
John Braun had very little chance in his youth to go to school as his father needed his help both on the home farm and in the woods. In 1882 the father and his sons went into business together, under the firm name of M. Braun & Sons, which later became as at present, Braun Bros. & Co., a
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name that is known for business integrity and efficiency all over and beyond Marathon county.
On June 7, 1893, Mr. Braun was married to Miss Emma Haehlke, a daughter of Edward Haehlke, a farmer in Marathon county, and they have had five children : Edward, Harry, Irene, Wilfred and Mathias, all surviving except Harry. The family belongs to the Catholic church. Mr. Braun has always been a Democrat in politics and at present is serving in the office of deputy sheriff. He belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters and to the F. O. E.
HENRY JUERS, who is one of Wausau's justly popular officials and is serving in his fifth term as city treasurer, has been a resident of Wau- sau, Wis., since 1882. He was born December 15, 1850, in Germany, and is a son of Matthew and D. Juers, both of whom died in his boy- hood.
Henry Juers grew to manhood in his native land and there learned the carpenter trade and after reaching the United States in 1879, set- tled first at Clinton, Ia. In 1882 he reached Wausau and finding here satisfactory business conditions decided to make this city his permament home and during the succeeding years, as a good citizen, has done his part in bringing about its present prosperity. For twenty-one years he was foreman in the Curtis & Yale Company's mill, in the meanwhile mak- ing judicious investments for himself, and is now vice president of the Wausau Ice and Fuel Company. Intelligent and public spirited, Mr. Juers has always been active as a citizen and his own city ward, the Seventh, has many admirers and supporters. He served one term as supervisor of the ward and for four years was alderman of the Seventh Ward. However, while carefully guarding the interests of his own part of the city he secured the confidence of those who lived in other sections and this resulted in his election to the office of city treasurer. He served three terms of two years each, elected on the Republican ticket, but his fourth and fifth elections came to him on the non-partisan ticket, which may be construed as a proof of real efficiency.
Mr. Juers married Miss Henrietta Behnke, in 1878, in Germany, and they have five children: Charles L:, Emil R., Richard F., Martha D. and Otto, Martha D. being the wife of L. Morrette. Mr. Juers is a man of social instincts and takes an interest in outdoor sports and belongs to the order of Druids, of which he is a trustee, and also to the
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Wausau Shooting Society, and has been a member for thirty years of the Deutsche Arbeiter Untersinetzung Verein.
CHARLES B. MAYER, a well known business man of Wausau, WVis., has been identified with the shoe trade here for the past thirty-five years and is one of the city's representative citizens. He was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., January II, 1863, and is a son of Jacob and Mary Ann Mayer, who came to Wausau in 1877 and died here.
As a boy of twelve years Charles B. Mayer began work in the Mueller & Quandt shoe store, where he continued for eleven years, and during this period acquired a thorough knowledge of the business, in which he finally engaged for himself. Associating himself in partnership with a brother-in- law, the firm of Mayer & Richards opened a shoe store in June, 1889, in a room adjoining the Marathon County Bank. At the end of five years Mr. Mayer bought out his partner's interests and removed to his present location. He has always kept a good reliable stock and has gained the confidence of his customers, who know that only dependable footware will be sold them at his establishment.
On January II, 1887, Mr. Mayer was married to Miss Mary Richards, of Wausau, Wis., a sister of the late beloved Father Richards, long pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mayer: Leona, Theodore and Charles. Mr. Mayer and family belong to the Catholic church. He is identified with the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, and St. Joseph's Society of Wisconsin. As a citizen he has been ever ready to per- form public service when called upon and at present is a member of the fire and police board of Wausau.
DOUGLAS L. SAUERHERING, M. D., one of the leading physi- cians and surgeons in active practice at Wausau, has been a resident of this city since the fall of 1886. He was born May 1, 1861, in Dodge county, Wis., a son of Dr. Adolph Sauerhering.
After graduating from the local High School, Douglas L. Sauerhering, in 1883, entered the office of the late Dr. Nicholas Senn, the noted Amer- ican surgeon, to begin the study of medicine, and in 1884 became a stu- dent in the Northwestern University where he was graduated in the class of 1886. In November of the same year he located at Wausau and this city has continued his home and numbers him with her most prom- inent professional men. In 1889 he took a post graduate course in New 44
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York City, and in 1892 a similar course in the University of Berlin, Ger- many. From 1892 until 1907 he conducted the Riverside Hospital. Dr. Sauerhering has been a very useful citizen. For eight years he served as health commissioner of the city of Wausau and the present city water supply was discovered through his investigations. He was one of the first health officers in Wisconsin to institute municipal administration of antitoxin and one of the first officers in the state to begin the use of disinfectants in houses where cases of tuberculosis had been discovered. It was during his administration that the law was put in effect calling for the disinfection of all public school houses during the vacation peri- ods. He is one of the pioneer practitioners in the county, his recollections going back to the days when neither railroads nor adequate public high- ways afforded means of transportation. He has been a lifelong Demo- crat, but, outside of professional offices, has never accepted any posi- tion.
Dr. Sauerhering married Miss Magdalina Laurisch, of Danville, Minn. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America.
FRANK J. TOMKIEWICZ, who conducts an up to date drug store at Edgar, Wis., where he is an enterprising business man and substan- tial citizen and has served in the office of village clerk since the spring of 1904, was born in Germany, March 19, 1869, and is a son of John and Amelia Tomkiewicz. His father died in Milwaukee where the mother yet resides.
Frank J. Tomkiewicz was twelve years old when he accompanied his parents to America, attended school at Milwaukee, Wis., and completed his education in his profession in the school of Pharmacy connected with the Northwestern University at Chicago, Ill., where he was graduated with the class of 1895. With three of his brothers he engaged in the drug business at Milwaukee and after that partnership was dissolved he came to Edgar with W. W. Alber and succeeded him in 1902, since when he has greatly expanded his business and now carries not only a full line of drugs but everything that can be found in a modern drug store. He is interested as a stockholder in the Edgar Bank, at Edgar, and is vice president and a director of the local telephone company.
Mr. Tomkiewicz married Miss Mary Reiser, and they have one daugh- ter, Florence. In politics he is independent in his views. In 1898 he enlisted for service as a private in the 4th U. S. Inf., at Fort Sheridan,
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Chicago, for service in the Spanish-American war and was detailed as hospital steward. He is identified with the K. O. C. and with the Elks, both at Wausau. He maintains his home on Beech street while his store is on Third avenue, Edgar.
CHARLES S. GILBERT, vice president of the National German American Bank at Wausau, treasurer of the Great Northern Life Insur- ance Company, and a member of the Law and Land Association, was born in Waupaca county, Wis., October 10, 1862, and is a son of Will- iam and Helen (Smith) Gilbert.
William Gilbert was born in Scotland and came to the United States in the early fifties. In his own land he had learned the shoemaking trade, afterward followed that of a miller for some years, and still later engaged in the mercantile business at Mosinee, Marathon county, Wis., where he died in 1870, at the age of thirty-seven years. Some years later his widow married again. To her first marriage two sons and one daughter were born: Charles S .; William C., of Grand Rapids, Minn .; and Helen B., wife of P. O. Van Beechten of Wausau.
Charles S. Gilbert was two years old when his parents came to Mara- thon county. After completing the public school course he attended the Spencerian Business College at Milwaukee and then became a clerk for several years in the office of his step-father, who was at that time county treasurer. Mr. Gilbert then became connected with the office work of the Land and Law Association at Wausau and in 1890 became identi- fied as a member of the firm. His interests are important as he is asso- ciated with both the Winton Lumber Company and the Winton Timber Company, and has many additional interests. While more of a busi- ness man than politician, nevertheless Mr. Gilbert is a deeply interested citizen and at times has accepted civic offices, such as alderman and ward supervisor, when he has deemed it best for the general welfare that he should assume responsibilities.
In 1886 Mr. Gilbert was married to Miss Victoria Scriver, a daughter of Edwin and Susanna Scriver, formerly of La Colle Province, Quebec, Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert have three children: Florence, Charles S. and Jean. Mr. Gilbert is a Knight Templar Mason and belongs to the Wausau Club and to the Wausau Country Club. He is a member of the First M. E. church at Wausau.
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FRED PREHN & SON. One of the leading business firms of Mar- atlion City is that of Fred Prehn & Son, (Fred Prehn and Edwin R. Prehn), dealers in hardware, furniture and harness, also undertakers, both members of which are widely known and the senior member, Fred Prehn, served in the Wisconsin General Assembly in 1905-07. He was born at Manitowoc, Wis., May 5, 1860, and is a son of Theodore and Fredrika Prehn. About 1879 the parents moved to Marathon county and settled in the town of Texas. The father died at Wausau, Wis., in 1907, the mother passing away at an earlier date at Marathon City.
Fred Prehn passed his school period at Newton, and Manitowoc High School, Manitowoc, Wis., and afterward started to learn the harness- making trade, working first at Marinette, then at Green Bay and after- ward at Milwaukee. In 1880 he came to Marathon City and started into business for himself, soon afterward adding the sale of implements for farm use to his harness line and still later going into hardware, fur- niture and undertaking. The entire stock of household goods and double front two story brick building was destroyed in 1905, by fire. At pres- ent the harness business is mainly in the repair department but a first class stock of ready made harness is still carried. In addition, the firm operates a stock farm of 240 acres situated in the vicinity of Alma Center, in Jackson county.
Mr. Prehn was married first to Miss Bentenia Langenhahn, who was born in Germany and died at Marathon City when aged twenty-six years. She was the mother of four children: Helen, who is deceased ; A. W., who is a resident of Wausau; E. R. who is in the undertaking business at Marathon City; and Ella, who is deceased. Mr. Prehn's second marriage was to Miss Emma Erdman, of the town of Stettin, Marathon county, and they have had the following children: Benja- min, who is deceased; Delos, who is a student in the High School at Hixton, Wis .; and Fred, Douglass, Gerlinda and Aurora. They have also an adopted daughter, Levina Clemens, a young lady of eighteen years, who has been one of the family since she was three years old. The family now temporarily resides at Alma Center, Wis., on the farm. Mr. Prehn and family belong to the Lutheran church. In politics he is a Republican of the independent type and has frequently served in local offices, such as supervisor, village president, and member of the school board, and during his term of public service at Madison was faithful to the trust reposed in him. He is identified with Camp No. 1464 M. W. of A. at Wausau.
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ORAN LILJEQVIST, secretary and manager of the C. F. Dunbar Company, jewelers, at Wausau, and president of the Wausau Merchants' Association, is a well known citizen of Wausau and a sterling represen- tative of some of its leading interests. He was born in Sweden, Decem- ber 16, 1868, and is a son of John and Alice Liljeqvist. The family came to America in 1870 and to Wausau, Wis., after a short period in the state of New York. At first the father worked as a cabinetmaker, this being his trade, but afterward purchased a farm in the town of Weston, on which he resided until his death in 1897. The family then returned to Wausau and the mother still survives being now over eighty years of age.
Although born in Sweden practically the whole of Mr. Liljeqvist's life has been passed in the United States and his interests are now entirely American. He was yet quite young when his parents moved on the farm and he remained at home, in the meantime attending the country schools, until he was fourteen years of age. An uncle, Fred Gundlack, who had been one of the earliest jewelers at Wausau, had moved to Still- water, Minn., and to him the nephew went when he decided to learn this trade and remained two years at Stillwater and then completed his apprenticeship with E. V. Spear, of Wausau. During the next year he worked at his trade at Stevens Point and for the two following years was at Hurley, Wis., and then returned to Wausau and after one more year with Mr. Spear, entered the employ of C. F. Dunbar with whom he has been associated in the same capacity for twenty-three years, becoming secretary and manager when the present organization was effected.
Mr. Liljeqvist was married to Miss Anna Lerum, of Wausau, a daughter of John Lerum, and they have three children: Ruth, Margaret and John. He belongs to several trade bodies, fraternally is an Odd Fellow, and takes a public spirited interest in all that concerns the wel- fare of Wausau. He is a member and one of the directors of the Wausau Advancement Association.
OTTO MATHIE, president of the Mathie Brewing Company, at Wausau, O., has been connected with this company since boyhood and has a practical knowledge of the business. He was born in 1871, on the present site of the Mathie plant, and is a son of Frank Mathie, who was the founder of this business.
Since the termination of his school days and even from an earlier
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period, Otto Mathie has been employed in some capacity in this con- cern and later applied himself to learning the business scientifically, studying both at Wausau and at Chicago and became a qualified brew- master. He now is not only at the head of the business as its directing officer but also is superintendent and brewmaster, having succeeded his brother, Edward Mathie. The business was established by Frank Mathie in 1869 and was incorporated in 1892, with a capital stock of $150,000, the plant being located at Nos. 408-416 Grand avenue, Wausau, with the following officers: Otto Mathie, president ; John Ringle, vice president ; John F. Mathie, secretary and manager ; and E. C. Zimmerman, treasurer. The business is in a very flourishing condition and its future prospects indicate still further expansion.
Otto Mathie married Miss Emma Braatz of this city, and they have four children : Harold, Margaret, Pauline and Annetta. Mr. Mathie is a liberal and public spirited citizen and stands high in the estimation of his fellow citizens.
FRANK HANNEMANN, general merchant, located on the corner of Third avenue and Clark street, Wausau, Wis., is one of the city's pros- pering business men and was born here, March 25, 1869. His parents are Ferdinand and Johanna Hannemann, who came to Wausau from Germany, in the fall of 1868 and have lived here ever since. For many years Ferdinand Hannemann was guardian of the First National Bank Building here.
Frank Hannemann was reared in his native city and educated in the public schools and when old enough went to work for the Mueller & Quandt Shoe store, and continued with them from the age of fifteen years until he was twenty-seven. Not only did he providently save his money but he also advanced his education and after taking a course in the Spencerian Business College at Milwaukee, he came back to Wausau and went to work for the Jackson Milling Company as an office man and continued three years. Afterward he was connected for one year with the Nathan Heinemann department store and then took full charge of the business of Conrad Althen, a merchant then operating on the pres- ent site of the Ritter & Deutsch furniture store. After considerable mer- cantile experience Mr. Hannemann embarked in business for himself, in March, 1905, and has a large patronage, his stock including dry goods, groceries, flour and feed. He is an interested and active citizen but has no political aspirations. Mr. Hannemann resides at home, being unmar- ried.
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A. J. CHERNEY, notary public at Edgar, Wis., and a leading busi- ness man of the place occupies a large warehouse, and deals in furs, flour, feed, grain, hay, hard and soft coal, cement, lime, plaster, hair, sewer pipe, lath and shingles, also builders' supplies in the way of glass, doors, window sash, base boards and flooring and handles also woods, bark, and farm produce. Additionally he has been in the insurance business here for a longer period than any other representative of any company. He was born at Two Creek, Manitowoc county, Wis., April 15, 1867, and is a son of Anton and Anna (Kadlic) Cherney. The parents of Mr. Cherney came from Germany to Kewaunee county, Wis., where the father followed farming until he retired from active life and died in that county when aged sixty-three years. The mother survives and is now in her seventy-second year. Of their nine children six are living. two sons and four daughters, A. J. being the fifth born of the family.
A. J. Cherney attended school at first near his birthplace and after- ward was a student in the Kewaunee High School for five months, later taught one term of school in Brown county, and then secured a position as scaler in the woods. He also worked in a saw mill in the spring and summer and when the cold season set in secured a school to teach at Little River and remained there as a teacher for four years. All the time he was studying out plans for other lines of business and thus he was led to set up a portable photograph gallery at Green Bay, again working in the winter in the woods, then started out again with his pho- tographic outfit, and thus came to Edgar. He afterward taught school for several years in Marathon county and while so engaged, as a side line, began to handle lime, plaster, hair, lath, shingles and cement, and . continued to add to his commodities, subsequently buying a half interest in the Edgar Hay & Grain Company, of Dudley & Whitney, still later purchasing the other half interest and since then has been sole owner and proprietor of his present business conducted under the title of the Edgar Hay & Grain Company. For some time he also ran practically the only transfer business here and had eight men in his employ when he sold out in 1909. Mr. Cherney is a stockholder in the Edgar, Cassel & Emmett Telephone Company and The Edgar Local Telephone Com- pany, and is secretary and director of both companies.
Mr. Cherney was married to Miss Mary Rader, a native of Germany, a daughter of Adam Rader of the town of Cassel, and they have four children : Ivin A., Viola, Della and Edna. The family belongs to St. John's Catholic church. His fraternal connections include membership
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in the M. W. of A., the Eagles, the E. F. U. and the F. R. A., of both organizations being secretary. A lifelong Republican he has. often been tendered public office, and served eight years as justice of the peace and five years as village supervisor.
JOHN MANSER, who has been a resident of Marathon county since 1878 and of Wausau since 1902, came to this section when the principal interest was the cutting of pine timber and its disposal, the only attempts yet made of an agricultural nature being east of Wausau. He was born December 16, 1860, in County Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and was brought to Outagamie county, Wis., in 1866, and was reared at Hortonville. He turned his attention to work as an engineer.
In the fall of 1878 Mr. Manser came to Marathon county and entered the employ of W. P. Kelly & Bros., at Kelly, where the company had mills, and later was with N. T. Kelly, also continuing with the estate after Mr. . Kelly's death. In 1884 he started in business for himself and conducted a planing mill until the fall of 1892 when was formed the partnership known as the Fox-Manser Lumber Company, which lasted until the fall of 1896, since when Mr. Manser has carried on his manufacturing interests under his own name. After he had cleared his land from timber Mr. Manser became interested in dairying and in 1910 he started a creamery at Kelly, where he has conducted a general store since 1886. He owns valuable timber lands in the upper peninsula of Michigan. In July, 1909, he organized the Antigo Electric Company of Antigo, Wis., of which he became and has continued as president.
In May, 1884, Mr. Manser was married to Miss Josephine Jones, who was born in Pennsylvania and was brought to Marathon county when four years old. Of their four children but one survives, Inez, who lives at home Elizabeth died when aged twenty-three years; Hazel, when aged one year, and Edna when aged three years. In his political views Mr. Manser is a Republican. He has long been identified with the Masonic fraternity, is a thirty-second degree Mason and belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery at Wausau and to the Consistory and Shrine at Milwaukee.
AUGUST H. LEMKE, D. D. S., who has well equipped offices at No. 312 S. First avenue, Wausau, enjoys a large and substantial prac- tice which he has built up since the fall of 1907 and is the only prac- ticing dental surgeon engaged on the west side. He was born in Ger-
JOHN MANSER
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many, September 2, 1868, and is a son of John A. and Marie (Scherbert) Lemke.
John A. Lemke brought his family to America in 1871, coming directly to Wisconsin. He was a cigarmaker by trade but immediately invested in land in the town of Wausau, Marathon county, and acquired three farms, aggregating 110 acres, all valuable land. He continued to main- tain his home in the city of Wausau but daily visited his farm and for a number of years overlooked their development. He and wife now live in comfortable retirement at Wausau where they are held in exceed- ing esteem. They have eleven children: Charles, who is a farmer, has 160 acres in the town of Plover; August H .; Frederick ; Minnie, who is the wife of Frank Snow and they reside in the state of Washington; William, who lives in South Dakota ; Edward; Henry, who is a farmer ; Marie, who is the wife of Frank Bentzien, of Santa Clara, Cal .; Robert ; Henrietta, who is the wife of John Dumke; and Paul.
August H. Lemke was reared at Wausau and attended the public schools and also a business college and was graduated with the degree of B. S. from the university at Valparaiso, Ind. For fourteen years he afterward followed teaching, both in the rural and the city schools and prior to turning his attention seriously to the study of dentistry, visited Europe, in 1901, and once more saw the old family home place in Ger- many. Prior to this, however, he had spent about one and one-half years in travel in the United States and during this period covered no less than 11,000 miles. In 1907 he. was graduated from the Chicago Dental College and in September of the same year opened his office at Wausau.
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