USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 70
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CHRIST JACOB KEINER, a well known citizen of Athens who has numerous important business interests in this and other sections, is asso- ciated with Ferdinand Lonsdorf and Frank Hubing in the proprietor- ship of the Athens Livestock Company, of Athens, Wis. He was born in Prussia-Germany, January 9, 1866, and is a son of Henry and Eliza- beth (Brick) Keiner. The parents of Mr. Keiner came to America in the early part of 1866, he being about three months old at the time, and located first in Pennsylvania and afterward came to Wisconsin. The father died at Athens but the mother survives and lives at Rib Falls. They had three children: Margaret, who is the widow of Ernest Lud- wig ; Frederick and Christ Jacob.
Until he was thirteen years of age, Christ Jacob Keiner was permitted to attend the public schools but then went to work in the coal mines and
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labored there for two years. He was about fifteen years old when his parents came to Wisconsin and settled on a farm and from then until he was twenty-two he worked on farms in Ozaukee and Marathon coun- ties, coming then to Athens where he conducted a butcher shop for nine years, and still owns it, having it carried on by a very capable tenant. Since retiring from its active management he has given his time largely to shipping livestock to Chicago. He is interested in log and timber lands in Taylor county, Wis., and expects to put 1,000,000 feet on the market in 1913. Mr. Keiner owns ten acres of land adjoining the village of Athens, where he has also a comfortable home residence and three improved lots.
Mr. Keiner was married November 22, 1895, to Miss Eliza Romang. who was born in Switzerland and was six years old when she came to America in company with her parents. Gottfried and Eliza (Stef- fen) Romang, both of whom are living. The father followed farm- ing after coming to Wisconsin. Her brothers and one sister are: Gott- freid, Emanuel, August, Charles and Louisa, who is the wife of Edwin Plisch. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Keiner: Louisa. Henry, Carl, Ida, Martha and Freda. The family belongs to the Ger- man Presbyterian church. In politics Mr. Keiner is a Democrat and for several years served usefully as a member of the village council. He is connected with several well known fraternal organizations including the F. O. E., the Beavers, and the M. W. A., at Athens.
THOMAS F. DELANEY, for a number of years an active busi- ness man of Wausau, now lives in comfortable retirement, occupying his modern building at No. 616 Third street, Wausau. Mr. Delaney is a native of Wisconsin, born November 26, 1856, and is a son of Mar- tin Delaney.
Thomas F. Delaney attended the public schools at Milwaukee and afterward learned the trade of plumber, and came first to Wausau in 1881 to install the plumbing in the Hotel Bellis for a Milwaukee firm of contractors. After his work here was finished he returned to Mil- waukee, but soon afterward his employer, W. E. Goodman, established a plumbing branch at Wausau and put the same in charge of Thomas F. Delaney and John F. Lee as his most responsible men. They subse- quently bought the Wausau business and continued it under the firm name of Delaney & Lee until 1891, when Mr. Delaney went into busi- ness alone, at No. 704 Third street. In 1897 lie erected the fine busi-
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ness block at No. 616 Third street, moved his business here and utilizes the other part of the building as a residence. On April 1, 1902, he sold his plumbing and heating business and since then has lived somewhat retired, keeping in touch with business only in the matter of collecting his rents and keeping his properties in order.
Mr. Delaney was married at Wausau to Miss Henrietta Bluhm, who was born in Germany. They are members of St. James Catholic church of which he was a trustee at the time of its organization and served as such for four years. In politics he is a democrat and from 1908 until 1912 served in the city council, representing the Fourth Ward. He is identified with the Knights of Columbus and with the Catholic Order of Foresters.
CHARLES W. HARGER, who is vice president of the Marathon County Bank, at Wausau, Wis., has been identified with this solid finan- cial institution for thirty-eight years, was one of its organizers, has ever since been an official and so closely has been connected with its affairs that the bank's history and his own are of the same woof and web. Mr. Harger was born at Stone Mills, Jefferson county, N. Y., September II, 1842, and is a son of Wilson H. and Amy M. Harger. The father was a merchant but died too early to have accumulated a fortune in business.
In his native state Charles W. Harger attended the public schools. Being early deprived of a father's advice and practical assistance, Mr. Harger started out for himself when seventeen years of age and in 1859 came to Wisconsin, finding plenty of employment here, but in those days it was mainly of a rough sort to which the son of an eastern mer- chant had not been inured. In the course of time he began training for a railroad career, becoming first a fireman, and for several years was an engineer and then circumstances led to his becoming interested in a woolen mill at Watertown, Wis. It was from there that Mr. Harger came to Wausau, where, with other men of capital, he organized the Marathon County Bank, which opened for business on January I. 1875. and he became its cashier, in which, office he continued until elected vice president. Mr. Harger's integrity is one of the bank's assets and its long continued and still increasing prosperity, may, in some measure, be attributed to his care, interest and advice, he devoting all his time to this business.
Mr. Harger married Miss Kate M. Scholfield, of Wausau, Wis., and
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they have four children: Anna Gertrude, who is the wife of George E. Diamond, of Colorado; Mary S., who is gifted with unusual musical talent, is an instructor in music at Boston, Mass .; Imogene, who is the wife of W. J. Hart, of Seattle, Wash .; and Constance V., who is well known in social circles in this city.
ANTON DERN, who has lived in Marathon county for fifty-two years, was one of the pioneers of Wausau and is the oldest living Ger- man settler in the county. He was born in Germany, April 15, 1832, a son of Anton Dern and his wife, the latter of whom died in the son's infancy and he was reared by a step-mother.
Anton Dern the younger attended a German school in boyhood and then worked in a malt mill until he was twenty-one years of age. when he secured passage on a sailing vessel bound for the United States. It is probable that he will never forget the eight months he passed on that vessel before he was finally landed in the harbor of New York. The country was strange and the people spoke a language he could not un- derstand, but, at least, solid ground was under his feet and he immedi- ately continued on his journey, his objective point being Marathon county, Wis. There he found employment in the woods but after one day's work was offered the job of taking lumber on a raft to St. Louis, Mo., as talesman, and accepted and when the trip was concluded was paid the sum of $105. He returned to Marathon county and went to work for a Mr. Goldsberry in a saw mill and remained for four years, when he entered into the teaming business. For the two following years he drove a two-horse wagon from Stevens Point to Wausau, making the round trip in three days, hauling beer, whiskey, flour and other com- modities. He then began to make use of a four-horse team and for twenty-two years operated between Gill's Landing and Wausau. When the railroad was completed through here he gave up his teaming busi- ness as it no longer was profitable. Mr. Dern spent the next eighteen years as a logger, for eight years being in one camp and nine years in another. Mr. Dern's recollections of this hard-working period of his life are very interesting. Many changes have come about in the log- ging industry since those days and the same conditions will never again prevail but they developed robust and resourceful men. Mr. Dern then built the Northern Hotel at Wausau and conducted it for twenty- one years, his son and step-son conducting it since he retired. In 1908 he erected his fine brick residence which adjoins the hotel. He pur-
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chased the land on which these structures stand, over forty years ago, and during all the time that he was engaged in teaming he had his barn on this property. When he came to Wausau it was a little frontier set- tlement, no city having yet been laid out, and no one being able to see far enough into the future to imagine its present beautiful proportions.
Mr. Dern was married first to Miss Anna Hyer, who, at death, left three children, the only survivor being Elizabeth, who is the wife of August Grossman of Wausau. His second marriage was to Mrs. Eliza (Kuhl) Forcey, widow of George Forcey. She had three children and one of her sons, George Forcey, is associated with Walter Dern in the management of the Northern Hotel. Six children were born to Mr. Dern's second marriage: Walter, Myrtle, Regina and Arthur, liv- ing, and Cornelia and Anton, deceased. Mrs. Dern died in December, 1910.
WILLIAM L. ERBACH, vice president, general manager and a di- rector of the Rietbrock Land and Lumber Company, at Athens, Wis., is one of the representative business men and substantial citizens of this village. He was born at Milwaukee, Wis., October 25, 1868, and in a son of William and Elizabeth Erbach. William Erbach was born in Germany and was brought to the United States in his youth, grew to manhood here and during much of his subsequent life was a shoe mer- chant at Milwaukee, Wis. There he married, his wife also being a na- tive of Germany who had been brought young to this country, and there she also died, the mother of three daughters and one son, two of the daughters being school teachers in Milwaukee.
William L. Erbach was educated in the public schools and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. He married Miss Marianna Rietbrock and they have three children: William A., Frederick R. and Christine. In addition to his important interests above mentioned, Mr. Erbach is president of the Athens Telephone Company, vice presi- dent and manager of the Athens Electric Light and Power Company, is secretary and treasurer of the Athens Brick and Tile Company and also of the Athens Printing Company. He is a life member of the Western Guernsey Breeders' Association, the American Guernsey Cattle Club, and the American Breeders' Association.
FRANZ RITTER, president of the Ritter & Deutsch Furniture and Undertaking Company at Wausau, occupying the corner of Third and
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Jefferson streets, has been identified with the business since 1884. He was born in Erfurt, Prussia-Germany, October 26, 1852, and in his own land attended school and there learned the cabinet-making trade.
In 1871, when nineteen years of age, Mr. Ritter came to the United States and immediately joined his brothers who were living at Milwaukee, Wis., and there he worked in their furniture store for a time. In order to see the country he then started out to travel in Kansas and other states and stopped at Chicago and St. Louis before returning to Milwaukee, where he resumed work at his trade until he came to Wausau and went into business in 1884 with a partner, the firm name being Ritter & Stahl. Later, F. M. Deutsch bought the Stahl interest and it was conducted as a copartnership until 1910, when it was incorporated as the Ritter & Deutsch Company, its officers being: Franz Ritter, president; Edward Langenhahn, vice president ; R. C. Deutsch, secretary and treasurer ; and F. M. Deutsch, general manager. The company owns its quarters and this is by far the largest establishment of its kind in this city. Its pro- prietors are men of capital and high personal standing and it is justly numbered with the representative business concerns of Marathon county.
Franz Ritter was married in May, 1880, to Miss Louisa Schlatter, of Milwaukee. They are members of St. Paul's Reformed church. He is a man of social tastes and belongs to the Beavers, the Woodmen of America, is president of the Sharpshooters' Club, for twenty-three years has been secretary of the D. G. K. U., and is a member and has been president of the Liederkranz Singing Society.
MISS GRACE M. STEVENS, librarian of the Wausau Public Li- brary, at Wausau, Wis., has occupied this responsible position since she was appointed to it by the city board in 1910. Born in Oshkosh, Wis., Miss Stevens attended the public schools and completed the high school course in her native city, subsequently graduating from the Library School of the University at Madison, Wis. She has proved herself a very capable librarian, both by reason of her special training for the work, for which she has a genuine enthusiasm, and by her unfailing courtesy to the patrons of the library. She is an honorary member of the Ladies' Literary Club and is secretary of the Home Educational De- partment connected with the club. She is a member of the Episcopal church and has many friends among the refined and cultured people of Wausau.
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FRANK KELLY, president of the Wausau Novelty Company of Wausau, has been a resident of this city for the past thirty-eight years. He was born at Stevens Point, Portage county, Wis., a son of Nathaniel T. and Nellie M. (Karner) Kelly. Milo Kelly, the paternal grandfather, came very early to Wisconsin and settled in the town of Weston in Mara- thon county, on the Eau Claire river at a point later known as Kelly's Mills. He probably built the mill which he operated under the title of Milo Kelly & Sons. After his death the mill was operated under the name of William P. Kelly & Bro., and after the death of William P. Kelly, Nathaniel T. Kelly purchased the former's interest in the estate and operated the mill until his death, when it was purchased by B. E. Jones.
Nathaniel T. Kelly was born in 1834 and was but a lad when his parents brought him to Wisconsin. He lived for some years at Stevens Point, where he was married, in 1860 to Nellie M. Karner, who was born in Massachusetts, later lived in New York and still later accom- panied her father to Stevens Point, Wis., where he became a merchant and lumberman. Mrs. Kelly survives and resides with a daughter, Mrs. Gooding, at Wausau. Nathaniel T. Kelly removed with his family to Wausau in the spring of 1874, when he built his handsome brick resi- dence on Grand avenue, and there his death occurred in January, 1883. Of the family of five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, the first and last born both died in infancy, the three survivors being: Frank; Mrs. E. A. Gooding, of Wausau; and Mrs. W. G. Norton, of Memphis, Tenn.
Frank Kelly secured a public school education and for ten years after- ward engaged in the jewelry business at Wausau. In 1892 he with others organized the Wausau Novelty Company, for the manufacture of furniture novelties. From the organization of the company he has been a director and is its president. His additional interests are mainly in the line of banking.
In 1892 Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Florence Ward, a daughter of Edward Ward, of Neenah, Wis., and they have two children: Good- ing N., who is a student in Beloit College, at Beloit, Wis .; and Florence Virginia. Mr. Kelly is a Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery at Wausau, and is a charter member of the Royal Ar- canum. He belongs to the Wausau Club and also to the Wausau Coun- try Club.
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LOUIS REDETZKE, blacksmith and horseshoer, with quarters on the corner of Jackson and Second streets, Wausau, has been located here since August, 1903, when he became owner of this stand. He was born in the town of Stettin, Marathon county, Wis., July 14, 1880, and is a son of Samuel and Augusta Redetzke, both of whom died on the old home farm. They were natives of Germany and came to Wisconsin as children and were married in Sheboygan county, shortly afterward set- tling on the farm in the town of Stettin, where they remained. The mother lived until September 21, 1900, but the father died August 8, 1894. During the Civil war he served three years as a member of the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and his war record showed that he had been a faithful soldier.
Louis Redetzke remained on the home farm during boyhood and youth and attended the country schools and then learned his trade at Edgar, Wis. In January, 1903, he came to Wausau and went to work for Mr. Hartwig and seven months later bought the place as indicated above. He has constant patronage as he is a skilled workman, and has invested quite considerable capital in his fine brick building in which his shop is located.
Mr. Redetzke was married to Miss Alma Plisch, of the town of Berlin and they have two children, Samuel and Irma. The family be- longs to Zion Lutheran church. Mr. Redetzke makes no display of his political opinions but takes a good citizen's interest in local affairs and gives hearty support to all measures which seem to him will permanently benefit Wausau.
FRED DEVOE, manager of the Marathon Granite Company, of Wau- sau, Wis., has been a resident of this city for fourteen years and is widely known throughout this section .. He was born near Richland City, in Rich- land county, Wis., and is a son of James and Olivia ( Bangham) DeVoe and a grandson of Charles B. and Catherine DeVoe.
Charles B. DeVoe and wife were pioneers in Wisconsin and endured many hardships and dangers incident to the times. They were natives of Herkimer county, N. Y., and died in Richland county, Wis. The former was a blacksmith by trade and probably acquired some land. The maternal grandparents of our subject, Bronson and Helen Korah Bangham, came to Richland county from Michigan.
James DeVoe, father of Fred, was born at Utica, N. Y., and was twelve years old when, in 1849, he accompanied his parents to Wisconsin. For a
FRED DEVOE
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short time he resided in Walworth county, but later settled permanently in Richland county, where he lived for 60 years, his death occurring there Jan. uary 8, 1910. His wife Olivia, who was born in Michigan, is still living and resides with her son at Wausau, being now 63 years old. Their family numbered four children, of whom Fred is the eldest, the others being : Charles B., who is a piano dealer at Richland Center; Mrs. E. H. Edwards, of Rich- ' land Center, and Mrs. W. E. Keine, of Milwaukee.
Fred De Voe had but few educational advantages in his youth. His father was engaged in the monument business and his services were required on the home farm, on which he worked from his eighth to his sixteenth year. He then went on the road selling monuments and was thus occupied, chiefly in Wisconsin, until he had reached his thirtieth year. He then located in Wausau and engaged in business for himself under the name of the Fred De Voe Granite Company. In 1899 he secured additional capital, and the firm became the Marathon Granite Company, which has had a prosperous business career. Its present capital is $100.000 and 125 men are employed at the plant and in the quarries, three of the latter being located in Marathon county and one in Marinette county. The granite quarried is suitable both for building and monumental work and is shipped to every state in the Union and also to Canada and Alaska.
Perhaps few large industries in this section are conducted with so little friction as is the business of the Marathon Granite Company. Mr. DeVoe is a liberal, broad-minded man and has always recognized the just rights of labor, employing union labor entirely and showing by his method of con- ducting the business that he believes in the old Biblical adage: "The laborer is worthy of his hire." All his employes work but half a day on Saturday. He says that the only society he ever belonged to was a Sunday school. However, he has shown his recognition of the great principle of human broth- erhood and his public spirit has brought pleasure to many residents of the city.
LEO C. SCHUETZ, merchant, doing business at Nos. 102-104 Grand avenue, Wausau, proprietor of a grocery, flour and feed store, is one of the enterprising young business men of this city, near which he was born. in the town of Wausau, October 31, 1885. He is a son of Conrad and Hanna Schuetz. Conrad Schuetz was born in Germany and came to America when nine years old with his father, John Schuetz, who pur- chased a farm in the town of Wausau, Marathon county, Wis. Conrad Schuetz was a carpenter by trade but was engaged mainly in logging
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during his active years. His death occurred in March, 1907. He mar- ried Hanna Erdman, who was born in the town of Stettin, Marathon county, the Erdman family being very early settlers here, and she sur- vives.
Leo C. Schuetz was young when his parents left the farm and came · to Wausau and here the youth attended school and afterward took a course in the Wausau Business College. When he first started out to learn business methods, he was employed by Charles Weinfeld, in the clothing trade, with whom he remained one year and then became a clerk in the general store of Conrad Bopf, and for two and one-half years prior to embarking in business for himself, was a clerk for C. H. Weg- ner. In June, 1905, he established his present business on the corner of Forest and Grand avenues and through honest methods and reliable goods has won a widely extended patronage.
Mr. Schuetz was married February 12, 1912, to Miss Anna Haesle, a daughter of Vincent Haesle, of Marathon City. He is not very active in politics, but is interested in insurance, belonging to the F. R. A., and also carries an accident insurance in the Time Insurance Company. He belongs to the Odd Fellows.
CARL JUNKERMAN, proprietor of the Wausau Garage and the owner of his substantial building which he erected in 1909, its construc- tion being of cement blocks, has been engaged in his present business, largely repair work, since 1907. He was born at Münster, Germany, October 3, 1875, and is a son of William Junkerman, all his ancestors having been of German nativity.
In his native land Mr. Junkerman attended school and as early as the age of fourteen years showed such natural mechanical skill that he determined to learn the machinist's trade and had already had experience in such work when he came to America in May or June, 1901. His first home after reaching the United States was at Buffalo, N. Y., where he was employed for over one year in the Pierce-Arrow works, the well known automobile manufacturers. Afterward he worked in a machine and automobile factory at Philadelphia for several years, from there came to Wisconsin and entered the employ of prominent automobile manu- facturers at Milwaukee, the M. Duffy Automobile' Company and the Allis-Chalmers Automobile Company, and from there came to Wausau and started into business for himself. He has prospered and now re- quires a force of about six to ten men to assist in turning out the work
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that is brought to him, all of which is carefully inspected by himself before it leaves the garage.
Mr. Junkerman was married in Germany to Miss Irma Falzer and they have one son, Carl. During his five years of residence at Wausau, Mr. Junkerman has made many friends and is already recognized as a reliable and valuable citizen.
ROBERT W. SCHULTZ, who is now serving in his second term as supervisor of the town of Rib Falls, is one of the representative men of this part of Marathon county and owns 240 acres of fine land. It is located in section 23 and lies three miles north and one and one-half miles west of Marathon City. Mr. Schultz was born June 13, 1869, in Mara- thon county, Wis., and is a son of William and Sophia Schultz, who were early settlers in the town of Rib Falls. The mother is deceased but the father is one of the well known men of the town and makes his home with his son.
Robert W. Schultz grew to manhood in his home town and was educated here and since leaving school has devoted himself to his large property interests. He has eighty acres of his land cleared and has made all the general improvements and raises grain and cattle. He is one of the stockholders in the Farmers' Produce Company of Marathon City. In his political views he has always been a democrat, has served as treasurer of school district No. 2, also as health officer and as super- visor, in every position performing his duties honestly and efficiently.
Mr. Schultz married Miss Hattie Krahn, a daughter of Charles and Ernestina (Fleshman) Krahn, former residents of Marathon City, now deceased, and they have had seven children: Lettie, Leonard, Hilda, Harry, Adela, Esther, and Georgia, all surviving except Esther, who died when aged two years. Mr. Schultz and family belong to St. Paul's Lutheran church.
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