USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 83
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ing the large majorities for Wilson in the northern counties which turned Wisconsin into the Democratic column.
L. H. MOLL, dealer in dry goods, clothing, shoes, hats, groceries, flour and feed, at Edgar, Wis., was born November 18, 1864, in Austria- Germany, and came to America when two years old, brought by his parents, Jacob and Anna Mary Moll. They settled at West Bend in Washington county, Wis., where the father was a farmer. He died at Stevens Point when aged forty-six years, his widow surviving to her seventy-fourth year.
L. H. Moll attended school at West Bend and Stevens Point. He started to work as driver of a team and afterward as chore boy in a hotel, then became a clerk in a store and in 1908 went into business for himself in the village of Rosholt in Wisconsin and from there, July 22, 1912, came to Edgar and purchased his present business from C. E. Blodgett, of Marshfield. Mr. Moll married Miss Helena Jacobs, a native of Portage county, Wis.
REV. PETER L. GASPER, pastor of St. Mary's church, Wausau, Wis., is a native of Prussia, born May 16, 1850, in Schoenecker, Kreis Pruem, Reg. Bez. Treves, a son of Peter and Catherine (Lochen) Gas- per, also natives of Prussia. They were the parents of six children all deceased except the oldest, Henry, still living in Prussia, and the young- est, Peter L., the subject of this biography. The father who was a lock- smith by trade, died in 1851, the mother in 1859.
Father Gasper recived his elementary education in the parochial school of his native village, afterward learning the trade of locksmith with his elder brothers. In 1869 he came to the United States, and for about a year worked at his trade at Pittsburgh, Penn., at the end of which time he entered St. Vincent's College, Westmoreland county, Penn., where he commenced studying for the priesthood. He remained in that institution until the year 1878, when he went to St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, Wis., where he completed his studies and was ordained priest in 1880, by the late Rt. Rev. Bishop Heiss. Our subject's first charge was as .assistant priest in the cathedral at Green Bay, Wis., where he remained seven months, then for a time assisted Rev. Father Gaell- weiler, at Chilton, Wis., after which he was transferred to Jericho, Calu- met Co. Wis., where he had charge of St. Trinity Congregation for two years and where he erected a new church building. In 1883 he was
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again transferred; this time to Lebanon township, Waupaca Co., his stay there covering a period of six years, during which time he not only attended to the spiritual welfare of the Catholic people of Northport, Manawa, Weyauwega and of course Lebanon but also made numerous improvements in the church edifices in those localities. In 1889 he was transferred to New London, Wis., where he erected the handsome and commodious church of the Most Precious Blood, the cornerstone of which was laid June 24, 1890, by Rt. Rev. Fred Katzer, bishop of Green Bay, and consecrated to the worship of God, February 12, 1891. It is a large and imposing edifice of solid brick 126x52 feet with a bell tower 140 feet high. During his administration in New London, Father Gas- per also erected a fine church in Hortonville, the building of which was commenced in 1893 and dedicated with imposing ceremonies by Rt. Rev. Seb. Messmer, June 18, 1893.
In August, 1894, he was appointed rector of St. Mary's church, Wau- sau, Wis., his present charge which at that time consisted of about 400 families. In 1895 Rt. Rev. Bishop Messmer made him dean for the counties of Lincoln, Marathon, Portage and Wood as far as they were situated within the limits of the Diocese of Green Bay. He found his new congregation encumbered with a heavy mortgage and paying 6% interest, which he at once converted into bonds bearing only 4% and this enabled him to lessen the debts continually. In 1898 he built the beautiful home for the School Sisters, who up to this time had lived in the school-house. Great improvements were made in the school-house and new school rooms opened; a pipe organ for the church was also bought during the course of this year.
In 1902 the church was decorated very beautifully and equipped with gas and electric light. In 1904 the present parsonage, a large and com- modious brick building, costing $8,000 was erected and a steamheating plant for church and school installed and other improvements made which raised the indebtedness again to $8.500 but which was lessened every year until 1911 when all was liquidated. In 1912 a new pipe organ costing $3,050 was installed in the church and paid for, still leaving al- most $1,000 in the treasury of the congregation.
In the year 1906 when the limits of the dioceses were changed Mara- thon Co. was annexed to the diocese of Lacrosse and consequently with it St. Mary's congregation with its pastor. In the same year a large number of families separated and formed the new St. James Congrega- tion with Rev. J. J. Brennan as its first rector. On account of this sepa-
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ration the number of families was considerably decreased but Wausau being a thriving city both congregations are as large now as St. Mary's was before the separation and are continually growing. The number of pupils in school is over 400 with nine Sisters of Notre Dame as their teachers.
LOUIS H. COOK, county clerk of Marathon county, who assumed the duties of office on the first Monday in January, 1913, is well known all over Marathon county, to which he was brought when two years old. He was born on a farm in Calumet county, Wis., November 25, 1876, and is a son of Alfred and Amanda ( Blood) Cook. The father was a farmer and moved to Marathon county in 1874 and then moved to Calumet county, but in 1878 returned to Marathon county and settled near Unity.
Louis H. Cook attended school at Unity, Wis., and when he reached manhood went into journalism, establishing the Marathon County Register, which he published at Unity for nine years. He then sold to E. L. Messer who still conducts it. In politics he has always been a Republican and has been very active in county politics and was only twenty years of age when he was elected a justice of the peace, afterward serving in other offices, for six years being supervisor of the town of Unity. To some extent Mr. Cook has been interested in agricultural matters and the raising of livestock and poultry. He is secretary of the Central Wisconsin Poultry Association, both secretary and treasurer of the Wisconsin branch of the American Poultry Association, and is a director of the Marathon County Agricultural Society.
In 1898 Mr. Cook married Miss Effie J. Du Cate, a daughter of Moses H. Du Cate, a jeweler and photographer at Unity, Wis., and they have four children : Neal J., Russell H., Margaret and Anola. Mr. Cook is interested in and identified with many of the leading fraternal organizations, including the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the M. W. A., the E. F. U. and the F. O. E.
HENRY H. ZAUN, M. D., physician and surgeon at Edgar, Wis., was born near Richfield, Washington county, Wis., January 2, 1862, a son of L. Henry and Pauline (Beyer) Zaun, who live at Jackson, Wash- ington county, Wis. Henry H. Zaun attended the public schools in Washington county and the Oshkosh Normal School, after which he taught school for five years in his native county and then entered the Northwestern University at Chicago, Ill., where he was graduated in medicine with the class of 1891. He returned to Washington county and
ALFRED COOK
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practiced there for fifteen years, coming to Edgar in September, 1909, where he has remained. In politics Dr. Zaun is independent. He mar- ried Miss Hulda Lowe, a daughter of the late John Lowe, of Washing- ton county, and they have two children: Almira and Harvey. Dr. and Mrs. Zaun belong to the Lutheran church.
SAMUEL M. QUAW, president of the Citizens State Bank of Wau- sau, Wis., who has been at the head of this institution since it was organ- ized in 1908, has been a resident of this city for forty years and his inter- ests here are numerous and important. He was born in Alleghany county, N. Y., March 1, 1839, and is a son of Henry and Jane (McGibney) Quaw.
Samuel M. Quaw was reared on the home farm, in the meanwhile attending the district schools as he had opportunity, and when he was eighteen years of age he accompanied his parents to Adams county, Wis. In 1861 he enlisted in Company H. IIth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and continued in service until he was honorobly discharged at Madison, Wis., in January, 1865. The 11th Wisconsin formed a part of the army of Missouri and Arkansas-the Western Division-and took an active part in many memorable battles and campaigns. After participating in the siege of Vicksburg and the second battle at Jackson, Miss., it was ordered back to Vicksburg and then to New Orleans, where one winter was passed, after which it was a part of the force under General Banks in the Red River Campaign. While never wounded or captured, Mr. Quaw did not escape all the perils of a soldier's life, being taken sick in April, 1864, and confined to a hospital in New Orleans until the following September, a most unpleasant experience, as an army hospital at that time was a dreadful place.
After his military service was over Mr. Quaw returned to Adams county, Wis., and after regaining his health entered into a flour mill business in partnership with others. In 1867 he sold his interest in this business and went to Iowa, where he was engaged in farming until Janu- ary, 1873. Then returning to Wisconsin, he located in Wausau, of which city he has since remained a resident, having here important business in- terests. For a number of years he was extensively engaged in the lum- ber industry and is yet president of the Quaw Lumber Company, which controlled about 10,000 acres surrounding Edgar, Wis., but the land has been largely sold and the timber cut and Mr. Quaw is gradually re- tiring. He owns 220 acres of fine farming land, sixty of which lie within
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the corporation limits of Wausau, and is much interested in the develop- ment of this property. He has long been identified with the Masonic Order, in which he has attained the 32d degree.
JULIUS HEISE, who, for twenty years has been president of the Stettin Mutual Insurance Company, serving four years also as its treas- urer, resides on his excellent farm of 150 acres, lying in section 28, town of Rib Falls, three-fourths miles south of Big Rib Falls. He was born in this town, January 5, 1862, and is a son of August and Augusta (Crueger) Heise.
The parents of Mr. Heise were born, reared and married in Germany and when they came to the United States they chose to make their home in Wisconsin, settling as pioneers in Marathon county, selecting a tract of woodland in the wilderness, situated two miles east and one-half mile north of Big Rib Falls. Hardships, and they were great, did not frighten them and constant labor was what they had anticipated in order to make a new home. They were poor at first and had to carry on their backs all the commodities they purchased at Wausau, but later they ac- quired oxen and with the help of those useful beasts of burden were able to save their own time and strength and to gradually bring a part of their eighty acres to a state where it could be cultivated. Later forty more acres were added through industry and thrift and this is the old Heise homestead and seventy-five acres of this were improved by August Heise and his sons. There were seven children in the family, Julius be- ing the sole survivor. The father yet lives but the mother died when aged sixty-two years and her burial was in the Methodist Episcopal ceme- tery at Rib Falls. August Heise is a Democrat in politics but takes no active part in public matters, having always devoted himself to his own affairs and doing his duty to his family and neighbors.
Julius Heise attended the public schools when his father could spare him for on a pioneer farm the duties are many and pressing, and after- ward he went to work in the woods, lumbering being a winter industry in this section, devoting his summers to farming. When he settled on his present place as owner he had all the improvements to make and has cleared fifty acres where he lives and fifty acres on his other tract. He is one of the busy men of his town, interested in several lines of useful- ness and is known all through this part of Marathon county as an au- thority on insurance matters.
On October 10, 1888, Mr. Heise was married to Miss Henrietta Kiels-
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meier, who was born in Manitowoc county, Wis., April 25, 1867, and is a daughter of Henry and Wilhelmine (Grieve) Kielsmeier. They came to Wisconsin from Germany and were parents of eleven children, six of whom survive but Mrs. Heise is the only one living in this county. They were members of the German Reformed church. Mr. and Mrs. Heise have five children : Irvin F., a graduate of the training school, who has been a successful teacher for some years; and Raymond, Reuben M., Linda, and Bertram, all of whom have been given school advantages and are bright, intelligent young members of society. The family belongs to the Lutheran church. Mr. Heise is independent in his political views.
WILLIAM F. LEMKE, who is one of the leading men and reliable citizens of the town of Berlin, resides on the old Lemke homestead situ- ated in section 23, which contains eighty acres, fifty of which were cleared by his father. He was born in Germany, January 6, 1866, and is a son of Fred and Austina (Giese) Lemke. The parents were both born in Germany and belonged to the educated class. They came to America in 1869 and established their home in Marathon county, Wis., settling in the woods in the town of Berlin, their first home being a rude shanty on the site of the present comfortable farm house. Fred Lemke helped to build the first road in the township and became a man of considerable prominence here. He was elected to school offices for twenty years, was town assessor for two years, and helped to erect the first Lutheran church, of which he was an officer for thirty years. He served five years as agent for the Berlin Fire Insurance Company, of which he was a charter member and first representative. His death occurred at the age of sixty-two years and his burial was in the Naugart cemetery. His widow survives and resides with her son.
William F. Lemke attended school in a log building in Berlin Dis- trict No. I, after which he engaged in farm work and spent several years both before and after his marriage, in the town of Stettin and then re- turned to the homestead. He was three and a half years old when the family first settled here and one of his earliest impressions of the new home was when a violent storm came up and the roof of the house was torn away, his father being absent at the time. He resides in section 23 on the east side of the north and south road and in all, owns 200 acres of land, on which he carries on general farming and raises Guern- sey cattle. He is a stockholder in the Citizens State Bank and the Ger- man-American Bank and is president of the Naugart Telephone Com-
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pany, of which he was a charter member. After thirteen years of useful service on the board of Agriculture, being vice president during six years of that time, Mr. Lemke resigned in 1912. In politics he is an Independ- ent Republican. For three years he has been school clerk of District No. 1; for six years has been chairman of the town of Berlin and takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to the public welfare. For the last three years he has been treasurer of the Berlin Farmers Mutual Fire and Lightning Insurance Company, of which he has been a member for six years.
Mr. Lemke married Miss Bertha Lange, a daughter of Fred Lange, now deceased, and they have the following children: Paul, Lydia, Wil- liam, Herbert, Erwin, Hertha, Carl, Raymond, Alice, Alfred, Roy and Ramona. All the older children have been attending college, and all are sure of having the best of educational advantages afforded them. The family belongs to the Lutheran church at Naugart, of which Mr. Lemke is a trustee.
WILLIAM E. ZILISCH, M. D., who has been engaged in the prac- tice of medicine at Wausau since 1907, was born at Hustisford, Dodge county, Wis., December 21, 1873, a son of F. W. and Emily Hanne- mann Zilisch, both of whom are now deceased. The father, born in Germany came to America when a young man and was a cabinetmaker and furniture dealer. His death occurred in 1903 when he was aged fifty-four years. The mother survived until 1898. William E. was the eldest born of the family of three sons and one daughter. Gustav lives in Dodge county, having succeeded his father in the furniture business. Hugo, the youngest is a window trimmer by trade and resides in Cali- fornia. Johanna is the wife of David Mackie of Ashland, Wis.
William E. Zilisch received his early education in the public schools, also attending the Juneau High School, of Juneau, Wis. In 1898 he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Chicago, from which he was graduated in the class of 1902. For one year he was an interne at St. Mary's Hospital at Oshkosh and for four years engaged in prac- tice at Hortonville, Wis. In 1907 he came to Wausau, where he has an office in the Livingston Building and engages in a general practice. He belongs to the Marathon county, the Wisconsin state and the Ameri- can Medical Associations. In politics he is a Republican and he is a member of the Lutheran church.
Dr. Zilisch was married in 1904 to Miss Anna Fehland, a daughter of
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H. R. Fehland, of Merrill, Wis., and they have three children: Norma, Dorothy and Verona.
FRANK KYSOW, a well known business man and prominent citi- zen of the town of Hamburg, residing on a farm of 80 acres in section 3, was born in the town of Concord, Jefferson county, Wis., a son of William and Wilhelmina (Simnicht) Kyson. His parents were both natives of Germany, the father coming to America when a young man, and their marriage took place in Jefferson county. They were the par- ents of two children: John and Frank. William Kysow died when the subject of this sketch was six months old and his widow subsequently married Gottfried Baneck, also a native of Germany. Of this union there were four children, two sons and two daughters. Mr. Baneck is also now deceased and his widow, mother of Frank Kysow, resides in Jeffer- son county. Both the father and step-father of our subject were Demo- chats in politics. Mr. Kysow's mother is a member of the Lutheran church.
Frank Kysow was reared and attended school in Jefferson county, Wis. He came to Hamburg when 21 years of age and resided for a year and a half with an uncle. He then purchased his present farm, which at that time was heavily timbered. Since then he has cleared about 50 acres, leaving the rest in timber. He practically built his pres- ent residence, doing all the carpenter work thereon. This residence, which stands on the north side of East and West road, is a good substan- tial structure, and the farm is well cultivated. Mr. Kysow is a Demo- crat politically and has served as town supervisor six years, assessor two terms, and has been treasurer of district No. I for the last ten years. He is a stockholder in the Hamburg Cheese Manufacturing Co., of which he was formerly vice-president, and is also a stockholder in the Hamburg Telephone Company.
Mr. Kysow married Miss Lena Petznick, a daughter of Fred and Matilda Petznick, who came to this section from Germany when she was ten years old. They have had four children-Ethel (deceased), Dewey, Hattie (deceased), and Clara. Mr. Kysow is an industrious and progres- sive citizen, a good representative of the sturdy foreign element which has done so much to build up and develop this section of Wisconsin, as well as other localities, and whose Americanism is proof against all tests.
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ARDEN PARONTO, owner and proprietor of a hardware store at Mosinee, Wis., secretary of the Mosinee Electric Light and Power Com- pany and president of the Mosinee Telephone Company, was born at Stephens Point, Wis., August 6, 1875, a son of Alfred and Mary (Treu) Paronto. The father was born in Canada and the mother in Germany and they now live at Kelley, Marathon county, where he is a farmer.
Arden Paronto obtained his education in the public schools and for seven years afterward taught school, following which he was clerk in a general store at Mosinee for two years. In 1902 he embarked in the hardware business and in 1904 erected his brick building, and has a warehouse here and a second warehouse at the railroad, the dimensions of the latter being 20x130 feet. In politics he is nominally a Republican and has served as one of the village trustees.
Mr. Paronto was married September 4, 1902, to Miss Kittie Coye, who was born in New York, a daughter of Sylvester Coye. They attend the Episcopal church. Mr. Paronto belongs to the Masons at Wausau, and to the M. W. A., the Fraternal Reserve Association, the E. F. U. and the Beavers at Mosinee.
FREDERICK M. DEUTSCH, a business man of acknowledged re- liability, with numerous important interests at Wausau, Wis., stands high personally with his fellow citizens, with whom he willingly cooper- ates in all matters of civic concern. He was born at West Bend, Wis., September 8, 1865, and is a son of Frank and Elizabeth (Licht) Deutsch.
Frederick M. Deutsch was reared and educated at West Bend, Wis., and there learned the harness making trade. His father was in the furni- ture and undertaking business there and in that way the youth learned many practical details which later proved of great value when he be- came associated with his present line. In 1884 he came to Wausau and for four years was employed here in a furniture store and on June 8, 1888, became associated with Frank Ritter in the furniture and under- taking business, under, at that time, the firm style of Ritter & Deutsch. The former partner of Mr. Ritter had been Mr. Stahl and the firm of Ritter & Stahl established this business in 1884, Mr. Stahl selling his interest to Mr. Deutsch four years later. Up to 1893 the company en- gaged also in the manufacture of bar, store and office fixtures but in that year closed out that feature and have since given entire attention to the other departments, for which they are thoroughly equipped in every way. In the year 1909 the firm of Ritter & Deutsch was incorporated under
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the name of Ritter & Deutsch Co., with the following officers: Frank Ritter, president; Edward C. Langenhahn, vice president; Roman C. Deutsch, secretary and treasurer; and Frederick M. Deutsch general manager. In addition to his interests mentioned, Mr. Deutsch is secre- tary and treasurer of the Scharbau Land, Lumber and Mining Company, and is a member of its directing board.
On April 27, 1887, Mr. Deutsch was married to Miss Catherine Klein, of Marathon City, Wis., and they have five children: Roman C., who is secretary and treasurer of the Ritter & Deutsch Company; Ele- nor, who is a music teacher; Leah, who is a senior student in the Uni- versity of Wisconsin and is a graduate of the Cumnock School of Ex- pression and Oratory, at Evanston, Ill .; Esther, who is a member in the senior class in the Wausau High School; and Frederick, Jr. Mr. Deutsch and family belong to the Roman Catholic church. He is identified with the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, the Catho- lic Order of Foresters, the Elks and the Eagles.
FRANK DEICHSEL, general farmer in the town of Maine, owns 127 acres of land. He was born at Wausau, Wis., January 20, 1862 and has spent his life in Marathon county. His parents, August and Mary (Kolter) Deichsel, were born in Germany and are now deceased, their burial being at Wausau. They had the following children: Charles, Jacob, Frank, George, Helen, wife of William Rienow, Amelia, wife of John T. Drinkwater, Marie, wife of George Marthalor and August.
Frank Deichsel attended school until old enough for farm work. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Produce Company and one of the stockholders and treasurer, the store and warehouse being situ- uated on the corner of Third and Forest streets, Wausau. Since No- vember 18, 1912 he has had charge of this store and for two years has had charge of the warehouse.
In 1887 Mr. Deichsel was married to Miss Bertha Schurtt, who was born in Marathon county, a daughter of Frederick and Caroline (Haker) Schurtt. They have three children: Robert, Frank J. and Agnes. In politics he is a Democrat, and he belongs to the M. W. A. at Wausau. The family belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran church.
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