USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth county, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 42
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MR. AND MRS. GUY M. TAYLOR
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTO , LENOX TILLER FOUNDATIONB
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returned to New York, where he remained a year, and he still lives on the farm, having kept the original one hundred and sixty acres. His family consisted of a son and a daughter, both still living, the latter making her home in Muk- wonago, Wisconsin.
The maternal grandparents, James and Mary (Chambers) Beard, were natives of Scotland, he of Edinburgh and she of Glasgow, her father being an Englishman. They came to America in 1848, located in Walworth county, Wisconsin, entering the farm where George Dunham now resides. The place consisted of one hundred acres. Mr. Beard walked from here to Madi- son to have the papers made out. He later added sixty acres, improved it all, made a good home and there spent the rest of his life. His family consisted of four daughters and one son, all living but the mother of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Beard was an active member of the Bible Christian church. He helped build the first church at Little Prairie, and also helped rebuild it after it was burned. He was an active Republican. He was twice married, his second wife being Eliza Taylor, daughter of Morris Taylor; she is now de- ceased, his first wife having died in 1868. His death occurred in 1889. His mother came to America in 1852 and lived with him until her death, at the remarkable age of one hundred and two years.
The father of Guy M. Taylor grew up in New York state and was edu- cated there. He was twenty-one years old when he came with his father to Walworth county, Wisconsin. He had learned the carpenter's trade in his native state, but after he came here he followed farming for the most part.
Guy M. Taylor was educated in the schools of his home district and here he has spent his life engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a breeder of Berkshire hogs and a good grade of Holstein cattle, also Downs. He also breeds roadster horses of much value; in fact, his live stock are all of such superior grade and quality that he finds a very ready market for what he offers for sale. He is an excellent judge of all kinds of live stock and under- stands well how to raise and care for them, when and how to prepare them for market, so that no small part of his annual income is derived from this source. He has kept the home farm well improved and carefully tilled and the build- ings in good repair.
Mr. Taylor was married in October, 1901, to Olive Ackley, daughter of a highly respected family here, and this union has resulted in the birth of three children, Mildred Belle, Donald Ackley and Volney Guy.
Politically, Mr. Taylor is a Republican and he and his family attend the Methodist church. A complete sketch of Mrs. Taylor's parents appears else- where in this work.
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EUGENE DODGE.
When a man passes away we look back over the life ended and note its usefulness-its points worthy of emulation and perpetuation. What Eugene Dodge, late of the village of Springfield. Walworth county, did for his fellow men might, in a manner, be told in words, but in its far-reaching influence it cannot be measured. He kept in touch with the progress of his locality, and from a sincere and deep-felt interest in the welfare of the people labored for all that would prove of public benefit, while advancing his own interests, until his busy, honorable and useful life was ended.
Mr. Dodge was born on November II. 1828, at Pembrook, Genesee county, New York. He was a son of Leander and Harriet (Carter) Dodge. the father being one of the very early settlers of Walworth county, and both father and son were prominent and well known. Leander Dodge was born April 10, 1802, at Romulus, Genesee county, New York. He was a son of Josiah and Phoebe (Wilson) Dodge, the former having been born on August 20, 1771, being the son of Caleb and Merriam Dodge. Caleb Dodge was born December 14, 1726, at Boston, Massachusetts, and was the son of Joshua and Elizabeth Dodge. Joshua Dodge was born February 1, 1701, at Ipswich, and was the son of Antipas and Joanna ( Low) Dodge. Antipas Dodge was born at Ipswich, September 7. 1677, and was the son of Samuel and Mary Dodge. Samuel Dodge was born in 1645 at Beverly, and was a son of Richard Dodge, who was born about 1602 in Somersetshire. England.
Leander Dodge and Harriet Carter, parents of the immediate subject of this sketch, were married while living in New York and five of their chil- dren were born there. This family emigrated to Walworth county, Wiscon- sin, in the fall of 1839 and located one-fourth mile from the village of Darien. He was a carpenter. The year before bringing his family to this county he walked all the way from New York here, and worked at his trade. When he brought his family he was accompanied by Orange Carter and William Carter. brothers of his wife. His children were, Eugene. Wilson, Levant, Laura, Leroy. Amelia. Clara, Bettie. Harriet, Ora and William.
Eugene Dodge came here with his parents and he grew to manhood on his father's farm and lived there until his marriage, on November 28, 1849. to Sarah Relyea. She was born September 25, 1828, at New Palty, Ulster county. New York. She is the daughter of Lucas and Sarah (Lockwood) Relyea, and she came here with her parents in 1843 when she was fifteen years old, the family locating a mile from Darien where her father owned a farm and there she lived until her marriage.
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Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Dodge made their home near Darien where he fol- lowed farming until October, 1865, then moved to a place, a mile northwest of Springfield, and there established the family home, where they remained until 1898, then moved into Springfield where Mr. Dodge lived until his death. January 24, 1911. He was very successful in a business way, and he took a due interest in public affairs, although he was not an office seeker, but he served some time as a tax collector for the town of Lyons. He was a member of the Masonic order from young manhood, and was a member for more than fifty years.
Mr. and Mrs. Dodge celebrated their twenty-fifth, fiftieth and sixtieth wedding anniversaries. He was quite an active man and took an interest in whatever was going on up to within a month of his death.
There were six children in the Dodge family, namely: Lillian E, who died when twenty months old; Adelaide died when seven years old; Gertrude A. married Francis G. Allen, of Lyons, a sketch of whom appears in this work : Nina L. married Amos Chase and they had two children, Florence and Eva ; she lived in Springfield until her death in 1909; M. Eugenia married Walter Chase, a half-brother of Amos Chase, and lived in Lake Geneva until her death, in June, 1909, leaving two sons, Leo and Geyard: E. Maud married Henry H. White, a sketch of whom appears in this work. Mrs. Eugene Dodge now lives in Springfield with her daughter, Mrs. Allen.
HERMAN ISAAC STOPPLE.
Success has been well deserved by Herman Isaac Stopple, one of the lead- ing farmers of Linn township, Walworth county, for he has worked hard and been upright in his dealings with his fellow men.
Mr. Stopple was born near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 20, 1869. He is the son of Isaac and Susannah Stopple, both natives of Holland, from which country they emigrated to America when young and here were married and engaged in farming all their lives near Milwaukee until about 1871, when the family came to Walworth county, locating in the east edge of Walworth township, where the father bought a farm of eighty acres in section 25. After living there about twenty years they bought another farm immediately north in the same section, partly lying in Linn township, and there they both lived until their deaths. Their family consisted of five children, one of whom died in infancy : the others were: Isaac, Elizabeth, Herman and Josephine. The first
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named is farming on the second farm which the father purchased here, and Libbie lives with him; Josephine is the wife of Lewis A. Crawford and lives at Twin Falls, Idaho; she has two daughters, Mary and Alice.
The death of Isaac Stopple, Sr., occurred on December 18, 1905, his wife having died on February 13, 1904.
Herman I. Stopple lived on the home farm until he was twenty-seven years old. On May 24, 1896, he was united in marriage with Charlotte Rouse, daughter of Philander and Florence (Bell) Rouse. She was born in Wal- worth township, this county, and when young went to Washtenaw county, Michigan, with her parents, and lived there about twelve years, then went to Benton Harbor, where her brother lived, and about 1892 her parents also moved there and she lived with them until about the time of her marriage, when she returned to Walworth county, to her uncle Hiram Bell, of Wal- worth.
Philander H. Rouse was of German descent, but was reared in Washte- naw county, Michigan, near Pittsfield Junction. His parents, Harry and Beda (West) Rouse, probably came from Steuben county, New York. His mother was related to the Wests of Elkhorn. Philander Rouse grew to man- hood in Michigan and engaged in farming most of his life and he was in Walworth county on a visit when he married Florence Bell, sister of Hiram S. Bell, whose sketch appears in this work. After his marriage he went to Minnesota and lived in Hennepin county for eight years. His father and brothers also went there and secured government land and there engaged in farming. Philander Rouse and wife finally came back to Walworth county and lived here about six years, then returned to Washtenaw county, Michi- gan, and lived there about twelve years, then went to Benton Harbor, that state, and retired from farming, living there until his death in 1900. His widow now lives with her children in their different homes. They had ten children, two of whom died when two years old, and one when seven years of age ; the seven living are : Bellden N., of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Elmer E., of Benton Harbor; Howard M., of Muskegon; Winthrop B., of Benton Harbor ; Myrtle B. is the wife of Fred Hendershot, of Delta, Colorado; Charlotte is the wife of Herman I. Stopple, of Linn township, this county; Roscoe R. lives at Sodus, Michigan.
After his marriage Herman I. Stopple began farming for himself on the farm where he now lives in section 30, in Linn township, also farmed forty acres directly across in Walworth township. His own farm now consists of sixty acres where he first began farming for himself. He keeps a fine herd of Holstein cattle, pedigreed stock.
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Mr. Stopple has no children of his own, but has adopted two children, Harry and Rilla, eleven and ten years old, respectively. Mr. Stopple is a member of the Modern Woodmen, and he and his wife belong to the Congre- gational church at Walworth.
ERNST L. VON SUESSMILCH.
Conspicuous in the roll of names of men that have conferred honor upon the legal profession in southern Wisconsin is that of Ernst L. von Suessmilch, of Delavan, Walworth county. He has a great versatility of talents, and . exactness and thoroughness characterize all his attainments and work. He is regarded by all who know him well as an attorney of superior force and ability, while he has ever been an earnest worker. In all the relations of life he is an honorable, upright gentleman who has won the sincere respect of all with whom he has come into contact.
Mr. Suessmilch was born at Delavan, Wisconsin. August 1. 1868. He is a son of Dr. Frederick L. and Frances Maria (Stowell) von Suessmilch, and is descended from a distinguished German ancestry.
Dr. Frederick Ludwig von Suessmilch-Hoernig was born at Wurzen. Saxony, October 26, 1820. He is the son of Gen. Karl Frederick and Carlotta Amalia Mai Suessmilch-Hoernig. When twelve years old he went to the gym- nasium at Grimma; his father being transferred to Leipzig, the son accom- panied him there and entered Nicholai College. From there his father was transferred to Bautzen as commander of the district called Lusatia. There the son finished his college education, being graduated in May, 1843. after which he went to Leipzig to study medicine, and in 1845 went to the Royal Surgical and Medical College at Dresden and passed the examinations in the spring of 1848. From there he went to Wuerzburg, but being on the Republican side. which arraigned against his family all officers and Royalists, he decided to go to America, and he arrived on our shores on September 12. 1848. He spent some time in New York city, without any particular aim, then came to Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, soon afterwards went to Waterford, Racine county, this state, where he practiced medicine a few months, but, having little knowledge of the English language, he found that he was at disadvantage and he returned to Milwaukee and became assistant to Dr. F. A. Luening, with whom he re- mained nearly two years. In 1850 he went to Burlington, where he practiced until July. 1851, then went to Darien, Walworth county, and eleven months later to Delavan, where he made his permanent home and built up an exten- sive practice, meeting with great success as a general practitioner.
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The Doctor took an interest in local public affairs and he served nine years as trustee of the village of Delavan and one year as its president and he was treasurer of the school board for sixteen years. He was successful from a financial standpoint, and became one of the large landowners of the county, including several fine farms, aggregating five hundred acres in Delavan town- ship.
The Doctor was married at Darien in April, 1858, to Caroline Older, daughter of John D. and Laura Older. Her death occurred in 1857.
The Doctor was married a second time, his last wife being known in her maidenhood as Frances Maria Stowell, daughter of Guy O. and Catherine · G. Stowell. He died February 10, 1898.
Ernst L. von Suessmilch, the immediate subject of this sketch, grew to manhood in this county and attended the public schools here during his boy- hood, later taking a course at the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in 1888, from the law department, after which he began the practice of his profession at Delavan and he has devoted himself almost exclusively to the practice ever since. He has met with uniform suc- cess and enjoyed a large and growing clientele. He has kept well abreast of the times in all that pertains to his calling and stands high in the legal pro- fession in this locality. About 1905 he and D. B. Barnes organized a land company and since then have engaged in a number of very large operations in land in Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The subject was married in 1900 to Emma May Waterman, of St. Paul, Minnesota, and to this union two children have been born, Frederick Ludwig and Elizabeth Frances.
JAY W. PAGE.
The Walworth county bar has an able exponent in Jay W. Page, of Elkhorn, recognized throughout this locality as one of the leaders of his pro- fession and a man of commendable public spirit and correct principles. He was born November 17, 1872, at the town of Spring Prairie, this county. He was educated in the Burlington high school and the State University at Madison. At college he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and the Athena Debating Society, which society he represented on joint debate. Early in life he conceived a laudable ambition to enter upon a legal career, and he bent every effort in this direction, being admitted to the bar in 1898. He located for the practice of his profession in East Troy in December of that year, but came to
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Elkhorn in February, 1899, desiring a wider field for the exercise of his talents, and here he at once met with encouraging success, becoming city attorney the following year. From 1904 to 1906 he was mayor of Elkhorn, and for several years past he has been a member of the library board, and a member of the light and water commission. For three years he served as president of the Wis- consin State Firemen's Association, and he has been chairman of the Demo- cratic county committee since 1900. As a public servant he has discharged his duties with a fidelity and fairness that has reflected much credit upon himself and elicited the hearty approval of all concerned, irrespective of party align- ment, having ever had the interests of the city and county at heart. Frater- nally, he is a member of the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Page was married to A. Luthera Willard, May 16, 1900, daughter of George Benjamin and Arlina (Thornton) Willard, the father being now de- ceased, and the mother is now the wife of Henry R. DeLaplaine and is residing at Burlington, Wisconsin. She is a descendant of the Louis Lyon family of New York. George B. Willard was a son of George and Mary R. (Ayres) Willard, the latter a sister of Maurice L. Ayres. George B. Willard was of an early Connecticut and Massachusetts family, of English extraction. His ancestors, Elias Willard, was a surgeon in the Revolutionary army. The Ayres family were of Scotch extraction and they were early settlers in Monroe county, New York, removing from there to Ohio and later to Wisconsin, while the Willard family followed the familiar course of western emigration from Massachusetts, to New York, thence to Ohio, and on to Wisconsin, settling in an early day at Waterford. Racine county.
Jay W. Page, of this sketch, is the son of Edward Decatur Page and Lizzie (Fraser) Page. A complete sketch of the father appears on another page of this work. The subject's paternal grandparents were Jesse Wright Page and Huldah Roxcenia ( Martendale) Page. The paternal great-grand- parents were Simon V. and Roxcenia Page. The parents of Huldah R. Mar- tendale were Arringa and Lucretia (Vail) Martendale .. The Martendale family was originally from Massachusetts, emigrating in an early day to Ver- mont. The Page family first settled in Vermont, then removed to Genesee county, New York, and from there to Wisconsin. Lizzie ( Fraser ) Page, the mother of Jay W. Page, of this review, was the daughter of John and Jessie (Draver) Fraser, the father being long a member of the Pepin county (Wisconsin) bar, residing at Durand, this state, where his death occurred. He was a brother of Alexander and Charles Fraser, sketches of whose lives are found in this work.
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As an attorney Jay W. Page is an aggressive, cautious, painstaking advocate, never failing to go into court well prepared, having his case well in hand and personal interests are ever made secondary to those of his clients. He has kept well abreast of the times in all that pertains to his profession, being ever a profound student of jurisprudence, the common law, the statutes of Wisconsin, as well as the higher and more abstruse principles of equity. In argument he is clear, logical, convincing, having great weight with juries and equally impressing the bench. Personally he is an unassuming, straightfor- ward, genial, obliging gentleman who has won and retained the confidence and esteem of all classes.
FRANK WALSH.
In the subject of this review we have a representative of one of the most honored pioneer families of Walworth county and one who is recognized as one of the most progressive farmers and creamery men of this section of the Badger state, owning and operating in a most successful manner one of the choice farms of the county. Mr. Walsh is regarded by all who know him as being a most capable and energetic man, broad-minded and sound in his busi- ness principles, and he has always ranked among the county's most representa- tive men, being public-spirited and progressive in all that the terms imply. He has been content to spend his life right here at home, well knowing that in this nature-favored section of the state existed as great opportunities for him as could be found elsewhere, if not better. The Walsh family has been well known and influential here since the days when the pioneers were wrest- ing this country from the savage and the wilderness and the several members of the same have played well their part in the local comedy-drama of civiliza- tion from that remote day to this.
Mr. Walsh was born in the southwestern part of Linn township very near where he now lives, on November 22, 1859. He is the son of John and Bridget (Welsh) Walsh, the father being a native of county Meade, Ireland, near Dublin, and there he spent his youth, emigrating to America in 1846, first to Kenosha, or Southport, Wisconsin, as it was called then, later on to Linn township, Walworth county. There he worked two or three years, then bought forty acres in section 21, on which he settled and spent the rest of his life. He and Bridget Welsh were married about 1850. She was born and reared in the same locality in Ireland as was John Walsh, and she emigrated from there to the United States in 1848, when she was young, and she worked in Lake Geneva until her marriage.
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Frank Walsh, of this sketch, is one of a family of five children, namely : Jackson, the eldest, lived in Chicago, and was for thirty years employed in the Lake Shore depot ; he was married and reared a family, and his death occurred on February 12, 1902; Mary and Henry live on the old homestead; Jennie lives in Chicago; Frank, subject of this sketch.
John Walsh, the father, was a loyal Democrat all his life, and a man of highest honor and integrity and everybody liked him. His death occurred on February 18, 1901, his widow surviving just ten years to the day. her death having occurred on February 18, 1911, she being about the same age as was Mr. Walsh when he died.
Frank Walsh grew up on his father's little farin, and he received such education as he could in the public schools of his vicinity. Being ambitious. he studied at home, in fact, has never ceased to be a student, and he is today a well educated man, for the most part self-educated. In his youth he was an enthusiastic baseball player, and won considerable of a reputation in this sport in his locality. The teams in various towns and villages for miles around sent for him to play with them, especially when they had a hard contest ahead. and at one time "Pop" Anson, the veteran baseball man, had his eye on the subject as a likely man for the big league.
Frank Walsh was not born with a "silver spoon in his mouth," but had to · make his own way right from the ground up. When a young man he taught school in Illinois, by which means he saved enough money to enable him to purchase his father's farm. He then gave up teaching and has followed farm- ing ever since, having been more successful as a general farmer and stock raiser than the average man. He has been a close student of everything that pertains to advanced methods of tilling the soil, and to the original forty acres he has added other land until he now owns one of the choice farms of the southern part of the county, consisting of three hundred and sixty acres. which he has kept well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He keeps a good grade of live stock and he has a pleasant home and substantial outbuildings.
Mr. Walsh has also been actively engaged in the creamery business for many years. He was secretary and manager of the Maple Ridge Creamery about ten years, and its large success was due in no small measure to his judicious efforts. About 1904 he helped organize the Zenda Milk Company. which did a large business for a local creamery and proved to be a good thing for the entire community. After about four years they leased their plant to another company, but the Zenda Milk Company still maintains its organization and Mr. Walsh has been secretary of the same for some time.
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Mr. Walsh has long been active in political affairs of the town and county, and he is a leader in local politics in Linn township. For a number of years he has been a member of the Democratic county central committee. At the same time he is able to rise above party lines when he sees it is best for his community. He was treasurer of Linn township for a period of fourteen years, and has been township clerk for twelve years. He was also school treasurer for a period of twenty-five years. At present he is assessor of Linn township. As a public servant he has always discharged his every duty in a manner that reflected much credit upon his ability and loyalty and to the emi- nent satisfaction of all concerned.
In addition to all the above named interests, Mr. Walsh has also a num- ber of investments in various enterprises, bank stock and other assets, all ac- cumulated through his own enterprise, rare business acumen and foresight, good management and thrift.
Mr. Walsh was married on September 12, 1893, to Ella Welch, daughter of Edward and Catherine ( Dormody) Welch, both natives of county Kil- kenny, Ireland. The father was only four years old when he was brought to America by his parents, James and Margaret Welch. They lived in and near Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where Mr. Welch grew to manhood. Catherine Dormody came to America when she was about thirteen years old with her parents, James and Ellen ( Welch) Dormody, and this family also settled at Elkhorn and there Edward Welch and wife spent the balance of their lives, never mov- ing but once after their marriage, and that was only to another part of the same ground. He devoted his life to farming. His death occurred on Janu- ary 7, 1896.
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