Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Wilke, Hon Frederick ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com September 3, 2007, 1:12 am Author: Genealogical/Biographical Publishing Co HON. FREDERICK WILKE, chairman of the board of supervisors, is one of Will County's best known citizens. He has been one of the property owners of this county since 1857, when he visited Illinois and purchased slightly improved land lying on section 17, Washington Township. Three years later he returned to the county and established his home on the tract, building a frame house on the eight-acre piece, and making other improvements that added to its value. As he prospered he added to his farm until he owned three hundred and thirty- five acres on sections 17 and 18. Of this he afterward gave his son a quarter section, and the two now own, together, two hundred and seventy acres (fifteen being in Indiana just across the state line). They have brought the land under first-class improvement, and have drained it by means of one hundred thousand tile. He was a pioneer in introducing tiling, and paid as much as $38 for four- inch tiles that now sell for $12. The idea of tiling at first seemed ludicrous to his acquaintances, but after a time they saw the utility of it and became interested themselves. While he engaged in general farming, for some years his specialty was the dairy business, and he had on his place a number of full blooded and high-grade Holsteins. In 1889 he left his place in charge of his son and moved to Beecher, where he carried on a grain business for a short time, and where he has since made his home. Of a family of eight, five of whom grew to mature years, Mr. Wilke was third in order of birth, and is the sole survivor. Four of the family came to America, of whom one daughter died in Indiana, another in Iroquois County, Ill., and Christ, who came to America in 1850, died at the home of his brother Fred. The father, Herman Wilke, a native of Westphalia, Germany, was pressed into the Napoleonic army at the time of the march to Moscow, and was one of the few who returned from that ill-fated expedition. From that time he engaged in farming until he died, at fifty-nine years. He married Katherine Waltman, who was born in Westphalia and died there when thirty-nine years old. In Westphalia, where he was born March 17, 1829, our subject grew to manhood on his father's large farm, and received his education in German schools and under private tutorship. The death of his father put an end to his classical studies and forced him into the world of commercial activity. After working for an uncle for a time, in 1850 he entered the Fifteenth Regiment Infantry, where he served for two years and became a non-commissioned officer. In 1854 he left Bremen on a sailing vessel that reached New York City after a voyage of six weeks, and from there he proceeded to Cincinnati, Ohio, joining his brother Christ. From that time until 1860 he was employed on an omnibus line in that city. He then came to Illinois, and has since been identified with the history of Will County, as farmer, business man and official. The first marriage of Mr. Wilke united him with Miss Mary Nuenker, whom he had known in childhood. She died at twenty-four years of age. Two children were born of that union, both now deceased, Henry having died in childhood in Cincinnati, while Lizzie, Mrs. Scheiwe, died in 1890, leaving three children, two of whom survive. The second wife of Mr. Wilke was Christina Brutlag, who was born in Westphalia. The only child of this union, Herman F., is a member of the firm of Bidefeldt & Wilke, at Beecher, owners of a large lumber and coal business, and an agricultural implement store, and with their warehouses on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois road. Twice married, by his first wife he had a son, Frederick. His second wife was Sophie Meier, by whom he has eight children. From 1862 to 1864 Mr. Wilke was assessor of Washington Township. Later he was collector. In 1870 he was elected supervisor without opposition and continued until 1884, when he resigned, but after a year and four months he was again elected without solicitation on his part. From that time to the present he has continued in the office, which he has held for a longer period than any other supervisor in the entire state; and it may be added that, in all the time since 1870, he has had opposition only two times. He has been a member of various committees, and has worked in the interest of all public buildings that have been erected, being a member of the committees that built the court house, improved the poor farm, put up the residence on that farm, and remodeled the sheriffs residence and jail. In 1899 he was elected chairman of the board of supervisors, without opposition, and by virtue of this office he is also chairman of the board of review, the first board in the county under the new law. In 1888, on the Republican ticket, he was elected to the legislature, leading the ticket by three hundred majority. He was re-elected in 1890, and again in 1892 he received a large majority. In the various bills that were brought up before the legislature he took an active interest, favoring movements in the interests of his constituents and the public at large. As a committee member, his record was unexcelled for faithfulness and intelligence. After three terms of service he retired, refusing further nomination for the office. Since 1890 he has been school treasurer of Washington Township, and he handles and is responsible for the township's school fund of $11,500. Religiously he is a Lutheran. He took an active part in the building of the Eagle Lake Church, being chairman of the building committee, and he still holds his membership with this congregation, of which for years he was the treasurer. Additional Comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present Biographical Publishing Company; Chicago 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/weed1613nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb