BIOGRAPHIES: William F. SCHARLAU, Elk Mound, Dunn County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Abood 4 June 2003 ==================================================================== William F. Scharlau, who was for more than 30 years a well known farmer and highly respected citizen in the town of Elk Mound, and whose sterling qualities of patience and industry, backed by those of his wife, resulted in the development of an excellent farm, carved out of the wilderness, was born in the state of New York, Feb. 2, 1860, son of Carl and Minnie (Bernau) Scharlau. The family came went in 1864, locating in Menomonie, Wis., where for a few years Carl Scharlau worked for Knapp, Stout & Co. At the end of that period he bought a farm in the town of Red Cedar, on which he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives engaged in agriculture. William F. Scharlau as a boy attended rural school in the town of Red Cedar and remained on the home farm until 18 years of age. He then went into the woods for the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company and was in the employ of that well known lumber concern until 1890. It was while he was thus engaged that he was married June 22, 1882, to Bertha Dehnhoff, who was born in Bradenberg, Germany, Sept. 22, 1860, and had come to the United States and to Menomonie, Wis., in 1880. In 1890 Mr. Scharlau left the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company and went to work as a brick moulder in the Kelly Brick Yards at Menomonie, remaining thus employed until 1898. Thus far he had been engaged in manual labor for others but he realized that the chances for self advancement along those lines were but poor and that the wise thing to do was to get on to the land and carve out a home for himself and family. He now took the first steps in that direction, buying 40 acres of wild land in Section 5, and 80 acres in Section 31, town of Colfax. There were no buildings and their erection was one of Mr. Scharlau's first tasks. Making a clearing on the 40-acre tract, he built a log house and a board shed covered with straw, the latter to be used as a barn. Thus he started in as a pioneer, his wife assisting him in most of the hard work, such as pulling stumps and breaking the land. Careful management had to be exercised but yearly progress was made in one direction or another until their united efforts culminated in a fine farm homestead of which they had reason to be proud. In 1910 they built the good frame residence of eight rooms, now occupied; and in 1917 erected a large dairy barn of 36 x 56 feet in ground plan, with a full basement equipped with steel stanchions, and in addition to these buildings they put up a machine shed, chicken house, corn crib, garage and other useful buildings. In 1919 Mr. Scharlau purchased an additional tract of 80 acres in Section 5, thus increasing the area of the farm to 200 acres. At the time of his death, which occurred Sept. 30, 1921, he had between 70 and 80 acre cleared. His life work was well performed and as a husband and father he was mourned by his family and as a man and citizen his loss was regretted by the entire community. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Scharlau are Robert, Anna, Paul, Alfred, Arthur, Hattie, William, Walter and George. Robert, born March 9, 1884, is on the home farm. Anna, born Sept. 20, 1885, is now Mrs. Albert Laustad of the town of Tainter and has two children, Norman and Walter. Paul, born Feb. 25, 1888, who is a farmer in the town of Elk Mound, married Helen Hagen, and has four children, Edwin, Ruth, Herbert and Helen. Alfred, born Jan. 20, 1890, and also a farmer in the town of Elk Mound, married Alice Zuelke and has one child, Gerhart. Arthur, born Oct. 18, 1892, who is a farmer in the town of Iron Creek, married Laura Holbein and has two children, Ethel and Arthur. Hattie, born Jan. 22, 1895, is residing on the home farm with her mother and the other children- three brothers- namely: William, born Dec. 24, 1896; Walter, born March 26, 1899, and George, born April 1, 1904, the last mentioned conducting the farm. The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran Church. --No source cited