BIOGRAPHIES: John SEITZ, Menomonie, Dunn Co., WI ********************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, 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. Submitted by: Laura Abood 11 May 2005 ********************************************************************* John Seitz, who for years was prominent in the agricultural industry in Dunn County, and, having gained a competence, is now living retired in Menomonie, was born in Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 10, 1862. His parents, George and Louisa (Fox) Seitz, were natives of Germany and Switzerland respectively and came to the United States when young. They were married in Milwaukee, where for some time the father followed the trade of brewer. In 1867 they came to Dunn County, buying 80 acres of railroad land in Section 19, town of Eau Galle. This land was wild and had a quantity of timber on it, which George Seitz began cutting. Later he grubbed the stumps, broke the land and developed it into a farm. The family lived during the early years under pioneer conditions, having little but the bare necessities of life, though they were able to procure an abundance of wild game, bear and deer being numerous in the vicinity of their home. Hard work was the order of the day but in time it brought results, and Mr. and Mrs. Seitz became fairly prosperous and more comfortable. Mr. Seitz died on the farm, but his wife is still living and now resides in Elmwood with her son Frank. They were the parents of eight children, all now living, namely: John, subject of this sketch; Lena, now Mrs. W. H. Woods of the town of Sherman, Dunn County; Anna, who is Mrs. John Klaus of St. Paul; Elizabeth, wife of William Chapman of Minneapolis; Minnie of Newport, Wash.; Charles, who is a rancher in the Blue Mountains of Oregon; Frank, a farmer of the town of Weston, this county, and Henry of Spokane, Wash. John Seitz, as the son of pioneer parents, had but limited educational opportunities, for a short time attending the rural schools. After remaining with his parents until he was 22 years old, he started in for himself, buying a farm of 160 acres in section 19, town of Eau Galle, which adjoined the old home farm. With the exception of three acres that had been cleared, it was all wild land. He started with a set of log buildings, which he later replaced with good frame ones, and he continued to follow diversified farming until the fall of 1918. He then retired, selling his farm and moving to Menomonie, in which city he bought a house at No. 1018 Sixth Street, which he now rents out, occupying another residence at 1509 Main Street, which also he owns. Mr. Seitz was married first in February, 1885, to Mary Lamon, who died Nov. 19, 1913, leaving nine children: Nellie, of Menomonie, widow of Harvey Partridge; Walter, of Oregon; Blanche, now Mrs. Paul Lehman of the town of Weston, Dunn County; Earl, who is in the garage business at Ellsworth, Wis.; Clifford, of Elmwood, Wis.; Sylvia, now Mrs. Edward Parent of Milwaukee; Grace, now deceased; Raymond of Fond du Lac, and Harold of the town of Weston, Dunn County. On Jan. 1, 1920, Mr. Seitz was married to Amelia Scheel, whose maiden name was Amelia Bloedorn, died Feb. 16, 1922. The father, Julius Bloedorn, is now living at Groton, S. D. It was in 1886 that the daughter, Amelia, now Mrs. Seitz was married to Carl F. Scheel, who at that time was employed in a brickyard. He was born in Kuno, near Berlin, Germany, March 27, 1861, and came to America at the age of 21. After working hard and saving as much as possible he had his parents come from Germany and made a home for them at Waterloo, Wis. In 1888 Mr. and Mrs. Carl F. Scheel came to Dunn County, settling on land in the town of Sherman. It consisted of 80 acres purchased from Capt. William Wilson, all of it wild, and its development was a task that took considerable time and a vast amount of physical energy. Besides attending to the housework, Mrs. Scheel reared ten children, being obliged to employ a doctor only once. In the end they developed their farm to one of 214 acres, with fine buildings and full equipment. After Mr. Scheel's death, which occurred Dec. 27, 1914, Mrs. Scheel with the assistance of her children, carried on the farm successfully. In March 1922 she sold it to Herbert Quilling. These children, including all in the family, were: Herman, of Fall City, Dunn County; Carl, of the town of Sherman; Anna, now Mrs. Oscar Olson of Eau Claire; William, a farmer of Dallas, Barron County; Emma, now Mrs. Roy Leach of Bloomer, Wis.; Mary, now Mrs. Eli Sukow of Burgin, Ky.; Ernest, a farmer of Dunn County; Edward of the town of Menomonie, who married Alvera Marunda; Amelia, now Mrs. Egbert Savage of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is an instructor in manual training and in typewriting; and August (a twin of Mary), who is deceased. Mr. Scheel was a warm hearted, generous man, who died greatly respected an esteemed. In 1901 he and his wife joined the German Methodist Church, of which she is still a member, as also are their children. Transcribed from the "History of Dunn County Wisconsin, 1925" pages 275-276 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm