Biography: Fred PECK (1875-1974) Juneau Co., Wisconsin Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darrell L Peck, USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogy information on the Internet, data may be freely 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 presentation by other organizations." Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must contact the submitter or the listed USGenWeb archivist. I am sending you some of the chapters from a book I wrote about my PECK ancestors several years ago. Each chapter will be in a separate e-mail message. Each chapter is a collection of the info I have about one male ancestor, so it traces him from place to place. I have marked each chapter (thus: ****NAME OF COUNTY****) to make it easier to sort the info by Wisconsin counties. Darrell Peck FRED PECK (1875-1974) ****JUNEAU COUNTY**** Fred Eugene Peck was born in Mauston, Juneau County, Wisconsin, October 18, 1875, the second of seven children and the oldest son. There apparently was very little money in the family while Fred was growing up. Initially, the family lived in Mauston while his father, Oscar, worked as a laborer. By 1880, they were living in the Town of Fountain, where Oscar apparently was working someone else's farm. Fred and his siblings undoubtedly had plenty of chores around the farm, too. However, the family must have moved back to Mauston soon after that when Oscar settled into a steady job as the custodian at the county courthouse. In 1898, at age 22, Fred enlisted in the Army and served in the Spanish-American war, along with his brothers Harry, 20, and William, 18. He served in Puerto Rico where he apparently spent much of his time as the driver (teamster) for Dr. John B. Edwards, Mauston's town doctor, who was also serving with the Army there. A lasting relationship developed between Fred and the doctor. Upon returning from the war, Fred and his next three brothers traveled extensively through the western United States, mostly working in the wheat fields and with surveying teams. On April 18, 1900, just a few weeks before his mother died of tuberculosis, Fred married Sarah Jane Quirk in Mauston. She was born near Plain, Sauk County, Wisconsin, on April 16, 1876. She and Fred met at Camp Douglas, a town fifteen miles northwest of Mauston, while she was staying with an uncle who lived there. They eventually had nine children: Harry Lyle (Jan. 14, 1901); George Laurence (Jan. 11, 1902); John Edward (Aug. 9, 1903); Frank Eugene (Oct. 10, 1904); Olive Viola (Nov. 2, 1905); Edna Lucille (May 31, 1907); twins Earl M. and William (Jan. 24, 1910); and Walter Irving (Oct. 29, 1911). William died at eight months, just four weeks before Walter was born. The 1900 census, taken only weeks after Fred and Jane were married, shows them living in a rented house in Camp Douglas. Fred gave his occupation as "day laborer," which means that he did not have a regular job but took what he could get in the way of temporary work and odd jobs. A few years later, Fred and his family moved to a farm Dr. Edwards owned next to the Indian reservation near Mauston, and Fred worked the farm. By 1910, Fred and Jane had eight children and were living in a rented house on Juneau Avenue in Mauston. In the census, Fred described himself as a "laborer" who worked on his own account (not as an employee) and did "all kinds of work." He reportedly worked as a carpenter and blacksmith, and also as a frequent driver (teamster) for Dr. Edwards and probably others. Sadly, Jane died on June 24, 1912, at the age of 36. The immediate cause was bronchial pneumonia, but she had never recovered from the birth of her last child. She died in their rented house on Juneau Avenue and was buried in the Mauston Cemetery. Her inscription reads: SARAH JANE PECK 4 - 18 - 1876 6 - 24 - 1912 Upon Jane's death, the children, ranging in age from eight months to 11 years, initially were left with their great aunt, Sarah Mason Lawrence. Over the next several months, most of them were placed with other families; two were formally adopted. They never again lived together as a family. Shortly after Jane's death, Fred, age 37, moved to Nekoosa to work in a new lumber mill. Later he moved to Dousman, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, where for several years he operated another farm for Dr. Edwards. He took his sons Harry, 11, and Frank, 7, with him. His father, Oscar, also stayed with them. This arrangement with Dr. Edwards continued until about 1919. After that, Fred worked some time in road construction. On March 3, 1924, Fred, then 48, married his cousin, Margaret McChesney, 37, at Julesberg, Colorado. For 17 years they lived in Mesa, Arizona, in the winter and in Grand Marsh, Adams County, Wisconsin, in summer. He continued to work at a variety of temporary jobs. Fred and Margaret eventually returned to Mauston. In his later years, they lived at Colonial Manor, a retirement home in Mauston. He died there May 20, 1974, at the age of 98. Fred was buried in Rock Cemetery, Friendship, Adams County, about 15 miles northeast of Mauston. His inscription reads: FATHER FRED E. PECK 1875 1974 Margaret died in 1988 and is buried beside him.