Outagamie County, WI - Biography of Charles F. TRETTIN of Appleton born 1854

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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives
SUBJECT: Biography of Charles F. TRETTIN of Appleton
SUBMITTER: County Coordinator
EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com
DATE SUBMITTED: 09 Dec 1999
SURNAMES: TRETTIN
SOURCE: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley Counties of Brown,
Outagamie and Winnebago, J.H. Beers & Co, p. 700, 1895


BIOGRAPHY:

CHARLES F. TRETTIN, proprietor of the well-known general store in Appleton, and whose
wide patronage is in itself indisputable evidence of his enviable popularity, was born in Eric
county, N. Y., October 24, 1854.
     Frederick Trettin, his father, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Prussia, born in
1822, whence in 1849 he emigrated to the United States, alone, settling in Erie county, N. Y. He
there, in 1853, married Miss Caroline Schlueter, who was born in Germany in 1832, and came to
America with her parents in 1852.  Nine children were born to this union, named respectively:
Charles F., Albertina E., Anna M., Frank F., Carrie, August, Amelia, Mattie, and William (who
died in infancy of smallpox, in the winter of 1864, at which time the entire family were attacked
with the disease).  In 1856 Frederick Trettin came to Wisconsin with his family, and settled on a
piece of wild land in the township of Ellington, Outagamie county, which property they cleared
and improved, converting the wildwoods into smiling fields of clover and grain, a snug and
fertile farm of eighty acres.  In 1889 Mr. Trettin rented the place, and retiring from active work
moved into the city of Appleton, where he died in March, 1891, and his widow is yet living.  He
enlisted in the army during the Civil war, but was rejected on account of his age.  In politics he
was a Democrat, in religious faith a member of the Lutheran Church, as is also his widow.
     Charles F. Trettin, their eldest son, was but an eighteen-month-old infant when his
parents brought him to Wisconsin.  When old enough he was placed in winter school, his
summers being passed in assisting his parents to clear up the farm, up to the age of fourteen,
when he left school, but at eighteen he again attended the district school.  When twenty-one
years old he left the home farm, hiring out his services, during the summer season, on another
farm, at eighteen dollars per month, and in the winter time cutting cordwood at fifty cents per
cord, and in this he continued four years, by the end of which time he had saved some four
hundred dollars.  Shortly after his marriage in 1878, he and his young wife came to Appleton,
where he learned the trade of cooper, at which he worked, in all, four years-two in Appleton and
two in Green Bay.  In 1882 or 1883 he commenced clerking in the general store of Peter
Leonhardt, where he remained about seven years, when impaired health compelled his
retirement from active life for a time.  He then took charge of the clothing department in
Michael Clifford's store one year, after which he for six months occupied a similar position for
the Milwaukee Clothing Rouse, all in Appleton.  Mr. Trettin's next appearance was as traveling
salesman for the Union Toy and Furniture Co., of Appleton, handling their goods as well as
those of others on commission until March 22, 1892, when he purchased his present general
store of Mr. Nic. Schafer.
In October, 1878, Mr. Trettin was married to Miss Carrie Schroeder, who was born in
Mecklenburg, Germany, October 24, 1853, daughter of Christian and Sophia Schroeder, who
came to America in 1866, settling in Outagamie county, where the father died in 1874.  They
had a family of seven children.  To Mr. and Mrs. Trettin have been born five children, as
follows: Anna C., Emma, Arthur H., Walter O., and Olga (deceased in 1884).  Our subject is a
member of the I..0.0.F., atid past high priest of the Encampment; is president of the Appleton
Maennerchor, also fest-president of the East Wisconsin Saenger-Bezirk.  In politics he is a
Republican, has always been very active in the workings of his party, and is very pronounced in
his political ideas.