John May, 1865

stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org on Sun, 11 Feb 2001

Surname: MAY, WEBER, KRAN, HART, WALDBURGER, WIED, ANDERSON, CHASPER

----Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

JOHN MAY, a well-known and respected citizen of Worden Township, where he is making satisfactory progress along agricultural lines, was born in Dodge County, Wis., April 24, 1865. His parents, Jacob and Theresa (Weber) May, came to the United States from Germany when young, their respective parents settling in Dodge County, this state. Jacob May was a farmer, and as a Democrat was elected to local offices, being a prominent: citizen of his locality. He died in 1914, at the age of 94 years, his wife having passed away in 1904, at the age of 73.

They had seven children--Jacob, Joseph, who is deceased; Barbara, now Mrs. F. Kran; Andrew; Frances, who married Joseph Hart, of Dodge County; Tressa, wife of Henry Kram, and John. John May left home at the age of 21 years and bought a farm in Dodge County, which he operated for two years. He then went to Appleton, Wis., where he worked for the same length of time in a paper mill. In 1890 he bought a farm in Outagamie County, where he resided until 1906, when he sold it and removed to Clark County. Here he purchased his present farm of eighty acres, which was partly cleared, but on it he has made many improvements.

In 1913 he built his ten-room residence, and in the following year a stave silo of seventy-five tons' capacity. He has also built a granary and shed. His barn has room for twenty head of stock. He raises Durham cattle, milking fourteen cows, and his hogs are of the Berkshire breed. His crops are corn, hay, oats and rye. His business is increasing so that he is making preparations to enlarge his barn. Since coming to Clark County Mr. May has served as road commissioner, and also as clerk of the school board, having been elected to the latter office in 1912, and serving two terms. Mr. May was married Nov. 26, 1889, to Annie Wied, who was born in Germany in 1865, daughter of Michael and Waldburger (Gettle) Wied. Both her parents are now dead. The father was a tradesman, and neither he nor his wife ever came to this country.

Mr. and Mrs. May have two children-Herbert and Leoretta. Herbert, who was born in November, 1891, and resides on the home farm, was married in 1915, to Ella Anderson, and has one child-Anna Londa Bernice, who was born Sept. 13, 1916. Leoretta, born in October, 1894, is the wife of Charles Chasper, a druggist of Chippewa Falls. The family are members of the Catholic Church.