Good Old Days    

By Dee Zimmerman

Once again, Memorial Day will be observed in remembering those who lost their lives in our country’s war zones, fighting to preserve our country’s freedoms.

Each community has a memorial service initiated by the local American Legion and Veteran’s of Foreign War’s Post with the school band member providing music, etc.

Let us not feel we are too busy on that day, with other activities, too busy to pause for a moment, a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice – their lives.

William G. Waterman, Sr. lived and farmed in the Pleasant Ridge area.  The following excerpts were taken from his auto-biography:

“William G. Waterman, Sr. was born in Staplehurst, Kent County, England, on May 1, 1840.  He came to America in 1847, living at Waterville, N. Y., for two years, and then moved to Petersburg, VA in 1850.

He joined Company “C” 41^st Virginia Infantry in 1859, with the first unit of soldiers to leave for the Civil War.  He fought in battles of Bull Run, Chickamauga, Seven Pines, Gaines’ Mill, Seven Days fight before Richmond, Malvern Hill, Fair Oaks, Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Harpers Ferry, Gordonsville, Oring Courthouse, Cold Harbor, Gaines Station, Strasburg, Harrisonburg, Hanover Church, Savage Station, Harris Landing, and the destruction of Petersburg; Lastly, the Meldon Railroad, Yellow Tavern, Five Forks, the Retreat to Appomattox Courthouse and the surrender of Sunday morning, April 9, 1865.

Receiving two shots in his left arm, in the Battle of Malvern Hill, the arm was amputated.  While on furlough, at that time, on May 3, 1863, he married Paulene A Borum in Prince Edward County, VA.

After serving with Mahon’s Brigade, Anderson’s Division, Longstreet’s Corps of General Lee’s Army, he left Virginia in April of 1867, staying in Illinois that summer.  He came to Clark County in September 1867, living in the Town of Grant until his death September 1913.

Waterman is buried in the Town of Grant Cemetery, the only Confederate veteran buried in Clark County.

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The largest draft call in Clark County during World War I was made on May 28, 1918, when 139 men reported for duty.  A dance and reception were held at the Opera House, East 4^th Street, Neillsville.  Men on that list were as follows:

            Albert Hoffman ……………....Unity

            Ira W. Meacham……………Spencer

            Samuel M. Munson….…Withee R. 2

            Frank R. Stochek………...…Spencer

            Bazyl Haryjcki…………….….Thorp

            Calvin Frantz….......Greenwood R. 2

            Fred J. Kobs………………….Colby

            Eric C. Peterson………….…Withee

            Felix Kolenkiewicz……….….Owen

            Elmer A. Langjahr…………...Colby

            Leland M. Forman……………..City

            Percy F. Voight………………Loyal

            Frank C. McLesky………Neillsville

            Roy Studebaker…………….Stanley

            George Ebbe…………….Neillsville

            Earl Hodnett……………Withee R 1

            Walter E Tischendorf…..Dorchester

            Earl W. Price……………..Humbird

            Andrew Syryczyk……………Thorp

            Alphons M. Bauer…………...Colby

            Uffe J. Norgaard………….Boscobel

            Fred Leja…………………...Stanley

            Frank Bohac…….......Merrillan R. 2

            Edward F. Arenda……..Greenwood

            Oscar Schier…………..Granton R 4

            Arthur E. Lee………………Stanley

            Arnold Zeller……………..Humbird

            Frank M Ritzel……….…Neillsville

            John Schober…………….…..Loyal

            Henry F. Lindau………..Dorchester

            Louie Walter…........Greenwood R 1

            Arthur W. Kearney….….Neillsville

            Geo. Koerner……………....Curtiss

            Nick Sydorowicz………Thorp R. 1

            Frank Skerbeck………..…Superior

            Arthur E. Zimendorf……..Pittsville

            Archie G. Ackerman………Curtiss

            Charley J. Shramek Neillsville R. 2

            James W. Jensen…………..Withee

            Willie Lang………….Rockford, Ill

            Erick G. Beisner………Dorchester

            Joseph Prokopinski…………Thorp

            Nick Wesolaski……Neillsville R 2

            Herman L. Tesmer………….Colby

            Erick Forest…………………Owen

            Frank J. Koch……………….Thorp

            Gilbert L. Sternitzky…Granton R 2

            Oscar Bentz……………....Granton

            Carl F. Brandt………..Kolin, Mont

            Geo. W. Ehlert………….Columbia

            Leo Klasinski………………Thorp

            John C. Garvne………..Dorchester

            Leon F. Kolaczkowski Thorp R.  4      

            Mike Krakoweski…………..Thorp

            Ben A Marquardt…….Curtiss R. 2

            Gustav H. Belter……….Neillsville

            Charles Sapa………………..Thorp

            Julius Zwolinski……….Thorp R. 4

            James R. Thomas……….…..Loyal

            Rex C. Beeckler………… Granton

            Nicholas Schield……….Neillsville

            Conrad Christofferson… Columbia

            Jake P. Haas……………Neillsville

            Albert C. Warner……..Stanley R 2

            Rudolph Zeller………….Humbird

            Bennie Hart……….Neillsville R 5

            Henry W. Reeves, Jr………Colby

            Irving Slaw………………..Loyal

            Martin W. Garbisch Granton R.1

            William Schmidtke…….Granton

            Vincent Pryzbyliski… Thorp R. 4

            Charles D. Olson.......Abbotsford

            Joe L. Dyre……...….Greenwood

            John Wrzos……….....Thorp R. 4

            Harry Milligan……………Loyal

            John Pelkoszki….…...Thorp R. 4

            Arthur J. Kunze… Neillsville R 4

            Adolph Garbish……...Neillsville

            Robert Zetsche….….Greenwood

            Norman Schroeder......Neillsville

            Peter A. Zukowski……….Thorp

            Martin C. Desota……Dorchester

            John B. Stochek………….Unity

            Stanley Herman………….Thorp

            Henry F Pueschner… Dorchester

            Frederick Dittner Greenwood R 3

            Leslie W. Yorkston.… Neillsville

            August Velcheck…….…...Thorp

            Robert Daniel……….……Thorp

            Jos. J. Neiman……….…...Thorp

            Richard Lindekugel….…...Loyal

            Paul A. Johnson Greenwood R 4

            Gerald J. Hephner………..Loyal

            Rofat Bartoszewizc….......Thorp

            Vincent Butrym………….Thorp

            Julius E Kleinschmidt Hecla, SD

            Geo. E. Wagner………….Thorp

            Andrew Jacobson………Withee

            Fred Zeller…….. Sioux City, IA

            Jay W. Clayton…………Withee

            Fred N. Sorenson… Stanley R 4

            Arthur L Lautenbach… Granton

            Paul F. Lautenbach Granton R 4

            Joseph E. Gruber………Stanley

            Theodore Patitz………..Curtiss

            Henry G. Schaus………..Colby

            Ernest Evenson…..Stanley R. 2

            Fred Sterze……………Spencer

            Engman Gilbertson……Curtiss

            Jacob Becher……..Greenwood

            Edwin Haltaufderhelde M-field

            Ben H. Brunett……….Spencer

            Thomas Wysiathko…….Owen

            Phillip Zimmer….…Neillsville

            Arthur J. Lindl…….……Loyal

            Coleman A. Sugden….…Owen

            Olaf Nelson………….…Thorp

            Edwin A Johnson Greenwood R 5

            Roger Drangle……….…Thorp

            Paul Lange……..Stevens Point

            Herman Goetz.……….Chicago

            Gustaf H Schmidtke Granton R 1

            John W. Johnson………...Unity

            Carl Eiler………….….Stanley

            Albert F. Susa Greenwood R. 5

            Louie A Dumke……....Stanley

            Erastus Dawson……..…Colby

            Archie N. Ferguson…....Loyal

            Martin Rzetelny…….…Thorp

            Peter J. Osouski…..Thorp R. 1

            Edw. Hagie……..…Neillsville

Many of us can remember families receiving photos, such as that above from servicemen who serve in a branch of the armed forces in World War II.  Often such a picture would appear in the local newspaper.  This article recognized airmen and ground crew of the 13^th AAF Liberator group stationed in the Philippines.  First Lieut. Duane Stanley, son of the Leon Stanley’s, had lived in the Town of Grant.  As a B-24 bomber pilot, Stanley completed over 50 missions, being awarded the Air Medal and four battle stars.  He now lives in Indianapolis.  Standing, left to right: Frank Handlosky, Milwaukee; Duane Stanley, Neillsville; H. J. Sorenson, Kenosha; R. C. Peterson, Nashotah; C. J. Skoczynski, Cudahy; N. L. Johnson, Milwaukee; L. W. Verhagen.  Kneeling, left to right: K. G. Olson, Spooner; M. C. Hommet, Beloit; J. C. Allen, Sheboygan; R. K. Scholtkie, Milwaukee; Daniel K. Schmidt, Milwaukee; B. B. Buska, Milwaukee; W. L. Brown, Kenosha; Donald Street, Pewaukee; Mike Montartz, Milwaukee; J. J. Krumbeck, Milwaukee; and Wm. V. Fenrich, Oshkosh.  Their unit won two unit citations.

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This week, another school term draws to a close with students and teachers recessing for the summer months.  A reminder of “school days” was brought to us recently, a moment of nearly 100 years ago, Grant School District No. 1.  A card with the 1896-1897 pupils, who attended the school full or short term were listed on one side.  The teacher, William Short, had his photograph and a message printed on the other side, which was presented to each student as a souvenir of their year at Grant School.  Grant school was located on Pleasant Ridge, near the present Grant Town Hall.

Will Short, teacher of Grant School Dist. No. 1, taught there for the term of 1896-1897

Students were: Veda Stanley, Celia Tyler, Lottie Blackman, Marvin Jahf, Ida Drescher, Ernest Swann, Ada Meade, Arthur Benedict, Walter Barstow, Maude Hauge, Cora Stanley, Odelia Eisentraut, George Swann, Walter Gerhardt, Charlie Wesenberg, Evelyn Blackman, Georgie Tyler, Bessie Howard, Norene Benedict, Hazel Slocomb, Elsie Johr, Albert Swann, Willie Duge, Arthur Drescher, Alfred Schnabel, Florence Billings, Clara Witke, Ray Howard, Martha Ratsch, Albert Ott, Asa Slocomb, Willard Gerhardt, Clayton Vine, Elgie Blackman, Charlie Slocomb, Amelia Duge, Henry Witke, Herbert Fall, Willis Waterman, Herbert Counsell, Leon Stanley, Harry Benedict, Mabel Brown, Sadie Blackman, Jessie Russel, Archie Wilding, Edna Brown, Ida Counsell, Arnold Drescher, Herman Witke, Murray Benedict, Daisy Slocomb, Carl Kretchmere.