Bio: Wipperfurth, Werner (Commemorative Bio - 1895)

Poster: Crystal Wendt

Werner Wipperfurth

Werner Wipperfurth, who now makes his home in Merrill, Lincoln County, is one of the representative German citizens of the county, his birth having occurred on the 22nd of September, 1857, near Cologne, Province of Rhine, Germany. His father, Peter Joseph Wipperfurth, was born in the same province in 1808, and there married Anna B. Decker, who was born in 1812 near the home of her husband in the same place. They became the parents of five children: Mathias, William, Michael, Werner and Catherine, the later of whom died at the age of eight years. The father was a farmer and land owner of Germany, but left that country in 1866, when with his family he crossed the Atlantic to America. On landing the United States he came at once to Wisconsin, making a location in the town of Springfield, Dane County, near the city of Madison, where he purchased a farm. He died on that place June 8, 1873, and his wife departed this life on the 27th of January, 1887. He was a very successful farmer and accumulated considerable property, but he lost a great portion of it in going security for his friends.

The grandfather of our subject, Sebastian Wipperfurth, was also an agriculturist, and by his marriage with Agnes Ubbers, became the father of nine children: Peter J., William, Cecilia, John J., Agatha, Conrad, Catherine, Werner and Henry. His grandmother on the maternal side was a DeGrasse, of France, and her brother served as admiral in the French fleet which came to America to aid in the Revolution. He became a great friend of General Washington, The DeGrasse family at one time was very wealthy, but lost their property during the wars of their native land.

When Werner Wipperfurth was about nine years of age he was brought by his parents to the United States. He was the youngest child of the family and his school training was quite good, he being able to attend St. Francis Seminary, near Milwaukee, Wis., from which he was graduated in 1876. He then taught for a while in the district and parochial schools, which occupation he followed for five years. At the end of that time he stated a general store in Springfield, Wis., conducting the same for six years, when, in April, 1887, he sold out and came to Tomahawk, Lincoln County. At that place he built a home, and also carried on a boarding house for one year, when he was elected to the office of town clerk. He then rented his hotel, and gave his whole attention to his official duties and in looking up pine lands.

In Dane County, Wis., in 1882, a ceremony was performed which united the destinies of Mr. Wipperfurth and Barbara Trimberger. The lady was born in Sheboygan County, Wis., in 1859, and is a daughter of Michael and Caroline Trimberger. Both her parents were natives of Germany, but left the Fatherland about 1843, coming to Ohio, where their wedding was celebrated. In their family were eight children, who are yet living – Joseph, Anna, John, Henry, George, Barbara, Cecilia, August; the two have now passed away are Michael and Caroline. The parents were farming people who were held in the highest esteem by all who knew them. Mr. and Mrs. Wipperfurth have four living children – Emma M., Cecilia, Joseph M. and Werner.

Our subject does a large real estate business, handling mostly pine lands, in which he is meeting with a well deserved success. Religiously he is a member of the Catholic Church, and also belongs to the Catholic Knights. In politics he is decidedly Democratic, and by that party was elected clerk of the circuit court, in the fall of 1890, and has twice been re-elected. He takes a very active part in political affairs, being one of the leaders of the Democracy in the county, and always serves as a delegate to its conventions, where his opinions carry great weight. For six years he served as town clerk in Dane County, and held the same office at Tomahawk for two years. Mrs. Wipperfurth took a commercial course in the Madison Business College, intending to become a business man, but since coming to Lincoln County has given his time almost wholly to public affairs. In his official capacity he is very popular, and his public as well as his private life is above reproach.

---Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Wisconsin Counties of Waupaca, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Shawano. publ. 1895 by J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago 1110 pages, illustrated; Page 674-675