Obit: Lewerenz, William (1854 – 1932)

Poster: Jenni Lewerenz

Email: jenni_lew@hotmail.com

Surnames: Lewerenz, Blass, Strenge

---Source: The Tomahawk Leader (Tomahawk, Lincoln Co., Wis.) Wednesday, June 16, 1932

---Lewerenz, William (28 Mar 1854 – 15 Jun 1932)

Old Pioneer Passes Away

William Lewerenz Died in Merrill Hospital Early Wednesday Morning; Built Right of Way Into Tomahawk

William Lewerenz, 78, one of Tomahawk's earliest settlers, died at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Cross hospital, Merrill. Mr. Lewerenz had been ill for some time.

He was born March 28, 1854 at Wohlen, Germany, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Lewerenz. At the age of twenty-one he entered the German army, and after four years of service, was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant. In 1882 he came to America and settled at Mauston, Wis., where he married Elizabeth Blass.

Shortly after his marriage Mr. Lewerenz entered the construction business, having learned the work in the German army.

In 1887 he secured a contract to build the right of way of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad, from Irma through Tomahawk to Heafford Junction, and from that time on Tomahawk was his home. He took an active part in building up the city to its present size. The first church services in the new settlement were held in a tent at the Lewerenz construction camp. His daughter, Maida, was the first white child born in Tomahawk. She was born on August 23, 1887, and was the first child baptized in the Congregational church here, of which Mr. Lewerenz was a charter member.

Mr. Lewerenz was active in the organization of St. Paul's Evangelical church. He built the first plastered house here, which is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Olson.

In 1890 he built a stretch of roadbed between Marshfield and Greenwood for the Wisconsin Central Railroad. Old-timers recall that the 125 workers in Lewerenz's crew were soaked by rain which fell continually during the project. Mr. Lewerenz was noted as an expert in road construction. It was said that he could estimate at a glance the number of yards of dirt to be removed on any job. He had a hand in the building of every road in this vicinity, and was an advocate of good roads. Together with Judge Hurley of Wausau, William H. Bradley, and Governor Hoard, he attended the first "good roads" meeting held in the state. Later a public meeting was held at Wausau, and to impress his views on the delegates, Mr. Lewerenz built a short sample of surface road out of Wausau. In 1891 he took up a homestead on Half Moon lake, where he lived until the time of his death. When the government threw the lands open for homesteaders 800 men hurried to Wausau, and it was only by waiting all night that Mr. Lewerenz was able to file on the Half Moon property. As he left the office he passed a man who was entering to file on the same land.

For ten years Mr. Lewerenz was secretary of the school board of the town of Rock Falls, which has since been sub-divided into several towns. He was also a supervisor for many years. Interested in education he donated land upon which was constructed the first schoolhouse in his township.

Mrs. Lewerenz died June 30, 1919. On December 14, 1921 Mr. Lewerenz married Mrs. Ella Strenge, who survives him. Also surviving are his son, Roy, a daughter Maida, who is secretary to the President of the Whitewater Normal School, Elmer Strenge of Seattle, Wash., Oscar Strenge of Chicago, and Fred Strenge, a student at the University of Wisconsin, and one brother, Carl, of Neillsville.