Notes:

Died:
BETTY WENTKER

Betty M. Wentker, age 76, of 14116 Hwy Q, Two Rivers (Larrabee), was called to her heavenly home to see and be with her Savior, Monday evening, November 22, 1999.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 26, 1999, at St. Peters Ev. Lutheran Church, Mishicot, with the Rev. Maurice I. Hoppe and Rev. Paul Schleis officiating. Burial in the Mishicot Public Cemetery.

Betty was born March 1, 1923, in Two Creeks, to the late William and Nora Meineke Menges and has been a life long area resident. She was a graduate of the Mishicot High School with the class of 1940. Betty married Robert Wentker, September 12, 1942, at St. Johns Ev. Lutheran Church, town of Gibson. She enjoyed her years working at Camp TaPaWingo. She was a member of St. Peters Ev. Lutheran Church in Mishicot, and the Ladies Bible Hour of the Church. She loved spending quality time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She looked forward to playing cards and liked flower gardening.

Survivors include her husband, Robert; two daughters, Donna Wentker, Milwaukee, and Diane Kunstmann, Manitowoc; two sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth and Margaret Wentker, Mishicot, John and Christine Wentker, Manitowoc; ten grandchildren, John Jr.
and Yvonne Wentker, Nicole and Cary Zech, Cherie, Shellie, Louise, Natalie, and Katie Wentker, Joshua, Nathan, and Naomi Kunstmann; one great granddaughter, Kathryne Zech; one sister, Mildred Haese, Manitowoc; one brother and two sisters-in-law, Paul and Carol Menges, Larrabee, and Elaine Menges, Larrabee; many nieces and nephews also survive. She was also preceded in death by one son, Thomas, May 30, 1974; one daughter-in-law, Roshelle (Ross) Wentker, May 23, 1979; one brother, William Menges; one brother-
in-law, Harold Haese. Betty was also preceded in death by her husband's, brothers and sisters.

Relatives and friends may call from 4-8 p.m on Thursday, at the Lambert Funeral Home, Mishicot. Visitation will continue after 10 a.m. on Friday at St. Peters Ev. Lutheran Church until the time of service at 11 a.m.

A memorial fund has been established in her name.

Herald Times Reporter, November 24, 1999 P. A2

Betty married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. WENTKER, Thomas was born on 22 Dec 1952; died on 23 May 1979 in Manitowoc, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; was buried in Mishicot, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States.
4. Living
5. Living

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1916, Two Creeks, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; cheesemaker
• Occupation: 1926, Larrabee, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Address:
  general store and feed mill

Notes:

Died:
WILLIAM J. MENGES (d.1972)


William J. Menges, Sr., 82, of Rt. 2, Two Rivers, retired general store and feed mill operator at Larrabee, Town of Gibson, died Sunday morning at Holy Family Hospital, Manitowoc.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Town of Gibson, the Rev. Percy Damrow officiating. Burial will be in the adjoining church cemetery.

Mr. Menges was born Dec. 2, 1889, in Two Rivers, son of the late Phillip and Mary Hardt Menges. Learning the Cheese making trade in his earlier years he built and operated a cheese factory at Two Creeks in 1916. In 1926, he disposed of the business and established that year a general store at Larrabee where he also built an adjoining feed mill. He operated the enterprise until his retirement in 1956. He was treasurer of the Town of Gibson for four years and town assessor for three years. He married Nora Meineke at St. John Church at Two Rivers, June 12, 1917. The couple celebrated its golden wedding anniversary at Mishicot in 1967.

Besides his wife he leaves two daughters, two sons, two sisters; 27 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. Three brothers and a granddaughter preceded him in death.

Friends may call at Lambert Funeral Home Mishicot, after 4 o'clock this Monday afternoon until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when the casket will be taken to the church where the body will lie in state until the time of service.

Memorials may be sent to Manitowoc Lutheran High School.
Manitowoc Herald Times, 1972 October 2, Edited for Living
********
(Dec 02, 1889/Oct 1972/SSDI)


From website www.2manitowoc.com/30obit.html

William married MEINEKE, Nora on 12 Jun 1917 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. Nora (daughter of MEINEKE, Carl Peter and SCHMIDT, Wilhelmina Maria) was born on 21 Apr 1892 in Wisconsin, United States; died in Jul 1973. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
NORA MENGES


Mrs. William Menges, Sr., 81, of Larrabee, Rt. 2, Two Rivers, died Monday evening at Memorial Hospital, Manitowoc.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Town of Gibson. The Rev. Percy Damrow will officiate and burial will be in the church cemetery.

Mrs. Menges, nee Nora Meineke, was born April 21, 1892, in the Town of Two Rivers, daughter of the late Charles and Minnie Schmidt Meineke. She was married to William Menges June 12, 1917, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Two Rivers. The couple operated a grocery store at Larrabee many years. Mr. Menges preceded her in death in October of 1972. She was a member of St. John Evangelical Church, Ladies Bible Class and the Larrabee Homemakers Club.

Survivors include two sons and one daughter; five brothers, Raymond, Herbert
and William of Mishicot and Harold and Erhardt, of Two Rivers; 27 grandchildren
and 11 great grandchildren, two sisters and a granddaughter preceded her in
death.

Friends may call at Lambert Funeral Home, Mishicot, after 4 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday and then at the church until the time of service.

Herald Times Reporter, 1973 July 10, Edited for living
********
(b. 21 Apr. 1892/d. Jul. 1973/SSDI)
Source: https://www.2manitowoc.com/30obit.html

Notes:

Married:
Miss Nora Meinecke, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Meinecke, and William Menges, of Two Rivers were married at Two Rivers today, at the Lutheran Parsonage. Rev. Doehler officiating. The bridal patr (sic) departed from this city for a wedding trip to Detroit, South Bend and other points and will make their home in the town of Two Rivers where Mr. Menges operates a cheese factory.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Tuesday, June 12, 1917 P. 3

Other Events and Attributes:

• Elected: Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; First Treasurer of the school board; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Funeral: Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Address:
  St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Orgs: Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Address:
  St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Census: 1880, Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States
• Elected: 1884; Pound Master
• Elected: 1886, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Constable and Highway Overseer; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1892, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Justice of the Peace; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1894, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1895, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Town treasurer and Justice of Peace; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1907, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Constable and Highway Overseer; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1908, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Highway overseer; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Elected: 1911, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; Town Treasurer; Address:
  Town of Two Rivers
• Occupation: 1890–1920, Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; agent for the Mishicot Fire Insurance company for 30 years
• Accident: Aug 1920, Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; thrown from his milk wagon while, enroute , to the Range line creamery, with milk

Notes:

Elected:
Charles Meineke, who formerly lived on the farm now owned by Elmer Petri, served as treasurer and Ferdinand Witt served as the director of the first school board in the district. Their pay at this time was about $10.00 a year.

Elected:
Town Treasurer, but refused to qualify; Rudolph Bischoff did not find bod, Charles Meineke was appointed and approved.

Accident:
CHARLES MEINEKE News article and obituary

Chas. Meinecke(sic), residing three miles north of Two Rivers on the
Kewaunee Road, was severely injured Monday morning, sustaining a broken
arm and other injuries. He fell from his milk wagon while taking the
morning's milking to the Range Line Creamery. Mr. Meinecke was well
known having resided in the Town of Two Rivers for many years.
The Reporter, Thurs., Aug. 12, 1920
*************
Charles Meinecke(sic) passed away at Holy Family Hospital Monday
morning. The misfortune experienced last week in falling from his wagon
while driving to the Rangeline Cheese Factory resulted in internal
injuries which caused his death.
Deceased was born in 1861 in the Town of Two Rivers where he has always
resided. He was held in high regard by the community as a possessor of
fine qualities of manhood and good citizenship. He was a member of the
town board of education and has for the past 30 years been agent for the
Mishicot Fire Insurance Co. He was a trustee of St. John's Lutheran
Church. The funeral was today from the home with services at St. John's
Lutheran Church. Deceased leaves a widow, six sons, Erwin, Raymond,
Herbert, William, Harold and Erhart and three daughters, Mrs. Alvin E.
Jindra, Mrs. Wm Menges and Miss Esther. Also two sisters, Mrs. William
Schaefer of Two Rivers and Mrs. John Wetencamp of California.
The Reporter, Thurs., Aug. 26, 1920
~~~~~~~
CHARLES MEINEKE

Notes from Two Rivers:
Mr. Chas Meineke, aged 59, died Monday morning at Holy Family
Hospital where he was taken two weeks ago after having been hurt
in an accident. While Mr. Meineke was on his way to the creamery
he fell from his wagon and received internal injuries. He was born
in the Town of Two Rivers, September 2, 1861 and resided there his
entire life. He is survived by his wife and nine children, six boys
and three girls who are Mrs. Alvin F. Jindra, Mrs. Wm Menges, Erwin,
Raymond, Esther, Herbert, William, Harold and Erhardt, also by two
sisters, Mrs. Philip Schaefer of the Town of Two Rivers and Mrs.
John Wetencamp of Altadena, California. Chas Meinke was a prosperous
farmer and was highy respected by all who knew him.
Manitowoc Pilot, Thurs., Aug. 26, 1920

Buried:
Pioneers Rest Cemetery

Carl married SCHMIDT, Wilhelmina Maria on 7 Apr 1890 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. Wilhelmina (daughter of SCHMIDT, Johann Joachim and GARTZ, Dorothea Elizabeth) was born on 23 Aug 1867 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; died on 9 Mar 1937 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; was buried in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: wealthy farmer
• Military: 6 May 1865, Wisconsin Infantry; Civil War Pvt. Co. G., 51 Reg Wis Inf; Address:
  Civil War
• Census: 1880, Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States

Notes:

Died:
J. Meineke, a wealthy farmer who resided a few miles north of the city, died last week while in Chicago for the purpose of receiving medical treatment. His remains were brought home for interment last Friday (5th) evening and the funeral, which took place on Sunday (7th), was one of the largest ever seen in this vicinity.

Two Rivers (?) Newspaper, May 1882

Johann married SCHICK, Catherine Wilhelmine. Catherine (daughter of SCHICK, Johann Peter and GEBHARDT, Phillipine Katherine) was born about 1830 in Partenheim, Hessen, Darmstadt, Germany; died after 1880 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military: 1859, Prussian Army; mandatory training
• Immigration: Aug 1860, New York, United States
• Obit: 24 Mar 1904, Manitowoc, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States

Notes:

Immigration:
Written by his grandson. - Ernest Franklin Schmidt, Dec. 1954

THE SCHMIDT FAMILY COMES TO AMERICA
Revolution was in the air in Europe and in the spring of 1848 and in country after country revolt flared, violent and bloody, as the common man, oppressed by authority, disturbed by the industrial revolution and stirred by new liberal it arose against his autocratic rulers and demanded a voice in his government. In the Kingdom of Prussia the people wanted a limited monarchy, a free press and, most of all, unification of the many German states. For a few short months there was hope of success but then the forces of reaction in Fredrick William IV's government triumphed and the republican outbreaks were put down. In fear, the disgust and in despairs tens of thousands of German revolutionaries and liberals in the decade that followed and immigrated to the republic across the Atlantic, the United States. Johann J. Schmidt was one of those emigrants.

Johann had spent most of his life in the little town of Nisbau, east (nine millimeters - 5.6 miles of the city of Selsnedal in the Province of Saxony. But many of his relatives and friends had gone to America. In the early spring of 1860, with compulsory military training in the Prussian Army immediately before him, he left his homeland, stowed away on a ship to America and landed at New York City in June of 1860. He was 21 years old. It took him almost a month to cross New York State by way of the Hudson River and the Erie Canal, but by mid-summer he had reached Buffalo where he boarded a train for Chicago. There he was greeted by relatives and, after a period of time in that city he set out once more--this time to well north for over 100 miles to the village of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where he found work. Once more he was among friends.

His first love was farming and he was also an expert tanner, as after the Civil War began he rode a horse to Green Bay, took a train from there to Chicago and went to work in a tannery making leather for harnesses for military horses. Years passed before he had enough money to send to Germany for his sweetheart, Dorothea Gartz, but on June 30th she arrived in New York City on a ship from Bremen and on Sept. 13th, 1863 they were married in Two Rivers.

A week later he bought 160 acres of forest 5 miles west of town. The land was virgin wilderness with pine trees up to thirty inches in diameter growing on it. The only signs that man had ever before walked in the green dusk below its green trees were a few Indian trails. He paid $800.00 for the land - five dollars an acre. Then he set out to clear a farm from the wilderness - a task that would have staggered a lesser man.

Johann Schmidt was a tall man, strong and extremely industrious and before long, taking advantage of every minute he could get away from the Two Rivers Tannery, he had cut a road into his land and had built a log house. It was a simple home with a dirt floor and a fireplace in its single room. Soft-tanned deerskins decorated it and kept the winter cold from the young pioneer family. In the cabin in June of the next year Johann and Dorothea's first child was born. The Civil War had been over for just two months and 3 days.

The little boy, Louis, played with the children of passing Indian parties and as he grew up, the little log cabin also grew for five other children arrived during the next ten years.

In 1875 a new log house was built, an imposing structure two stories high - with ample room for a family that would grow, by 1889, to thirteen children. It was a well built house, but there were many cold winter mornings when the north wind, blowing between the cracks in the logs, powdered the upstairs floors with snow and made it mighty tough for a youngster to leave his warm feather-bed. Tragedy struck thrice at the family when first a little boy and then two little girls died, but there were blessings too, as the forest was pushed back and the good earth began to produce food.

Occasionally the neighbors would band together to hunt a marauding bear or wildcat, but none of the Schmidt boys joined these parties, for their father, who had put an ocean between himself and the things military and who couldn't bear to hurt an animal, would not permit a gun to be used on his property.

Sometime during the latter part of the 1870's, Johann brought his father and mother from Germany. Heinrich Schmidt and Maria Schmidt spent the last years of their lives on the farm and died within two weeks of each other in 1893.

Johann Schmidt was a stout disciplinarian who believed in the virtue of hard work for his children and for himself. He was deeply religious and had a fine sense of humor. His code said, "The law is no better than your word."

He was a strong hard man in pioneer times that demanded strength and hardness, and hardness, and along with the harvest of his good land, he also raised some good citizens for his adopted country.

Written by his grandson. - Ernest Franklin Schmidt, Dec. 1954

Obit:
Multiple obituaries were published for Johann.

JOHANN J. SCHMIDT

(From the correspondent in Two Rivers, 21 Mar.)
John Schmidt, a local farmer, died yesterday at age 69. He leaves a widow and 10 children, two other children having predeceased him. Naturally all the surviving children are grown. The eldest daughter is Mrs. H. Luebke here; 5 of the sons are in the construction business in Chicago, one of whom is now working on a contract in Baltimore. The deceased was proprietor of a fine farm, had worked hard, and will have left a worthwhile estate. The funeral will be held Wed. from the Lutheran Church.
Der Nord Westen, 24 Mar. 1904

Eastwin
John Schmidt Dead
Died: - Mr. John Schmidt at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Herman Luebke, of Two Rivers, March 20th, 1904, aged 65 years. Deceased was born Feb. 5, 1839, in Kries Saltzradel Koenigreich, Preisen. He came to Two Rivers in 1858 and soon after was married to Miss Dorthy Gartz and located on a farm near here, where he continued to reside until his death. His death was due to an operation performed for the removal of an abscess in his chest. After the operation he was taken to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Herman Luebke, where he passed away March 20th at 1 o'clock P.M. He was well known and highly esteemed, and his funeral, which took place from St. John's Lutheran Church at Two Rivers, was well attended by a large circle of relatives and friends.

His wife, six sons and four daughters survive. The children are
Louis and Mrs. Herman Luebke of Two Rivers
John, Henry, Ernest, August, and Mrs. Henry Bach, of Chicago
Mrs. H. Wreinecke, of Rangeline
Otto and Helena at home

They were all present at the funeral, the six sons paying the last tribute to their father by acting as pall bearers from the church to the hearse.

Manitowoc Pilot, March 31, 1904

Mr. and Mrs. Teger of Chicago came here last week to attend the funeral of their brother-in-law, Mr. John Schmidt. Manitowoc Pilot, March 31, 1904

Johann married GARTZ, Dorothea Elizabeth on 13 Sep 1863 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. Dorothea (daughter of GARTZ, Johann Christian and TAGER, Dorothea) was born on 23 Oct 1843 in Riebau, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany; died on 22 Feb 1916 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States; was buried in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1863

Notes:

SCHMIDT: Johann Joachim
m: 13 Sept. 1863 (co. mar. index v.3 p.24)
to: Dorothea Garz

1880 Census shows a child named Adolf, 1 year old we think this is anoth er name for William, Otto, August, or Ernest

Notes:

Married:
SCHMIDT: Johann Joachim
m: 13 Sept. 1863 (co. mar. index v.3 p.24)
to: Dorothea Garz