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Biographies and Stories of People with Surnames starting with Letter M

DAVID MAHR

Source: History of Vernon County, Wisconsin: together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens; 1884.  pg. 543

David Mahr, one of the pioneers of Greenwood, is a native of Germany, born March 16, 1830. He received a good education in the public schools of Germany, attending them until fourteen years of age. He afterwards engaged in farming. In 1852 he left his native land and came to America. He came directly, with his family, to Wisconsin, settling in Washington county, where his father bought a farm. He remained with his father one year, then went to live with the Americans, thereby learning the English language. In 1855 Mr. Mahr came to Vernon county and entered land on section 3, of town 13, range 1 east, now known as Greenwood. In March, 1858, he returned to Washington county, where he was married to Friederike Grouhe, and the next month they started for their new home. He built a log house on his land, on section 3, and commenced to clear the heavy timber from the place. Mr. Mahr has been a successful farmer, and now owns 165 acres of land, seventy-seven of which is in a good state of cultivation. In 1882 he built the large frame house in which he now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Mahr are the parents of eight children—John, Henriette, Frank, Peter, Sophie, Annie, and Oscar N.and Charles N., twins.

JOHN E. MANN

Source:Men of Progress. Wisconsin. (pages 251-251) A selected list of biographical sketches and portraits of the leaders in business, professional and official life. Together with short notes on the history and character of Wisconsin.
Contributed to this site by Kelly Mullins

MANN, John E., judge of the county court of Milwaukee county, is a native of Schoharie county, New York, where he was born on the 4th of March, 1821. He was prepared for college in the local schools of his native county, and entered the sophomore class of Williams College, where he remained two terms, and then entered Union College, at Schenectady, N. Y., from which he was graduated in 1843. After leaving college, he entered the office of Jacob Houck as a student at law; and, having pursued the study the usual time, he passed the examination, and was admitted to the bar at the general term of the supreme court in Utica, in 1847. Returning to his home, he opened an office, and began the practice of his chosen profession, which he continued seven years, or until the summer of 1854, when he removed to Wisconsin, settling in West Bend, the county scat of Washington county. Here he formed a partnership with L. F. Frisby, long known as a prominent lawyer and politician, and toward the end of his life, attorney-general of the state. This partnership continued until 1859, when Judge Mann was elected judge of the circuit court to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Larabee. In the following April he was re-elected for the full term of six years. At the expiration of this term, he removed to Milwaukee, and returned to the practice of his profession, forming a partnership with F. W. Cotzhausen, then as now â prominent member of the bar. This partnership continued until 1874, when he was appointed county judge, by Governor Taylor, to fill a vacancy occasioned by the resignation of H. L. Palmer. To this office he was afterward elected, by popular vote, for the full term, and this position he has filled by successive re- elections, as often as the term expired, until the present time. Judge Mann has now filled the office for more than twenty years, and the fact that the has had little or no opposition to his re-election when his term has expired is the best testimonial to his ability and integrity that could be produced. Thoroughly versed in the law, especially that branch of it involved in the discharge of his official duties, painstaking in his work, courteous in manner toward all appearing in this court, he has made many friends who will long retain a pleasant memory of him as an upright judge and a genial gentlemen in private life.

In 1845 Judge Mann was married to Catharine Dietz, granddaughter of William Dietz, who was an intimate political friend of Martin Van Buren, and at one time a member of the lower house of congress.

ADAM MEISENHEIMER

Source: Men of Progress. Wisconsin. (pages 350-383) A selected list of biographical sketches and portraits of the leaders in business, professional and official life. Together with short notes on the history and character of Wisconsin.
Contributed to this site by Kelly Mullins

MEISENHEIMER, Adam, who conducts a real estate, loan and insurance office at 330 Clinton street, Milwaukee, and is a notary public, is the son of Jacob Meisenheimer, a native of Germany, where he was born February 3rd, 1803. He came to Wisconsin in 1843, and settled on a farm in the town of Jackson, Washington county, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying January 31st, 1884. The wife of Jacob Meisenheimer and mother of the subject of this sketch, was Catharina Jacobus, also a native of Germany, who died October 6th, 1873.

Adam Meisenheimer was born in the town of Jackson, Washington county, Wisconsin, February 17th, 1851, and there spent his boyhood in attendance upon the public school until he was fifteen years of age, when he came to Milwaukee and learned the trade of harness-maker. In December, 1872, he became a member of the fire department and was assigned to engine company No. 3, where he served until July, 1878, when he was promoted to the position of captain of supply hose company No. 2. In December, 1882, he resigned the position and accepted that of chief of the police and fire department of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway company at its shops in West Milwaukee. This position he gave up in May, 1888, on account of ill health, and, after a rest of a few months, he opened, in August of that year, an office for the transaction of real estate and insurance business, and in this he is still engaged, having met with unusual success, especially from a financial point of view.

Mr. Meisenheimer is a charter member of the Schiller Lodge, No. 21, A. O. U., and past master workman of the same. He has served twenty-one terms as treasurer and financier of this lodge, and still holds the office of financier. He is a delegate or representative to the next session of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, and has representative his lodge in the sessions of the grand lodge that have been held in Milwaukee. Racine, Baraboo and Oshkosh. He organized the first Degree of Honor Lodge in Milwaukee, auxiliary to the A. O. U. W. He is a member of Armin Lodge, No. 9. Order of the Sons of Herman, was twice its president, and twice representative it in the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. He is an honorary member of the Ottilie Verein, No. 2, G. U. V., and a member of the George Washington Bowling club, of which he is vice-president.

In politics he has always been a Republican, and in 1895-6 represented the Eighth ward on the Republican county committee.

September 15th, 1874, he was married to Miss Josie M. Geskermann, a native of Milwaukee. She is a member of the Social Circle Germania, a benevolent association. She is also a member and recording secretary of Ottilie Verein, No. 2, G. U. V.

Mr. and Mrs. Meisenheimer have six children. The two oldest boys, after having passed through the public school, have taken up trades, the one that of iron moulder and the other that of printer. The three younger are still in the Eighth district school.