Bio: Lezotte, Anthony Sr. (History - 1858)
Contact: Janet Schwarze

History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918).

Surnames: LEZOTTE JILBEAU LINTKNER SHOOP CHRISTMAS

Lezotte, Anthony Sr. (1858 -

ANTHONY LEZOTTE, Sr., a well-known and prosperous farmer of Section 31, Grant Township, the son of a pioneer, was born in Ontario, Canada, Aug. 28, 1858. He was a son of Mathew Lezotte, also d native of Canada, whose parents, Anthony and Angeline (Jilbeau) Lezotte, were farming people there. Mathew Lezotte came to Neillsville, Clark County, alone in 1865, and in the fall of that year bought eighty acres of wild land. In the following spring he returned to Canada for his wife and children, of whom he had five, and on arriving with them here, settled on his farm, or rather tract of land, in Section 32, Grant Township. There was a logging shanty on the land, into which they moved, occupying it until a log house could be built. They had to endure hardships for awhile, one of the most serious being the absence of roads and lack of adequate means of transportation, which affected all the pioneer settlers. On one occasion during the first year on their farm, Matthew Lezotte carried fifty pounds of flour on his back from Black River Falls to his home and he often had to carry supplies from Neillsville. He and his wife spent the rest of their lives there, their hardships gradually diminishing and their comforts increasing with the improvement in general conditions. Their children were: Anthony, Mathew, Catherine, John, Charles, William, Henry, Mary, Murry, Joseph, and one who died young. Anthony Lezotte, Sr., remained on the home farm assisting his father until he was 21 years of age. The father then gave him eighty acres of wild land in section 31, Grant Township, which he farmed in summer, working in the woods in the winter, and this place has since been his home. Here he carries on general farming successfully and is also financially interested in the district creamery.

On Sept. 27, 1887, he was married to Lydia Shoop, daughter of Andrew and Susan (Lintkner) Shoop, whose father was a farmer in Clark County, but who was born in Jefferson County, Wis., May 7, 1866. Her brothers and sisters were: Frank, now in the state of Washington Samuel, also in that state Kate, wife of Efner Nelson, of Ladysmith, Wis. Effie, who married Frank Christmas, and is now deceased Ella, who married Leonard Cole, and lives in Oregon Annie, wife of William Stevens, of Washburn, Wis. Emma, wife of John Steel, and residing in the state of Washington Edith, wife of Gustof Wesenburg, and Grace, wife of John Sueppee, both of whom reside in the state of Washington. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Lezotte, Sr., have been as follows: Anthony, born Jan. 12, 1891 Grace, born Aug. 3, 1889 Nellie, born Jan. 19, 1897 Thomas, born in 1901, who died at the age of 3 years Glenn, born Oct. 20, 1903, and Edward, born April 13, 1905. All the living children reside at home, except Anthony,

who is on the old original homestead, in Section 32. Anthony Lezotte, Sr., died July 24, 1917. He was of the Catholic faith.