May 1934

The B & F Machine Shop of this city is making a large number of excellent all-enclosed truck bodies for the milk haulers serving patrons of the Condensery.  The design and workmanship are of the highest standard and a fine example of this firm’s ability in this line of construction.                                             

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Joseph Haas and Miss Olga Botnen were quietly married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Saturday morning at 8 o’clock, April 28, with Rev. Peter Weber officiating.

 They were attended by B. J. Haas, the groom’s brother, and Mrs. A. Gustman, a friend of the bride.  After a wedding breakfast at the home of the groom’s mother, the young couple left at once for Milwaukee and other places in southern Wisconsin.

On their return they will begin housekeeping at the home of the groom’s mother, Mrs. Mary Haas.

The groom grew to manhood in Neillsville, was educated in the Neillsville schools and high school.  For some time he was a clerk at the Dangers Store and for several years has held a position in the Farmers Store.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Botnen of Neillsville.  She too was educated here and on leaving school took a position in the A & P Store, later entering May & Ruchaber’s Store, where she was employed for several years.

Both the bride and groom have come in contact with the public a great deal in a business way and have made a host of friends in and around this city.                                                                       

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How “Baby Face” Nelson, member of the John Dillinger gang of gunsters, paid a sunrise visit to the farm of Joe Gregorvich farm about 3 ½ miles north of Greenwood on Highway 73, was told Tuesday by David E. Thayer of this city, who made several photographs at the Gregorvich farm Saturday for a Milwaukee newspaper.

“Nelson, apparently fearing to take a chance on driving his stolen Plymouth car in daylight” said Mr. Thayer, “pulled into the Gregorvich farm about 5 a.m. Friday and parked his machine out of sight in a (an) empty shed.  Gregorvich was not aware of his presence until he heard his knock at the door.  After entering and learning there were no telephone or radio in the house, the stranger asked for breakfast.  While Mrs. Gregorvich was preparing the meal, Nelson accompanied Gregorvich to the barn.  While having no idea as to Nelson’s identity Gregorvich was suspicious of the stranger’s behavior.  He refused to let Gregorvich out of his sight.

“After helping Gregorvich carry the milk to the house he went in for breakfast.  Noticing that Gregorvich was showing signs of suspicion Nelson asked: ‘What makes you so nervous Joe?  ‘You don’t think I’m Dillinger do you?’ No replied Joe. ‘But you might be a member of his gang.’ Nelson laughed loudly at this remark and said: ‘That’s a good one.  I’ll tell my ma about that.’

“After eating the meal Nelson asked Gregorvich if they always ate that kind of food and when Gregorvich told him that ‘times were hard’ and they were unable to buy better food Nelson gave him $20 for groceries.

“Nelson said he wanted to go to Neillsville and asked Gregorvich to drive him down there.  Gregorvich said he didn’t have new license plates and was afraid he would be arrested.  Nelson told him not to worry about that, adding he would pay their fine if they were arrested.  They started out in Gregorvich’s Ford coupe, getting gas in Greenwood.  Nelson ordered Gregorvich to stay in the car while he paid for the gasoline.  A short way of Greenwood Nelson changed his mind about coming to Neillsville.  They headed east and stopped once more at another filling station for cylinder oil.

“As they passed St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield Nelson asked to be let out at a drug store, but Gregorvich said he was afraid of going down the main street with the old license plates.  Nelson consented to be let out on a side street, giving him $10 for new license plates.  He said ‘So long, Joe’ and shook hands.

“Gregorvich returned to his farm and at once looked at the car, which Nelson said he might send his mechanic for.  Gregorvich found an empty mail pouch and other equipment used by mail carriers and decided the car was the one stolen by Nelson from a mail carrier near the scene of the Dillinger shooting affray recently at Mercer.  Gregorvich then drove to Greenwood to notify authorities and after looking at newspaper picture of Nelson identified the stranger as the Notorious “Baby Face.”  Sheriff Olson checked the car number and found it had been issued to Goertz, the mail carrier.

Nelson later was reported to have purchased a second hand Chevrolet car at Marshfield.  The machine was a 1929 model with disc wheels.  No clues to his whereabouts have been learned since he left Marshfield.

May 1954

Gambles Store has a Clearance on Floor Samples of 17 inch TVs, Only $129.95 or 21 inch Console TV in a Beautiful Mahogany Wood Cabinet $179.95.                                                   

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In the school year ending last June in the average County Normal School in the state, operating costs per pupil enrolled climbed from $589.41 to $690.70.                                                      

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Baby Chicks: White leghorn Pullets Sale, 100 chicks $31; White Plymouth Rock Chicks, Pullets $20.50, available at Gaier Hatchery, 200 W. 5th St. Neillsville.                                                    

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In observance and part of National Home Demonstration Week, 165 members of the two Neillsville centers found enjoyment in much labor of the strenuous type, such as refinishing and remodeling pieces of furniture to make them more modern in color as well as design.  Some of the more ambitious projects are two pianos completely refinished by Mrs. Cy Reindel and Mrs. Lawrence DeMert of the Good Neighbor club in the Town of York.

Mrs. Alvin Schutte of the Happy Hour Homemakers in the Town of Levis refinished several kitchen chairs and was pleased to find beautiful wood under the many layers of paint.  Probably the most profitable project was the remodeling of an old radio cabinet into a modern piece of furniture, which was done by Mrs. Henry Thoma of the Globe Homemakers.

Many husbands were startled to find their little wives running around with pipe wrenches, hammers, saws, putty knives, and such as a result of the “Fix it Yourself” project.  Mrs. James West of the Half Dozen Club, used up eight pounds of putty in repairing chicken coop windows.  Many leaky faucets were attacked by inept but determined hands in an effort to do what “Dad” had ever found time to do.

Not all projects this year required so much physical labor.  Friends and relatives received beautifully homemade aprons, mittens, caps, and collars as Christmas gifts after the Homemakers had received ideas and patterns at their October project meeting.  Mrs. William Reisner of the Half Dozen Club made a family of stocking caps as gifts.  Mrs. Elery Moberg of the Pleasant Ridge club used the tea apron pattern to make dainty aprons for her daughter Sharon’s wedding.  Mrs. Alva Howard, also of the Pleasant Ridge club, made 19 aprons for gifts.  One of the most interesting phases of the project was the designing and making of gift wrapping paper with such unusual objects as bottle caps, nails heads, cup cake papers, match folders and sponges.

Many other projects have been taken on throughout the year, such as “Better Business Methods,” for those now keeping family accounts, as well as farm accounts, learning how to budget the finances.

Besides the above projects, Homemakers were active in community affairs, such as hospital fund raising.  Another new feature of the homemakers was the conducting of a dairy bar at the county fair. The booth was so popular that it was decided to continue it this year.  All of the dairy bar work was donated by Homemaker members of the area.  The Homemaker Chorus, now in its second year, is busily planning its future.  The group has approximately 30 members, who have rehearsed twice a month all year.  Three members, Mrs. Henry Harder, Weston club, Mrs. Owen Melin, Withee and Mrs. Ernest Kissling, Washburn club, represented Clark County at Farm and Home Week.  Mrs. Donald Schultz, of the Globe club sang a solo at Owen at the Homemakers spring council meeting.  The entire group will sing at Wausau in June at the state-wide meeting.  They will also entertain at the State homemaker council meeting at Menomonie.  The director of the chorus is Mrs. Heron Van Gorden of the Candlelight club and the accompanist is Mrs. Glenn Short of the Pleasant Ridge club.  Other members from the Neillsville centers are: Mrs. Donald Schultz, Mrs. Elmer Beyer, Globe; Mrs. Walter Beyer, Mrs. Gerald Dankemyer, Mrs. Eric Kopp, Mrs. Lee Heimstead, all of the Pleasant Ridge club and Mrs. Ernest Kissling, Washburn club.                                                                              

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Mrs. Gilbert Rohde, of the Town of Eaton, will head the Clark County Homemakers, to be installed at Loyal on Achievement Day.

Mrs. Rohde, president-elect of the Homemakers of Clark County, has her roots deep in Clark County, but she has also had other interests.  With lots of friends in the Greenwood area and in more distant parts, she has learned the profit of social exchanges, of learning from others.  It was from this background that she was one of those taking the initiative five years ago in the organization of the Eaton Center Homemakers.  That organization has become a factor of enjoyment and importance to many women of the Eaton Center area.

Of all the Homemakers hereabouts few could be found with lines running farther back in Clark County.  Mrs. Rohde was a

Schwarze.  Her father Ed Schwarze was one of the old-timers in the West Side community.  Her brother, Walter is still on a West Side farm.  She and Gilbert Rohde were married in the West Side Church.

As Lucille Schwarze, Mrs. Rohde was graduated in 1933 from Greenwood High School. She wanted to be a teacher, and took a course in education at Eau Claire.  When she emerged from the preparation, anxious to go to teaching, she found there were more teachers than schools, and she, inexperienced, was left out in the cold.  So she went to Chicago and devoted herself for a year to the care and education of a single child.  Also she was something of Chicago.  Then she was able to get a school in Clark County and she taught until1937, when she was married.

On the Rohde side the lines are also distinctly local.  Gilbert Rohde is the son of Ed Rohde, who in 1912 bought 120 acres in the southeast corner of the Town of Eaton.  The farm had a small clearing, a log house ad a log barn.  The big job of creating a real farm fell upon the shoulders of Ed Rohde and it was only seven years before he was able to build the room farm house, which is now the home of his son.

When the Gilbert Rohdes were married, Ed Rohde was able to carry on with the farm and the son Gilbert continued in his job of chief clerk in the AAA office in Neillsville.  The young couple lived in the southern Clark County area.  Then came a promotion to the state office at Madison and the Gilbert Rohdes went on to the state capital, with another extension of acquaintance.

After a year in Madison an opportunity was opening, which would take them to the national AAA in Washington.  But meanwhile there had been home changes.  Mrs. Ed Rhode had died; the employment of help had become difficult; Ed Rhode’s strength was failing with age.  So the young people turned their back on Washington and returned to the place where their roots were deepest.  There they engaged in extending the work of the pioneer Rohdes and in bringing up four boys in the healthful, work-a-day atmosphere of a Clark County farm.

While the boys in Neillsville or Madison or Washington might find time hanging heavy on their hands, the Rohde boys have lots to do and as a guaranty for their future, their father has bought 40 more acres, so that they will have 160 acres upon which to exercise their superfluous energies.  Of the boys, Gary is 15 years of age and has reached the point where he can really throw his weight around on the farm.  The others are younger; being: Dick, Allen and Gil.

While her husband was concerned with improving the farm and its plant and equipment, Mrs. Rohde gave thought to modernizing the family home, which Ed Rohde had built.  The greatest problem was running water and a bathroom.  After she and her husband did a lot of puzzling over the project, they sought the help of the home agent of that day, Helen Wurthman Jackson.  She came to their farm, studied out a plan and showed them how to do it.  By this service she added to their understanding of the value of the service of a good home agent.

Mrs. Rohde, active in the Eaton Center club, finds continuous value in the contacts and the projects available through the Homemakers program.                                                                             

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Albert E. Garvin, 93, died at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Sunday, May 2.

Albert E. Garvin was born in Canada, January 19, 1861.  When he was a boy of 12 years old, he came to Clark County with his parents and settled on a farm in York township.  September 1, 1881, he was married to Laura McKenzie at Neillsville.  In 1910 they moved to North Dakota, where they lived until the death of his wife in 1944.  Since then he has made his home with his children.

He is survived by three sons; Archie E. Garvin of Milwaukee; Earl Garvin of Marshall, Tx, and Silas Garvin, California; and three daughters; Mrs. Henry (Mildred) Dranzush, Waukesha; Mrs. Walter (Ruth) De Vore, Dawson, N.D.; and Mrs. David (Vera) Smith, Loyal.

A sister, Mrs. Hanah Pickle, Lutheran Convalescent Home, Fond du Lac, and a brother, Fred Garvin, Sparta, 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. 

Mr. Garvin was a member of the York Center Methodist Church.

Funeral services were held at the Myre Funeral Home, with the Rev. M. W. Mecklenburg officiating. Burial was in the Loyal Cemetery.

Gambles Hardware Store was located on the west side of Hewett Street, south side of the First

National Bank building; Chuck and Jim Jordahl were owners starting in the early 1950s

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