Property: Lone Oak Cheese Factory
Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Wonn, Wolters, Emmerson, Poppe, Braun

----Sources: Glass Plate Photos Courtesy of the Clark Co., Press, Janet Rogalski's Album, Family Records
 

At one time, Fremont Wonn owned and operated the Lone Oak Cheese Factory on Old Hwy. 29, 5 miles West of Owen or 4 miles east of Thorp, Wisconsin.

Walter & Barbara Emmerson also owned this factory. Darlene Poppe, their niece, wrote:

"My Aunt Barbara Emmerson and her husband, Walter LeRoy Emmerson, the son of Oliver G. and Olga Minnie B. (Wolters) Emmerson, had a cheese factory and store in Clark County. I visited when I was small and don't remember much about it. That was in the early 50's."

And Duane Horn wrote:

"After graduating from Greenwood High, I enrolled in the Vocational School in Eau Claire. Several times when I came home it would be by greyhound bus. The driver would let me off at your uncle's cheese factory and my folks would meet me there. I could never board the bus at the cheese factory, but getting off was no problem.

Walter and Barbara were wonderful folks. They along with Harry & Clara Baehr, George & Tillie Poppe, Ted & Emma Braun, and my folks (Hubert & Ann Horn) would take turns having everyone in on a Sunday afternoon or some other evening for a lively game of cards. Other folks inc. Sally and Ewald Schwarze were sometime included. Ted & Emma Braun owned and operated the Braun Settlement Cheese factory located around 6 miles west of Longwood."

And Stan Schwarze wrote:

"As a kid, I used to go to those Shmear or Schafkopf/Sheepshead parties (which Duane mentioned above), but would fall asleep on the couch before they were done. At the end of the evening, I'd wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and a take my place at the dinning room table for a "little lunch". That typically consisted of sandwiches made of meat and cheese (locally produced), home canned pickles, farm-fresh milk for the kids, Jell-O filled with canned mixed fruit, and dessert bars that were not for the calorie conscious. Everyone took a turn at having the bunch at their home and looked forward to the fun."

Sandi Emmerson wrote:

I am Barbara and Walter Emmerson's daughter. Thank you for sending your memories of my folks and the picture of our Cheese Factory. They sold almost everything in the store - food, gas, some clothing (gloves etc), cheese from the cheese factory, pure maple syrup from the farmers, etc.

The Photo above was contributed by Janet Rogalski