Bio: Sanger, Wilbur Family
Contact: Debra Sanger

 Bio: Wilbur Sanger Family Fremont Township

Wilbur Sanger Family

Gottlieb Sanger and his wife Elizabeth (Pradel) Sanger, with their four children Charles, Rose, Anna, and Susan, came to the United States from Breslau, Germany, in 1872 by steamer locating in Calumet County, Wisconsin, near Potter, where Mr. Sanger followed his trade of being a mason for three years. Two more children were born there, Bertha and August.

Then the family came to Fremont Township, locating on 120 acres of timberland in Section 34, the tract being wild and away from a road. Here he built a log shanty 12 x 16 feet in size of one room only in which the family of eight persons had to live. They had one cow, but no other livestock and no implements. Provisions had to be carried fourteen miles on their back from Marshfield, and it was two years before Mr. Sanger got an ox team.

In time he cleared nearly all his farm, built a log barn and a brick veneer house of twelve rooms. The children born in Fremont Township were William and Emma, and Fred who died in infancy. Mr. Sanger died at the age of 51 years and his wife at 60. His wife was known through out the countryside for her kindness to those in trouble, and for her ardent work in the little Lutheran church which she and her husband helped to found.

In 1903 their son William took over the old homestead on which he made various improvements. On May 1, 1907 he married the former Amanda Viergutz and to them four children were born, Leona, Ella, Wilbur and Norman. A modern frame home was built to replace the brick home in 1912. William farmed until his death in 1934. Mrs. Sanger continued to operate the farm with hired help until her son Wilbur took over its operation. Wilbur married the former Evelyn Reimer April 17, 1938. Five children were born to them, Margie, Roger, Wayne, Stanley, and William.

Wilbur Sanger, in partnership with his son Roger, now has increased the size of the farm to 216 acres by purchasing additional acres from neighboring farms. Roger was married to Margaret Steponik on November 2, 1963, and to this union two children, Debra and Robert, were born. After their marriage, another house was built on the original farm in which Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Sanger now reside.

Many improvements have been made, including additions to the barn and another silo which is being used for haylage for year around feeding of their large diary herd.

The Wiber Sanger family farm is pictured below.