Surnames: Bruley, Beauchamp, McGinnis, Hemphill, Wiesner, Griffin, Ritchie, Bracken, Stockwell

----Source: Was found in History of Emery Brule’ Bruley (apparently a Neillsville newspaper)

Death of Emery Bruley (Brule')

Emery Bruley, one of Neillsville’s early settlers and for many years one of our most prominent business men, passed away at Green Bay, Wis., Monday morning, Feb. 20, (1928) aged 84 years, 7 months and 19 days.

Mr. Bruley was born in Ottawa, Canada, July 4, 1843. He grew to manhood there and was married to Miss Philomene Beauchamp, Sept. 17, 1863. They came to Neillsville in 1865. In 1885 his wife died, and on August 24, 1886, he was married to Miss Margaret McGinnis, who survives him.

When Mr. Bruley came to Neillsville he established a blacksmith shop in the building later occupied as the Woodman Hall. He carried on this business for some time and then established a clothing store. He then went into the hub and poke business in a mill then standing at the upper end of the mill pond. After carrying this on for a time he went to Cadott and in company with W. L. Hemphill ran a hub and spoke business there. After selling out there he re-entered the clothing business which he carried on for several years.

Mr. Bruley was a man of great energy and pushed his business in all these lines with great vigor. He was very ingenious in a mechanical way and his skill as a blacksmith enabled him to develop a number of inventions, one of these, the Bruley Steel fence post, was manufactured and put on the market quite widely. He also invented, patented and manufactured a specially constructed wagon hub and spoke. A number of smaller inventions were made by him, one of them a specially designed wrecking bar, proved very serviceable.

While in later years Mr. Bruley’s business declined, he deserves much credit for the work he did in early days, in building up this city and the business of the community. His health and strength gradually failed and for several years past he was able to do no active work.

Besides his wife, he leaves four daughters, Anita, Mrs. Joseph Wiesner of Beloit; Maude, Mrs. Phil Griffin of Ladysmith; Ruth, Mrs. Noble Ritchie of Franklin, Indiana, Marie, Mrs. W. T. Bracken, of Rockford, Illinois. He leaves also five grandchildren. There were no children of the first marriage.

The remains were brought to Neillsville for burial, and the funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Thursday morning.

All of the families are here to attend the funeral, also Mrs. I. M. Stockwell, a niece, from Volga, South Dakota.