Bio: Wall, Fred (1957)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Wall, Lautenbach, Morse, Ruchaber, Leicht, Zimmerman
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) November 28, 1957 
 

Wall, Fred (1957) 
 

Did you know that Fred Wall moved to Clark County in 1911, the year of he Black River flood; that he has been in business in Neillsville for 30 years; and that he likes any kind of fishing, but ice fishing the best? 
 

Mr. Wall was born October 24, 1906, near Evansville, in Rock County.  He came to Clark County with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harley Wall, in 1911, settling on a farm in Washburn Township, southeast of Neillsville.  With one brother and two sisters, he was raised on a farm and attended the Irving rural school, which was located two miles south of Highway 73 on the Pray road. After two years the Walls moved onto a farm near Cannonville, and for the next six years Fred attended the Cannonville School. 
 

In the fall of 1921 Mr. Wall entered Neillsville high school and was gradated in the spring of 1925; Olivia Morse (Ruchaber) was English teacher at that time, and he remembers her as an excellent one. 
 

During two high school years, he served as janitor of the Episcopal Church. The building now is headquarters for the Lynn Mutual Insurance company.  During the summer, between his junior and senor years, he drove truck for Jack Leicht, who operated a drayage and moving service. 
 

At the completion of school, Mr. Wall entered the employment of Zimmerman Brothers store and spent two years in the grocery department. 
 

In 1927, he went to work for the Deep Rock Corporation, at the corner of West 5^th and Grand, and has been at that location ever since, seeing the service station grow from a small office building with canopy to a large and modern service station. 
 

In 1948 Mr. Wall purchased the Deep Rock bulk and storage business, west of the depot, and in 1950 purchased from Deep Rock the service station in which he worked for many years,  a second stall was added to the station, and today, as he looks back over 30 years he finds that "business is the best in history." 
 

On July 10, 1930, Fred was married to Laura Lautenbach.  From this union two children were born, Ellis, known to everyone as "Toddy", and Susan.  Susan is planning a profession in nursing and "Toddy" is associated with his father in he service station. 
 

"If there is anything I like to do," says Mr. Wall, "it is to go fishing.  I have fished since I was a boy of six.  I like pan-fishing best, catching bluegills, crappies, and sunfish, and I do most of my fishing in the Cumberland area of western Wisconsin." 
 

Fifteen years ago, he said he was introduced to ice fishing. He has been ice fishing ever since and likes it best.