Bio: Geise, Howard O. (50 Years in Banking - 1959)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Geise

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) April 2, 1959

Geise, Howard O. (50 Years of Banking - 1959)

Fifty years in the banking business was observed Wednesday by Howard O. Geise, who since 1955 has served as executive vice president of the Neillsville Bank.

He started his banking career in the Security Bank of Clark, S. D., April 1, 1909 as a bookkeeper, the same day he was graduated from Granger Business College, Watertown, S. D.  He was then 18. 

Born on a farm at Merton, S. D., January 10, 1891, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Geise, he was but seven years of age when his father died, leaving his mother to operate a 320 acre farm with the help of three sons, ages 12, nine and seven.  There also was a daughter five.

The mother with the help of her sons, was able to keep the farm, in operation; increasing the acreage from 320 to 600, building up the dairy herd to 30 cows, having 160 acres in pasture, 60 in hay, and the remainder in grain.  The mother lived for 28 years after her husband’s death and saw each of her children successful in business or profession.

Mr. Geise attended a rural school near Merton for six years, took the seventh and eighth grades at Clark, and then directed his study in the field of banking, taking the business college course that gave him training in shorthand, typing, and general banking.

The position of bank teller and assistant cashier came to him in progressive order and in 1915 he accepted a position, as assistant cashier of a bank at Creighton, Nebr.  In 1919, in partnership with a friend who was a grain buyer, Mr. Geise organized a state bank at Calumet, Ia., where he served as cashier, his partner as president.

"This project", said Mr. Geise "was for speculative purposes and three years later we sold the bank to two brothers in Calumet."

On March 1, 1922, Mr. Geise accepted a position as vice president of the Farmers State Bank of Sherburne, Minn., where he (we sure would have loved to give you the ‘rest of the story’ but it was not on my copy).

Same issue: Friends Hold Surprise Party for Mr. Geise - A surprise party was held Thursday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Feig for Howard O. Geise in honor of his 50 years of banking. All unbeknown to Mr. Geise, the party was planned and he arrived at the front door of the Feig residence without realizing that a number of his friends were waiting to call out "Surprise".  Mrs. Geise and Mr. and Mrs. Jess Scott were in on the plan to make the dinner and party a real surprise.