BioA: Wren, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas #2 (60^th - 1961)

Contact: Dolores
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Wren, King, Ingham, Ruddock, Polzin, Karnitz, Rush, Cardarelle, Larsen, French, Eisentraut

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) October 12, 1961

Wren, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas (60^th - 15 October 1961)

Their 60^th wedding anniversary will be observed Sunday by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wren of Sydney.

Amy King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward King of the Town of Grant, and Thomas Wren, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sereno Wren of the town of Grant were married October 15, 1901, in the Methodist parsonage in Neillsville.  The Rev. A. V. Ingham, pastor of the Methodist Church officiated.  They were attended by her sister, Mrs. Frank (Etta) Ruddock, and her nephew, Roy King.

The newly weds spent the winter of 1901-02 in Randall, Minn., and the winter of 1902-03 in Little Falls, Minn., where Mr. Wren, now was employed in a lumber mill. They returned to Clark County in 1902, locating at the home of his parents in the Town of Grant, where they assisted with the operation of the farm and the Wren saw mill, which was at the present location of the Walter Larsen farm.

In 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Wren purchased a residence in Sydney, two miles west of Neillsville, where they have lived since.

Mr. and Mrs. Wren are the longest residents of Sydney and Mr. Wren has often been spoken of as "the mayor of Sydney."

Wren, a mechanic and "tinkerer," spent 19 years working with a threshing crew, 14 years in Wisconsin and five years in North and South Dakota.  He operated an 18-ton steam engine for rolling new streets and highways and operated a saw mill in Sydney, at the old Bob French farm in Levis, and at the old Charles Eisentraut farm in the Town of Grant.  For the last 54 years he has been repairing lawn mowers.

Seven children were born to them: Mrs. Louis (Myrtle) Polzin of Sturtevant, Mrs. Ernest (Dorothy) Karnitz of Neillsville, Mrs. Sam (Nina) Rush of Merrillan, Helen at home, Elmer and Mrs. Louis (Hada) Cardarelle of West Bend, and Gilbert of Neillsville.

They have 26 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.  The grandchildren include: Jon Karnitz; Betty, Louis, Dorothy, Elenore, Robert, Marvin, Thomas, Lamont Polzin; LaVerale, Marian, Laura, Ernest, Irvin Rush; Ardith, Donald, Malvin, Janel, Dennis Cardarelle; Eddie Wren; Linda, Rochelle, Judy, Ronnie, Larry and Tommy Wren.