Bio: Clemens Herman Kuechenmeister (1867  - ?)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org on Thu, 15 Feb 2001

Surnames: KUECHENMEISTER, SCHUBERT, HANKE

----Source: 1918 BIO. HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY, WIS.

CLEMENS HERMAN KUECHENMEISTER, a progressive farmer of Grant Township, occupying a prominent place in the community, is a native of Wisconsin, having been born in Washington County, Feb. 2, 1867, son of Carl and Henriette (Schubert) Kuechenmeister. The parents were born in Saxony, Germany, the father July 7,,1828, and the mother Dec. 5 of the same year. Carl learned the trade of carpenter, and at the age of 19 came to the United States alone, crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel. Locating in Washington County, Wis., he worked at his trade to get start, and then bought forty acres of wild land, on which he built a cabin. His farm was situated forty miles from Milwaukee, and the site of which was then mostly a tamarack swamp, and twelve miles from Port Washington, and he frequently made trips to each of these places on foot, carrying home provisions. There he lived for twenty-three years, during which time he improved his farm, putting up good buildings.

A firm member of the German Lutheran Church, he was active in religious affairs, and in early days services were often held in his log cabin. In 1870, Carl Kuechenmeister sold his farm and removed with his family to Clark County, locating in Section 28, Grant Township, where his son, Clemens H., now lives. His land consisted of 120 acres, all covered with timber, except three acres, the timber on which had been slashed. There was a log building on the place, consisting of one room and an attic, in size 12 by 12 feet. Into this he and his family moved, and it was their home for two years. On coming here he had brought with him two horses, two cows and some tools, so was not as destitute of means as some of the pioneer settlers in the county, who started with nothing. After a while he erected a larger log house, 20 by 30 feet, with a kitchen, 16 by 20 feet-in those days a very respectable dwelling; and later he built a frame barn.

There were no roads when he came here, but in time conditions improved, and he, himself, made good progress, being a strong, industrious man, so that he was finally able to give each of his sons a farm in Grant Township, having from time to time purchased more land.

He was a great lover of home and church, and a man whom all respected for his sterling qualities. On July 30, 1907, he passed away, his wife following him to the grave less than a year later, on June 29, 1908. They had six children, born a's follows: Ida, Dec. 24, 1849; Louis, Nov. 27, 1851; Rineholt, July 7, 1853; Thelma, Feb. 23, 1856; Oscar, June 14, 1861, and Clemens, Feb. 2, 1867. Clemens Kuechenmeister was educated in the district schools of Clark County, attending the old Kurth school in District 5.

He has always resided on the home farm, which he now owns, land on which he has made a number of improvements. These include an eleven-room modern house, and additions to the frame barn which his father built, making it now 40 by 76 feet in size; also a silo 14 by 32 feet. He is a member of the Farmers' Co-operative Elevator and Lumber Company of Neillsville, and of the co-operative meat plant at Wausau, and is numbered among the progressive and successful men of his township. Mr. Kuechenmeister was married Sept. 26, 1894, to Elizabeth Hanke, daughter of Ernest Hanke, a pioneer of Clark County. He and his wife have two children-Ernest and Anetta.