----Source: 1918 History of Clark County, Wisconsin

                  Mr. & Mrs. William M. Ormond

WILLIAM M. ORMOND, a farmer of Weston Township, is one of the self-made men of the county, having risen from humble beginnings to a condition of prosperity through his own efforts and perseverance. He was born in Wales, Nov. 8, 1863, a son of George and Esther (Davies) Ormond. The father, a gardener by occupation, is still living in Wales, being now 82 years old, his wife having died in 1914, at the age of 80 years. They had eight children: Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, William, Florence, Emily and Fannie. Of these children, Mary, Ellen and Florence are now deceased. William M. acquired a good common school education and was associated with his father until he emigrated to the United States in 1885. Locating in Milwaukee, he stayed there about three years, doing a little painting and carpenter work and for two years being a coachman.

On Nov. 22, 1888, he was married to Matilda Offerman, who was born in Milwaukee, daughter of John and Emily Offerman, her parents being natives of Germany, who were married in Wisconsin. Mr. Ormond left Milwaukee, going to northern Michigan, where he was employed for awhile as engineer in the mines. He then removed to Dodge County, where he followed painting, and at last, in 1896, came to Clark County, having resolved to take up farming. As he was $150 in debt when he arrived here it was impossible for him to buy an improved farm, and he had to begin with wild land. For this purpose, he selected forty acres in section 5, Weston Township, and, building a frame shed moved in with his wife and five children, Jesse, Florence, George, Esther and Douglas. Progress at first was very slow, as he had to work out for a living, doing carpenter work with Fred Draper of Loyal. He also spent eleven winters in the lumber camps. It was four or five years before he got a cow, securing his first team about the same time. This double acquisition was a big step in advance and things now began to move. His team of horses died in two years, however, but he got another as soon as possible and kept plodding along, making gradual progress until he had thirty acres cleared, at which time he bought eighty acres more land.

It is unnecessary to trace each subsequent step of his progress. It resembled in its main features that of every other enterprising pioneer farmer in the county. It needs only be said that Mr. Ormond now has a good residence, a barn measuring 36 by 40 feet, with basement, built in 1915, his former barn, a log structure, having been 24 by 30 feet he also has a silo, 12 by 24 feet in size, and keeps twenty-five head of cattle. These improvements have been made through his own hard work, with the aid of members of his family. He is also a stockholder in the Globe Cheese Factory. As regards public affairs, Mr. Ormond has had some experience in official life, having been school clerk and justice of the peace and is now serving in his second year as township clerk. In addition to the children already mentioned, he and his wife have had seven others, who were born on this farm--Rosa, Oliver, Charles, John, Mary, Eva and William. Two of their children are now dead, Florence and Rose.