Herman Braatz, 1881

stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org on Fri, 16 Feb 2001

Surname: BRAATZ, SCHOLZ, RUEGE

----Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

HERMAN BRAATZ, one of the most progressive young farmers of Clark County, who by hard work and perseverance has developed from the forest a fine and productive farm, was born on the homestead of his parents, Richard and Amelia (Scholz) Braatz, in Grant Township, Mar. 2, 1881. Herman's schooling was somewhat irregular, as he had to help his father in clearing the latter's farm, but during the winter time he usually worked in the lumber woods, being thus occupied for a number of years.

He was United in marriage, June 26, 1907, to Nellie Ruege, a native of Grant Township and daughter of William Ruege. He had already begun to improve a tract of eighty acres in section 27, Grant Township, on which he built an eight-room brick veneer house, in which he and his wife took up their residence. Later he built a good barn, 36 by 68 feet, with basement, cement floors and patent stanchions; also a silo, 36 by 12 feet, and a tool shed with cement floor, 24 by 56 feet in size, with a hog building and other necessary structures. There was a grove of maple trees on his farm, which he has saved for the production of maple sugar. He also has an orchard of Dutchess apples and other fine varieties of fruit. He raises Durham cattle and graded Percheron horses successfully, finding a ready market for his stock, while his tilled land is fruitful and grows bountiful crops.

Mr. Braatz is a member of the Farmers' Co-operative Elevator and Lumber Company, of Neillsville, a stockholder in the Wausau Packing Plant and a patron of the cheese factory. He held the office of supervisor for 1910, and since 1911 has been manager of Lynn Telephone Co. A German Lutheran in religious faith, he is serving as trustee of his church.

He and his wife are the parents of four children: Esther, Erwin, Victor and Donald.