Bio: Johannes, J. Henry (1866 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Johannes, Mortenson, Beilke, Thalheim

---Source: History of Marathon County Wisconsin and Representative Citizens, by Louis Marchetti, 1913.

Johannes, J. Henry (24 September 1866 -19??)

J. HENRY JOHANNES, general manager and secretary of The Jacob Mortenson Lumber Company, of Wausau, Wis., with which he has been continuously identified for the past nineteen years, was born in Germany, September 24, 1866, received his primary education there and was about eighteen years of age when he came to America.

On April 24, 1884, Mr. Johannes reached Merrill, Wis., and went to work in a factory there where he remained until an accident, on August 23, 1888, terminated his factory life and resulted in the loss of the fingers of his left hand. While this was indeed a calamity, it definitely turned his thought and ambitions in a different direction and opened up, ultimately, the path in which he has been very successful. In order to better equip himself mentally, Mr. Johannes attended the Merrill High School for two years and afterward took a full course in the Wausau Business College and thus was well qualified when he accepted the position of bookkeeper in a bank at Merrill. In 1892 he became bookkeeper for the Wisconsin Valley Land Company and was interested in real estate until 1894 at Wausau and in September of that year became bookkeeper for The Jacob Mortenson Lumber Company. In 1899 he was made sales manager for the firm, in 1901 became manager and assistant treasurer and since 1912 has been general manager and secretary.

In 1894 Mr. Johannes was married to Miss Mollie Beilke, who is a daughter of Louis and Caroline Beilke. The parents of Mrs. Johannes were pioneers of this city and the father died when she was still young. Her mother had passed more than fifty-one years here when her death occurred on July 24, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Johannes have four children: Raymond, Lovina, Myrtle and Elnora.  

Mr. Johannes served as a member of the school board for seven years, succeeding Mr. Thalheim, deceased. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.