Bio: Belz, Hugo R. K. (1874 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Belz, Miehlke, Hinz, Schwartz, Carstens, Hansman, Marks, Paustenbach

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

Belz, Hugo R. K. (14 October 1874 - 19??)

HUGO R. K. BELZ, who is serving in the honorable office of president of the town of Athens, Wisconsin, is also one of the well known business men, dealing in a general line of clothing in connection with his tailor shop. He was born in Germany, October 14, 1874, and is a son of Edward and Wilhelmine (Miehlke) Belz. The father of Mr. Belz was a butcher by trade and spent his entire life in Germany, where he died in 1880. The mother kept her children together and in 1893 came to the United States with Frederick, Hugo and Paul. Emily, the eldest, had married Henry Hinz.  

Hugo Belz attended school in Germany until he was eighteen years old going through the full elementary course including Latin and French. After he secured work in a store at Appleton, Wis., where the family first settled, he applied himself to books at night, helped by his knowledge of French and Latin, and thus learned the English language. After completing his apprenticeship to the tailor's trade he made preparations to go into business for himself and opened his present store at Athens on September 1, 1901. He carries a dependable class of goods, is honest, courteous and obliging and has many personal as well as business friends in this village. He has taken much interest in the well being and proper government of the town and has served as a member of its council for many years and is also one of the directors of the High School.  

On June 26, 1900, Mr. Belz was married to Miss Minnie Carstens, who was born in Fond du Lac County, Wis., a daughter of John and Dorothy (Schwartz) Carstens. The mother of Mrs. Belz is deceased but the father survives and conducts a butcher shop at Medford, Wis. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Carstens were: Theodore; Louis; Rose, who is deceased, was the wife of William Hansman; Emma; Minnie, who is Mrs. Belz; Lilly, who is the wife of Herman Marks; Catherine, who is the wife of Joseph Paustenbach; and Nellie. Mr. and Mrs. Belz have four children; Margaret, Erna, Meta and Edward. They are members of the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Belz is a Democrat.