BioA: Schiller, Mr./Mrs. Jake (63rd – 1939)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Schiller, Litzen, Hein, Betz, Wolf, Preston, Christopherson

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark Co., Wis.) 16 Feb 1939

Schiller, Mr./Mrs. Jake (63rd – 13 FEB 1939)

Sixty-three years of married life were marked Monday by Mr. and Mrs. Jake Schiller, Clark County residents for the last 47 years, at their residence on South Grand Ave., Neillsville. Mr. Schiller is 84 and Mrs. Schiller is 80.

Many friends and relatives of the grand old couple dropped in on them during the day and early evening to pay their respects and to wish them many more happy years together.

Mr. and Mrs. Schiller, the former Margaret Litzen, were married Feb. 6, 1876, in St. Joseph, Fond du Lac County. Theirs was a long period of courtship, which started when they were children. As both of them will relate: "We grew up together." And their years together have always been happy ones, they agree.

For some time preceding their marriage, Mr. Schiller was employed by Mrs. Schiller's father in the town of Marshfield, Fond du Lac County. But soon after their marriage, they moved to Marion County, where Mr. Schiller planned to settle down to arming.

However, life on a farm did not last long, and in 1892 they moved to Clark County. Mr. Schiller, an old time logger, started working for John Hein, well known lumberman of this section during that time, and the first house in which they lived in the county was a log cabin near the sawmill, located on Wedges Creek.

A few years later the mill was moved to the town of York, and Mr. and Mrs. Schiller went along with it. Mr. Schiller was a valued employee of Mr. Hein, and frequently was sent out in search of new timberlands. His searches carried him into many parts of Wisconsin, and on one occasion, into Michigan.

For 14 years Mr. Schiller remained with the Hein interests, then he moved into Neillsville and for several years was employed in the city water department.

The advice Mr. and Mrs. Schiller would give to any young couple seeking to learn the secret of a long and happy married life is: "Learn to give and take."

Seven children were born to the union. They are Mrs. Wm. Betz of the town of Seif; Mrs. Ed Wolf of Glendive, Mont.; Tony Schiller of Greenwood; Mrs. Frances Preston, at home; W.F. Schiller, deceased; Miss Mildred Schiller, a teacher in the Madison public schools; and Mrs. Thorvald Christopherson of Juneau. There are 20 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. (Clark County Press)

The Gleaner joins with their many friends in extending congratulations and best wishes for many more years of happy wedded life.