Herman BLEICK

HERMAN BLEICK, who for more than a quarter of a century has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Outagamie county, is the owner of a fine farm in Greenville township, and a member of one of this section's oldest and most honored families. He was born August 26, 1860, in Greenville township, and is a son of John and Louisa (Brockman) Bleick, natives of Germany, where the former was born December 24, 1835, and the latter January 26, 1826. John Bleick was about fourteen years of age when he came to America with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Bleick, and the other children, Ludwig and Dorothy. The family in the old country had been in rather humble circumstances, Frederick Bleick being a laboring man, but he eventually sold his property to furnish means for transportation to the New World, and in 1849 the little band of emigrants started out to cross the ocean. The trip was made from Hamburg to Quebec, and thence also by boat to Milwaukee, and was filled with many perils and hardships, but the sturdy little party kept straight on, and after locating in Milwaukee worked for a year at whatever any or all of the members of the party could find to do. At this time the Green Bay region was being opened up by homeseekers, and thence Frederick Bleick took his family, making the trip by ox team to Outagamie county, and hauling their household effects with them. Settling in section 10, after a journey that taxed even the strength of these hardy Germans, on land that had been pre-empted some time before by the sons, John and Ludwig, the family found the chance it had been looking for, and the parents here had a home during the remainder of their lives. John Bleick had received a German education in his native country, but had not had the advantages of an English education, and in fact never attended an English school in his life. On coming to this country he had begun life under somewhat of a handicap, it having been necessary to go into debt for most of the farm purchase money, but he was young and strong, the latter fact being emphasized by his feat of carrying fifty pounds of flour to his home from the village of Little Chute. In addition, he split rails at thirty cents per hundred, chopped wood at thirty cents per cord, and did any honest labor that came his way. The first Bleick home was a little log shanty, roofed with split basswood, and in this the family lived while the father and boys were clearing the farm from the forest, there having been no clearing of any kind when they first located there. Wild animals were still to be found in numbers, and a huge black bear full of fight, gave John Bleick a bad quarter of an hour on one occasion when he was returning from Appleton. In 1855, John Bleick was married at Greenville, to Louisa Brockman, also a native of Germany, and they located on a farm in Greenville township, on which he spent the remainder of his life. The first eighty acres of land which he owned were mostly of swamp, but at the time of his death he was the owner of 227 acres, over 200 of which were in excellent condition, all acquired through years of intelligent and unremitting labor. Mr. Bleick died in 1902, in the faith of the Lutheran Church. He was a democrat in politics, but preferred to give most of his attention to his farming interests, although he served as his sense of public duty told him in various township offices. His widow, who still survives, makes her home with her son Herman. Mr. and Mrs. Bleick had a family of eight children, as follows: Minnie, who married C. A. Gielow of Manitowoc; Charles, engaged in farming in Greenville township; Augusta, who married Gus Zuehlke of Hortonville; Herman; Lizzie, who married Ed. Wigert of Dale township; Ferdinand of Greenville township; and Ida, who is deceased.

Herman Bleick attended the public schools of Greenville township, and remained on the home farm until his marriage, at which time he removed to his present fine farm of 100 acres, which he devotes to general farming and the raising of fine live stock. He is a member of the Equitable Fraternal Union, and in politics is independent, having never aspired to office. He belongs to the Lutheran Church. On October 22, 1885, Mr. Bleick was married to Mary Schroth, who was born in Ellington township, March 23, 1860, daughter of George and Mary (Bahler) Schroth, natives of Germany. George Schroth came to the United States as a young man, and after spending six months in New York State he came to Ellington township, Outagamie county, where he bought a farm. He died in 1867, aged thirty-four years, from the effects of his army service, he having been a member of Company G, a regiment of Wisconsin Infantry. His widow, who was born November 10, 1836, died in 1903, and of their six children Mrs. Bleick was the third in order of birth. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Bleick, all of whom reside at home, are: Lillian, born May 21, 1888; Ella, born February 16, 1891; and Leona, born July 26, 1896.

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