Bio: Sterns, Gustavus (1830 - 1885)

Transcriber: Janet@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

 Surnames: Bacon, Blakesless, Dewhurst, Dickinson, Furlong, Green, Hubbard, Lynch, Robinson, Sterns, Tomkins

----Sources: Message of the governor of Wisconsin, together with the annual reports, of the officers of the State, for the year, A.D. 1865; (1866 [Covers 1864/1865]); Fairchild, Lucius, Annual report of the secretary of state, for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 1865,   pp. [1]-179 ff., Union Flag, 16 Jun 1864

In another column of the Press will be found the obituary of Miss Ruby E. Sterns. She was laid to rest in Neillsville cemetery Tuesday afternoon, among the graves of her kindred. Ruby was the last member of the Sterns family. Her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Gustavus Sterns, came here in 1856 and settled at Westons Rapids, north of Neillsville, where Mr. Sterns made furniture. Later they moved to Neillsville and built the old home, still standing on North Hewitt Street and Mr. Sterns built and carried on a heading mill where what is known as the R. W. Balch house stands. Mr. Sterns died in 1886 and his wife continued to live in the old home and kept boarders to support and educate her younger children. Clarence, her youngest son, who held a good position in Chicago, died in 1891 Stella, the only daughter, a beautiful and talented young lady, died in July, 1893. Mrs. Sterns continued to live in the old home alone in her later years, going to Duluth to live with her son Henry about 1917. She died in November, 1919 at the age of 86. The son, Henry, died in March 1922, and the other son, Oscar, also died.

Ruby, the only remaining member of the family is now gone. She made a remarkable record as a student, winning a scholarship in the University of Minnesota, and when she had completed her course was called back to a position in the Lincoln Junior High School of Duluth.

Source: Unattributed newspaper clipping from family files

Notes

In 1865, Gustavus Sterns served as Clerk of the Circut Court for Clark Co., Wisconsin.

1881 History of Clark Co., Wisconsin

"Prominent among such of the earlier settlers who came within that period, some of whom were largely identified with the building up and improvements, of the county were James Hewett, Richard Dewhurst, John S. Dore, G. W. King, Chauncey Blakesless, S. N. Dickinson, W. C. Tomkins, L. K. Hubbard, James Lynch, Orson Bacon, James Furlong, G. Sterns, Edward Furlong, Anson Green and others who settled either at or near Neillsville. Daniel Gates who first located in the town of Levis, at the mouth of Wedge’s Creek, but who afterwards removed to Pine Valley, adjoining the city of Neillsville, David H. Robinson who settled at Weston Rapids and Leonard Stafford, who founded the village of Staffordville, that at one time was a rival village with Neillsville".

United States Census, 1880, Neillsville, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, Sheet Letter: C, Sheet Number: 435

Gustavus Sterns, 49 yr. old (1831) white married male
Occupation: Steam Stave Mill
Birthplace: Sweden
Father's Birthplace: Sweden
Mother's Birthplace: Sweden

Household
(Head) Gustavus Sterns Self Male 49 Sweden
Charlott Sterns Wife Female 46 Sweden
Henry Sterns Son Male 24 Illinois, United States
Oscar Sterns Son Male 22 Wisconsin, United States
Clarence Sterns Son Male 11 Wisconsin, United States
Stella Sterns Daughter Female 9 Wisconsin, United States