BioA: Poler, Mr. and Mrs. William (Golden - 1959)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Poler, Shilts, Kapfer, Mathews, Backhus, Williams, Henne, Wallace, Bishop, Miller, Stead, Searls, Lindow, Ferguson, Woodford, Oldham, Banta, Feutz, Timmler, Schmitt, Foote, Flemming, Shutz, Pierce, Vandeberg, Laatsch, Lundahl, Lustenson, Harris, Kleinhaus, Schaub, Trachte, Mortenson, Short, Richmond, Schultz, Altenloh, Larsen, Zickert, Hubing, Lipke, Prochazka, Harcey

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) June 11, 1959

Poler, Mr. and Mrs. William (Golden - 12 June 1959)

Mr. and Mrs. William Poler will hold open house at their grounds on Route 1, near the fairgrounds, from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 12, for friends and neighbors in honor of their 50^th wedding anniversary.  A dance in the evening will be held at the American Legion Hall.

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----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) June 18, 1959

Mr. and Mrs. William Poler celebrated their golden wedding anniversary June 12 at their home in Pine Valley.  Open House was from 1 to 5 p.m., a dinner was served to 90 relatives and friends at the American Legion Hall, and 150 took part in the dance which followed.  A picnic was held Saturday at the Poler home.

Approximately 200 people attended the weekend celebrations. 

Miss JoAnn Baker sang "I Love You Truly" at the dinner Friday evening.

William Ernest Poler, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Poler, and Madilene Shilts, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Shilts, were married in the Methodist parsonage in Neillsville, June 12, 1909.  The groom, who was born at Omro, came to Clark County when he was 17 years of age and located with his parents in the Town of Washburn.  The bride came to Clark County when she was seven and also located in Washburn.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Poler purchased a farm at Riverside, near Colby, and in 1910 moved west to North Dakota.  In 1912 they registered for a claim on the Berthold Indian Reservation, near Plaza, N. D., and moved onto the new location in an immigrant car.  While eating their first meal in a restaurant near the claim, they met a bachelor, who had a claim near the 160 acres on which the Polers planned to move.  The man said he was not going to be home, but he handed the Polers the key to the one-room shack and told them they are welcome to occupy it.

"That" said Mr. Poler, "Was early Western hospitality."

In 1915, a tornado razed every building in the village of Wheaton, four miles from their claim.  Many people were injured and a great deal of damage was done. A prairie fire threatened their home, but they saved their house and barn.

Since returning to Wisconsin, Mr. and Mrs. Poler operated farms in Washburn, Christie, Willard and Chili.  A year ago they purchased two acres of land adjoining the fairgrounds on the south, and erected a new ranch-type one-story home.

The children, all of whom were present at the celebration with their families include: Mrs. Albert (Helen) Kapfer of West Bend, Mrs. Leon (Lois) Mathews of Manistee, Mich., Mrs. Ernest (Ardis) Backhus of Washburn, Mrs. Oliver (Hazel) Williams of Cannonville, Mrs. Ethel Henne of Lake Geneva, Charles Poler of DePere, and Robert of Pine Valley.  Of the 23 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, only two were not present. Darwin Wallace, who attended the couple at the wedding 50 years ago, was an honored guest.

Relatives and out of town guests included: Mrs. Nettie Bishop of Waukau; Mr. and Mrs. Corey H. Bishop of Omro; Mr. and Mrs. George Miller of Pickett; Mr. and Mrs. Irving Stead of Vashon, Wash.; Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Wallace of Stevens Point; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Searls and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Lindow of Chili; Mrs. Mabel Ferguson of Arpin; Mrs. Arthur Williams and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Williams and children of Cannonville; Leona Woodford of Lebanon, Ore.; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Oldham and Harold Oldham of Medford.

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Banta of Richland Center; Mr. and Mrs. Christ Feutz, Mr. and Mrs. Ollie Poler, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Kapfer of Granton; Mr. and Mrs. Dan Wallace of Indianapolis, Ind.; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Timmler and children and Mrs. Nellie Kapfer of Loyal; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Schmitt, Mrs. Elwyn Baker and JoAnn, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Foote, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Flemming, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Shutz, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Pierce, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Poler and children of Pine Valley.

Mrs. Lawrence Vandeberg and children, Nathan Vandeberg of Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Laatsch and children, Mr. and Mrs. James Kapfer and Mary Ellen, and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kapfer and daughters of West Bend; Mrs. Alfred Henne, Alfred, Jr., and Carlyn, Mr. and Mrs. John Lundahl and children of Lake Geneva; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Poler of West DePere; Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Lustenson of Fountain City; Mrs. Lois Mathews and Sara Jo of Manistee, Mich.; Mr. and Mrs. Glen Harris and children of Hastings, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Allen Kleinhaus and children of Germantown; Mr. and Mrs. Lee Schaub and children of Kewaskum.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Trachte and children, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mortenson and children, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Short and Mrs. Frank Short of Shortville; Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Richmond and Mr. and Mrs. Herman Schultz of Christie; Mr. and Mrs. Guy Schultz, of Dells Dam; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Altenloh and children, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kapfer, Mr. and Mrs. Soren Larsen, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Zickert, Mrs. Henry Hubing, Mrs. Marie Lipke, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Prochazka and the Rev. and Mrs. Frank B. Harcey of Neillsville; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Backhus of Washburn; and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Larsen of the Town of Grant.