History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918).

                          Mr. & Mrs. Albert K. Prior

ALBERT K. PRIOR, a former resident of the township and of the village of Loyal, who in his -day was a well known and highly esteemed citizen, was born in Allegheny County, N. Y., June 1, 1845, son of Nathaniel and Belinda (Wright) Prior. The father was also a native of New York State, and was there reared and married. He learned the trade of mason, but took up the occupation of a canal boat man, which he followed for a number of years after his marriage.

About September, 1845, he came with his wife and four children-George, Edwin, William and Albert K. to Wisconsin, the subject of this sketch being then a babe of four months. They settled in the village of Beaver Dam, where Nathaniel helped in the construction of the dam, laying the first stone. His ambition, however, was to own a farm, and he soon got a tract of wild land, on which he built a log house and barn. A few months later he procured a yoke of oxen, by the aid of which he cleared his land at odd times, working out whenever he could get a job, as when he arrived in Dodge County he had but 50 cents in his pocket, his wife having 25 cents. Here a son, Charles G., was born in 1850, and a daughter, Melissa, in 1852, the former now living in Darlington, Mo.

Albert K. spent his boyhood on the farm, attending the district school and learning something about agriculture, at which he worked more continuously as he grew older.

Early in 1865, in response to the last call of President Lincoln for troops, he enlisted in Company E, 50th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, the organization being known as the "Hundred Day Boys." After a service of three months he returned home, and for a year attended Wayland University at Beaver Dam. He then took up farm work again on the homestead.

In 1869, at the age of 24 years, he was united in marriage with Rebecca Coleman, by whom he had two children-Jennie and John D. In 1871 Mr. Prior moved with his family to Missouri, where they resided for two years. Then, returning to Wisconsin, they located at Lowell, Dodge County, where, in 1879, Mrs. Prior died. Of her two children, John D. died at the age of 4 years. Jennie was married Jan. 2, 1895, to A. A. Nashold, of Fall River, Wis., and has five children-Bruce J., Beulah M., Glenn, Eugene and Donald. On June 8, 1881, Mr. Prior married Julia Bartholomew, daughter of William and Mary J. (Gerred) Bartholomew, her parents being farming people of Dodge County. After the birth of a daughter, Ethel Amanda, they came in 1882 to Clark County, and bought the John Salsbury farm of eighty-three acres in Section 26, Sherman Township. During their six years' residence on that farm two more children were born to them-Ray Albert and Eugene H. Their next removal was to Loyal village, and from 1887 to 1891 Mr. Prior carried the mail on a stage running between Spencer and Loyal. In June, 1891, a daughter, Elma F., was born. After that Mr. Prior worked to some extent as a painter, continuing to be thus occupied until his death, which occurred Aug. 29, 1902. He was an esteemed member of the G. A. R. Post, at one time served as township treasurer, and was popular among a wide acquaintance. His wife still lives the village of Loyal, and is one of its well known and respected residents. Their daughter, Ethel, married Phil Faulks, and for two years resided in Milwaukee, afterwards moving to Waupaca, Wis., where she and her husband lived for six years, when they came to Marshfield. They have two children--Arla May and Dorothy Viola. Ray, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Prior, was born in Sherman Township. He married Addie Colby, of Crystal Lake, Ill., and subsequently worked for the Colby Mercantile Co., of Loyal. He is now conducting a mercantile business at Wauconda, Lake County, Ill. He and his wife have two children-Calvin A. and Ora Leone. Eugene Prior was educated in Loyal and for three years taught country school. He then attended the Oshkosh Normal School, and was later principal for five years of the high school at Arborvitae, Wis. He now holds a similar position at Minoequa, Wis. Elma, the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Prior, resides at home. William Bartholomew, father of Mrs. Albert K. Prior, of Loyal, was born and reared in Geneva, Ohio, and there followed the trade of shoemaker. After being married in Wisconsin to Mary J. Gerred, he returned with his wife to Ohio, where they lived three years, and had a son born, whom they named Charles M. Subsequently, coining back to Wisconsin, Mr. Bartholomew bought a piece of wild land in Dodge County, on which he built a log house and barn, and with a yoke of oxen began clearing a farm, also working at times at his trade. Three more children were born to him and his wife-Julia, Edward, Dora and Frank. Julia, as above mentioned, became the wife of Albert K. Prior. She had received a good education and previous to her marriage had taught school for five years.