Recollections of Columbia, Wisconsin
by Mabel Schlender Jonkel
Contributed by Sarah Poertner
transcribed by Crystal Wendt & Michelle Harder.
*Reverend McClure, a Baptist minister, and family came in 1901. They bought acreage two and one-half miles southeast of Columbia where a nice home was built. After about five years he was called to another parish in Sun Prarie and from there moved to the state of Washington. In Columbia they had five children: Raymond, Wallace, Stella, Rae and Willard, all active in church and social affairs.
*Mr. and Mrs. William Slater bought the McClure farm and farmed for several years. They had one daughter, Beulah. Mrs. Slater had one son, Arthur Brossard, from a previous marriage. For a time Arthur helped on the farm and later married Della Moravec of Columbia. As a carpenter he followed the trade in building dams throughout the U.S.A. They raised six children. Upon retirement they lived in Redding, California.
*Mr. And Mrs. Helling and family came from Racine in 1901. They built a home one mile north of Columbia and cleared away land for famring. Their family of eight were: Barbara, William, Henry, Lena, Emily, Clara and Wallace. A niece, Minnie Kinderdict, also lived with them. They were very active both in church and socially. Young people gathered round their organ for song fests. Mr. Helling was the Sunday School Superintendant. After a few years they returned to Racine. Barbara became the wife of Ed Thorne, who had a farm south of Columbia. After their marriage they farmed at Whitewater. Emily married Vance Archer, whose father owned the hardware store in Merrillan. They settled in Kansas.
Madge and Milly Helling went off to the big city of Racine to work.
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