- LEWIS BAKER, who holds an enviable position among the thrifty
and industrious farmers and
- upright citizens of Green county, resides on his farm, a
beautiful place of 160 acres, in section 23, Jordan township,
seven miles west of Monroe.
- Mr. BAKER was born in the town of Monroe, Jan. 27, 1856,
a son of Henry and Catherine
- (RHINEGROOVER) BAKER, who were among the early settlers of
Green county, making settlement here as early as 1840. The second
and third houses in Monroe were built by Thomas RHINEGROOVER,
uncle to Mr. BAKER. Henry BAKER, father of Lewis, was born in
Saxony, Germany and came to this country when a young man, following
shoemaking. He died when Lewis was about four years old, leaving
a widow and four children: John, now deceased; Henry, who lives
in Kansas; Lewis, whose name appears above; and Lawrence, now
living at Fairmount, Minnesota.
- Lewis BAKER was married Jan. 28, 1883, to Miss Emma L. ABLEMAN,
of Jordan township, a
- daughter of William and Martha (THOMPSON) ABLEMAN, old settlers
of the township. Her father was born in Albany, N.Y., May 6,
1800, a son of Christian ABLEMAN, who was of German parentage.
Christian ABLEMAN was a soldier in the English army, and was
taken prisoner at the battle of Bunker Hill. When he was paroled
he remained in this country, and made his home near Albany, N.Y.
William ABLEMAN, the father of Mrs. BAKER, came from New York
to Rock county, Wis., in 1835, soon afterward making his permanent
home in Green county, where he died March 30, 1895. In 1820 he
was married to Miss Ellen VANDERBERG, by whom he had the following
named children: Gilbert, John, Stephen, Reuben, James, Christian,
Regina, Rachel, Joseph and Elizabeth. The mother of these died
in 1850, and Mr. ABLEMAN married, Oct. 25, 1860, Miss Martha
THOMPSON, a daughter of Jonathan THOMPSON, of New York, by whom
he had three children: Emma L. (Mrs. Lewis BAKER, who was born
Oct. 31, 1861), Ephraim A. and Samuel. Mrs. ABLEMAN is still
living on the old homestead farm.
- Lewis BAKER was reared on the farm, where his mother cared
for her little family, and obtained
- his education in the public schools, starting out in life
a poor boy. At the present time he owns the old ABLEMAN farm,
a well-tilled quarter section, with fine improvements, barns
and other facilities. In politics he is a Republican. He is not
connected with any church, but squares his life by the Golden
Rule, and commands the hearty and unstinted respect and confidence
of the community. Mr. BAKER is engaged in general farming, and
gives special attention to creamery and dairy interests. Both
he and his wife are regarded as fine people, reliable and generous-hearted,
honorable and upright, by all who know them. They have had one
daughter, Jennie L., who is at home.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; pp. 796-797.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
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