Ozaukee County News Articles

The Sheboygan Press
Thursday, January 17, 1957

Former Ozaukee County Pair
Celebrates 63rd Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. William Haenke, Gilbert, Minn., former residents of Waubeka and Random Lake, marked their 63rd wedding anniversary Wednesday.

The Haenkes were married 63 years ago in the community of Waubeka and a short time later left for Minnesota, when villages there were "little more than camps." In the early years of their married life, they turned to farming and have made their tract one of the show places of northern Minnesota.

Born at Milwaukee, Mr. Haenke lived near Random Lake and a few years at Adell. His father was a livestock buyer, then ran a meat market in Adell a few years and later at Random Lake. In 1891, he left for Duluth and the new Mesabi iron range.

Mr. Haenke recalls that he was the first to grow potatoes there, and the first to start modern farming. He had the first binder and threshing machine, the first silo, first stone crusher and roller. For more than 20 years, he grew virus-free foundation seed potatoes. For 24 years he was chairman of the North St. Louis County Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the country.

The honorees were the first in their county as "honor roll farmers." In 1953 they received a national oil company achievement award. In 1948 they were awarded the Minneapolis Horticultural Society honor for achievement, leadership and untiring efforts in developing northern Minnesota and the potato industry. Prior to that Mr. Haenke had been given a gold medal as premier seed grower of the Northwest Co-op Improvement Assn.

The former Ida Wenzel, Mrs. Haenke, is a native of Waubeka. In 1900, they returned to Waubeka where they operated a meat market, then sold to Bowman and returned to Minnesota.

They have a son, W. H. Haenke, also engaged in farming in Minnesota. A daughter, Mrs. Oscar Engstrom, died some years ago. There are several grandchildren. The celebrants are members of Trinity Luthern Church.

Despite his age, Mr. Haenke today is still one of the progressive farmers of the year. A newspaper clipping of last year reports that "by the installation of a system of steam heat in his home, Wm. Haenke has equipped his farm to be the most modern and up-to-date on the Range. The steam heat system is the finishing touch to the foremost dairy farm in this part of the state."

Probably top guest at the 63 wedding anniversary was Sam Keller, an immigrant from Switzerland who came to Random Lake, but followed Haenke to Minnesota where he has been a blacksmith for the past 48 years. Soon to be 80, Mr. Keller has been at the blacksmith trade for 65 years and still does repair work today.