HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



ville, Stearns County, Minn. Then for two years he attended the seminary
at
Mayence, Germany. After his ordination to the priesthood his first charge
was
was at Athens, Marathon County, Wis., as assistant pastor, in which position
he
served for six months, at the end of which time he was made pastor of a congrega-
tion at Wuerzburg in the same county. After remaining with that congregation
four years he was assigned to his present pastorate at Auburndale.
   Verne McCoy, an active and successful young business man of Pittsville,
man-
ager of the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber Co., was born in Rock County, Wis-
consin, March 31, 1890, son of Henry C. and Hannah (Chase) McCoy. The par-
ents were natives of that county, where they were married and for ten years
car-
ried on farming. Later they operated a general merchandise store at Magnolia,
Rock County, being thus engaged until April, 1903, when they came to Pittsville.
Here Henry C. McCoy operated a sawmill and lumber yard, sawing logs for the
custom trade and doing a big business. At times he had from three to four
million
feet of logs on hand. He operated the mill and yard until 1916, in which
year he
sold his interests to the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber Co. of Marshfield,
and
went to Evansville, Rock County, where he is now living practically retired,
though
he still looks after the interests of his farm. He and his wife are the parents
of
four children, all now living, namely: Leslie, who is a physician in New
York City;
Verne, of Pittsville, Wis.; Lucinda, residing at home with her parents; and
Shirley,
now Mrs. Asa Boody of Evansville, Wis. Verne McCoy as a boy attended dis-
trict school in Evansville and Pittsville, being graduated from the Pittsville
High
School in 1909. Then for a short time he attended normal school at Stevens
Point.
After his return home he became associated with his father in the lumber
business
and was with him until he sold out in 1916, when he took his present position
for
the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber Co. at Pittsville. Active in civic and social
affairs, he served four years on the city council and has a wide circle of
friends.
He is a member of Pittsville Lodge No. 28, I. 0. 0. F., in which he has passed
all
the chairs. Mr. McCoy was married in Pittsville, June 7, 1913, to Elsa Heuer,
daughter of Charles and Emma (Bohrtz) Heuer. He and his wife have three chil-
dren: Helen, born May 1, 1914; Marion, born March 23, 1916; and Ilene, born
Sept. 7, 1919.
   Tollef Moen, a well-known farmer in Arpin Township, was born in Norway
April 30, 1868, son of Tollef and Margaret (Strander) Moen. The parents,
both
of whom are now deceased, were natives of Norway. Tollef Moen, after finishing
school in Norway, learned the trade of blacksmith and worked at that and
at farm-
ing until 1902, when he came to the United States. On arriving he came direct
to Wisconsin and made his home with his brother Knut of Auburndale Township,
Wood County. He worked at his trade in Auburndale for a few months and later
went to Deronda, Polk County, where he operated a blacksmith shop for five
years. He returned to Wood County in 1908 and bought 120 acres of wild land
in Section 6, of Arpin Township, on which he proceeded to make his home,
living
with Theodore Knutson until he could get a house built on the land. He also
built a blacksmith shop, but this was destroyed by fire a short time later,
and he
then opened a blacksmith shop at Arpin, which he operated for five years.
Dur-
ing this period he devoted all the time he could to clearing and developing
his farm
property, and eventually brought it to a fine point of development. He is
now
operating it, carrying on a general farming and dairying; he has 90 acres
cleared,
of which 50 acres are under the plow; he has equipped it with a good set
of build-
ings, including a barn 32 by 40 feet. Besides building up this property and
oper-
ating the blacksmith shop, Mr. Moen did a great deal of contract road-building
throughout the township. Dec. 22, 1896, in Norway, Mr. Moen was united in
marriage with Carrie Moen, daughter of Thurston and Ingeberg Moen. Mrs.
Moen's father still resides in Norway; the mother is now deceased. Four children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Moen: Tollef, now of Carlock, Ill.; Thurston,
liv-
ing at home; Margaret, now Mrs. William Briske, of Norwalk, Wis.: and Ida,
liv-
ing in Chicago.
   Frank E. Mohr, operating the Arpin Cheese Factory in Section 27, Arpin
Town-



600