HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



Upham has served as elder since 1882, and for 20 years he was superintendent
of
the Sunday school. Mrs. Upham has been treasurer of the Ladies' Aid Society
for 25 years. She is prominent in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
and
is president of the Woman's Missionary Society of Winnebago Presbytery; also
an
ex-regent of the Marshfield Chapter, D. A. R.
   Fred B. Rhyner, postmaster of Marshfield, and a veteran soldier, was born
on
a farm at Monticello, Green County, Wis., Jan. 20, 1886, son of Blasius and
Sophie
(Zeller) Rhyner. The parents were both born in Switzerland, the father in
Elm
and the mother in Berne. They came to America in early manhood and woman-
hood, and resided in Monticello, Wis., until April, 1890, when they came
to Marsh-
field, where they still reside. Here Blasius Rhyner was employed for a time
by
the Chicago & Northwestern Railway and afterwards by the city of Marshfield.
Their children were as follows: Fred B., subject of this sketch; Anna, now
Mrs.
Otto Hinc of Hatley, Wis.; Oswald, of Marshfield, who is a rural mail carrier;
William, who died in childhood; Albert, of Chicago, who is an electric railway
con-
ductor, and who served two years in the World War overseas; Lena, who died
in
infancy; Ernest, who died in infancy; Sophie, now Mrs. John Schindler of
Stevens
Point, Wis.; and Walter, who is a student in the high school. Fred B. Rhyner,
who was the eldest of his parent's children, was educated in the graded school,
but
had to relinquish his studies at the age of 14 and go to work.  In 1901 he
entered
the Marshfield post office, where he has since been employed with the exception
of
the time he spent in the military service. On Feb. 23, 1904, he enlisted
as a pri-
vate in Company A, Second Infantry, W. N. G., and was subsequently promoted
step by step until he became captain of infantry. In June, 1916, he went
to the
Mexican border, where he served until Feb. 28, 1917. During his border service
he was advanced to the rank of battalion sergeant major, and was recommended
by Col. Wilbur M. Lee, commander of the regiment, for the rank of first lieutenant,
and was so commissioned April 12, 1917, after being mustered out here. He
was
then made battalion adjutant in the Second Wisconsin Infantry. On July 15,
1917, he passed to the Federal service with the same rank and was made assistant
regimental adjutant of the Second Wisconsin Infantry. The regiment was mo-
bilized at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, and was sent to Camp McArthur at Waco,
Texas, Oct. 1, 1917. There he was transferred to the 127th Infantry, 32nd
Divi-
sion, carrying the above mentioned commission. On Jan. 20, 1918, he left
Waco,
Texas, for Camp Merritt, N. J., and on Feb. 18, 1918, he embarked at Hoboken,
N. J., for overseas on the steamship George Washington, one of a convoy of
eight
troop ships sailing at the same time. He arrived at Brest March 4, 1918,
and at
once entrained for Bordeaux, Base Section No. 2, where his regiment remained
at
Rest Camps 1 and 2 until March 30, 1918. At the rest camp Lieutenant Rhyter
was appointed adjutant of the two rest camps under Col. J. J. Wright of the
regu-
lar army. At Bordeaux it developed upon him to board the troop ships and
dis-
pose of the troops arriving. On one of them he met his brother Albert, who
had
enlisted from Chicago, Ill., and he took him to headquarters and they spent
Easter
Sunday together. About April 1 Lieut. Rhyner was relieved of his duties at
the
rest camps and was made adjutant of the 127th Infantry. From Bordeaux his
command was sent to the training area, preparatory to going into action,
and on
May 13, 1918, they began a two days' march to Langres, where they at once
en-



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