HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



a staunch Democrat, he has always voted the straight ticket. He is a quiet,
re-
fined, industrious man who made a good record in public life and whose name
is
permanently inscribed on the annals of Wood County. To Mr. and Mrs. Stahl
were born seven children, six daughters and one son, all of whom are still
living
and are married. They are: Elizabeth, now Mrs. J. D. Rice of Chicago; Mollie,
who is Mrs. Frank Schmeling of Wausau; Matilda, wife of Robert W. Morse of
Stevens-Point; Minnie, wife of C. 0. Burt; Lydia, who is Mrs. F. D. Abel;
Loretta,
Mrs. M. C. Whitrock; and Louis Stahl, all of this city. Mrs. Elizabeth Stahl
passed away Sept. 18, 1898.
   Mark C. Whitrock, manager of the Sam Church Drug Store, Wisconsin Rapids,
and well known as one of the most active and progressive young business men
of
the city, was born in Centralia, now a part of this municipality, June 5,
1892, son
of Max and Sophia (Rickhoff) Whitrock. His literary education was acquired
in several schools, including the Centralia High, the Lowell, and the Lincoln
High
School. At the age of 15 years he entered the drug department of the Johnson-
Hill Co.'s store, where he served his apprenticeship to the business, remaining
there
four years, on until 1911. He then became a student in the drug department
of
Marquette University, from which he was graduated in June, 1913, and after
attending Marquette for six months he took an examination at Madison and
re-
ceived his assistant diploma. After he graduated from Marquette he took his
final examination and successfully passed the Wisconsin State Board. In order
to receive practical training he then did relief work in various places throughout
the state, returning to Wisconsin Rapids in the fall of 1914. From that time
until
May, 1918, he was in the employ of the Otto Pharmacy, from which concern
he
came to the Sam Church Drug Co., to take his present position as store manager.
He has not only made good in his own immediate line of business, but has
been
usefully active in civic and social affairs generally. Fraternally he belongs
to two
local lodges, the Elks and the Blue Lodge of Masons. Mr. Whitrock was married
Sept. 14, 1915, in Grand Rapids, to Loretta M. Stahl, daughter of Frank and
Eliza-
beth (Casper) Stahl. He and his wife have one child, Robert M., who was born
Sept. 29, 1916.
   Joseph C. Marsh, president of the First National Bank of Marshfield, head
of
the telephone exchange, and former legislator, was born in Bradford, Penn.,
Jan.
1, 1852, son of Nelson and Rocelia (Taylor) Marsh. Both parents were natives
of Pennsylvania, the father having been born in Middletown, Aug. 14, 1828,
and
the mother in Bradford, Sept. 13, 1831. The former was a cooper by trade.
It
was in 1857 that Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Marsh came west with their family and
settled at what is now Granton village in Clark County, Wisconsin, where
they
homesteaded 160 acres of wild land. There were few settlers in the county
at
that time and they lived for years amid pioneer conditions. Joseph C., who
was
five years old on their arrival, grew up on the home farm and soon began
to attend
the district school. Some years afterwards he became a student in Oskaloosa
College in Iowa, and subsequently followed school teaching for several years
in
Clark County, leaving home at the age of 21. After that, up to 1879, he followed
logging and lumbering and built and operated a sawmill. In 1901 he came from
Clark County to Marshfield and bought the Marshfield Telephone Exchange,
which then had 84 paid subscribers but now has over 1,500, and of which he
has



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