the farm to buy another one in section 9 about 2
miles away. Gene continued to farm with his
parents in what was to grow into a partnership. A
new barn was built with room for about 30 cows.
Grandpa Jack was a mischievous individual who
could always think of some small prank to liven up
any group. He was a good farmer and ran a weFl
maintained operation. Grandma Fern was the
grandmother every child remembers. There was
always a piece of cake or cookie when you visited
grandma's house. The family always gathered
there on Sunday afternoon. They were members of
the Bruce Federated Church.
Gene never married but his nieces and nephews
were his children. It was always a special treat to
go to the movies with Uncle Gene, his gift on your
birthday. He was there for ball games, bowling or
teaching us to play golf.
In Sept. of 1970 Grandma Fern passed away.
The following year Grandpa Jack sold the farm
and retired. He and Gene purchased a house in
Bruce.
In 1973 Jack was married again to Tersa Loux,
but she passed on in 1974. Jack passed away the
following year.
Today Gene still lives in Bruce and works for the
Bruce School District.
Jack and Fern had 4 children, 18 grandchildren
an! to date 34 great grandchildren, and finally 2
great great grandchildren. Submitted by: Thomas
A. Kelly
THOMAS KELLEY FAMILY
The Thomas Kelley family story begins in 1963
when Peggy Schmidt and I were united in mar-
riage. Peggy is the daughter of Ferdinan and
Laura Mae Schmidt. My parents are Jonathan
and Wilma Kelley. Peggy attended Ladysmith
schools while I went to Bruce. After we were mar-
ried we rented a small apartment in Ladysmith for
the first year and I worked at the paper mill.
In 1964 we moved to Elgin, Illinois after I was
laid off from my job. We lived there for the next
nine years. Our children Allen and Renee were
born there. We, however, wanted to return to Rusk
County. Every chance we got we would travel here
to visit family and to go fishing or canoeing.
Several of our friends and family and us had taken
up white water canoeing. We canoed almost every
white water river in northern Wisconsin.

Thomas Kelley Family

In 1973 we returned here and bought a small
grocery store. We operated the store for the next
two years, but decided to close it and converted the
building into a duplex. Then I went to work at the
Bruce Cheese Plant. Peggy had always wanted to
be a beautician so she decided to go to school and
do so. Today Peggy's Hair Hospital is located in
downtown Ladysmith. After working out for
several years I began my own carpentry business.
It's been in operation for four years now.
Allen and Renee attended Ladysmith schools
where Allen played football his first year of high
school. But he broke a leg his second year and
couldn't continue with sports. He managed wres-
tling his last two years. Now he's going to technical
school learning the carpentry trade. Renee has
been involved in Band, Cheerleading and manag-
ing Volleyball, as well as 4-H and church choir.
She always seems to have something going on.
Our family hobbies are fishing, canoeing and

camping. We often combine all three with trips on
local rivers and lakes. Peggy enjoys crocheting,
and I built a photography darkroom where I spend
as much time as I can. I also have been tracing my
family history which I have traced back to Ireland
in 1790.
Last year Peggy, Allen and I took up downhill
skiing. Renee has been skiing for several years.
We're not great but we can get down the slopes.
When we moved back to Ladysmith we pur-
chased a big old house. I guess it's our biggest hob-
by as we have been restoring it ever since.
We are members of the First Church of Christ.
Submitted by Thomas Kelley

ADRIAN KENNEDY FAMILY
Adrian Kennedy and Millie Timmers were mar-
ried in St. Michael's at Kennan on Oct. 19, 1963.
Their parents are James and Margaret Kennedy
and Matt and Florence Timmers.
Millie graduated from Phillips High School in
1961 andwas employed at Allen-Bradley in
Milwaukee.
Adrian graduated from Ingram-Glen Flora
High School in 1959. He was employed at Great
Lakes Millworks, Ladysmith; then he went into
building construction and masonry. After living in
Milwaukee ten years, they moved to Delafield.
They have four children:
Brain Adrian Kennedy born July 28, 1964. He is
attending Waukesha County Technical Institute
and is employed at Burger King.
Michael John Kennedy born March 16, 1966.
He is a senior at Kettle Moraine High School and
is employed at McAdam's Grocery.
Renee Mildred Kennedy born June 1, 1968. She
is a sophomore at Kettle Moraine High School.
James Mathias Kennedy born April 28, 1975.
He is in the third grade at Cushing Grade School.
All have been active in school sports, band and
scouts, and have won trophies in baseball, football,
spelling bees and bowling.
They spend part of the summer "up North" with
their grandparents.
ISLAND LAKE BLACKSMITH
(BILL KERN)
The Bill Kern family settled on the north shore
of Island Lake about 1900. Bill was the blacksmith
for his neighbors.
The road is farther north now. It used to run
right along the edge of the lake, and the Kern
buildings were on the north side of the road on a
small hill, having a beautiful view of the lake. A
cement foundation is there yet probably from the
barn. Cottages surround the lake now.
A public boat landing is just east of the Kern
property.
Proceeding east are more cottages now, but
before 1936, the road ran right next to the lake and
the land there was farmed by Carl and Bessie
Nelson. They foresaw the cottage boom. Carl, with
the permission of the town board, built a road
through the middle of his field. This was a lot of
work and expense for him. Then he closed the road

along the edge of the lake and he and his wife
planted hundreds of little evergreen trees there.
They watered those trees and cared for them.
Along came the droughts of the 1930's and again
many of those trees died. Carl and Bessie planted
trees again. Today it is a beautiful area of cottages
and trees. A tornado came through approximately
seven years ago and again took down many of
those lovely trees.
Continuing, Bill Kern was a "character." The
following story was told to me: "Bill Kern caught a
large muskie, took it into his blacksmith shop and
put his brand on it. Three years later that muskie
was caught in Potato Lake. So then folks knew
there must be some underground passage between
the two lakes."
I can't verify this story, but knowing "Pap," he
was a person who would try something like that.
His four sons grew up and became fishing
"guides." Bill Kern nicknamed everyone that he
knew. His son Buford was Sturdy, Homer was
Tony, Eddie was Rip, and Theodore was Tike. He
and his wife Edna also had 7 daughters. Only
Lucille Hayden and Dorothy Stevens are now liv-
ing. Lena Biedron

Edna Kern               Bill Kern

THE GEORGE KERN FAMILY
The George Kern family moved to Island Lake
in 1900, from Bremen, Indiana. His grandparents
came to the United States from Alsace-Lorraine,
France in 1790. George Kern's brother, William,
came also, establishing the first blacksmith shop at
Island Lake. Each built his own house of logs by
hand, heated by wood stoves; dug their own wells
and cut all timber and logs.
George Kern married Lena Weise in 1884 and
by the time they arrived in Rusk County, two
children, Melvina and Thelo were born and came
to live at Island Lake. George Kern's health was
starting to fail, this being the reason for the move
from Indiana to Wisconsin. Very little money was
able to be made - help working in the blacksmith
and some little farming. Butter was churned by
hand from the cream of the milk.
Melvina, at age 17, started to work as a counter
girl at the Crocroft Hotel in Weyerhaeuser. She
decided to go to Kenilworth, Illinois by train and
answer an ad to work as a Harvey Girl for the Fred
Harvey Hotels that were being built along the San-
ta Fe Railroad as the rails were being laid clear to
California. She had worked her way to Needles,
California, when in the year of 1910, her mother
passed away of a stroke and she returned to Island
Lake. All this time she had been sending money
home to help her parents. She earned a salary of
$5.00 a week, but she did receive tips.
In 1911, Melvina married Gregg Sergent and
continued to live at Island Lake. At the outbreak
of World War I, Thelo went into the service. Her
father, George, became worse as far as his health
was concerned and had to go to the Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, for an ulcer operation. His health kept
failing until his death in 1922. Thelo returned from
the war and married in 1922.