became Stokely Bros.) for 28 years, working in the
areas of Ladysmith, Tony, Glen Flora, and
Hawkins. The company later contracted for beans
and cucumbers also. Many of the area children, in-
cluding the Biller kids, picked beans during the
summer to make money.
Frank and Elvira lived most of their married life
on a 40-acre farm southeast of Glen Flora. Farm-
ing was somewhat different then from now. Frank
cut hay with a scythe around stumps. They raked
it with a wooden rake and cocked it in the field.
Later he and Elvira pushed two poles under the
cock and carried it to the barn. When they first
began to milk cows in the 1920's Elvira carried the
separated cream to Glen Flora (1  mi.) in a
shotgun can. They lived in a log cabin for a few
years, then built a permanent home in 1917. This
house (remodeled) still stands and is owned by
their grandson, James Biller, and wife, Kathy.
During the winter months while Frank worked
for Stokelys, he weighed out pea silage to the
farmers for cow feed. He stayed in a heated shack
near the vinery which was often used at night by
transcients. When this happened, sometimes the
following day Frank was detained by his wife on
the back porch to delouse.
Frank was an avid hunter of wild game, and a
fisherman, which supplied much of the family's
meat (legal and illegal). He also hunted bee trees
in the fall, harvesting wild honey to keep the fami-
ly supplied with sweets for the year. All of the
children and his wife took part in many of these ex-
cursions. The children still have fond memories of
these family outings.
Elvira remained an ardent fisherman even after
her husband's death. She could be seen by herself,
or with Anna King and others, standing on the
Tony Bridge or wading down the middle of Main
Creek in her sneakers angling for her favorites,
walleye and trout. Seldom did she return empty-
handed and she, her friends, and children graced
their tables with her delicious fish fillets.
Frank died in April, 1962, at Chippewa Falls
Hospital Farm and Elvira at her home in April,
1975. Their seven children are all living at this
date, (February, 1983).
Besides their children, Frank and Elvira leave
26 grandchildren, 64 great grandchildren, and 23
great great grandchildren.
Submitted by Gladys Campbell, Dorothy Potter,
Zelda Hess, Phyllis Matlack
DALE R. BISSON
I was born on July 2, 1949, at St. Mary's
Hospital in Ladysmith. My parents are Oran and
Lucy Bisson. I spent the first eighteen years of my
life living, working, and growing up on my folk's
farm at rural Glen Flora. I attended schools at In-
gram, Glen Flora, and Tony (Flambeau High
School) where I graduated in 1967. During the
summer of 1967 1 was employed at the Northern
Sash and Door in Hawkins (now Norce Windows
Inc.). In October of that year I enlisted in the Air
Force, the day after I terminated my employment
at Northern Sash and Door when it burnt to the
ground.
During my 4 years as a Security Guard in the
Air Force, I was stationed at Lackland Air Force
Base, Texas; Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota;
Goose Bay Air Base, Labrador and Albany Naval
Air Station, Georgia.
On April 24, 1971 1 married Patricia Revak,
daughter of Nick and Jeanette Revak of Conrath,
Wis. Patti and I were classmates during our high
school years at Flambeau High School.
We lived in Albany, Ga., until I was discharged
from the Air Force in October of 1971. We moved
back to Glen Flora where we purchased an acre of
land and a mobile home and lived next to my folks.
In November of 1971 1 returned to work at Nor-
co Windows (which by this time had been rebuilt)
where I still am employed.
In January of 1979 I joined the Wisconsin Na-
tional Guard. I am assigned to the 724th Engineer
Battalion Co., A at Phillips, Wis. I currently hold
the rank of SSGT.
We have 3 children, Angela Rae Born May 24,
1974, Kari Ann born March 29, 1977, and Adam
108

Richard born August 14, 1981.
Our children attend school at Glen Flora. We
are members of the St. Augustine Catholic Church
at Ingram. In January of 1983 we sold our mobile
home to Kenneth and Annette Bisson and pur-
chased the former Richard Manula home in
Ingram.
NORMAN BISSON FAMILY
Norman Bisson, son of Oran and Lucy Bisson,
was born March 26, 1931. He went to grade school
in Ingram and graduated from the Ingram-Glen
Flora High School in 1950.
After school he worked on a farm in North
Dakota for a few months and then returned home.

Norman and Mary Lou Bisson.
Norman then got a job with the Utecht-Boss
Lumber Co. where he worked until he was laid off.
Then he started at the Peavey Paper Mill. He
spent eight years with the National Guard. The ar-
mory was then part of the old Ladysmith High
School.
On May 29, 1954, Norman and Mary Lou
Busse were married at St. Augustine's Catholic
Church in Ingram. They lived in Ladysmith until
1956 when they moved to Ingram on the Busse
farm. After the paper mill strike he started farm-
ing and did so for ten years. Mary Lou worked for
Schultz Bros. in Ladysmith and then at the A.C.
Peterson General Store in Ingram.
In 1965 Mary Lou started at Northern Sash &
Door, now Norco Windows Inc., in Hawkins. Nor-
man started work as security officer at Mount
Senario College in Ladysmith in 1968. The farm
was sold to Peter Zahurones in 1972 and they
moved into a mobile home on Highway 8 near
Ingram.
Norman served on the Richland Town Board for
7 years and Mary Lou is now Richland Town
Clerk.
Submitted by Mary L. Bisson
ORAN BISSON FAMILY
I, Oran Bisson, was born November 11, 1901.
My dad, Louis Bisson, was born in St. Marie,
Quebec, Canada, on November 27, 1860. In 1889
he moved to Ingram, Wis. He worked as a
millwright at the French Lumber Co. and also
worked for Louis Gagnon at his hotel and bar. In
1891 Louis married Ida Tietz of Bloomer, Wis.
She had come to the United States from Rhoden,
Germany, in 1886. After they were married they
bought land and started farming. This land is
located 1/2 miles west of Ingram and is the original
farm where I live.
My folks had seven children, Roy, Leo, Earl,
Gorman, Oran, Verna, and Sadie. Gorman lives in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Leo on his farm near In-
gram. My brother, Earl, died in 1957, Roy in
1958, my sister, Verna Wilson, in 1981 and Sadie
died as an infant. My father passed away in 1930
and my mother in 1943.
In my early years I helped on the farm and I
worked in the woods for Matoon's Lumber Com-
pany. In 1930 I married Lucy Kruppe. She was
born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1911. Her family later

Oran Bisson Family
moved to the southern part of Wisconsin and then
to Rusk County. We have seven children, Norman,
Arnold, Lucille, Lyle, Kenneth, Dale, and
Stephen. Norman, Dale, and Lucille (Mrs. Peter
Groothousen) live here in this county. Arnold lives
in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Lyle in Min-
neapolis, Minnesota. Stephen and Kenneth are
both in the service at this time. Kenneth is sta-
tioned in California and Stephen in Germany. At
one time or another all our boys were in the ser-
vice. Our children went to the same school that
their parents did. With all the children born and
raised here on the "home place," it is really special
with a lot of fond memories.
BJERKE FAMILY HISTORY
Ole Christian Andreafsen Bjerke was born on
the Bjerke farm   near Feiring, Norway, on
November 26, 1869. Ole left Norway with three of
his brothers, (Daniel, Christopher, and Karl) and
came to Porland, Monroe County, Wisconsin.
Other family members remained in Norway.
At Portland, Ole met Mary Olson who became
his bride on October 21, 1892. They lived in Ver-
non County and had two sons, Elmer Edwin
Bjerke, born on September 5, 1893, and Louis
Conrad born on October 2, 1897.
In 1895 Ole bought a farm in Stubbs Township,
Rusk County, from Ezra Cornell. On November 9,
1905, the Bjerke's moved to Weyerhaeuser where
they resided in the village for 6 months, then
moved onto their farm. Elmer and Louis attended
Weyerhaeuser Public School. Ole worked as a
farmer, also serving on the Town of Stubbs and
Rusk County Boards.
Elmer served with the United States Army
Cavalry in World War I. He was discharged June
29, 1917, at Camp Grant, Illinois. Elmer married
Stella Louise Nelson of Weyerhaeuser on April,
1930, at Webster City, Iowa. They made their
home on the O.A. Bjerke and Sons farm on
Weyerhaeuser. Elmer and Stella had one son -
Shirley Eugene, born March 19, 1931. Shirley
grew up on the farm. He attended and graduated
from Weyerhaeuser Public School.
Suddenly, at age 32 Stella Bjerke died of
pneumonia on May 9, 1937. She was a member of
the local Homemakers Club and the Methodist
Church. Stella is buried   in  Weyerhaeuser
Methodist Cemetery.
Ole's wife, Mary, died of a lingering illness
August 22, 1940. She is buried in Weyerhaeuser
Methodist Cemetery. Ole lived on the farm until
his death on December 1, 1950, at age 81. He's
buried beside his wife, Mary.
Louis remained single and worked on the Bjerke
farm. He retired   in  1959  and  moved   to
Weyerhaeuser. Louis died May 16, 1964, and is
buried in Weyerhaeuser Methodist Cemetery.
Shirley Bjerke attended the University of
Wisconsin-Madison where he met Frances Benish.
They were married on April 29, 1950, at Lodi,
Wisconsin. Shirley and Frances bought the farm
from Elmer and Louis Bjerke in 1952 and made it
their home. They also purchased the Otto Stein-
dorf farm in 1960. Frances and Shirley had three