HISTORY OF MANITOWOC COUNTY


On the I5th of August, i906, at Melrose, Minnesota, Mr. Wilke was united
in marriage to Miss Minnie Neumann, daughter of John Neumann, a retired
agriculturist of Melrose. Our subject and his wife have two daughters: Ern-
estine, who is three years of age; and Edith. The attractive and commodious
home of the family on Twenty-fifth street was purchased by Mr. Wilke. The
religious faith of Mr. Wilke is indicated by his membership in the German
Luth-
eran church. In the county where his entire life has been spent he is well
known
and highly esteemed as a substantial and progressive citizen.
G. A. FORREST.
G. A. Forrest, who has served six terms as city attorney, is one of the oldest
attorneys in years of continuous practice in Manitowoc, having been actively
con-
nected with the legal profession of this city for forty-two years. He was
born
in Northfield, New Hampshire, on the 2ISt of August, I845, and is a son of
James
M. and Almira (Ames) Forrest. The parents were descended from old -New
England colonial families, their ancestors, all of whom were English, having
come
to America on the Mayflower. The father's energies were largely devoted to
agricultural pursuits during his entire life, but for many years he was also
identi-
fied with public affairs. His political support he accorded the men and measures
of the democratic party, until Lincoln's time, when he transferred his allegiance
to the republicans. He was assistant state superintendent of New Hampshire
and after coming to Wisconsin he was supervisor of Fort Winnebago.. A man
of strong individuality, enterprising and progressive in his ideas, he always
took
a prominent part in all affairs pertaining to the public welfare of the community,
and was held in high regard by his fellow townsmen. In his early manhood
when residing in New Hampshire he was a captain in the state militia. He
lived
to attain a ripe old age, his death occurring in I884, and was laid to rest
in the
cemetery at Portage, this state. The mother passed away in New Hampshire
in
1848, and was interred at Northfield.
G. A. Forrest, who was a child of only three years when his mother passed
away, came to Wisconsin with his father in early childhood. His early educa-
cation was received in the public schools of Winnebago and in i864 he entered
Lawrence College and was graduated from this institution four years later.
Having decided to become an attorney he then matriculated in the law depart-
ment of the State University, receiving the degree of LL. B. with the class
of
i869. In October of that year he came to Manitowoc and established an office
and here he has ever since been engaged in general practice. He has met with
more than, average success and is a most able and worthy representative
of the legal profession. He was given the advantages of a thorough preparation
and an excellent education, in addition to which he possessed the acute mental
faculties, retentive memory and quick reasoning powers that have proven in-
valuable to him in his career. A man whose guiding principle in life has
been
thoroughness, he has always used the greatest care and discretion in preparing
his cases and as a result is rarely if ever at fault in the application of
a legal
principle.


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