Berendsen, Anton H.

Other Events:

• Biography: History of Langlade County
• Moved: Abt 1882, Antigo, Langlade, Wisconsin, USA

Notes:

Biography:
A. H. BERENDSEN is one of the oldest and most respected citizens in Langlade County. He was born in the town of Freedom, Outagamie County, Wiscon- sin, on July 25, 1869. He came to Langlade County from the town of Freedom on November 10, 1882, with three cows and five head of young stock. A yoke of oxen were hitched to his heavy wagon. Twelve days later he arrived at the Henry Hersant farm, Nor- wood township. Because of difficulties with the cat- tle it was necessary for him to leave the cattle at a place owned by Joseph Schnorich, now the site of the E. E. Hemingway home at Mattoon, Wisconsin.
John Menting and Gerard Berendsen made the trip with the subject of this sketch. With no roads and about a sixteen inch fall of snow it was difficult for these sturdy pioneers to find their way about.
The father of Mr. Berendsen, Theodore Berendsen, homesteaded on section 25, township 30, range 12 east. This place has since been known as the Bernard Berendsen farm and is situated one-half mile east of Phlox.
Mr. Berendsen recalls well when in the spring of 1883 he came in to Antigo with a yoke of oxen to do some trading at the Niels Arderson store, the first store in Antigo. He also went over to the depot to see a train pull into Antigo - then this was considered an event of great importance (the approach of an airplane is regarded with less significance by Anti- go people now).
Mr. Berendsen stayed on the homestead for some- time helping clear land, until he was sixteen years of age. Then as his parents were in need of some money he went to work at the carpenter trade. He earned ten dollars per month and board. He later secured work from Joseph St. Louis and son, Frank St. Louis, who had a mill at Phlox. After working there until the fall of 1888 he went to work for the Mattoon Manufacturing Company putting in bridges and cul- verts on the railroad between Mattoon and Aniwa. He was employed as camp foreman, carpenter and lumber inspector until the spring of 1898. He then entered the employ of G. B. Lesch as a lumber inspector and was with him until he went out of business in this territory, in the fall of 1900. Mr. Berendsen then en- tered the employ of the G. W. Jones Lumber Company of Appleton, Wisconsin, on November 1, 1900, and was with them until January 1, 1921, a period of twenty years and two months. He has been dealing in lands and forest products on his own initiative since.
Mr. Berendsen was married to Rosalia M. Hones at Phlox on June 2, 1921. He is a Catholic by faith and fraternally is affiliated with the B. P. 0. E. and the Catholic Order of Foresters. The Berendsen family moved from Mattoon to Antigo in June, 1899, and has resided here since. A. H. Berendsen, dur- ing these many years, has won the respect and confi- dence of a score of citizens.

Anton married Hones, Rosalie M. 2 Jun 1891. Rosalie was born , , , , Austria; died 4 Dec 1934, Antigo, Langlade, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]