Wild/Leverance Home
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
In 1848 George Wild Sr., age 21, a German immigrant,
married Maria Weier, who also was born in Germany and came
to this country with her parents at the age of 18 in 1847. They
settled in Schleisingerville and built a house on the present 111
W. Washington St. site. Being a Blacksmith, George practiced
his trade in a shop next to his home, and Peter followed his
father in the Blacksmith trade. George and Maria were the
parents of six children, two of whom stayed in the village;
namely, George Jr. and Elizabeth (better known as Lilly).
George Sr. died in 1879 and Maria died on November 9, 1914,
at the age of 85. Lilly Wild, born March 7, 1856, was raised in
Schleisingerville. She left home as a young lady to work in
Milwaukee where she met and married Charles Leverance in
1889. They had three children--Alfred, born February 18,
1891; Olive, born September 1, 1892; and Emil, born December
21, 1893. Sometime during 1893, Lilly returned to
Schleisingerville with her children to live with her mother,
Maria. The three Leverance children grew up in
Schleisingerville. Lilly continued to live in Slinger in the house
her father built, until her death on November 1, 1944.
Emil worked at various places in Slinger, including the
Washington County Telephone Company, Peter Schuck's
General Store, and Kippenhan's Hotel, prior to 1918 when he
was inducted in the Army in World War I. He married Barbara
Strupp on May 16, 1918. After his discharge in 1919, they
lived in Milwaukee where Emil worked for Harley Davidson
until 1922 when they returned to Slinger. They had two
children, Mary Jane and Maurice, both of whom still live in
Slinger. Barbara died August 31, 1958, and Emil died February
23, 1986.
Olive left home during WWI to work in Milwaukee. There
she met Bruno Surgill, whom she married on May 5, 1922.
They had no children. Olive continued to live in Milwaukee
until 1967 when she returned to Slinger and lived in an
apartment in the present Gundrum Office building (formerly
Schuck's Store) until her death on September 19, 1983. Alfred never left Slinger. Before 1922 he worked at
various jobs-as a printer in the Meister Print Shop, a clerk in
the Wild store, and as a Post Office clerk. He also served as
Slinger Village Treasurer from 1942 to 1969 and as Secretary of
St. Peter's Church from 1947 until 1965. On May 4, 1920, he
married Marie Strupp (Barbara's sister). They had no children.
Marie died on March 6, 1964, and Alfred died on July 29, 1972.
In 1922, Emil entered into a partnership with his brother,
Alfred, and started the Slinger Hardware Company. In addition
to the hardware business, they also did plumbing and heating as
well as tinsmith work. The store was located on Franklin St.
(present address 121 Kettle Moraine Dr. S.). The brothers
remained in business for 14 years, liquidating in 1936.
After discontinuing the hardware business, Alfred went to
work for Carbon Engineering Company, retiring in 1956, and
Emil went to work for Evinrude Motors, retiring in 1958.
Maurice, son of Emil, was born on August 28, 1925. After
serving in the Navy in WWII, he married Jeanette Frank on
July 24, 1948, and lived in Milwaukee until 1951 when he
returned to Slinger. They built a home at 224 Park Avenue
where they still reside. They have two sons, Michael (1950)
and Thomas (1953). From 1946 until 1963 Maurice worked as
a printer in Milwaukee. In September 1963 he became a
Slinger rural carrier and continued until his retirement on
September 1, 1985.
Mary Jane, daughter of Emil, was born June 26, 1920. She
married Harland Rhode on June 21, 1941, and lived in
Milwaukee until 1948. In 1945 they purchased the Wild
homestead site at 111 W. Washington St., razed the old house
and, in 1948, built a new home in which they still live. They
had four children, Stephen (1945), Barbara Schuelke (1947),
David (1949), and John (1963). From 1938 until 1954, Mary
Jane worked in the office at Schuster's in Milwaukee, and from
1960 until her retirement on June 30, 1985, as Executive
Secretary at the Slinger Foundry Co. (now Slinger
Manufacturing Company). Mary Jane is a 4th generation
descendent and the Rhode children are 5th generation
descendents of George Wild, Sr. to live on this homestead site
in Slinger.
Images
Wild / Leverance Home
Lily Wild Leverance