Wild/Leverance Home

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.