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Commemorative biographical record of the Fox River Valley counties of Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families
(1895)
Biographical, pp. [unnumbered]-[1232]
PDF (429.7 MB)
Page 11
COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Brown county, and from its organization was one of the most active of the vice- presidents of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. On July 25, 1837, Judge Martin was united in marriage, at Green Bay, with Miss Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Col. Melancthon Smith, U. S. A., and grand- (laughter of Judge Melancthon Smith, who was a delegate from New York, in Congress, in 1782-84, prior to the period of the Constitution. To this marriage were born six children, namely: Leonard Martin; Annie, who died in j861; Me- lancthon, deceased in infancy; Sarah, Morgan L., Jr., and Debbie. Judge Martin wxas a man of generous impulses, kindly miauncr, keen wit, fine literary tastes, and greatly enjoyed the comforts of his beautiful home in Green B ay, I Hazelwood, - where he was surrounded by a loving aud accomplished family. He died December 1o, 1887. OHN L. JORGIENSEN, protprietor of the largest dry-goods and carpet establishiment in northern WViscon- sin, the samie )eing located in the thriving and wide-awake city of Green Bay, Brown county, is a native of Den- mark, born of German ancestry May 27, 1849, in the city of Nakskov, Laaland. Grandfather Jorgensen (-who spelled his name "Juergens"), a highly educated man, resided in Schleswig, where he was a minister of the Lutheran Church. He was possessed of great force of character, interesting himself deeply in the politics of his country, and, being both pro- gressive and aggressive, he took an active part in the revolutionary risings of 1848, shortly after which he was removed to Denmark, the language of which country he spoke fluently. J. A. Jorgensen, father of our subject, who was one of a family of six children, received his education at the public schools of Denmark, which was supple- mented with a course of study at a college, his intention at first being to enter some profession. Preferring, how- ever, a mercantile career, he prepared himself for such in some business house of Nakskov, I)enmark, where he re- mained, and he has been prominently and successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits for the past fifty years or more, being now one of the oldest and wealthiest merchants in that city, where he is highly esteemed for his integrity, and recognized as a man of influence and ability, and as a leading churchman. He married Miss Sophia Mortensen, a native of Denmark, who died in mniddle life, the mother of one son, John L., the subject of this sketch. John L. Jorgensen receive(d his educa- tion in his native town, and was reared to mercantile pursuits. At the age of sixteen years (in 1865), having decided to try his fortune in the Newx World, he set sail from his native land, and after an uneventful transatlantic voyage landed at Boston, whence he at once proceeded westward, arriving at Chicago, a stranger in a strange land. After a short sojourn in the metropolis of the West, he set out for Wisconsin, Neenah, Winnebago county, being his objective point, and here attended school for a short time in order to become conversant with the English language. Securing now a position in Mr. Pettibone's dry-goods store in Neenah, he remained there a year and a half, after which he was sent by Mr. Pettibone to Green Bay, where he clerked for him a long time in his store in that city; also was in the employ of I). Butler & Son for a brief period. Hav'ing by this time saved some money, he commenced the dry-goods business May 27, 1876, at Fort Howard, in part- nership with A. Gray, of that place, in which they continued two and one-half years, when they divided the stock, and Mr. Jorgensen opened out a similar busi- ness for his own account in Fort Howard, commencing on a small scale, with but two clerks; but he soon found he had to I I
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