A Standard History of Waupaca County, Wisconsin. An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic and Social Development.

              740 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY
William Bepirend came to America about forty-five years ago, was a sawmill worker and lumberman until about 1890 and since then he has developed one of the very fine farms of Wyoming Township. His prosperity has been well earned. He entered upon his land when it was a scene of woods and stumps and by slow processes of hard work has converted it into a landscape of fields and rich flourishing crops.
Mr. Behrend was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1845. His parents were Gottfried and Hannah Behrend, both of whom died in Germany. There were four children: Gottfried, deceased; Christina, living in Germany; Henrietta, deceased; and William.
William Behrend grew up and was educated in German schools and in early life became a worker in the mines. He also served with the regular German army and participated in three wars, the war against Denmark, that with Austria and finally with France. During his mili¬ tary career he had many narrow escapes, his clothes being pierced by six bullets, though he was never wounded. In 1872, soon after the close of the Franco-Prussian war, Mr. Behrend came to the United States, locating in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In that city he put in fifteen years in the sawmills of H. Weed. Following that he was employed for four years in a sawmill at Antigo. The accumulations of his thrifty saving during these years enabled him to buy 160 acres in sections 29, 30 and 31 in Wyoming Township, Waupaca County. It was a stretch of timber land, with only twenty acres cleared, and the chief improvement was a log house. Farming his crops on the land that had been cleared, he cultivated them, but spent all possible time in extending the clearing and in otherwise improving the land. The story is one of hard work and effective management, and out of it all Mr. Behrend now has his splendid farm home. He has improvements among the best in his town-, ship. There is a two-story frame house well furnished and with con¬ veniences and comforts such as he would never have dreamed of when he was a boy. He has a barn 36 by 60 feet, with full basement, and everything is w^ell arranged for the purposes of efficient farm manage¬ ment. At the present time he has about eighty acres cleared and under cultivation, and he also bought eighty acres adjoining his first place. He is personally responsible for practically every improvement found on the farm. Besides general farming he keeps a good dairy herd of eight grade Holstein cows and has considerable young stock.
Mr. Behrend served eight years as pathmaster. He and his family are members of the Lutheran Church. He was married in 1873, the year after he came to America, to Miss Katherina Gleiss. Mrs. Behrend was born in Wuertemberg, Germany, and came to this country when a young woman. Their children are nine: Fred, Charles, William, Emma, Clara, Ida, Henry, Walter and Oscar,
H, Peter Mortensen. Some of the citizens of Waupaca County whose activities have counted for most in the development of the agricul¬ tural district, and whose influence is always potent in behalf of com¬ munity progress and improvement, have come from Denmark.   Denmark