GOTTLIEB HENRY FOUKS, CYLON FARMER, DIES WHILE HUNTING
(New Richmond News - November 10, 1934 front page headline)
A Brother, George John Fouks, Died Similarly 22 Months Ago
Both Succumbed to Heart Attacks.
Gottlieb Henry Fouks Died While Duck Hunting.
George John Fouks Was Hunting Foxes when Stricken.
Gottlieb Henry Fouks, Cylon farmer, died instantly while hunting ducks in the town of Alden November 2, 1934.
This is the 2d tragedy of that sort in the Fouks family, a brother, George John Fouks, having passed away January 2, just 22 months before, while hunting foxes down in the Three Lakes country. He, too, succumbed to a heart attack. His death also occurred on the 2nd of the month.
Gottlieb Henry Fouks had been hunting and was sitting in his automobile beside Melvin Amundson, when he gave a few gasps and passed away without uttering a word. His son, Irvin, but a few paces away, hastened to his father's assistance, but there was nothing to do. C. W. Stenberg, Amery undertaker, was summoned and took charge of the body.
The funeral was held from the Methodist church, Deer Park, November 5, the service being conducted by Rev. Otto H. Steen, interment following in Calvary Cemetery, the pallbearers being Ed Neitge, Wm. Gust, Gust Sempf, Wm. Schultz, Melvin Amundson, Sidney Thompson.
Native of the Town of Cylon
Mr. Fouks was a native of the Town of Cylon and spent most of his life there. He was born February 16, 1861, being the son of Mr. & Mrs. Gottlieb Fouks. He was married about 50 years ago to Johannah Mathews, who survives together with the following children: Arthur, River Falls; Raymond, Clear Lake; Stanley, Forest; Irvin, at home; Leslie, Deer Park; Gertrude (Mrs. Ronald Wilhelm), Deer Park, and 12 grandchildren. There are also a surviving brother, Oscar, Chippewa Falls, and a sister, Ida Burgoyne, Riddle, Oregon.
Was in the Klondike Gold Rush
Decedent was in business for a time at Manitowish, this state, and when the Alaskan gold rush was on during the latter 90s he went to the Klondike and was there for some 18 months, after that returning to Cylon, where he has since resided.
THE HISTORY OF GOTTLIEB HENRY FOUKS
[as told by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. A.Sabena (Stanley) Fouks]
Henry Fouks (as he went by his middle name even though his uncle and his cousin were also called Henry Fouks - Uncle Heinrich August Fouks and Heinrich's grandson Henry Ernest Fouks) was born February 16, 1861 in a log house in the township of Cylon, section 32, St. Croix County, State of Wisconsin, land later owned by a cousin George August Fouks and inherited by his son Henry Ernest Fouks, and in 1970 owned by Henry Weeks. He got his education in a schoolhouse 1 1/2 miles south of Deer Park. Later they moved to section 6, the south east corner to1/4 mile north & 1/4 mile west of highways 46 and H. Henry worked for neighbors or others, clearing land or logging, etc. One winter he took a neighbor's team of horses (by train) to northern Wisconsin to work in the woods skidding logs or swamping roads. Later he worked constructing the railroad from Murcia to Ashland. At Murcia he operated a tent saloon. In about 1888, he bought a Hotel and Saloon in Manitowish, Wisconsin. In 1889 he married Johanna Magdelina Marie Mathews at Deer Park, Wis. (who was born February 15, 1871 to Paulina Ver Werner amd husband William Mathews) in section 18 where she grew to womanhood. Also, she got her education in the same schoolhouse in section 18. She had worked for neighbor women doing housework, also worked in a restaurant in Stillwater, till she got married. Together they operated the Hotel and Saloon, As it was a logging town, their customers were rough and rowdy, and tourists from Chicago and further south. They had to hire much help. Her sisters Lena (Pauline) and Hulda and his brother Oscar also worked there.
In 1890 on November 7 their first child, Arthur H., was born. On April 19, 1895 Raymond was born and February 22, 1897 Stanley W. was born. Henry had other interests as they could cut Christmas Trees anywhere. So he hired help and shipped seven train carloads of Christmas Trees some to Chicago and some to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Soon after that the government claimed the land. Then they had to rent or buy the land before harvesting trees.
In 1898, when the Gold Rush enticed many young men, Henry also got the fever and left his wife and three small boys and went to the Klondike in Alaska. Johanna, his wife, ran the business a short time with hired help, then sold it and brought her family to Deer Park. They stayed with her parents till her father built her a six room house on the eighty acres he had given her in section 4 of Cylon Township.
Henry returned in August 1899, one week after the Cyclone which damaged two thirds of New Richmond. It also did some damage to their house. He worked on the farm then, cutting down trees and making cultivated fields. He also built a small barn to keep horses (as this was before the tractor age) and also a few cows. In 1899 he bought 120 acres in section 11 of Cylon Township.
In 1908, Henry and his brother-in-law, William Gust, leased acres of timberland to log off north of Amery, where they hired over twenty men to cut, haul and saw logs into lumber, making many piles of boards. Some was sold at the mill and many loads were hauled home to be sold later. In 1910 fire started in the sawdust pile. With no fire-fighting equipment, it burned down.
In 1911 he built a frame barn on the place in section 4 and in 1913 he built a large frame barn in section 11 where he built a house in 1916 and moved there in 1917. His son Raymond got married in 1918 and operated the farm in section 4. The place now belongs to John and Joyce Jones. I neglected to mention in 1901 Irvin was born on July 7. Daughter Gertrude was born on September 7, 1904 and Leslie was born on October 10, 1906 on the home place in section 4. In 1922 he bought another 40 acres to be used for pasture in section 11. In 1935 this farm was sold to son Irvin and his wife Freda. In 1960's it was sold to Herbert and Sharon Fouks, a nephew. Henry was Assessor of Cylon Township from 1923 to 1930.
His hobby was hunting. In the 1920's a party of 10 or 20 men would take the train to Gordon, Wis. or Minong with tent and all the vitals for two weeks or more. Also clothes for 20 below or more and have a farmer there take them to the woods for deer hunting. They usually got filled up, even a bear sometimes. (1917) He also liked Prairie Chicken, Pheasant and Ducks in the fall and Jackrabbits in the winter. He was on a duck hunting trip when he fell over by a heart attack November 2, 1934. Buried at Calvary Cemetery, Deer Park.
