1906 Richland County, Wisconsin History

FRED J. BENDER, postmaster of Boaz, was born in the town of Forest, Richland county, Feb. 13, 1870. His parents were Jonas C. and Mary (Briggs) Bender, the former born in Ohio, July 19, 1836, and the latter in Illinois, Sept. 21, 1835. The paternal grandfather of the genial postmaster was Peter Bender, a native of Pennsylvania, who had early emigrated to Ohio and in 1854 had come to Richland county, settling on the farm where Fred was born. He died Dec. 25, 1859. His wife was Susanna Wilt, also a native of Pennsylvania, who died in the Richland county homestead in 1884. On the maternal side the postmaster is a grandson of David Briggs, a native of New York who came to Walworth county, Wis., in 1847 and died in Iowa thirty years later. His wife, Abigail Johnson, was born in New York and died on the Richland county homestead in 1878. Jonas Bender went to Pennsylvania with his parents when he was but four years of age. It was there he received his education and in 1854 he came to Wisconsin with his parents, settling on the farm in the town of Forest. In later years he purchased a farm of ninety-three acres in the town of Dayton; this he sold after a few years and went to Ohio and on Nov. 9, 1901 he died in Pennsylvania. His wife died some years earlier, on Oct. 29, 1885. Of their eleven children nine are living: Charles J., Elizabeth M., Martha S., Laura L., Rachel R., Fred J., David W., Sarah M., and Jesse L. Politically Jonas Bender was a Republican and as such served for three years as chairman for Forest township. For a number of years he was a member of the town board. The schools of the town of Forest supplied Fred J. Bender with his early education. Some time was put in in the Boaz graded schools and the Richland Center high school. Until he was eighteen Fred worked on the farm. Then he clerked in a general store in Boaz for a number of years. The seven years following he worked as a cheese-maker; one season was spent "on the road" selling dairy supplies and one year buying cheese. In July, 1904, he received his appointment as postmaster at Boaz, and has served continuously and faithfully since. In January, 1906, he opened a mercantile business which promises to pay well. Politically he is a Republican, and for three years in succession served in the capacity of town clerk. After an absence of four years from the office he was again chosen to fill it, in the spring election of 1906. He has always taken an active part in political affairs. Mr. Bender is not affiliated with any religious organization, but his parents were and his older brother and sisters are members of the United Brethren church.