History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.

Biography

Gruetzmacher, George O. B. proprietor of the Quality Print Shop at Merrill, was born in a log cabin on a farm in the town of Pine River, Lincoln County, Wis., Aug. 28, 1892, son of August and Emilge (FLEISSCHFESSER) GRUETZMACHER. He was one of a family of 12 children, as follows: Emma, August, Erwin, George, Ella, Clara, Theodore, Olga, Karl, Walter, and Delia, all of whom are now living but Gustave. George attended the country school near his home until he was 13 years old and then entered the Merrill High School. At the close of his first year in high school he decided to learn the printing business, and accordingly he began with William JAEGER, founder of the Merrill Daily Herald, and continued in his office until 1912. He then went to Oklahoma City, Okla. to learn linotyping as operator and mechanic, and after finishing there he went on a three months tour through various states to better acquaint himself with the business. He returned to Merrill in September of 1913 and entered the office of the Merrill Daily Herald as night operator, and six months later he was promoted to the position of foreman. He remained with the Herald until Sept. 27, 1917, when he resigned, and on Sept. 29, of that year he purchased a half interest in the business he is now operating. This was run under the firm name of Roemer and Gruetzmacher until the fall of 1919, when Mr. GRUETZMACHER purchased his partner's interests and has since been sole proprietor. He purchased a commodious brick building at 726 East Second St. and moved the business into this in August of 1920. Mr. GRUETZMACHER does general job printing and handles all kinds of office supplies, including adding machines, typewriters, etc. He has a full complement of printing machinery and turns out an exceptionally high grade of work. He left the business in the care of Mr. ROEMER, then his partner, when, in 1918, he enlisted for service in the World War and was sent to Camp Grant, Ills. From Camp Grant he went to Camp Custer, Mich., where he was assigned to Co. A, of the 338th Infantry, and from there he proceeded to Long island for embarkation. He sailed for England on July 22, 1918, aboard the English freighter "Orca," and landed in Liverpool after an uneventful passage. From there he proceeded to Northampton and thence across the Channel to France, landing at Le Havre but being hastened forward to Toule, where he was held with the reserves for the Metz sector, being in the trenches at the rear of the firing line. Later he was at Thiercourt and St. Mihiel. In March of 1919, he was order to Brest, from which port he sailed for the United States aboard the U.S.S. Leviathan, arriving in New York on April 2, 1919, and was discharged at Camp Custer April 11, 1919, reaching home the following day. Aside from giving his own services he performed another patriotic act during this conflict in lending his fine pair of binoculars to the navy, for which service he has letter of appreciation which he values very highly. Mr. GRUETZMACHER was married on May 21, 1919, to Edna I. KUETHER, daughter of Gustave and Ida (GEISE) KUETHER, of Merrill, in which city Mr. GRUETZMACHER was born on May 16, 1898. She graduated from the high school and the teacher's training school there, and from the State Normal School at Stevens Point, and for three years previous to her marriage she followed the profession of school teaching. Mr. and Mrs. GRUETZMACHER are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Merrill and own a fine residence there. They have one daughter, Dorothy Grace, born Jan. 21, 1923.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 614-615; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

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