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

Sisson, George D. an active farmer and respected citizen in the town of Skanawan, Lincoln County, of which he has been a resident for the past 20 years, was born on the farm of his grandfather, Melvin SISSON, in Green County, Wisconsin, June 16, 1868, son of Abijah K. and Ellen (SMITH) SISSON. Grandfathers SMITH and SISSON were of English descent, but American born. As to the parents of the subject of this sketch, the father was born in Herkimer County, New York, and the mother in Massachusetts. They are now living with their son Arturmus in the town of Skanawan, Lincoln County. George D. SISSON as a boy attended the common schools and continued to do so during the winters until he was 22 years old. When he was 14 he went with the family to Miner County, South Dakota, and in that state a little later he became a section hand on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, contributing with his earnings to the support of the family until he was 24. After being 12 years in Miner County, he accompanied his parents and other members of the family to southwest Missouri, and in the next year, when his parents went to Black Hawk County, Iowa, he came east and located in Waushara County, Wis., where he remained till 1907, when he came to Lincoln County, and bought his present place of 80 acres in Section 33, town of Skanawan. The land was wild and there were one or two old log buildings on it, in one of which he lived until 1918, when he built a two-story frame house. Today he has 20 acres under the plow, besides five more that are cleared. His farm is 11 miles southeast from Tomahawk and he is following general farming. He is president of the Tomahawk Federal Farmer Loan Association and for a number of years has taken an active interest in whatever concern the good of the general community. He was town clerk up to the spring of 1923 and for a number of years has been a director of his school district. Mr. SISSON was married Feb. 26, 1889, to Katie, daughter of Edward and Ellen CASTER of Waushara County, Wis., in which state she was born Feb. 26, 1873. She died in Waushara County, Wisconsin, in 1904, leaving one child, Gertrude, who is now Mrs. Edward ALDBERG of Merrill. The latter has four children, Melvin, Edna, Elaine and Audry. On Feb. 22, 1906 Mr. SISSON married Mrs. Anna TOZER, widow of Benjamin TOZER, and daughter of Richard and Harriet TOWN. She was born in Malone, N. Y., Oct. 20, 1869, her parents for many years being prominent members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and they died strong in their faith at the home of their son-in-law, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. SISSON'S first husband, Mr. TOZER was a lumber scaler and grader, who died in Stillwater, Minn., on Aug 4, 1901, being survived by his widow and two sons: Gordon F., born in the town of Harrison, Lincoln County, April 23, 1892, and Leon B., born Dec. 18, 1893. Gordon TOZER enlisted for service in the World War, becoming a member of Company D., 43d Division, Engineer Corps, and went to Washington, D.C. for training. As he was about to embark for overseas he contracted measles, which led to pneumonia, the latter disease causing his death May 3, 1918. He was the first Lincoln County boy to lay down his life in the war. His body was returned to his parents for burial, and was interred in Tomahawk under the auspices of the local American Legion post, the Rev. Mr. SWITZER (the first man from Lincoln County to enlist in the U.S. navy) officiating at the services. Leon TOZER, who lives in Tomahawk, is employed in the C. B. Pride Paper Mill. He was married May 2, 1916 to Rose LIBERTY of Tomahawk and they have two children, Donald and Gordon.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 587-588; 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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