Third Generation

6. Wilhelm Frederick "William" PREUSS was born on 13 June 1874 in Wyandotte, Wayne County, MI.^17,30 (His surname was listed as "Preus" in his marriage registration certificate; he eventually changed it to "Prise," which is the spelling used in his obituary.) He appeared in the census in 1880 in Brownstown Township, Wayne County, MI.⁴ (He was listed as "Willie.") He appeared in the census in 1900 in Greenfield Township, Monroe County, WI.³ He was living with his parents and his occupation was listed as "Farm Laborer." William appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁸ His household was at 347 (?) Jackson Street in the 3rd Ward and his occupation was listed as "machinist, railroad." His surname was listed as "Preuss." He appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.² His household was at 307 Hollister Avenue and his occupation was "machinist, railroad yards." He died on 31 March 1950 at the age of 75 in Sparta, Sparta Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁰ Obituary Notes: "William Frederick Prise, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Prise, was born at Wyandotte, Michigan, on June 13, 1874. He came with his parents to Tunnel City where they lived on a farm until his marriage with Ida Westphal on November 27, 1900. They resided in Tomah, where he was employed at the Milwaukee Road shops until his retirement.

After a brief illness, he passed away at St. Mary's hospital at Sparta on March 31, 1950, at the age of 76 years, eight months and 11 days.

Surviving Mr. Prise are his wife, Mrs. Ida Prise; two sons, Wilburt and Emil, both of Tomah; two grandchildren, Duaine and Lowell; four sisters, Augusta, Clara, Martha and Ida; four brothers, John, Louis, Henry and Edward, besides several nieces and nephews and a host of friends. Two sons died in infancy. His father, mother, brother and a sister preceded him in death. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the Ninneman Funeral Home, the Rev. John Dahlke officiating. Interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery." William was buried on 2 April 1950 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^30,31 in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Wilhelm Frederick "William" PREUSS and Ida Wilhelmine Augustine WESTPHAL were married on 27 November 1900 in Monroe County, WI.^7,16,17,30 Their witnesses were John Preuss, one of his brothers, and August "Westfall," one of her brothers. (His surname was listed as "Preus" in his marriage registration certificate.)

After their marriage, they lived in a farm south of Tomah on County Trunk "A," east of Highway 131. They could not be located in the 1910 Census in either Tomah or Wilton Townships, which both bordered on "A," or anywhere else in Wisconsin, but they are believed to have lived on "A" at that time.

William's obituary mentions that they had two sons who died in infancy; their names are not known. Ida Wilhelmine Augustine WESTPHAL, daughter of Wilhelm WESTPHAL and Wilhelmine MARKS, was born on 16 August 1877 in Wisconsin.^22,31,32,33 (The 1880 Census shows her given name as Eda. The birth certificate of her son Emil listed it as "Edith.") She was baptized on 11 November 1877 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.³³ at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁸ Ida appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.² She died in 1963 at the age of 86.^12,31 She was buried in 1963 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹ in the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Wilhelm Frederick "William" PREUSS and Ida Wilhelmine Augustine WESTPHAL had the following children: