Albert E. Wenzel

ALBERT E. WENZEL, one of the prominent citizens of Garden township, is township trustee, in which capacity he is serving with credit to himself and to the lasting good of the community. He is enthusiastic in improving the country roads, working hand in hand with the road overseer, and it is to his credit that greater improvements along this line have been made during his incumbency than during that of any of his predecessors.

Mr. Wenzel was born in Franklin County, Missouri, February 25, 1869, and is a son of William and Mehala (Roy) Wenzel, his father being a native of Germany and his mother, of Indiana. William Wenzel removed to Missouri at an early day and for some time engaged in merchandising. He engaged as general merchant at Bloomington, Missouri, the goods being hauled from St. Louis. He lived in Missouri until his death, and his wife also died there at the age of 51 years.

Albert E. Wenzel was one of 11 children born to his parents, seven of whom are now living. He received his education in the public schools and in the Friends' School at Lowell. He came to Cherokee County, July 2, 1887, and has since engaged in mining with some success. He has also farmed some and is now located on the 160-acre tract of the Bonanza Lead & Zinc Company in Garden township. He is a Republican in politics, and has held all of the township offices, serving one term as clerk, one year as treasurer, three terms as road overseer, and for the past two years has been township trustee, for which office he is now a candidate, having been recently nominated on the Republican ticket. He frequently has been chosen as delegate to county and congressional conventions, and is an active party worker. As township trustee he has exchanged ideas with the road overseer, and working in harmony, they have been enabled to accomplish the best results. One road direct to Galena has been surveyed and they are now cutting through the hill, an improvement others have sought to accomplish but failed. The season promises many other important improvements, the different roads being graded and graveled, particularly the road from the Lowell school house to Baxter Springs.

In 1893, Mr. Wenzel was joined in marriage with Prudence Rice, who was born on Tennessee Prairie in Garden township and was 10 weeks old when her mother died. She was taken to raise by her aunt, Mrs. Rebecca Grossman, who gave her a mother's care. Mrs. Grossman was born in Livingston County, New York, September 20, 1828, and is a daughter of Jonathan and Comfort (Shumuay) Agard, being one of five living children, four of whom reside in Galena. Her father was a native of Connecticut, and her mother, of Eastern New York. Mrs. Grossman came to Cherokee County in 1871. Religiously, she is a member of the Congregational Church. She first married Samuel H. Archer, who was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and died in Tennessee, and they had three sons: Cleveland, a resident of Galena, who married Margaret Lee and has five children; George D., who lives at home; and James A., who married Della Cook and has five children. In 1862, Mrs. Archer was married to William Grossman.

Mrs. Wenzel received the best of schooling and home training. She was graduated from the schools of Garden township, then attended Galena High School two years and Columbus Normal School three years, after which she took a three-years college course in music. She received a certificate of qualification to teach the piano, organ, guitar and banjo, and has since engaged in teaching. Our subject and his wife are parents of one son, Orval. Religiously, they are members of the Christian Church.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Carolyn Ward, instructor from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 6-27-97