Oconto County WIGenWeb Project
Collected and posted by BILL
This site is exclusively for the free access of individual researchers.
* No profit may be made by any person, business or organization through publication, reproduction, presentation or links to this site.

OCONTO COUNTY
Wisconsin
FAMILIES and BIOGRAPHIES


 

 .Mc Neil.

Researched and contributed by family descendant: Janet


Descendants of James McNeil

McNeils
Left to Right, Lillian, William, Irving, Gertrude, Marie, Harry, and Nell. 
Missing is Robert.

Generation No. 1

JAMES MCNEIL  (son of PATRIC K and ELIZA McNEIL) was born 1851 in Massachusetts, United States.  He married JESSIE ADELINE RAFFORD on 20 Jan 1879 in Peshtigo, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, daughter of JAMES RAFFORD and MARY MORAN.  Jessie was born 27 May 1861 in Presque Isle, Aroostook, Maine, United States, and died 01 Sep 1936 in Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.

Notes for JESSIE ADELINE RAFFORD:

Oconto County Reporter
January 25, 1879:

Married: McNeal-McVane-Mr. James McNeal and Miss Jeanie McVane were married Sunday, January 18, at the First National Hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oconto County Reporter
March 10, 1884:

Mrs. M.H. Engler and family have moved to Ellis Junction, where they will remain until next September.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The New Peshtigo Times
Thursday, September, 1936:

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kern of Wausau, Mrs. C. Koppins (should be Koeppen) and Irving McNeil of Oconto were summoned here on Saturday, owing to the critical illness of their mother, Mrs. Jessie Albrecht, estimable pioneer resident, who recently started housekeeping again in her home on Oconto avenue, having suffered a heart attack.

Death Claims Aged Peshtigo Resident, Services Friday:

Mrs. Jessie Albrecht, highly esteemed pioneer resident of this city, passed away at 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, following a illness since last Friday night when she suffered a heart attack. She was reported to be getting along nicely which her relatives and friends were so glad to know, when she suffered another attack before her loved ones could get here.  Decedent was born in Presque Island (sic), Maine, 74 years ago and was a resident of this city for 71 years, having left the city for a few days previous to the Peshtigo fire.  Survivors are the following sons and daughters: Irving McNeil of Oconto, Alderman Harry Engler, Mrs. Nick Batzau (should be Botzau), Grover; Mrs. Clifford May, Grover, and Mrs. Fred Koeppin, Oconto, one brother, James Rafford, Florida; twenty-two grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren. The remains were removed to the Harper Funeral Home and taken to the home of her son, Alderman Harry Engler, on the Lake Road, yesterday afternoon from where the funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 Friday afternoon with the Rev. W. Paul Kramer, paster of the M.E. Church officiating. Interment will be held in the family plot at Riverside cemetery.

Irving Percival McNeil, taken in 1892 when he was 13. Taken  in Aberdeen, Wash!. The family story is that his grandmother, Mary Ann McVane went all over the west starting boarding houses and then selling them for a profit.  

 
 

IRVING PERCIVAL  MCNEIL  was born 17 Sep 1879 in Lake Noquebay, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, and died 13 Jul 1962 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  He
married GERTRUDE MAE KRITZ 23 Aug 1897 in Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, daughter of CONRAD KRITZ and SUSAN PLACE.  Gertrude  was born 30 May 1879 in Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died 24 Oct 1963 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.

Notes for IRVING PERCIVAL MCNEIL:

In the 1880 census, Erv is listed as Pussevle. Possibly, this is the French pronunciation of his name. His mother's family is from Nova Scotia/Maine region, where French is spoken.

Peshtigo Times, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States,
August 8, 1897:

Justice Ramsay on Monday performed the marriage ceremony between Miss Gertrude M. Kritz of this place, and Irving McNeil of Crivitz.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oconto Co Newspaper,

Oconto County Reporter:

Irving P. McNeil, 82, 207 Scherer Avenue, died Friday morning at the Oconto hospital after a lengthy illness.  He was born September 17, 1879 in Crivitz and moved to Oconto about 50 years ago. He was employed as a janitor at Jefferson school for 33 years until his retirement in 1952. He married the former Gertrude Kritz and they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 1960.  The body was taken to the Gallagher funeral home and services were held Monday at 2 pm from the funeral home with the Reverend John Wagner officiating. Burial was in the Riverside cemetery, Peshtigo.  The deceased is survived by his wife, Gertrude, two daughters, Mrs. Charles Feifarek of Melrose Park, Illinois, and Mrs. Harry Feifarik of Marinette; three sons, William of Neenah, and Harry and Robert of Oconto; two sisters, Mrs. Fred Koeppen of Manitowoc and Mrs. Ed Hipke of Peshtigo, 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oconto County Reporter,
Thursday, October 31, 1963:
 

 Gertrude Kritz McNeil

Gertrude's brother,
James Kritz. 
He was born in Peshtigo and moved to North Dakota

Mrs. Irving McNeil, died at the Oconto County and City Hospital Thursday morning. She had been ill and death was the result of complications. She had been blind for ten years.  The former Gertrude Kritz was born May 30 1880 at Peshtigo. She married Irving McNeil August 24, 1897. They lived in Oconto, where he worked as janitor at the Jefferson School for 30 years until he retired several years before he preceded her in death in 1962. She was a patient at the Oconto Convalescent home for the past two years. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Harry Feifarek, Marinette, and Mrs. Charles Feifarek, Melrose Park, Illinois; three sons, William of Neenah and Harry and Robert of Oconto; a brother, James Kritz of Mandan, North Dakota, and a sister, Mrs. Minnie McDonald, Peshtigo; 14 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. The Rev. Newton Roberts officiated at funeral services Saturday afternoon at Gallagher funeral home. Burial was in Riverside cemetery.

Children of IRVING MCNEIL and GERTRUDE KRITZ are:

    1. MARMARIE MARCEDES MCNEIL was born 09 May 1897 in Dunbar, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died 29 Jan 1957 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  She married FRANK P TOPEL 09 Dec 1925 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, son of GUSTAVE TOPEL and AUGUSTA HORN.  FRANK was born 17 Sep 1895 in Wisconsin, United States, and died 05 Sep 1953 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.

Notes for MARMARIE MARCEDES MCNEIL:

Mrs. Marie Topel, 58, of 611 Collins Avenue, died at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Oconto Hospital following a two-year illness.  The former Marie McNeil was born December 28, 1898, at Dunbar, Wisconsin. She came to Oconto as a girl and had lived here since. Her husband, Frank, died September 5, 1954.  Friends may call at the Gallagher Funeral Home from 1 p.m. Thursday until 2 p.m. Friday when rites will be conducted at the funeral home by the Rev. Ralph Hanusa. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.  Survivors include her parents, Mrs. and Mrs. Ervin (Irving) McNeil, Oconto; a daughter, Mrs. William Tourtillotte, Oconto; three brothers, William of Green Bay and Robert and Harry, both of Oconto; two sisters, Mrs. Harry Fifarek, Marinette, and Mrs. Charles Fiferak, Chicago, and seven grandchildren.

        Children of MARMARIE MCNEIL and FRANK TOPEL are:

Mary Janice Topel 
who married William Tourtilott, 
daughter of Marie and Frank Topel
1. MARY JANICE  TOPEL was born 10 Oct 1928 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, and died 24 Oct 1972 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  Shemarried WILLIAM TOURTILLOTT 28 Jul 1946 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, son of LLOYD TOURTILLOTT and MARGUERITE.  He was born 1924 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United states.

Notes for MARY JANICE TOPEL:
 

Green Bay Press Gazette
Wednesday, October 25, 1972:

Mrs. William (Janice) Tourtillott, 84, died Tuesday at the Oconto hospital. Born October 10, 1928, in Oconto, the former Mary Janice Topel married Mr. Tourtillott July 28 1946 in Oconto.  Survivors are her husband; five daughters and seven sons.  At Gallagher-Pinkart-MacQueen Funeral Home, 217 Congress St., Oconto, after 2 p.m. today. Funeral 3:30 p.m.; Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. John Liford officiating.  Burial in Evergreen Cemetery.

            2. PATRICIA TOPEL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    2.  HARRY EDWARD MCNEIL  was born 31 Aug 1901 in Cavour, Forest, Wisconsin, United States, and died 30 Sep 1985 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  He

 Harry (Mox) McNeil and Norine (Toots) Kittler. No date on the picture, but I would guess around early 1930's.
married NORINE LANA MINNA KITTLER 22 Nov 1935 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, daughter of GUSTAVE KITTLER and ELIZA ZIEHM.  NORINE was born 19 Mar 1914 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, and died 13 Feb 1995 in Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States.

    Children of HARRY MCNEIL and NORINE KITTLER are:

        i.  SUE MCNEIL.
        ii.  INFANT BOY MCNEIL, born/died 25 Sep 1946, Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.
        iii.  JANET MCNEIL.
        iv.  MICHAEL MCNEIL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    3. IRVING PERCIVAL MCNEIL was born in Dunbar on 28 Nov 1902 and died 06 Sep 1906 in Peshtigo, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.

Peshtigo Times, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States:

Percy McNeill, aged seven years, son of Mr. and Mrs. Irving P. McNeil, died Monday after an illness of several days of blood poisoning. The funeral was held yesterday at 2 pm, Rev John T Fish conducting the services. Remains were interred at Riverside cemetery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    4.  LILLIAN GERTRUDE MCNEIL was born 04 Jan 1906 in Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died 29 Aug 2000 in Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States of America.  She married HARRY HENRY FIFAREK 31 Oct 1924 in Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, son of CHARLES FIFAREK and BARBARA.  Harry was born 18 Dec 1898 in Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died 22 Oct 1964 in Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.

Peshtigo Times, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States,

Lillian G. Fifarek, age 94, a longtime resident of the Luther Home, Marinette, died there on Tuesday, August 29, 2000. She was born January 4, 1906, in Peshtigo to the late Ervin and Gertrude (Kritz) McNeil.  She had resided in this area for most of her life. On October 31, 1924, she was married to Harry Henry Fifarek in Chicago, Illinois. He preceded her in death on October 22, 1964.  She is survived by one son, Ervin "Bud" (Wanda) Fifarek of Marinette; two grandsons, Shely Fifarek and Budde Fifarek; one granddaughter, Aimee; one brother, William McNeil of Neenah; and one sister, Nellie Fifarek of Chicago. There will be no visitation. A private funeral service will be conducted on Thursday, August 31, 2000 at 4:00 pm in Luther Home Chapel. The Rev. Mark Schahczenski will officiate. Burial will be in Forest Home Cemetery, Marinette. Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home of Marinette is assisting the family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peshtigo Times, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States:

Harry Fifarek, 65, of 2124 10th St, Marinette, died Thursday evening at his home. Although he had been ill for two years, death was unexpected, apparently from a heart attack.  A native of Marinette, he was born December 18, 1898. He resided in the community his entire lifetime except for three years in the Navy during World War I.  Mr. Fifarek married the former Lillian McNeil. They were to have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary October 31.  Until two years ago, he was employed as a maintenance main at Marinette General Hospital. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts. In addition to his widow, he is survived by a son, Ervin of Marinette; three brothers, Frank of Melrose Park Illinois, Fred and Charles of Chicago; four sisters, Mrs. William Snow of Melrose Park, Mrs. Lena Snedden and Mrs. Stanley Blackburn of Chicago and Mrs. Ernest Lund of Marinette and four grandchildren.  A son and daughter preceded him in death. Friends may call at McLain-Thielen-Langer funeral home from 2 pm Friday until Saturday at 1 pm when funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. Milton Leisman of First Methodist Church. Burial will be in Forest Home cemetery.

        Children of LILLIAN MCNEIL and HARRY FIFAREK are:

        i. JEAN BARBARA FIFAREK, born/died 24 Mar 1926, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.
        ii. ERVIN L FIFAREK

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   5.  NELLIE A. MCNEIL was born 15 Feb 1907 in Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died 17 Jul 2004 in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States.  She married CHARLES E. FIFAREK 1926 in Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, son of CHARLES FIFAREK and BARBARA.  He was born 28 Jan 1903 in Marinette, Wisconsin, United States, and died Mar 1970 in Melrose Park, Cook, Illinois, United States.

Peshtigo Times, Peshtigo, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States,
July 21, 2004:

Nellie A. Fifarek, nee McNeil, 97 of Melrose Park, died Saturday, July 17, at Wood Glen Pavilion in West Chicago. Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 20 at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S Main Street, Lombard, with the Rev. David Price of Faith United Methodist Church in Lombard officiating. Interment was at Eden Memorial Park in Schiller Park.  Mrs. Fifarek was the mother of JoDean (Richard) Strauss of Lombard, Gerald and Wallace (Margaret); mother in law of Dorothy Fifarek and Eleanor Fifarek; grandmother and great-grandmother of many; sister of Bill. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E.; sons, Jack and Richard and four brothers and sisters. Mrs. Fifarek loved flowers and enjoyed shopping and dining out.

    Children of NELLIE MCNEIL and CHARLES FIFAREK are:

        i. GERALD FIFAREK.
        ii. JACK FIFAREK.
        iii. JODEAN FIFAREK
        iv. JOHN FIFAREK, b. 1926, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States; d. Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.
        v. RICHARD E FIFAREK, b. 1927, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States; d. 2001, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.
        vi. LAUREL FIFAREK, b. 15 May 1928, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States; d. 01 Nov 1928, Marinette, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.
        vii. WALLACE T FIFAREK, b. Marinette, Wisconsin, United States.
        viii. INFANT FIFAREK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    6.  WILLIAM GAIL MCNEIL was born in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  He married MARGARET CLAUSEN 10 Apr 1940 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin,

 Wiiliam McNeil as a baby. The others are (L to R) Chopper Draeger, Ed (Chink) Zimmerman and Lois Draeger.
United States, daughter of ALFRED CLAUSEN and PHYLLIS MERLINE.  MARGARET was born 1918 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, and died 30 Oct 2006 in Neenah, Winnebago, Wisconsin, United States.

    Children of WILLIAM MCNEIL and MARGARET CLAUSEN are:

        i. JO MCNEIL.
        ii. JUDY MCNEIL.
        iii. KAREN MCNEIL.
        iv. GAIL SUSAN MCNEIL, born/died 29 Mar 1950, Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States.
        v. WILLIAM JAMES MCNEIL, b. 20 Oct 1951, Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States; d. 04 Jan 2007, Neenah, Winnebago, Wisconsin, United.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    7.  ROBERT WYNHOLM MCNEIL was born 13 Jun 1922 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States, and died 19 Feb 1998 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.  He married ALICE on 10 Nov 1943 in Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.

    Child of ROBERT MCNEIL and ALICE TUPPER is:

        i. MITZI COLLEEN5 MCNEIL, b. 07 Dec 1943, Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States; d. 04 Mar 1944, Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin, United States.
 


 (L-R) Tim Belongia, Bob and Bill McNeil



BACK TO THE FAMILY & BIOGRAPHY PAGE

BACK TO THE OCONTO COUNTY HOME PAGE