Clay Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-Fred Wyss


Portrait and Biographical Album
of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties
Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890




FRED WYSS. The subject of this notice, who is a leader among the Swiss population of Bloom Township, Clay County, is a man of much intelligence, highly respected in his community and has held most of the local offices. He owns and operates a good farm on section 9, 160 acres in extent, which he homesteaded and settled upon in 1871. The land is naturally fertile and well-watered by Mulberry Creek, and under the wise management of the proprietor yields him handsome returns.

Mr. Wyss is one or those men who came to Northern Kansas poor in purse and who by the exercise of industry and perseverance, have become well-to-do. He was born in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, June 19, 1847 where he spent the first nineteen years of his life. Upon emigrating to America in 1866, he settled first, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where he lived six years engaged as a cheese-maker. He had been reared to habits of industry, his parents being in moderate circumstances, and his father, John Wyss, a cooper by trade. The latter spent his entire life in his native Canton of Bern, dying there in 1866 when sixty years old. He was an honest man and a member in good standing of the German Reformed Church. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Margaretta Affolter. She likewise was born and reared in the Canton of Bern, and survived her husband a number of years, spending her last days near the place of her birth. She died in 1885 at the age of seventy-five years. The parental household included eight children of whom Frederick was one of the younger. After setting out for America, young Wyss made his way to Havre, France, where he boarded a sailing vessel, the "Mercury" which after forty days on the ocean landed him in New York City, April 16, 1866. Hence he wont to Ohio and from there came to this State.

After taking up his land Mr. Wyss, being unmarried, kept bachelor's hall in a dugout. In due time he made the acquaintance of Miss Caroline Wyss, to whom he was married Aug. 17, 1876. This lady was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Nov. 10, 1858, and is the daughter of Christian and Anna (Nicholas) Wyss, natives of Switzerland, who came to America with their respective parents in their childhood. The two families settled in the above mentioned county, and there the young people were reared and married. Afterward they located upon a farm and the father of Mrs. Wyss became well-to-do. He and his wife are yet living in Ohio, being now quite aged and somewhat feeble. They had a family of ten children, eight of whom are living and with the exception of Mrs. Wyss milking their homes in Ohio. To our subject and his wife there have been born four children, viz: Charles W., Anna M., Mary E. and Ida. Politically, Mr, Wyss supports the principles of the Democratic party. Mr. and Mrs. Wyss are both members of the German Reformed Church. A handsome lithographic view of the Wyss residence is shown on another page of this work.



(c) 2009 Sheryl McClure

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