Genealogy of the thomas boaz, christopher wayne miller
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| JOHN W. GRAF (1853-1930) John Graf was born February 27, 1853, in the dwelling at the northeast corner of Eleventh and Chestnut streets. John was one of 11 children of Bavarian German immigrants, Loranz and Elizabeth (Thuering) Graf who came to the United States in 1846, arriving in Milwaukee on April 6, 1846. At the age of twelve, in 1865, he started working as a bottle washer for Hickey and Sons, a Milwaukee soda water manufacturer. Even at the time, Milwaukee was a beverage center, with many breweries and soda water factories in existence. In 1873, when he was 20, he started a soda water and Weiss beer business. John soon found a partner in Philip Madlener. Their plant was located at 330 Grove (later 800 South 5th Street. The plant originally employed but four people. Four years later, the business amounted to $15,000 a year and employed twelve men. Graf and Madlener made their own malt extracts and the extracts used for their white, cherry, and raspberry sodas and their root beer, sarsaparilla, and lemon-lime soda. In 1881 John purchased the interest of his partner and owned the greater part of the stock in the enterprise until his death. By 1909 the plant employed sixty employees, and its product was valued at $120,000 per year. It required fourteen teams and wagons inconstant use to transport the product to their customers. The business eventually outgrew its location. In the she selected the site at South 40th Street and West Greenfield Avenue. In 1968 Laurie O. Graf, President and third generation member of the family to head the firm, led Graf Beverages, Inc. to become a wholly owned subsidiary of P & V Atlas Industrial Center, Inc. At that time in addition to its line of soft drinks including root beer and 50/50, Graf's produced Dr. Pepper, Squirt, Royal Crown Cola, Diet Rite Cola, and Schweppes tonics under franchise arrangements. Graf’s was among the pioneers in a number of developments in the soft-drink industry, including the introduction of quart-size containers, the production of flattop rather than cone top cans, the creation of sugar-free sodas, and the development of twist-off resealable caps on nonreturnable bottles. In the s the property was sold and is now occupied by a modern Sentry Super Market Store and parking lot. Canfield, an Illinois firm, in 1985 purchased the John Graf soft-drink recipes, and by popular demand the public is able to purchase their favorite (labeled) John Graf soda water. He was married into Anna Bertha Gleisberg (born February 24, 1851, Mequon, Wisconsin, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Gleisberg; Mr. Gleisberg, born Kulenberg, Saxony, Germany, was a pioneer of Ozaukee county Wisconsin, settling therein. There were six children from this marriage Edward J. (November 2, March, 1948) who married Bertha Reinhardt, Amalia Margaretha Louise (May 31, 1966) who married Herman Heinen (October 27, December 5, 1960), Amanda (December 28, 1879-1935) who married Alfred Pellman, Anna (March 24, September 11, 1976) who married John Murphy, Clara (March 20, February 12, 1960) who married Clifford Loew (1879-1927) and later Bo Carter, and John II May 31, May 30, 1929) who married Bertha Boerner and later Sylvia Schaeffer. Mr. Graf belonged to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the E.S.O.S. Club, the Knights of Pythias, the South Side Turners, and the Calumet Club. He was independent in political views, voting for the candidates who seemed to him best fitted for the office. John Graf died May 16, 1930. His wife, Anna, died on November 5, 1913. They are buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. Clara (1885-1960) married Clifford Loew (1879-1927), and they had three children Clifford, Jr Florence Anderson, and Marjorie Merideth Tans. Lyle and Marjorie Tans had three children James, John, and William. Clara, Clifford, Sr, and Clifford, Jr, are buried in Arlington Cemetery, Milwaukee. John II married Sylvia Schaeffer. He worked in the Graf soda company and enjoyed singing. He is also buried in the John Graf plot in Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. Sylvia Graf, who died January 2, 1963, aged 71 years, and her son, John Graf III who married Pearl Braun, are buried in Holy Cross Cemetery. The other son of John II and Sylvia, Lawrence O. who married Elaine Jeffers, is still living. Two other cousins are buried in the Forest Home Graf plot John G. Pellman, Jr. (1897-1911) and Alfred Pellman, Jr. (September 6, October 8, 1926). It was days after her wedding that Evelyn Gertrude Heinen Meyer played for her cousin Alfred's funeral. Download 1.62 Mb. Share with your friends:
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