Historic Photos

Nerison School 8th grade graduation photo
Front Row: Esther Lund, Inez Johnson, Jeanette Sagmoen
Back Row: Milton Anderson, Borghild Lindevig, Ernest Everson (teacher), Eunice Rudie, Claude Sebion

Lloyd Marion Ray died on his 64th birthday, June 10, 1993. Ray was considered a living legend at the time. He received numerous awards and honors based on the depth and breadth of County activities in which he engaged. Lloyd worked as a cheesemaker at the Brush Hollow and Dell cheese factories and worked at the Viroqua Dairy. He was a member of the Viroqua Police Department serving as Police Chief from 1969-1973 and later was a dispatcher for the VPD until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the Viroqua Fire Department for 34 years, serving as Chief for 27 years. He also served as a Vernon County Deputy Sheriff. Lloyd worked tirelessly for Toys for Tots, as a DNR hunter safety instructor for 25 years and was active in many state and national associations. He married Brush Hollow native, Darlene Adams (1931-2006), in 1950. They had one daughter. Lloyd, born in Richland County, WI was the son of Benjamin G. (1905-1974) and Emily (Kelly) Ray (1909-1993). His younger brother, Pfc. Gerald L., was killed in Korea on July 9, 1953, four days before his 21st birthday. VFW Post No. 3032 Running-Johnson-Ray is named in honor of Tilmer Running, Lawrence Johnson and Gerald Ray.

LaFarge rural mail carrier, George Burnard (1871-1935), is depicted along his Otter Creek route, early in the 20th Century. George, son of John and Margaret (Downey) Burnard, married Webster township neighbor, Anna Leonard Smith (1877-1953), daughter of Alexander B. and Ellen (Peavy) Smith, in late November 1895. The Burnards and their three infant children are buried, as are their parents, at the Brush Hollow Cemetery. Many early photos of Vernon County residents and communities can be found at the Vernon County Museum.

In this photo taken about 1900 at their Maple Ridge farmhouse in Stark Township are Laura Melvina (Lawrence) Slagle (1869-1912) and John Franklin (Frank) Slagle (1866-1940), their daughter, Ida McKinley Slagle (1896-1956) and their dog, Dewey. Laura, the daughter of Isaac (1837-1910) and Hannah (Coleman) (1840-1914) Lawrence, was Frank's neighbor when they married October 25, 1894. Frank's parents were Lewis (1841-1921) and Elizabeth (Gillian) (1841-1925) Slagle. The Lawrence and Slagle families settled in Stark Township from Ohio. Ida had two siblings, Fernie Francis Slagle (1902-1997) and George Edison Slagle (1905-1956). All the Slagle children married and lived in the local area. The Slagle and Lawrence family members are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery near La Farge. The Vernon County Museum has many family and cemetery records available to assist with investigating your family history.

Pictured is a 1850's photograph of the original Retreat Store which operated from 1865-1905. The owner, Jesse Lee Davis (1809-1855) is shown standing in the doorway. Originally from Cumberland County Pennsylvania, Davis moved to Indiana and on November 22, 1832 he married 16-year-old Vienna Terry Purdy (1816-1904). They were parents to five children: John W., Warren G., Martha, Jeanette (Nettie) and Laura. According to Family Maps of Vernon County, Wisconsin, in 1857 he bought seven parcels of land in Sections 10 and 15, in the current Town of Sterling. In 1862, he resigned his position in the District of Columbia and settled this land. He was the Retreat postmaster from 1866 until his death, when mail was received from Viroqua and DeSoto four times per week. The account of their golden wedding anniversary was reported in the November 29, 1852 Vernon County Censor where among the gifts they received was a large velvet-lined rocker and a pair of gold bowed spectacles. The Retreat Community Center presently occupies the store site. Jesse, Vienna, and three children, Warren, Jeanette and Laura (McKay), are buried at Walnut Mound Cemetery.