OBITUARY - "Wausau Pilot", Wausau, WI
Published July 2, 1918

"One of Wausau's Oldest & Best Known Citizens, Passed Away Sunday, June 30, 1918"

Another one of Wausau's pioneer citizens has laid aside the care and burdens of this life and passed into the life eternal. Jacob Gensmann's name has been a household one in Wausau for over fifty years. This good man, after an illness dating back several years, died on Sunday evening, June 30, 1918, the immediate cause of his death was a stroke of apoplexy with which he was stricken a week previous. The sad news caused universal sorrow in our city for his life from time when he landed in Wausau, a poor boy of eighteen, until advanced age and sickness enfeebled his condition, was one of activity in working at his trade and then branching into lumbering, and real estate he rose to prominence and wealth, all through his own effort. He was a man of unusual ability in that he was able to judge human character as very few men can; his judment on real estate values; on future conditions and a disposition to be satisfied with reasonable and sure gains, and not to be carried away with the glittering bubbles of "get rich quick" schemes, carried him on to financial success. he was always ready to give advice and assistance to others, and was ever enlisted in the great work of creating a larger and better Wausau. These qualities had made Jacob Gensmann, through all the years, one of Wausau's very prominent men, beloved and respected and one who will be deeply mourned by those who knew him.

Jacob Gensmann was born on the 24th day of February, 1844, in Kreiss Bachrich, Province of Rhine, Germany, He came to America in 1851, with his parents, who settled in Washington County, Wis. He remained at home until fifteen years of age, when he went to Schleisingerville, Wis., where he remained for three years learning the trade of a shoemaker. He then came to Wausau, which was then a small village and perhaps, not over inviting to the young man looking for a permanent home. It is said of Mr. Gensmann that he felt the pangs of homesickness and would have returned to his old haunts, if he had had the means with which to do so. Characteristic of him he went to work at his trade in the shop of George Halder and later entered into business with Ernest Schulze and Peter Zimmerman, starting a shoe shop at the corner of Second and Washington streets. Later he purchased the interests of his partners and built a store on Third street, where his large store building now stands. Being successful in this venture, he began investing in timber and farm lands and in the early 70's began his very successful career as a lumberman. He took many fleets of his lumber to the Mississippi markets. In 1876 he was in partnership with Herman Miller and they erected a mill on Sandy Creek, above Trappe, which they operated for several years, sawing out much lumber. Mr. Miller retired from the business after two years, but Mr. Gensmann continued in the purchase and sale of timber and other lands up to the time of his recent illness. One of the large deals which he successfully conducted was the purchase and sale of 60,000,000 feet of pine timber in St. Louis county, Minn., with John Oelhafen, a former citizen of Wausau. As this was at the outset of his large deals in timber lands, he was justly proud of it, but many larger deals followed. He held many responsible positions during his life. Among them being president of the Ruder Brewing company, and for many years on the board of directors of the First National Bank, both of which he resigned about a year ago on account of his health. While he took an interest in politics, he never sought office, but at times served as trustee when Wausau was a village and as an alderman and supervisor when Wausau became a city. Mr. Gensmann's word, as the old saying is, was as "good as gold"; it was never known to have been broken. His whole life was one of honor and to be emulated.

Mr. Gensmann was united in marriage with Miss Amelia Wilde, on the 24th day of February, 1867. To this union was born seventeen children, seven of whom died in infancy and one son, Jacob, was killed eight years ago in a log slide on Rib Hill. The death of this young man was a great sorrow and affliction to his parents. Those who survive are his wife and seven children, viz: Matilda and Lydia of Wausau; Mrs. Paul Gebert and Leo of Merrill; Edward and William of the town of Maine and Henry of Wausau. Also two brothers, Nicholas Gensmann of Garden Plain, Kan., and Michael Gensmann of Schleisingerville, Wis., and one sister Mrs. Julius Scheu of Hartford, Wis.

The funeral services will take place from the home, 211 Grand Ave., at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, Rev. E. C. Grauer of St. Paul's Church officiating. Interment will be in Pine Grove Cemetery.

The pall bearers will be C. S. Gilber, Frank Synott, Louis Marchetti, John Ringle, Henry Ruder and M. J. Cawley.