Shared Note
| Shared Note: - He was named Walter Bruce but went by Bruce Walter. Bruce was born in Marathon Township. At an early age he moved with his pa rents into the new house, built by his father. He lived in that house mo st of his life except for a few months before his death. He took over t he Hemingway Lake farm at the time of his father's death. He married Jenn ie and they had nine children.
Bruce owned and operated the 272 acre Hemingway Lake farm. He raised co ws and sheep. He had a large apple orchard. He shipped apples to near by cities. On occasions, he would ship some to his brother, Elmer, in Wis consin.
On the farm was a knoll that was given the name of "Turkey Knob". It is b elieved to have been the roosting place of wild turkeys. In our time t he "Knob" became the burial ground for horses and other farm animal s. At one time, Bruce tried to turn the knob into a fruit orchard. He pl anted peach, pear and plum trees. The orchard was not very successfu l.
In January 1914, the timbers of the dam at Hemingway's pond were pulled o ut and the pond drained. As the water washed away the banked up earth, pi ne boughs were brought into view which were, to all appearances, as sou nd and green as when cut 54 years before. The draining of the pond allow ed about thirty acres of land to be reclaimed. With the outflow of the wa ter the ice, about eight inches thick, dropped to the bottom of the pon d. Hemingway's mill was located at the head of the pond and had burned do wn about thirty-five years before.
The dam was replaced about 1925 and the pond again became the beautiful He mingway Lake.
Bruce was a member and officer of the Otter Lake Methodist Protestant Chur ch. He held township offices and was a member of the Schott School Boa rd for many years. "I would rather take the word of Bruce Hemingway th an the note of any other man I know." This statement spoken by a bank er to another man and overheard by one of Bruce's children tells much abo ut the integrity of Bruce.
Jennie was born September 3, 1869 and died September 19, 1916. Bruce marr ied Alice in 1921. His son, Frank, officiated. She was born March 31, 18 74 and died May 10, 1959. She is buried in the West Deerfield Cemeter y.
Bruce died in 1941. His son-in-law, Hollis Hayes, was the officiating min ister at the memorial service. Bruce and Jennie are buried in the Hollenb eck Cemetery.
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