Joseph George Kuchenmeister

Father of Margaret (Kuchenmeister) Hatten: born on his father’s farm near Delano, Wright County, Minnesota, in 1874, the son of Bavarian parents. The Delano paper has him in 1892 with an axe wound in the foot, grubbing on the farm (“His father says an instant later he would have struck Joe in the head instead of in the foot”), and in 1895 playing a violin solo at the school entertainment: “The violin solo by Mr. Kuchenmeister was encored, Joe acknowledging the honor by a neat little bow” (source). In February 1899, after a farewell dance, he left for Almena, Wisconsin, to clerk in George Panian’s store, and married Panian’s daughter Theresa there on 24 October 1899, in the Sacred Heart mission church.

He ran the store with S. W. Sparlin and George Panian Jr. as the Panian Mercantile Co., then with Sparlin as the Almena Mercantile Co. In June 1908 he succeeded his father-in-law as postmaster and held the office until 1934, a presidential appointment from 1922 (source); Theresa kept the post office for a time. From 1913 he had a furniture store with undertaking parlors: “Joseph Kuchenmeister, postmaster at Almena, furniture dealer and funeral director … He is one of the popular men of the village” (source). A manager in 1940; died at Almena on 27 December 1952 and buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Six children: Joseph, Laura, Norbert, Emil, Leo and Margaret.

Research: research/hatten/Kuchenmeister_Panian_Haberkorn.md.

In the records the tree attaches (not checked here):

• 1935. Almena, Barron, Wisconsin (record)
• 1940. Almena, Barron, Wisconsin; Occupation: Manager; marital status: Married; relation: Head (record)

Other records the tree attaches: Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Records, 1820-2015.