History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.
Biography

Van Hecke, Max associated with his father in legal practice at Merrill, was born in that city March 23, 1888, son of John and Mary (MCGUIRE) VAN HECKE. He graduated from the Herrill High School with the class of 1905 and from the college of law at Marquette University, Milwaukee, in 1912. He was admitted to the bar in the latter year and has since been a member of the firm of J. and M. VAN HECKE at Merrill. June 17, 1915 he married Helen ELSEN, who was born at Merrill April 7, 1892, daughter of John and Augusta ELSEN. Mrs. VAN HECKE was a graduate in music from Holy Rosary Academy at Corliss, Wis., and was a highly accomplished young woman. She and Mr. VAN HECKE established a home in Merrill, but they happy life together was brief; during the influenza epidemic Mrs. VAN HECKE fell a victim to this disease and passed away on Jan. 22, 1919, leaving a wide circle of friends besides her sorrowing husband to mourn her loss. Mr. VAN HECKE'S legal career promises to be one of exceptional brilliance; he has served Merrill as city attorney for two years, and in the fall of 1922 was elected to the office of district attorney for Lincoln County, a splendid showing of the esteem in which he is held in the community; a great future is freely predicted for him. He is a member of the Merrill Rotary Club and the Merrill Social and Sick Benefit Society, as well as of the fraternal orders of Elks, Eagles, and Knights of Columbus. His religious affiliations are with the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.