ROMEO N. ACHENBACH, who is engaged in operating a good farm of 160 acres in section 12, Durand township, Pepin county, was born in Belvidere (now Cochrane), Buffalo county, Wisconsin, October 15, 1875, son of William and Otilla (Heck) Achenbach. The father, a native of Sauk county, Wisconsin, was in early life a farmer, later entered the employ of the Mississippi River Logging Company and was thus engaged for twenty-five or thirty years. Still later he worked in the same line of industry at St. Paul and continued in it up to 1908, since which time he has lived practically retired, making his home with his children most of the time, but spending some winter months in a soldiers' home. His military service during the Civil war was as a private in Company M, in a Wisconsin regiment, and covered practically the entire period of the war. For a part of that time he was confined to the hospital with typhoid fever. His wife Otilla, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1848, died November 1, 1909. Romeo N. Achenbach was the third born in a family of seven children and was one of twins. He attended school in Alma, Buffalo county, and resided at home until he was 18 years of age, assisting his father for the most part but occasionally working for others. He then went to rafting on the Mississippi river, being thus employed during the summers for fifteen years. After that he was employed for four years as scaler in sawmills and for the same length of time by the Winona Lumber Company. Then in 1901 Mr. Achenbach came to Lima township, Pepin county, and, buying land, engaged in farming. After ten years of agricultural work he engaged in the meat business in Durand, but eight months later sold his business and came to his present farm of 160 acres in section 12, Durand township. The land is valuable for agricultural purposes and the farm highly improved, the buildings being modern and in excellent condition, and ample tools and machinery. The situation also is pleasant. Mr. Achenbach does general farming, including dairying. He is starting to breed Durham cattle, having now about twenty head. He also raises Poland-China hogs. Mr. Achenbach is a stockholder in the Auditorium at Durand. As one of the prominent men of his township he has served more or less in public office, having been a member of the school board, two years township assessor and township treasurer, which last mentioned office he is holding at present. In polities he is a Democrat with independent proclivities. Religiously he is a member of the Catholic church, while his fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. Mr. Achenbach was married September 10, 1901, to Mary Ableidinger, who was born in Austria, daughter of Ignatz and Julia (Poschel) Ableidinger, who were natives of the same country. The family came to America in 1883, locating in Lima township, where they still reside. Mr. Ableidinger, after farming for many years, is now retired on account of impaired health. He and his wife had five children, of whom Mary was the fourth in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Achenbach have a family of five children, one of whom they adopted. Their own children are: Edwin R., Aileen Louise, Lydia Theresa and Ruth Marie, while the adopted child is Arthur. All are residing at home. [Source: History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties, Wisconsin, vol 2; compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, published by H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. (1919), pg 677-678 tr by M. Saggio]

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