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Theodore H. Dodge
Theodore H. Dodge was 5ft ,9in tall with blue eyes, light hair, and fair skin. He was born in Seneca Falls, NY on October 8, 1834, and was one of 13 children born to Lyman and Emily Dodge. Theodore moved to Shawano in 1857 for the opportunity to be in the lumber business starting in the area. His father Lyman, buried at the top of the hill to the west was a War of 1812 veteran.
On October 4, 1861, Theodore Dodge enlisted in Company E, 1st Wisconsin cavalry at Ripon for three years, and was made Corporal on the formation of the company. He went with the regiment to St. Louis, Bloomfield and Calk Bluffs until he was seized with illness. He received an honorable discharge on October 16, 1862 at Cape Girardeau, MO due to general disability from chronic bowel disease and fever. On returning to Wisconsin, Theodore gave my first attention to returning to good health.
Theodore Dodge married Sarah Reed and moved to Oconto to start a family. The couple had 4 children; 3 girls and 1 boy. All died young. Sarah was pregnant with the 4th after losing 2 children when their only surviving child, Rosa Belle, died on April 9, 1869. Sarah gave birth to baby Sarah May the very next day, on April 10, 1869 and then died 5 days later on April 15, 1869 from complications of child birth. Baby Sarah May died 9 months later. Theodore now had had no family!
In total grief, he moved back to Shawano where his immediate family was there for support. He met my 2nd wife, Helen E. Manson, 13 years younger than Theodore. Unfortunately, they had no children.
He was engaged in business as a lumberman in which he had been foremost and prominent on the Wolf River with his business associates being Christopher Hill and Henry Sherry of Neenah. He was one of the first connected with the opening of the lumbering interests on the Wolf River.
Theodore belonged to the local Masonic Lodge and served in positions of responsibility in local government and belonged to the G.A.R. Post No. 81.
Brothers, Frank and John were buried close to Theodore as they also fought in the Civil War. Theodore died on June 9, 1893 at age 58 due to heart complications. His funeral was one of the largest of the area with hundreds of people showing up to pay their respects.Because of his enlistment and fighting in the Civil War, Helen received a pension of $8.00 per month during her widowhood. This was increased to $30.00 per month in 1920. Helen joined Theodore in heaven on June 7, 1928 at the age of 80.
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Soldiers and Citizens Album of Biographical Records – Theodore Dodge obituary
Theodore H Dodge, a citizen of Shawano, Wis. and a former soldier for the Union in the Civil War was born Oct 8, 1834, in Seneca falls, New York. His parents, Lyman and Emily Howe Dodge, are deceased, the former dying in 1882 at the age of 84 years. The latter died in 1857. The father was a drafted man in the second war with Great Britain and arrived at Plattsburg the part of the state and has been a factor in its development.
October 4, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, ist Wisconsin cavalry at Ripon for three years, and was made Corporal on the formation of the company. He received honorable discharge Oct. 16, 1862 at Cape Giardeau, Mo. on account of general disability from chronic bowel disease and fever. After leaving the state, Mr. Dodge went with his regiment to St. Louis, Bloomfield and Calk Bluffs and until he was seized with illness, he performed his duty as a soldier in all varied work which the 1st Wisconsin passed through and which has never received due commemoration from obvious causes, as is always the case with cavalry and other branches of the service.
On returning to Wisconsin after receiving his discharge, he gave his first attention to recruiting his health and afterwards engaged in business as a lumberman in which he has been foremost and prominent on the Wolf River, his business associates being Christopher Hill and Henry Sheriff of Neenah. He was one of the first connected with the opening of the lumbering interests on the Wolf.
Mr. Dodge is a typical Western man. He is affable, genial, noted for his good comradeship with all, and his sturdy good sense and reliant nature which make him popular with all classes. He has served in positions of responsibility in local government and belongs to the G.A.R. Post No. 81. He was a war Democrat and is a man of conservative ideas, modest, unassuming and averse to notoriety of any description. But many friends of Theodore Dodge will s=welcome the most meager account of his busy, well-regulated life in this work
He has three brothers. Frank dodge was a soldier in the 10th Wisconsin and is a resident of Shawano. Frederick A is a farmer in Belle Plaine. John D is a lumberman at Chippewa Falls
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Shawano County Journal
DIED 6-9-1893 AGE 58
June 15, 1893
The funeral of T. H. Dodge last Sunday was one of the largest that has ever been held in this city. The deceased was a member of the local order of the F & A M and the Warren Chapter of Green Bay, and there were present at the funeral n then a hundred members of the order, including quite a large number from Clintonville and New London. The services at the grave were wholly conducted by the order. Rev. Hughes preached the funeral sermon. Mr. Dodge was born at Seneca falls, NY, Oct. 8th 1834, and came to this county with his father’s family sometime in the 50’s. He engaged in lumbering until the war broke out and then entered the army serving something over a year. Returning from the war, he lived at Oconto for a time and then moved back to this city, where he has since resided. He engaged extensively in lumbering an‹ for many years was one of the largest operators on the Wolf River. His acquaintanceship was very large, and his kindly a genial nature won friends for him wherever he went. His life was full of kindly and charitable acts and in social and business circles he will be greatly missed.
Enlisted as Cpl 1st Wis Cav Co E on Oct 4, 1861
Disability Discharge as Cp 1st Wis Cav Co E on 16 Oct 1862
Time served 1year, 12d
Born 8 Oct 1834 at Seneca Falls, NY
Died 9 Jun 1893 at Shawano
Buried at Woodlawn, Shawano
Married Helen Elizabeth Manson in 1870
Children Kathryn Mae born 9 Oct 1880
Blue eyes, fair skin
Wolf River Lumberman