San
Joaquin County
Biographies
LESTER ORVILLE WISLER
The world instinctively pays
deference to the man whose success has been worthily achieved and whose
prominence is the result of natural talents and acquired ability, and among Stockton’s
businessmen Lester Orville Wisler occupies a position of distinction as a
representative certified public accountant.
Among the distinguished old families
of Elkhart County, Indiana, none are more worthy of mention than the Wisler’s. The founder
of the family in this section was John Wisler, a native of Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, where he first saw the light of day in 1800, his parents being
Christian and Susan (Halderman) Wisler,
the former of who was born during the Revolutionary period in the State of
Pennsylvania, of Holland parents. He
made his home in the state of his nativity until he paid the last debt of
nature, and there reared to honorable maturity a family of ten children,
leaving them upon his death, not only a good property to be divided among them,
but what was rather to be desired than great riches, the heritage of an
honorable name. The names of the members
of this family are as follows: Jonas
(who died while young), John, Elizabeth, Anthony, Hannah, Jacob (who settled
Jefferson Township at an early day and became the father of John W. Wisler, an
extensive importer of horses), Samuel, Mary, Sarah and Susan. The most of these children married and moved
west, and a number settled in Elkhart, Indiana.
Their father died in 1830 and the mother in 1835 in Ohio at which time
they both were quite aged. Of their
children, John was the one to establish the family in Elkhart County, Indiana,
as above stated. When a young man of
twenty summers he went to Columbiana County, Ohio, where he entered some
government land, opened up a farm and made his home for a number of years. In 1824 he gave his heart and hand to Miss
Sophia Stauffer, a daughter of Henry and Mary Stauffer, who were early pioneers
of Ohio from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, the former’s birth occurring
February 8, 1776, and the latter’s July 15, 1779, and their respective deaths
taking place February 20, 1854, and August 5, 1824. They reared eight children, as follows: Joseph, born December 6, 1796; Elizabeth,
July 14, 1799; John, November 27, 1800, Jacob, May 18, 1804; Sophia, August 12,
1806; Mary, April 1, 1809; Henry, August 8, 1812; and Abraham, September 12,
1814. Most of these children reached
mature years and several of them settled in Indiana. In the spring of 1849 John Wisler and his
family emigrated to Elkhart County, Indiana, and
settled on the farm which was later owned by Jacob H. Wisler, on the line of
the Union and Locke townships. His wife,
Sophia, was born in 1806 and died in Elkhart County in 1876; she was a member
of the Mennonite Church and in every sense of the word a helpmate to her
husband. She bore her husband the
following children: Mary A., later the
wife of Samuel Hoover, of Union Township; Henry; Isaac; Jacob; Jonas; Sarah,
wife of Samuel Ruckman of Nappanee; Anthony; John S.; Alpheus, and
Cornelius. Two children died young. John Wisler tilled his large farm until 1870,
when he sold it to his son Jacob; his grandson, Samuel, at present resides on
it with his family. The life of John
Wisler is a good illustration of the old saying that “there is no royal road to
fortune,” for throughout his long and well-spent life he found that in his case
wealth could be accumulated only by the exercise of brain and muscle; and for
this reason he labored early and late in order to acquire a competence for his
family, and in the confidence, respect and affection with which his wife and
children regarded him, he realized that the end justified the means.
Isaac Wisler (grandfather of Lester
O. Wisler), one of the elder children of the worthy John Wisler, was born in
Columbiana, now Mahoning County, Ohio, February 14, 1829. During his early boyhood he assisted his
father on the farm, but later gave his attention to blacksmithing, which he
followed for some years, and also became an intelligent machinist. He became a resident of Elkhart County,
Indiana, at the age of twenty years, and in the country in the vicinity of his
home, he worked at his trade, first opening a shop at Waterford in 1850, and
afterward in Locke in 1853, at which time the place was known as Wisler
Town. After some time he and his brother
Jonas started a woodenware manufacturing establishment, making a specialty of
wooden bowls, which business he successfully continued until 1864, when he sold
his interest. He then followed his trade
of machinist and blacksmithing, as well as farming. He was always quite active in the political
matters of his county, and always supported the men and measures of the
Republican Party; and being also public-spirited, he supported schools,
churches, and in fact all movements tending to benefit the section in which he
lived. His own education was obtained in
the public schools of Ohio, and that system of education found in him a
substantial and earnest supporter. He
was justice of the peace of Locke Township from 1854 to 1865, was township
trustee for a number of years, and also held the position of assessor. He may be said to have been a self-made man,
for he began the battle of life for himself on a heavily wooded tract of
government land, but later became financially independent. In 1858 he was married to Miss Rebecca M.
Winder, daughter of Caleb and Margaret (Bloomfield) Winder, the former of whom
was born in Pennsylvania, a son of Joseph Winder, a prominent farmer of that
state. Caleb’s early life was spent on his
father’s farm, but in early life, he also learned the hatter’s trade, which he
followed for some time. After his
removal to Stark County, Ohio, following his marriage, he taught school and
there he improved a good farm and reared his family. He died in 1840, at the age of forty-four years,
his wife’s death occurring in 1842 at the age of thirty-six years. She was born in Crawford County,
Pennsylvania, a daughter of Andrew Bloomfield, and she and her husband were
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the latter being one of its class
leaders, in politics a Whig, and a solder in the War of 1812. To Caleb and wife seven children were
born: Louis, James, Warren (deceased,
Samuel (deceased), Eli, Susan (Mrs. Truex), and
Rebecca, wife of Isaac Wisler. She was
born in Ohio, October 30, 1837, and in 1858 her union with Isaac Wisler took
place, which eventually resulted in the birth of seven children: Oliver P., born November 13, 1859 (married Elzina Bliley, and they had six children: Lester, Otis, Morris, Glenn, Thelma, and Greetice); James M., born July 24, 1861 (married Della Doromus, of Michigan, and they had three children); Albert,
born on August 24, 1863; Mary, born on August 1, 1865 (married Jacob Defrees,
and they have one child, Albert); Lizzie, born January 16, 1867 (married M. D.
Jacobs, by whom she has three children:
Harry, Ralph and Roland); Edith, born September 23, 1871, and died at
the age of three years; and Addie, born September 23, 1877 (married Harry Irwin
Pearce, and they have one child, Harry Jr.).
Isaac Wisler died on September 14, 1900, and his wife, December 10,
1918.
Oliver P. Wisler (father of Lester
O. Wisler) is the eldest child of Isaac Wisler.
That he has inherited many of the most worthy qualities of his people is
acknowledged, and his numerous friends testify to his honesty, kindheartedness
and energy. He was born on the farm
owned by his father in Locke Township, near the town of Locke, on the 13th
of November, 1859, and while growing up attended the schools of Locke, where he
laid the foundation of a practical education, later finishing his scholastic
training in the public schools of Syracuse, Indiana. On his father’s farm he learned lessons of
industry and honesty, and while attending school acquired a decided taste for books,
which qualities admirably fitted him for the calling of a school teacher, whose
responsibilities he took upon his shoulders at the youthful age of
seventeen. During the two terms that he
followed this calling he was quite successful, but gave it up to follow other
pursuits. Many of his youthful days were
spent in the woodenware factory belonging to his father; but in later life he
became the owner and manager of a threshing machine, which he conducted for
about seven seasons, and at the same time followed farming and bought and sold
timber. In the management of these
enterprises he showed that he possessed fine business qualifications, for his
efforts met with abundant reward. Since
he attained his twenty-second year he has farmed for himself, and at present he
is on a ranch in Yuba County. On the 20th
of September, 1884, he was united in marriage to Elzina
Bliley, an adopted daughter of Louis and Sarah Bliley, born September 16,
1867. They have six children: Lester O., who was born August 13, 1885; Otis
H., born December 6, 1886; Morris C., born June 7, 1888; Glenn M., born October
23, 1889; Thelma M. C., born July 15, 1897; and Greetice
R., born August 13, 1900.
Lester O. Wisler was born on a farm
in Elkhart County, Indiana, on August 13, 1885, and received his early
education in the schools of that county.
Then he entered the Technical High School at Cleveland, Ohio, where he
was graduated in 1903. On removing to
Calgary, Canada, he was in the commercial business there for eight years. From there he went to Salt Lake City as
advertising manager for the Wood-Clifton Mercantile Company, one of the leading
firms of the city, and in 1915 came to Sacramento, California, and took charge
of the advertising department of Weinstock, Lubin & Company.
In February of the following year he went to Manteca and became
associated with F. M. Cowell, vice-president and manager of the Manteca Canning
Company. Later Mr. Cowell sold his
interest in the cannery and with Mr. Wisler organized and built the Manteca
Packing Company, Mr. Wisler serving as secretary of the company. During the World War he established the cost
price on canned goods in that zone and was secretary of the Manteca Council of
Defense.
Severing his connection with the
company, in the spring of 1918 Mr. Wisler removed to Stockton and became the
office and credit manager of the Stockton Dry Goods company, and two years
later he founded the Wisler Audit Bureau.
He compiled the first financial report of the city of Stockton, a
document of 250 pages; he is under contract for ten years to audit the books of
the Oakdale Irrigation District, and with Joe Cavis
has audited the books of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. Mr. Wisler is auditor of the Stockton Chamber
of Commerce, and in 1920 made the first thorough report the organization ever
had. His is also the deviser of the
Masonic Membership Ledger in use all over the United States and Canada. The Wisler Audit Bureau maintains offices in
Stockton, Fresno and Sacramento, where specialized service is offered in public
accounting and auditing in all commercial, industrial, and municipal branches.
In Stettler, Alberta, in 1906, Mr.
Wisler was married to Miss Marguerite Jessie Lawrence, a native of Union, Iowa,
and a daughter of William Horton Lawrence and Ida Mason Lawrence, who is a
sister of the famous Al P. Mason of Union, Iowa, state auctioneer of
thoroughbred livestock. Mr. and Mrs.
Wisler have four children: Oliver P.,
Jr., born July 15, 1907; Margaret Helen, born December 17, 1908; Lester
Orville, Jr., born April 22, 1913, and Velma Ione, born February 17, 1915.
In 1916 Mr. Wisler graduated from
the Emerson Institute of Efficiency of New York. He is the president of the California Chapter
of the National Association of Certified Public Accountants, a charter member
of the Stockton Accountants Society, and chairman of its publicity committee. He belongs to the Lions Club and the Stockton
Golf & Country Club. In his
fraternal affiliation he was made a Mason in Apollo Lodge No. 27, A. F. &
A. M. in Stettler, Alberta, in 1906, holding the office of Senior Warden;
demitting, he became a charter member of Stockton Lodge No. 498, F. & A.
M., and was its first Worshipful Master.
On becoming Past Master he was elected Secretary of the Lodge, which
office he has since filled. He is a
member of Stockton Chapter No. 28, R. A. M., Stockton Commandery No. 8, K. T.,
and Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Oakland; Charter Oak Lodge, K. P., of
Stockton, and a Past Chancellor of that Order; Past Noble Grand of the Odd
Fellows Lodge at Stettler, Alberta, as well as District Deputy Grand Master,
and is a member of the Knights of Khorassan and Past Imperial Representative at
their meeting in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Mrs. Wisler is a member of Stockton Chapter, O. E. S., and is Most
Excellent Chief of Damon Temple, Pythian Sisters, and a past Noble Grand of the
Rebekah Lodge at Stettler, Alberta. Mr.
Wisler has attained high rank in his profession, and has risen to a prominent
place among the substantial citizens of the county.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1024-1027. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases