Family Section

Biographies and Stories of People with Surnames starting with Letter G

GUDEX, Dr. Valentine A.

Source:Men of Progress. Wisconsin. (pages 285-316) A selected list of biographical sketches and portraits of the leaders in business, professional and official life. Together with short notes on the history and character of Wisconsin.
Submitted to this site by Kelly Mullins.

GUDEX, Dr. Valentine A., residing at 819 Third street, Milwaukee, is the son of John Gudex, who settled in Barton, Washington county, Wisconsin, in 1847, near what was then an Indian village. There he lived until one year prior to his death, September 5th, 1896, having seen the country develop from a wilderness into a fruitful and thickly settled region. He married Wilhelmina Mample in 1850, and they made their home in a little clearing in the forest, and there they lived an almost isolated life, for some years, before they enjoyed anything approaching social pleasures or the comforts that now abound in almost every community. Here Dr. Gudex was born on the 27th of April, 1865, and here he attended the little country school, gaining his first knowledge of the great world of thoughts and things. Having completed the meager curriculum of this primitive school, he attended successively the school at West Bend, Oshkosh Normal School and the Northern Indiana College. He was also under the private tutorship of some of the leading educators of the country. Subsequently, he took the course of study in the Chicago College of Dental Surgery (dental department of the Lake Forest University), and graduated therefrom in 1888, with the degree of D. D. S. He attended one course at Rush Medical College, and completed his medical education at the Milwaukee Medical College in 1895, graduating with the degree of M. D. He also received from the same institution, a year later, the degree of C. M.

He has always been a resident of Wisconsin, and is thoroughly identified with its development and material progress. As a boy he learned to do all kinds of work on the farm, and in this occupation earned his first dollar. Alternately working and attending school, he finally secured a teacher's certificate. From his earnings as teacher and from his farm labor, he paid for his professional education. He located in Milwaukee in 1888, and began the practice of dentistry, which he continued until 1895. He then practiced medicine for a year, when he resumed the practice of dentistry, specializing on diseases of the mouth, nose and throat. In 1895 he was appointed lecturer on bacteriology in the Milwaukee Medical College, and in the following year professor of that branch in the same institution. He has experimented extensively in that field, and made some noteworthy contributions to medical literature.

He has always been a Republican; has served as member of the ward committee, and has done some effective work for the party. He received the appointment of school commissioner for the Thirteenth ward in 1895, and takes a lively interest in the public schools.

He is a member of the American Medical association, Practitioners' society of Milwaukee, American Dental association, Wisconsin State Dental society, and Leeuwenhoek society, which latter honored him with a fellowship. He is examining physician to the Knights of the Maccabees, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Foresters. He is also oral surgeon to the Milwaukee county hospital, and lecturer on bacteriology in the Milwaukee County Hospital Training School.

He is a member of Trinity Evangelical church. He married Louisa Machleith in 1888, and has two children, Arthur and Junius.


Gundrum Golden Anniversary

Source: Unknown

Mr. and Mrs Heinrich Gundrum, pioneer settlers of the Town of Addison, celebrated the Fiftieth Anniversary of their marriage January 13, 1898, attended by their children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, neighbors and friends. The religious ceremony took place at St. Peter and Paul's Church Nenno, Wisconsin, where a High Mass was celebrated by the Pastor, Rev. Scheir, assisted by Rev. N.M. Zimmer as Deacon, Rev. Schaff as Subdeacon and Rev. Graff as Master of Ceremonies. The ceremonies at the Church were followed by a splendid reception at the home of Joseph Gundrum, near the village, attended by two hundred guests.

Mr. Gundrum is a native of Augered (note: Angenrod, near Alsfeld) Hessen, Darmstadt, Germany and will be eighty two years of age next spring, having been born April 24, 1816. He immigrated to America August 16, 1837. After residing in Ohio and Indiana several years he came to Wisconsin in 1844. He bought a eighty acre farm in Racine County and one year later in 1845 he located in the Town of Addison, Washington County on a guarter section of land which he purchased from the United States Government, for $200.00. Mrs Gundrum as a maiden was Ludrnilla Gehring. She was born at Obernheim, Wittenberg, Germany, October 2, 1822. In November, 1845 she came to America with her brother Paul. After residing in New York City for one year she came to Milwaukee, where she was joined by her parents, and the family settled on their farm in the Town of Addison in 1847.