The earliest record of the Fonders are great-grand father and great-grandmother John and Mary Fonder who migrated from Belgium about 1855, settling in Bellevieu Wis. near Green Bay.

They had eight children, one of which was my Grandfather, Augustus Fonder. He married Exzena Paulin in 1870. They had five children. They were August J., Louis, Mary and Charles and Henry.

August J. Fonder, my father was born in Bellevieu in 1871. His mother died when he was 9 years old.

He married his first wife, Anna Mives, in 1900. When she died, he moved north to Mountain. There he met Cora Green. They were married in 1921 and moved to Tipler, Wis., where he worked in the lumbering industry. I was born there on Jan. 11, 1924, at 8 AM, and given the name of Hellen Exzine Fonder.

Sometime in the next 5 yrs the family broke up, and August moved to Oconto Falls to live with his brother Louis and family where he helped with the farm chores until his health began deteriorating. In Dec. he suffered from heart problems and passed away in March of 1937.

He was described to me, by Delores Steffens, Louis Fonders daughter, as a gentle, quiet person, well liked by everyone, and greatly missed by their family and friends.

August died when I was 13 years old and I remember the Naults telling someone that August would like to see me before he died, but they thought it best for me not to become involved. Perhaps they were right, however I did feel sad about it.

Through cousin Delores Steffens I met Uncle Henry at the nursing home in Oconto just about three weeks before he passed away on June 11, 1982. He was 97 years old, but he was a very alert, slight built fellow with a quick smile when he saw us. I'm not sure he really understood who I was, but he loved the big kiss he got from Delores and I.

He was very sad, to the point of tears, however, that he had to be restrained in a chair by his bed so he wouldn't fall and hurt himself. He was used to strolling through the corridor visiting with friends.

He had been experiencing fainting spells and had fallen a few times and had to spend time in bed re-recoperating.

He and his wife of 61 years were married in 1912, and raised 4 children. Their son Lyle who lives in Oconto came to see him every day and take his Dad for a ride, walk, or just a breath of fresh air.

Henry and his wife Martha were the first couple to reside at the nursing home when it was first built.

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