John Henry Neller     1880-1956

 

Oil painting of John H. Neller by son James. 

 

    

 

Born:   November 29, 1880 in Appleton, Wisconsin     

Died:   August 27, 1956, in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Cause of death:  Heart Disease

Place of burial:  Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, Lot 37, Block 3

 

Spouse:          Ina Frances (Briggs) Neller 

Children:         Donald George Neller (b. December 24, 1902, d. April 10, 1903.)

                        Marjorie Elizabeth (Neller) Peterson Greenwald

                        Richard Karl Neller (Sr.)

                        Robert John Neller

                        James Locke Neller

                                   

Occupation:   Clerk and bookkeeper for SC Shannon, Appleton, WI

                        Secretary, Treasurer and General Manager for Pettibone-Peabody Co., Appleton, WI

VP and Pres. for Appleton (Wisconsin) Wire Works Co.

 

Father’s name:          John  Philip Neller                 Birth place:    

Mother’s name:         Elizabeth (Gass) Neller        Birth place:

Siblings:         Rosa Neller

                        Fred Neller    

                        E. T. Neller

                        George Neller

                        Sadie Neller

 

John playing Chess with his Father In-Law Theodore W. Briggs.

Photos generously shared by Krisy Brue, Granddaughter of Ina Briggs Neller. 

She may be contacted at: krisbrue@mhtc.net

 

    

Left: undated (about 1918) picture postcard of Pettibone’s and right: the store as seen in 1880.

 

    

Left: Postcard mailer ad and Right: interior of of Pettibone’s main floor, c. 1915

 

    

Left: Pettibone’s Linen Department in 1915.  Right: Pettibone’s building on far left on busy College Ave. in 1918.

John H. Neller has been with the company since about 1914.  All images courtesy Fox Valley Memories.

 

 

 

Examples of Pettibone’s advertising from various sources.  Courtesy Appleton Public Library.

 

Pettibone’s (on far left) and College Ave., around 1887

 

    

Left: Pettibone’s in 1919 supporting the war effort and Right: tall building in center, in 1925, as the troops were coming home.

 

The construction of the 1920 addition to Pettibone’s.

The above 5 photos are from Celebrate Appleton: A 150th Birthday Photo Album, presented by the Appleton Post-Crescent, publ. 2007.

 

    

Top: An undated Pettibone mail ad and Bottom: 2 views of the Wire Works from 1911 and 1912.

Courtesy of Fox Valley Memories.

 

Granddaughter Patricia Deardorff tells me that John and Ina bought Houdini's former home and raised their family there.  “My dad and his siblings spent every waking hour searching for hidden corridors and hidden treasures... anything Houdini might have left behind.  Never found a thing.  But I think, between growing up in Houdini's home and being a nephew of a magician, a 'mind reader’ [Mentalist is a more appropriate term], for goodness sakes, Bob Neller cast his lot in show business at a very early age. He was always up to something having to do with entertainment, magic, creativity and imagination.”   After the “Houdini” College Avenue home, the family lived at 410 E. Washington.

 

    

The College Ave. home as it appears today.

 

Son James Neller has informed me that Aunt Ina Hawthorn moved in with the Neller family following the death of her husband and stayed with them until her death at age 86.

The principle home that John H. and Ina’s family lived in was at 410 E. Washington, shown below as it appears today.

 

    

 

A timeline for the Neller families is available on John P. Neller’s page.

                       

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