L. J. Fellenz

The Honorable Louis J. Fellenz
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit
In office 1943 – January 1, 1953
Appointed by	Walter Samuel Goodland
Preceded by	Clayton F. Van Pelt
Succeeded by	Russell E. Hanson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 18th district
In office January 1, 1929 – January 1, 1933
Preceded by	William A. Titus
Succeeded by	Morley Garfield Kelly
District Attorney of Fond du Lac County
In office January 1, 1915 – January 1, 1919
Preceded by	Thomas C. Downs
Succeeded by	James Murray
Personal details
Born	Louis John Fellenz (1882-11-29)November 29, 1882 Ashford, Wisconsin
Died	January 1, 1953(1953-01-01) (aged 70) Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Resting place	Rienzi Cemetery Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Erma Emma Tabor (m. 1914)
Children	Louis J. Fellenz Jr. ^(b. 1915; died 1993) Elizabeth (Meyst) ^(b. 1918; died 2009) 1 other daughter
Parents	Mathias Joseph Fellenz (father) Susan (Beringer) Fellenz (mother)
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin Law School

Louis John Fellenz Sr. (November 29, 1882 – January 1, 1953) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from Wisconsin. He was district attorney of Fond du Lac County for four years, was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, and was a Wisconsin circuit court judge for the last nine years of his life.[1][2][3]

Early life and career

Fellenz was born on November 29, 1882, in Ashford, Wisconsin, in Fond du Lac County. He attended school in Campbellsport, Wisconsin, before graduating from Oshkosh State Normal School in 1902. He taught school for two years before attending the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he received his LL.B. in 1907. He practiced law in Fort Atkinson for 3 years, then moved his practice to Fond du Lac.[2]

Public office

In 1914 he was elected District Attorney of Fond du Lac County, running as a Republican. He was re-elected in 1916, and left office in January 1919. He returned to his law practice until 1928, when he was elected to represent Fond du Lac County in the Wisconsin State Senate for a four-year term. In the senate, he was chairman of the interim committee on the courts, and also served on the committees on fire insurance and guardianship. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1932.[2][4][5]

Fellenz continued his law practice until he was appointed, in 1943, as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Fond du Lac-based 18th Circuit, replacing the retiring Judge Clayton F. Van Pelt. He was re-elected without opposition in 1947, but died in January 1853, before the end of his 2nd term.

Family and personal life

Louis Fellenz married Erma E. Tabor in 1914. They had one son and two daughters, who all survived him. His son, Louis J. Fellenz, Jr., also went on to serve as a member of the Senate, representing the same district as his father.[2]

Fellenz was an avid hunter and golfer and a baseball enthusiast.[2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1928)

Wisconsin Senate, 18th District Election, 1928[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 6, 1928
	Republican	Louis J. Fellenz	21,550	65.24%
	Democratic	J. J. Gough	11,483	34.76%
Total votes			33,033	100.0%
	Republican hold

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1947)

Wisconsin Circuit Court, 18th Circuit Election, 1947[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, April 1, 1947
	Independent	Louis J. Fellenz	22,702	100.0%
Total votes			22,702	100.0%

References

1. "State government: legislative branch". Wisconsin Blue Book. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
2. Wisconsin (1953). "A Joint Resolution relating to the life and public service of Louis J. Fellenz, Sr". Wisconsin Session Laws. Madison, Wisconsin: 595. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
3. Kelly, Alice, ed. (1931). "Legislative branch of the state government". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1931 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 205. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
4. "Reilly Reelection in Sixth District Appears Certainty". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. November 9, 1932. p. 18. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Fellenz, L. J." Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
6. Anderson, William J.; Anderson, William A., eds. (1929). "1928 State government: legislative branch". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1929 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 510–511. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
7. Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1948). "Parties and elections: the judicial and nonpartisan elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1948 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 693. Retrieved December 21, 2019.

Legal offices
Preceded by Clayton F. Van Pelt	Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit 1943 – 1953	Succeeded by Russell E. Hanson