SHEBOYGAN HISTORY

General Conrad Krez, Page 212

GEN. CONRAD KREZ, a prominent early settler of Sheboygan and a distinguished officer of the late war, recently Collector of Customs at Milwaukee, and now City Attorney of that city, was born in Landau, Bavaria, Germany, April 27, 1828.  He was reared and educated in his native country, and studied law in the University of Heidelberg.  Later he volunteered under von der Thann in Schleswig-Holstein and took part in the rise of the Palatinate and Baden for the unification of Germany, and in consequence had to seek refuge in Switzerland and France, and finally sailed to America, where he arrived in 1851.

    On coming to this country he made his home in New York City, where he engaged in the practice of law, and where he was married, in 1852, to Miss Adolphine Stemmler.  Mrs. Krez was born in New York, and is a daughter of Judge Stemmler, of that city.

    Mr. Krez continued his residence in New York until the summer of 1854, when he removed to Sheboygan, Wis., arriving in that city on the 27th of August.  There he entered upon the practice of his profession, which was interrupted by his entering the military service of the United States in defense of the Union.  On the 21st of August, 1862, he enlisted for the late war, and raised the Twenty-seventh Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry, of which he was commissioned Colonel, when the regiment was mustered into the United States service.  He participated in all the battles, skirmish and sieges in which his command was engaged, and from the spring of 1865 until the close of the war he commanded a brigade.  After siege of Mobile he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.  He was mustered out of the service of three years, during which time he was absent from his command not to exceed thirty days.

    On his return from the war he resumed the practice of his profession at Sheboygan.  Originally a Republican in politics, he joined with Horace Greeley the Democratic party in 1872.  He was elected to the office of District Attorney, which he held for twelve years, and was also City Attorney for several years.  He continued to reside in Sheboygan until 1885, when, having been appointed under Cleveland's first administration to the office of Collector of Customs at Milwaukee, he removed to that city in order to discharge the duties of his office, since which time he has been a resident of the Cream City.  He served as Collector of Customs for four years, when a change of administration caused his retirement from that office. In 1892, he was elected City Attorney of Milwaukee, which position he now fills.

    Gen. and Mrs. Krez have seven children, three sons and four daughters: Josephine; Louise; Cornelia; Paul T., who married Miss Minnie Schroeder, and is a practicing attorney of Sheboygan (of whom see sketch); Albert and Alfred, who are twins; and Gertrude.

    By his contributions to German Literature, both in prose and poetry, Gen. Krez had won distinction as a talented and entertaining writer.  As a lawyer, he was for many years a recognized leader of the Sheboygan County Bar; while his election to the position of City Attorney of Milwaukee shows that the citizens of that important commonwealth have paid a just tribute to his ability in the line of his profession.