Paul J. Hake Page 626-627 - Paul J. Hake was born in the "Valley City" on July 31, 1874, the son of William and Anna Marie (Schuitler) Hake, who were among the early settlers and a sketch of whose lives appears elsewhere in this volume. Paul J. Hake, after receiving his education in the local schools, took a business course in the J. U. Leans Business College at Grand Rapids, after which he entered the University of Notre Dame, graduating in the year 1891. Fresh with the knowledge gained from books and full of ambition he and his four brothers engaged in the manufacture of wood furniture trimmings under the name of the Hake Manufacturing Company. Upon the subject of this review fell the responsibility of keeping the factory wheels moving and as a traveling salesman he covered thirty-nine states and Canada, and well did he perform his task for when he sold out his interests in 1901, which was only ten years later, they were considered the largest manufacturers of their kind in the Middle West. Tired form these years of travel he became general bookkeeper for the Citizens Telephone Company, but again in 1903 the desire to be up and doing found him a traveling salesman for the Voight Milling Company, with whom he remained twelve years, rendering them faithful and valuable service and gaining for himself a complete knowledge of the milling business. Thus in 1915 with the experience gained and the desire to be independently engaged he entered the flour brokerage business, but two years later he sold out. On August 7, 1917, he purchased an interest in the Rempis & Gallmeyer Foundry Company, located at 524 to 540 Front avenue, northwest, manufacturers of iron, brass and aluminum castings. The officers are: E. Duus, president; J. H. Rempis, vice-president; Paul J. Hake, secretary-treasurer and general manager. Under his careful supervision and executive ability the firm is enjoying a healthy growth. On June 23, 1903, Paul J. Hake was united in marriage to Abbie Berles, daughter of Franz and Regena (Green) Berles, the former of whom was born at Dolar and the latter at Schoenhauzen, Westphalen, Germany. They came to America and in the early fifties settled in Grand Rapids and here in later years they passed on to receive their just reward in the hereafter. To this happy union were born three promising sons – Paul William, age nineteen; Dobert Francis, seventeen; and William, eight. Paul J. Hake and family are communicants of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and though his father was a staunch Democrat, Paul J. has always been a Republican, but with no political aspirations.

Transcriber: Nancy Myers
Created: 30 December 2002