From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. II, by Albert Clayton 
Beckwith, Publ. 1912 - Page 1079-181
 
JOHN MICHAEL KULL.  The career of the sterling pioneer, John Michael KULL, for 
a long lapse of years one of Walworth county's leading citizens, who is now 
numbered with the "innumerable caravan that moves to the pale realm of 
shades," but whose influence still permeates the lives of those who came into 
contact with him and who yet live in Walworth county, is well worth setting 
forth in detail here, for he was a man who believed in progress and wholesome 
living in all the relations of life, his career being that of a faithful and 
devout man, a kind husband, an indulgent father and a citizen in whom all 
reposed the most implicit confidence and trust.
 
Mr. KULL was one of the first settlers of Bloomfield township, this county, 
and he was an American by adoption only, his birth having occurred in 
Wurtemberg, Germany, November 15, 1814.  He was a son of John Michael KULL, 
Sr.  He grew to manhood in his native land and there attended school 
emigrating to America in 1833 with his brother Andrew.  The latter was born in 
Wurtemberg in 1808; he married Gertrude Pfrommer, of that place, and he 
emigrated to America in 1833.
 
John M. KULL spent six or seven years in Massachusetts after reaching our 
shores, working for five or six years in the woolen mills there, and one year 
with a gunsmith.  He was married on January 8, 1841, to Synthia SLAFTER.  She 
was born May 25, 1824, and was the seventh of a family of eight children.  She 
is descended from John SLAFTER, who came to this country from Great Britain, a 
vague tradition says from Wales, probably about 1680.  He appears to have 
settled at Lynn, Massachusetts, and reared a family of at least ten children.  
He was prominent in the early settlement of the colony and took an active part 
in public affairs of his community.  Of his descendants, sixteen are known to 
have been in the wars of America prior to the Civil war, some in the French 
and Indian war, some in the Revolution and others in the war of 1812, and 
there were no less than one hundred and sixty-five of his descendants in the 
Civil war.  Among those distinguished in the world of literature and political 
life was John Godfrey SAXE.  Calvin, Eliezer, Samuel and John were the line of 
her ancestry.  Her father, Calvin SLAFTER, was the son of Eliezer, who was the 
son of Samuel, who was the son of John.  All seem to have been substantial 
people and of much influence in the affairs of their respective communities.
 
Andrew KULL and wife and John M. KULL came west in 1837 and settled in 
Walworth county, Wisconsin, when the country was new and sparsely settled.  
Andrew located in section 4, and John M. in section 21, Bloomfield township.  
At that time the first settlement had just been made, probably only two or 
three others having preceded the KULLS.  Even after John M. KULL's children 
were old enough to remember, there were no fences to be seen on either side of 
the road between their home and Geneva, and the roads were merely old trails, 
the principal one being that between Fort Dearborn, or Chicago, and Madison.
 
John M. KULL was probably the first nurseryman in Walworth county, and was an 
expert in this line of endeavor.  He was a lover of fruit trees and kept 
thoroughly informed on them and all questions of horticulture, and he did much 
to improve the orchards throughout this locality.
 
To John M. KULL and his first wife one daughter, Margaret, was born November 
16, 1842, and one son, Andrew, was born on April 29, 1845.  On August 14th, of 
that year, the wife and mother passed to her rest, when Andrew was only four 
months old.  The subject's brother Andrew and wife had no children of their 
own, so they took the child and became much attached to him and adopted him, 
rearing him as their own.  About two years later John M. KULL was united in 
marriage with Margaret RUNKLE, and eleven children were born to this union, 
named as follows: Anthony, who died when twenty-one years old; Susan married 
William SLAUGHTER and died in Iowa; Agnes is the wife of George STOCKWELL and 
lives at Salem, Kenosha county, Wisconsin; Charles J. lives at Lake Geneva, 
and a record of him appears herein; Edwin O., who was graduated from Wheaton 
College; taught in the public school for some time, is now farming in 
Bloomfield township; he was a member of the state Legislature in 1899 and 
1900; Rose married Otto ARK and they live at Elkhorn; Philip, who lives at 
Beloit, was for years a resident at Genoa Junction; John lives at El Paso, 
Texas; Gertie, who married Rev. WHEELER, formerly of Geneva, now lives at 
Stonington, Illinois; Frank is at Ord, Nebraska; Irene married John McDONALD 
and she lived west of Elkhorn until her death, in February 1904.
 
John M. KULL was not given to mixing in politics, but he took a deep interest 
in public affairs, especially in educational matters.  He was thorough in all 
that he undertook and was a man who tried to carry into his daily life the 
precepts of the time-tried maxims of his forefathers, especially that of the 
Golden Rule, and he was therefore honored and respected by a wide circle of 
friends and acquaintances.  Mr. KULL's death occurred in 1881, at the age of 
sixty-seven years, his widow surviving until in December 1891.
 
Submitted by Carol