This couple bought a farm in Elk Mound Township, Dunn Co., Wisconsin. All their children were born there. Uncle Willie was also a carpenter, and built many farmhouses in the vicinity.

William F. Scharlau, who was for more than 30 years a well known farmer and
highly respected citizen in the town of Elk Mound, and whose sterling
qualities of patience and industry, backed by those of his wife, resulted in
the development of an excellent farm, carved out of the wilderness, was born
in the state of New York, Feb. 2, 1860, son of Carl and Minnie (Bernau)
Scharlau. The family came went in 1864, locating in Menomonie, Wis., where
for a few years Carl Scharlau worked for Knapp, Stout & Co. At the end of
that period he bought a farm in the town of Red Cedar, on which he and his
wife spent the remainder of their lives engaged in agriculture. William F.
Scharlau as a boy attended rural school in the town of Red Cedar and remained
on the home farm until 18 years of age. He then went into the woods for the
Knapp, Stout & Co. Company and was in the employ of that well known lumber
concern until 1890. It was while he was thus engaged that he was married June
22, 1882, to Bertha Dehnhoff, who was born in Bradenberg, Germany, Sept. 22,
1860, and had come to the United States and to Menomonie, Wis., in 1880. In
1890 Mr. Scharlau left the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company and went to work as a
brick moulder in the Kelly Brick Yards at Menomonie, remaining thus employed
until 1898. Thus far he had been engaged in manual labor for others but he
realized that the chances for self advancement along those lines were but poor
and that the wise thing to do was to get on to the land and carve out a home
for himself and family. He now took the first steps in that direction, buying
40 acres of wild land in Section 5, and 80 acres in Section 31, town of Colfax.
There were no buildings and their erection was one of Mr. Scharlau's first
tasks. Making a clearing on the 40-acre tract, he built a log house and a
board shed covered with straw, the latter to be used as a barn. Thus he
started in as a pioneer, his wife assisting him in most of the hard work, such
as pulling stumps and breaking the land. Careful management had to be
exercised but yearly progress was made in one direction or another until their
united efforts culminated in a fine farm homestead of which they had reason to
be proud. In 1910 they built the good frame residence of eight rooms, now
occupied; and in 1917 erected a large dairy barn of 36 x 56 feet in ground
plan, with a full basement equipped with steel stanchions, and in addition to
these buildings they put up a machine shed, chicken house, corn crib, garage
and other useful buildings. In 1919 Mr. Scharlau purchased an additional
tract of 80 acres in Section 5, thus increasing the area of the farm to 200
acres. At the time of his death, which occurred Sept. 30, 1921, he had between
70 and 80 acre cleared. His life work was well performed and as a husband and
father he was mourned by his family and as a man and citizen his loss was
regretted by the entire community. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Scharlau are
Robert, Anna, Paul, Alfred, Arthur, Hattie, William, Walter and George. Robert,
born March 9, 1884, is on the home farm. Anna, born Sept. 20, 1885, is now Mrs.
Albert Laustad of the town of Tainter and has two children, Norman and Walter.
Paul, born Feb. 25, 1888, who is a farmer in the town of Elk Mound, married Helen
Hagen, and has four children, Edwin, Ruth, Herbert and Helen. Alfred, born Jan.
20, 1890, and also a farmer in the town of Elk Mound, married Alice Zuelke and
has one child, Gerhart. Arthur, born Oct. 18, 1892, who is a farmer in the town
of Iron Creek, married Laura Holbein and has two children, Ethel and Arthur.
Hattie, born Jan. 22, 1895, is residing on the home farm with her mother and the
other children- three brothers- namely: William, born Dec. 24, 1896; Walter,
born March 26, 1899, and George, born April 1, 1904, the last mentioned
conducting the farm. The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran
Church.

--No source cited

William Fred Scharlau died Friday, Sept. 30, at 12:30 p.m. at his home in the town of Elk Mound, after an illness of about three years with cancer. He was born Feb. 2, 1860, in Faulkersville, Buffalo county, N.Y., and came to Dunn county with his parents when four years of age.
He was united in marriage June 22, 1883, to Bertha Dehnhoff. For some years he worked at his trade as carpenter, making his home at that time in Menomonie. Since then he has made his home on his farm in the town of Elk Mound.
The deceased is survived by his widow, two daughters, Mrs. Anna Lausted of the town of Tainter, and Hattie at home; seven sons, Robert, Paul, Alfred, Arthur, William, Walter and Geore of the town of Elk Mound; and eight grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 1, at 1:30 p.m. at the home and a 12 o’clock at the Beyer Settlement church, Rev. William A. Bauman officiating.
Interment was made in the German Lutheran cemetery in Beyer Settlement.28

Fred Scharlau and daughters, Mrs. Adolph Secore and Mrs. C.O. Stout, went to Menomonie on Monday to attend the funeral the following day of his brother, William. Mr. and Mrs. Gus Scharlau and sons, Harry and Otto, went there Sunday. Fred and Gus are the survivors of a family of seven brothers and one sister. (10-6-1921)2