Leis, William Jacob

Other Events:

• 1900 Census: 1900, Jefferson Township, Monroe, Wisconsin, USA

Notes:

1900 Census:
page 9BListed living with parents born Feb 1899 age 7/12 (in June 1900)

William married Brunner, Evely L. 13 Aug 1940, Norwalk, Monroe, Wisconsin, USA. Evely was born 27 Dec 1913, Norwalk, Monroe, Wisconsin, USA; died 8 Oct 1999, Tomah, Monroe, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Obituary: Aft 8 Oct 1999

Notes:

News Mention:
Police investigating suspicious deaths. By ED HOSKIN Of the Tribune staff TUNNEL CITY, Wis. - Monroe County investigators were enroute to a eastern Wisconsin city late Friday to question two suspects in the firearm-related deaths of a mother and son from rur al Tunnel City. The victims, who hadn't been named Friday, are a m an in his early 50s and a woman in her early 70s. The man's body was found on a roadside near his farmhouse at about 7:20 a.m. Friday by a school bus driver. Neighbors said the woman's body was found in the farmhouse, and the victims are a mother and son. Right now we're calling it death by suspicious circumstances,'' said Sgt. Jason Westpfahl of Monroe County Police. He wouldn't confirm if the victims had been shot, but we belie ve there was a firearm involved.'' The two suspects were picked up Friday afternoon by polce in an eastern Wisconsin county, Westpfahl said. Monroe County Police had asked other agencies for help in finding a black Ford Mustang seen near Tunnel City by residents in the last few day s. The victims' farmhouse is in the town of LaGrange, in northern Monroe County. I think it's a big break,'' Westpfahl said of the supects' apprehension. It helps us out quite a bit. The vehi le was spotted in the area by neighbors in the last coup le of days. It was odd because the farming community isn't used to a ot of vehicles being around.'' Authorities seized the car. Westpfahl wouldn't say if the suspects had been charge d, nor release their names. He said he didn't know if anythi ng was taken from the victims' farmhouse. Not to my knowledge, b ut we're not sure either way,'' he said. We don't have a motive at this point in time,'' he ad ded. He said the victims apparently lived together, but wouldn't con firm their relationship. The bodies were taken to the Wisconsin Division of Crim inal Investigation crime lab in Madison. More information sh ould be released today after a state pathologist performs autopsies, Westpfahl said. Names were withheld Friday until relati ves were notified. The bus driver that found the man's body stopped the b us and went to check for a pulse, said the father of two child ren on the school bus, John Gasper. The driver then parked the b us a little down the road so that students couldn't view the bod y, Gasper said his children had told him. We've lived here for 43 years,'' said rural Tunnel Ci ty resident Lois Von Haden. This is a quiet neighborhood and for something to happen to our neighbors makes us wonder.'' The man's body was found about 50 feet from the e nd of his driveway. A relative of the victims contacted Friday night said s he knew very little about the circumstances. I don't know what was going on,'' she said. I can 't see any rhyme or reason.'' The suspects could be brought to Monroe County over the weekend, Westpfahl said. Wisconsin law allows anyone be ing held to be transported across the state without extradition proceedings, he said. Tunnel City is a old railway stop with a population of less than 200 people. It's not expected in this county,'' Westpfahl said. It happens to us, but people aren't used to having this kind of thing happen in their midst. It's a shock to people.'' Tribune reporter Bob Gutsche Jr. contributed to this report.

Girlfriend of accused testifies By ED HOSKIN Of the Tribune staff SPARTA, Wis. - A girlfriend of one of two teen-agers ch arged with double homicide and burglary testified Tuesday she acco mpanied her boyfriend to the victims' home the day before the s layings in an aborted robbery attempt. The 14-year-old girl said her boyfriend, Jimmy L. Grime s, 18, tried to make Evelyn Leis, 85, leave her home because he thoug ht there was a lot of money in the house. By threatening to sho ot Leis, Grimes forced the girl to knock on the door and ask f or a ride into town, the girl testified in a preliminary hearing in Mo nroe County Circuit Court. With Grimes hiding nearby, the scheme failed when Le is offered use of her telephone instead of a ride, the girl said. He said he'd come back another day,'' the girl said G rimes told her. Grimes and Daniel F. Cerney, 16, both of Berlin, Wis ., are accused of killing Leis and her 51-year-old son, William Lei s, on the night of Oct. 7 or in the early hours of Oct. 8. William Leis' b ody was found the next morning sprawled on the side of a road outsi de his home at 10094 Elk Road in the town of La Grange, and Evelyn Le is was found shot dead in a bathroom in the home. The girl, who is a suspect with Grimes and another juve nile in two other burglaries in the area reported on Oct. 6, did n ot say whether William Leis, who was Grimes' mentor, was at home on Oc t. 6. Prompted by defense questioning, the girl said authorit ies told her she wouldn't be tried as an adult on the pending burgla ry charges if she agreed to cooperate with them and tell the truth. She also testified she was at Grimes' Berlin home wh en the two homicide suspects arrived between 3 and 4 a.m. on Oc t. 8. After helping Grimes and Cerney carry guns from a car into t he house, the girl said she asked them what had happened that nig ht. At first, the two teen-agers didn't want to talk abo ut it, but Cerney then chose to share some details, she said. He sai d, Our plan went wrong, you weren't there, you don't know what happ ened... we had to shoot them,' '' she said. The girl said Grimes and Cerney split $500 taken from t he Leis family home. She said she asked Grimes if he'd left any finger prints at the scene, and Grimes said only on a gun he had thrown in to a nearby cornfield. Police recovered a handgun from a cornfield alongside E lk Road. Grimes and Cerney were appearing at a joint prelimina ry hearing Tuesday. Bonds were again denied by Judge Steven Luse A bbott, who said: If ever there was a case to deny bond, th is would be it. There is a need to protect the public from this so rt of behavior.'' Earlier in the preliminary hearing, Monroe County inves tigators described the crime scene and an interview with Cern ey following his arrest in Berlin. Both teen-agers are charged wi th two counts of first-degree homicide and two counts of burglary, and C erney will be tried as an adult. Detective Eric Matson said Cerney admitted his involvem ent, and said Grimes shot William Leis first and then allowed Ce rney to finish him off.'' Evelyn Leis was shot by Grimes, Mats on said Cerney had told him. Under cross examination from Cerney's attorney, John Br inckman, Matson testified that Cerney also said Grimes threaten ed to blow his brains out'' if he didn't participate in the robber y. Each wearing leg irons and clad in orange jail suits, n either Cerney nor Grimes spoke during the hearing. They were led in a nd out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Grimes, who is unemployed, recently moved to Berlin fr om the Tomah, Wis., area after completing a 22-week boot ca mp program for troubled youths. Cerney is a junior at Berlin Hi gh School. Grimes' attorney, John Matousek, stepped down as his de fense counsel on Tuesday. Matousek said Grimes couldn't affo rd the legal bills necessary to mount a defense, and he would be bet ter represented by the public defender's office. Arraignments were set for 11 a.m. Friday.

Obituary:
William David Leis, 51, of rural Toma h, died Friday, October 8, 1999, at his home.
He was born August 3, 1948, to William J. and Evelyn (B runner) Leis of Tomah, Wis. He was baptized, confirmed, and w as a faithful member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tomah, Wis. He was a 1967 graduate of Tomah High School. After high schoo l, he served in active duty in the Vietnam Era and was honorably dis charged in 1971. Bill had worked at Rezin's Music Store in Toma h, Wis., and at Best Power in Necedah, Wis., in Service and Managemen t. He was vice-president of a new company, Ininterruptible Pow er Products, Inc., Friendship, Wis. UPPI develops and manufactures U PS Systems. Bill was dedicated to producing quality produc ts and was
very active in the startup of UPPI.
Bill is survived by three sisters, Doris (Cecil) Lo ng of Salt Lake City, Utah, Alice (Jeff) Hill of Longmont, Colorado, and Ma ry (John) Rezin of Tomah, Wis.; one brother, Robert (Linda) Leis of Web ster, Minn. he is also survived by nieces and nephews, Carrie (Jame s) Dodge, Sandra Long, Linda (Mark) Feller, all of Salt Lake Cit y, Utah, Scott (Lisa) Hill of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Kris Hi ll of Durango, Colorado, Laura and Andrea Leis of Webster, Minn. Al so five grand nieces and nephews, Shane, Andrew, Austin, Zachary, and Sydney. He is also survived by an aunt, Margaret (Sylve ster) Dinger of La Crosse, Wis., and an uncle, Glen (Edith) B runner of
Norwalk, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his infant brother James, a nd his father, William J. Leis. He died on the same day as h is mother,
Evelyn.
He was
Uncle Bill'' to his extended family which incl uded John Jr., Jeff and Dennis Rezin and their children, Jenna, Jerem y, K.C.,
Samantha, Ryan, and Raychel.
Bill was greatly loved and will be greatly missed. He l oved his family, his extended family, and his work. He especial ly loved gardening, camping, four-wheeling and being
Uncle Bil l'' to his family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, October 12, 199 9, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tomah. Rev. R ichard Dickman and Rev. Dale Klitzke will officiate. Burial wi ll follow in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Tomah. Family and frien ds may call from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., Monday, October 11, 199 9, at the Ninneman-Steele Funeral Home in Tomah. St. Mary's PC CW will lead rosary at 4 p.m. Monday evening. Family and friends m ay also call Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. at the Ninneman-St eele Funeral Home. The family requests memorials be giv en to the Serenity House of Hospice Touch in Tomah, or the Monr oe County
Humane Society.