From "History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin", 1881, p. 755. City of La Crosse M. W. GEAR, farmer, residence North La Crosse, is a native of Somerset, Eng., born in 1843. His father, Jonathan Gear, came to the United States in 1844, settled in Waukesha Co., Wis., and died there in 1847. Mr. Gear came to La Crosse County with his mother in 1856; lived in Bangor five years; then followed farming till 1874, when he came to the city. He was married in 1865, at Sparta, Monroe Co., Wis., to Lorilla Richardson. Her father, Freeman Richardson, was a native of New York; came to Wisconsin in 1850, and died Feb. 13, 1868, 65 years old. Her mother, who was a native of Franklin Co., Mass., is still living in La Crosse, at the age of 73. Mr. and Mrs. Gear have three children - Elsie E., Ella M. and Edna L. Mr. Gear is now one of the Justices of the Fifth Ward. [I am not related to this family and have no further information. I'm posting this as a service and hope it helps!]