Selected Families and Individuals
Source Citations
Johann Adam MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
2Bill Moyer. My Maurer story is based on extensive emails with William Finn Moyer who has done exhaustive research on the Britzius family and their Maurer line.
Jacobina Philipina MOHR
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Johannes John MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Phillipina MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
George Philip MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Katherine Caroline MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Margaretha Louise MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Adam MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Harold Worthington MOORE
1Ancestry.com, Michael Lewis Family tree.
2Census, Federal - 1930 - Mulnomah Co, Oregon, Portland , Roll T626_1953, Image 409.
3Social Security Death Index.
4Social Security Death Index.
5Ancestry.com, Michael Lewis Family tree.
Violet Mabel HOFF
1Forrest Zimmerman, Zimmerman Family Tree, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711. One night about 1958, Dianne had been asking her dad about the Zimmerman family. Forrest got out a large piece of drafting paper and methodically laid out the whole family beginning with Christian Zimmerman and Elizabeth Kneil, Forrest's great-grandfather. The tree covers five generations. There are a few blanks. Apparently they didn't keep up too well with the family of Forrest's great-uncle, Henry Zimmerman. There are 175 names on the tree. Forrest drew it from memory. The funny part is this. Forrest never wanted to have anything to do with his cousins. Dianne only remembers meeting one of them ever.
2Census, Federal - 1920 - Multnomah County, Oregon, city of Portland, ED# 22, sheet 13.
3Census, Federal - 1900 - Clackamas Co, OR, Canby Precinct, Town of Canby ED82, 7 of 16. "Hoff, George b. Jul 1865 age 34 m 5 yrs MI GER GER occ: day Laborer
Clara Oct 1876 23 5 MN OH Canada 3 chil b/2 living
Emmanuel Aug 1897 2 MN MI MN
Violet M Mar 1899 1 MN MI MN."
4Census, Federal - 1910 - Spokane, Washington, Spokane, ward 5; p. 18 of 24. "Line 79 1407 Columbia Ave.
Hoff, George head age 45 m. 15 yrs MI GER GER OCC: House Carpenter Wage/own mort
Clara wife 32 15 6 chil b./4 living MN Can OH
Violet dau 11 MN MI MN
Harold son 9 OR MI MN
Myrtle dau 7 WA MI MN
Kenneth son 6 WA MI MN."
5Ancestry.com, World Tree.
6Census, Federal - 1900 - Clackamas Co, OR, Canby Precinct, Town of Canby ED82.
7Ancestry.com, Michael Lewis Family tree.
Theobald BRITZIUS
1Sheri Wheeler@qwest.net, Wheeler Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
2, Hill Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
3Goettel, Steve, Britzius, Mathias-Descendants of, EMail. 57 pages.
4Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
5Bill Moyer. "Britzius File II p. 7-
"Theobald Pritzius, son of the deceased Matthias Prizius from (?), coming from Teschenmoschel but being a cooper and beer-brewer in Bisterschied was married on December 29, 1767, to Charlotte Catharine Gerlach, daughter of Friedrich Gerlach of Bisterschied."."
Catharine Charlotte GERLACH
1Sheri Wheeler@qwest.net, Wheeler Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
2, Hill Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
3Britzius File III, p 20. 30 pages of copied documents received by Dianne Stevens from Bill Moyer on 10 Mar 2005. "In 1816, on the 14th day of January at 7 p.m., there appeared before us, Mayor and Keeper of Civil Records of the community of Bisterschied...Abraham Forsch, 37 years old, and Friedrich Heger, 36, both farmers living in Bisterschied, and neighbors of the deceased, and they declared to us that Charlotte Gerlach, 70 years old, widow of the deceased Theobald Britzius, on the 13th of January at 10 p.m. died in her home in Bisterschied. After having this read to them they have testified to this report by signing below. Peter Lanzer (mayor)." This is a copy of an original German death record, and the English translation.
Maria Elizabeth BRITZIUS
1Sheri Wheeler@qwest.net, Wheeler Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
Maria Charlotte BRITZIUS
1Sheri Wheeler@qwest.net, Wheeler Family Tree, Ancestry.com.
Johann Adam SCHWARTZ
1compiled by Lee Ann Aigner, Research of Claude B. Finley & Others Family Tree, Ancestry.com. .
2Britzius File III, p.24. 30 pages of copied documents received by Dianne Stevens from Bill Moyer on 10 Mar 2005. "Death Record of Johann Adam Schwartz
translation: In 1823, on 31 October at one p.m. there appeared before me, Peter Lanzer, mayor of Bisterschied, Bavaria, Johannes Gahler, 37 years old, farmer living in Bisterschied, and Jacob Britzius, 36 years old, farmer living in Bisterschied, both neighbors of the desceased. They declare that Johann Adam Schwarz, 80, widower of Phillippina Sundheimer, son of the desceased Bisterschied farmer Peter Schwartz, and his also desceased wife, Anna Catharina Bernhard, died on the 30th of October at 6 p.m. in House #51 in Bisterschied.
(Signed)
Johannes Gahler Jacob Britzius Lantzer." This is a copy of an original German death record, and the English translation.
3Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Phillipina SUNDHEIMER
1compiled by Lee Ann Aigner, Research of Claude B. Finley & Others Family Tree, Ancestry.com. .
2Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Johannes Mathias BRITZIUS
1compiled by Lee Ann Aigner, Research of Claude B. Finley & Others Family Tree, Ancestry.com. .
2Barbara K. Hill, Email to Dianne Stevens, 8 Feb 2005. "I believe that I have proven that Mathias
Britzius was born in Soetern, Germany. I found the family on WorldConnect. Mathias died in Bisterscheid in 1766. I believe his birth date was on his death record and I made the connection to the Britzius family of Soetern and Achtelsbach. A Johannas Britzius was the father of 6 children, one being Johannes Mathias. His birthdate matched the date on Mathias's death record. Thus Mathias had moved from Soetern and ended up in Bisterscheid.".
3Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
4Barbara K. Hill, 8 Feb 2005. Alt birth place: Soetern, Germany
CHURCH RECORDS OF SPEYER ENC FILE # 10.
5Bill Moyer, Britzius File I.
Maria Elisabetha REISSDORF
1Barbara K. Hill, Email to Dianne Stevens. "I believe that I have proven that Mathias
Britzius was born in Soetern, Germany. I found the family on WorldConnect. Mathias died in Bisterscheid in 1766. I believe his birth date was on his death record and I made the connection to the Britzius family of Soetern and Achtelsbach. A Johannas Britzius was the father of 6 children, one being Johannes Mathias. His birthdate matched the date on Mathias's death record. Thus Mathias had moved from Soetern and ended up in Bisterscheid.".
2Barbara K. Hill, Wasem, Britzius, Amos Family, Ancestry.com. A Family Tree.
3Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Johannes Wilhelm BRITZIUS
1Barbara K. Hill, Wasem, Britzius, Amos Family, Ancestry.com. A Family Tree.
Johann Adam BRITZIUS
1Barbara K. Hill, Wasem, Britzius, Amos Family, Ancestry.com. A Family Tree.
Johann Jakob BRITZIUS
1Barbara K. Hill, Wasem, Britzius, Amos Family, Ancestry.com. A Family Tree.
Frederic Johannes GERLACH
1compiled by Lee Ann Aigner, Research of Claude B. Finley & Others Family Tree, Ancestry.com. .
2Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
3Bill Moyer, Britzius File I.
Maria Catharina PITZ
1compiled by Lee Ann Aigner, Research of Claude B. Finley & Others Family Tree, Ancestry.com. .
2Goettel, Steve, Britzius, Mathias-Descendants of, EMail. 57 pages.
3Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
4Bill Moyer, Britzius File I.
Johann Nicolaus MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
2Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Gertrude SCHUT
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
2Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Maria Margarite MAURER
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
Adam MOHR
1Goettel Steve, Maurer Descendants.
2Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
Philippina RUBIN
1Bill Moyer, Britzius File I, received via USPS 24 Feb 2005, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711.
John George WINTERMANTEL
1George Wintermantle, Letter from George Wintermantle to Mathilda Druschel 1/16/1908, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711. Translation by Renata Schwertl - 1983. "John George Wintermantel letter of 1908 to sister-in-law Mathilda(Fey) in Oregon,
as translated by (someone found by Patsy Clark) July 2003:
page 1
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin - January 16, 1908
Dear Sister-in-law Mathilda,
God's grace and greetings.
I will take time today to write you a letter. I received the letter you wrote on October 16th. We had already heard of the death of your husband. That will mean an important change in your family's life and work as it usually does in such circumstances. Everything on this earth is subject to change - no exceptions. We are, thank God, healthy. Since last spring I have lived in Prairie du Sac with my eldest daughter, Lotte. She built a house in town last summer, and by the middle of September it was ready to move into and since then we have lived in it. It is built of red brick, 26x28, two story, and a basement. it is a nice-looking little house, nicely arranged, and cost (with the lot) a little over $1900.
*Here he changes the topic and without mentioning anyone goes on like this*
The impact of a mentally disturbed person is such that he will run around town and talk
page 2 of translation
constantly. This state will last for a few weeks and then there are weeks when he won't leave the house or talk to anyone and shows no interest in what goes on around him. I am of the opinion that he is not seriously ill, although he suffers a lot with blind hemorrhoids. You can imagine how much worry and heartache this causes, otherwise we could live quite comfortably in town. His pension was raised to $20 a month and they have some capital from the farm so they have the means for a decent life. The Straub farm where Charlotte lived for almost 20 years was sold for $10,000. The notice in the paper was that they were looking for an heir, so I wrote to the Milwaukee paper and it was a different Wintermantel they were looking for. I expected that, since I couldn't imagine how I could inherit anything. The crops in 1907 were not very good. Wheat is not used much. Oats was light. Because of too much rain and not enough warmth, the corn did not ripen satisfactorally. The price for cattle and pigs has
page 3 of translation:
by 1/3. It seems the upswing in business the last 8 or 10 years will go in the other direction now. It was to be expected. We have nice winters, very little snow, no severe colds, mostly sunny days, and few cold winds. We hear that Madison, Chicago, and Milwaukee have a lot of snow. On June 19th my son Friedrich got married to Laura Witwen, daughter of John Witwen, whose father built the (?) mill. Th wedding was in Baraboo where the family is living now. John is the county treasuer. It was a very small wedding with only the immediate family present. Soon after they went on a honeymoon trip to Nebraska where my daughter Rosina, and her husband, Ernst Rahlmeier, live, then to Hudson, Wisconsin where Julia and her husband, Edward Parman, live. Both of these men are farmers. Wilhelm Stueber, who used to live in Prairie du Sac, traded in his nice house for a farm so now the family lives in the town of Lodi, Coilumbia County, Wisconsin, about 8 miles east of Prairie du Sac. Of all my sons-in-law there is only one who is not a farmer, namely....
page 4 of translation:
Conrad Adam. He's a miller in Black Hawk. The family of my brother Jacob has had much grief and heartache. He has about 118 acres, about 80 acres in hills and woodlands, and a few acres of swampland. On my farm is Friedrich, who is renting it. He had some good years and made a lot of money, but he is not frugal. He wants to buy the farm, but I am reluctant to sell, although I don't intend ever to go back on it to live. I like it better in town. We live in a nice locality. About 300 steps from the house the railroad runs by that goes to Mazomanie, to Sauk City, and to Praire du Sac. When I awake at 7 in the morning I can see the train without raising my head - I just have to turn my face towards the window. In 15 minutes I can walk uptown or to church. In about 20 - 25 minutes I can be in the middle of Sauk City. Prairie du Sac is a nice little town. Pastor Buhler told me one could go far in America before finding a town as nice for its size as Prairie du Sac. The E. U. congregation and its surrounding community is a strong congregation. The church was built about two years a go and cost over $19,000 and about a...
page 5 translation:
year after its dedication it was all paid for. Since then the congregation has brought up more than $2000 for pastor's salary, missions, and support of Sunday school and misc. This fall I bought some more land not far from my house. We keep a cow and I hope there will be enough pasture for her next summer. Charlotte has a nice garden. She got 40 bushels of potatoes and other garden vegetables. I got 30 bushels of potatoes and 25 bushels of corn. Now I will close, hoping this finds you in good health. May God bless you with everything neede in time and eternity.
Greetings to you all.
Geo. Wintermantel."
2Census, Federal - 1870 - Sauk Co., WI, Twsp of Honey Creek. "Name: John Winterman
[John Wintermantel]
Age in 1870: 32
Birth Year: abt 1838
Birthplace: Baden
Home in 1870: Honey Creek, Sauk, Wisconsin
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sauk City
Value of real estate: 3000
Household Members: Name Age
John Winterman 32 farmer
Ana Winterman 28 from Switerland
Charlotte Winterman 7
Louisa Wintermantel 4
Carlina Wintermantel 2."
3Census, Federal - 1880 - Sauk Co, Wi, Honey Creek Twsp, ED# 254, p. 13, Jun 1880.
4Census, Federal - 1860 - Sauk Co., WI, Honey Creek Twsp., Ancestry p. 191, 3 Oct 1860. "Line 25 Dwellin # 1663 Family # 1643
Frederick Rose age 48 M Farmer re $6000 PE $1000 born Hanover
Catharine 44 F Prussia
Charlotte 15 F WI attends school
Henry 12 M WI "
Frederick 8 M WI "
Christian 3 M WI
George Wintermantel 24 M Farm Laborer Baden."
5Letter from George Wintermantle to relatives in Germany, from papers received from Paul Wintermantel via Patsy Clark; June 2003. "January 31, 1875
Honey Creek, Sauk County, Wisconsin
Dear Relatives and Friends,
Since nearly 10 years have already passed since our emigration to America, and I have not entirely forgotten you who still live at my place of birth, I finally came to the thought to write again to you. Very likely, there are those of our relatives and acquaintances there who still think about us and would like to know how things are going with the Wintermantel family in America. This short report will give you some idea how we have fared.
After a wait of 2 days in New York we journeyed directly to Wisconsin and settled in Honey Creek, Sauk County, where we worked for the first few months for different farmers until August when our father moved a few miles farther and, in September, bought 40 acres of land for $1.00 an acre. Next spring we built a house on this land, and that is where the parents now live.
The first years father broke up 20 to 30 acres of land with the help of Jacob and William planted a vineyard and fruit trees, so that the parents have a pretty nice home. Both are still living. Father is still well and strong for his age. Mother is somewhat frail, but still pretty well. They live in well-to- circumstances and know nothing of want, for their land has produced MANY A GOOD HARVEST of wheat, oats, corn, wine and different vegetables with which you are acquainted too.
The land was still pretty wild when we arrived. The first ones came to this region about 10 years earlier, most of them from Switzerland, others from North Germany and South Germany and from the Alsace, still others from the eastern and southern states. Until 1846, wild people and wild animals were the only inhabitants of this region. And some of the original inhabitants are still present.
Now I will give you a brief report of all our relatives. M. Schmidlins live close by our parents. He had father's farm in rent for several years. but then they bought out an Irishman. The two older daughters are married. Several children were born in America, and several have died. The parents
and the rest of the children are healthy and well. Brother John Jacob was found by Brother William in Memphis in 1860 and then took the train to Wisconsin. He lived for several years with the parents. In 1865 he went to Iowa, bought land, married, sold the land again, moved farther west, bought other land at Winterset, Iowa County, Iowa, where he now lives. He is a widower, but lives in well-to-do circumstances. We never saw anything more of Brother Fredrich. According to J. J. Angaben he died in 1847 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sister Anna Maria has also died. She was married to Rudolf Jager, a
cobbler from Hanover. He died 3 years earlier in 1867. Brother George JACOB lives beside Schmidlin. He was married in 1859 to Agnes Joos, who as a little girl came from Switzerland with her parents. He does little as a cobbler, but in his farming he already has good help from his boys.
During the Civil War George JACOB'S lot came to go into the army, and he went to Petersburg and Richmond in Virginia. He returned to Wisconsin safe and sound at the close of the war. It was hard for him to leave wife and children. He told me that sometimes everything was a cemetery for the fallen soldiers. Brother William enlisted in the army in the beginning of the war. He served 3 years in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment, mostly under General Bloncl in the southwest, in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and in Indian Territory. He was in many battles and bloody situations, and in danger day and night between southern rebels and enemy Indians. In 1865 he moved with John Jacob to Iowa where he bought and sold farms several times, naturally not without profit. But two years ago he moved to Kansas where he again acquired 160 acres of land. Probably, according to law, every soldier with an honorable discharge was entitled to 160 acres of land. He sold a farm in Iowa, I think it was 730 acres. His wife was a daughter of a German preacher from Illinois. Sister Rosina was married in October, 1861, and lives in Minnesota since 1865. This state is west of Wisconsin. And the place where Rosina lives with her husband, Paul Heiz, is probably 300 miles from here.
Brother Christian was also in the war. He served in the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment He was in some of the largest battles of the whole war, near Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville in Virginia and at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He endured earthshaking cannon fire, he saw blood flow in streams in larger and smaller battles. After his three years of service in the army he came back hom from the war unhurt. After the war he married Mathilda Fei who came with her parents from Prussia to America. In 1867 he sowed 2 acres of hops on Father's land and made more than a thousand dollars from the hops. In the fall of 1868 he moved to the other brothers in Iowa.
Iowa, our western neighbor state, draws the people there because there it is not necessary to make a farm out of woodland like in Wisconsin, in most cases, for there on the large prairies you can see only heaven and grass for hundreds of miles. There the settlers can prepare 40, 50 or 60 acres of the nicest and fattest land with the break-plow and two teams of horses in one summer, and harvest 800, 1000 or 1500 bushels of wheat the next summer, and so with one stroke come to easy street. Of course, it does not always go so -well, but it does in many cases. The harvesting as well as the sowing and threshing is done with machines. Ten horses (5 teams) and 12 to 14 men are used for threshing when the grain and weather are dry, and 400 to 500 bushels of wheat or 700 bushels of oats can be threshed in one day, and in most cases, so well cleaned that it can be taken to the mill or to the market. Of course, the grain is cheap in the west and the workers wages are high. From myself, I cannot report such famous deeds and thrilling experiences.
Not like my brothers, I stayed in the same town and county where we settled in June, 1856. For five years I worked as a hired man for $140 a year. But in 1858 1 already bought 43 acres of land for $315. The following year I bought 20 acres more for $45. These 20 acres are hilly with much timber on them. In 1861 I made the beginning on this piece of land, and with the help of Brother Christian I cleared 8 acres of hazelbrush and burned it all in 8 days. We broke the land with a large plow and 5 yoke of oxen in 4 1/2 days. The next year I already threshed 157 bushels of wheat. The next spring I cleared five acres more on which I immediately planted corn and potatoes. Results were very good.
In December, 1862, I married Charlotte Rose, daughter of Fredrich and Katrina Rose, but after a short marriage of I year and 2 weeks, my dear Charlotte died. Eleven weeks before her death a girl was born whom I turned over to my sister, Salome, for her upbringing. She was a real mother to the dear child until I was married again the following year to Anna Kindschi. She came with her father and relatives from Switzerland to America. With her I have 5 girls. Two are going to school. They are being taught German and English.
On January 13th I received a letter from Brother Christian in Iowa in which he enclosed a letter from you which you sent to Christian Wintermantel in Iowa. Regarding this I wanted to write to you, and had a letter ready when I received 2 other letters from him, one was from you and one from my mother's oldest sister, Kathrina, very likely written by her daughter, Kathrina. The next morning I brought them to my parents and read them to them in the presence of their daughter, Salome, and the young Schmidlin. These 2 letters surprised us, and brought joy, but also sorrow. We blamed ourselves for great carelessness, that for such a long time we did not write to you, and if I should give the reason, I would not know what to say. After the letters were read, father gave me $10 which I was to send to my mother's oldest sister. But if she should not be living any more, one half of it shall go to Rosina, the other sister of my mother, but the other half to go to the oldest sister's daughter, Kathrina.
Now I could come to a close, but I cannot send empty paper to Germany. I will, therefore, write something about the price of land. Last spring a farm of 120 acres was sold in our neighborhood for $2,700. It is almost all level land, but perhaps 50 acres is usable, the other is woods. But the land is all fertile. Another farm of 200 acres, with 80 acres under plow was sold for $4,250. On it was a 2 story stone house which cost $1,200.
Now I shall also write something of the conditions of the state and church, but there isn't enough room. Finally, a hearty greeting from us all to you all. Next spring I want to write another letter, God willing. When you write again tell us how many gulden you received for the $10. Our address is,
George Wintermantel, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.". "Not like my brothers, I stayed in the same town and county where we settled in June, 1856. For five years I worked as a hired man for $140 a year. But in 1858 1 already bought 43 acres of land for $315. The following year I bought 20 acres more for $45. These 20 acres are hilly with much timber on them. In 1861 I made the beginning on this piece of land, and with the help of Brother Christian I cleared 8 acres of hazelbrush and burned it all in 8 days. We broke the land with a large plow and 5 yoke of oxen in 4 1/2 days. The next year I already threshed 157 bushels of wheat. The next spring I cleared five acres more on which I immediately planted corn and potatoes. Results were very good.
In December, 1862, I married Charlotte Rose, daughter of Fredrich and Katrina Rose, but after a short marriage of I year and 2 weeks, my dear Charlotte died. Eleven weeks before her death a girl was born whom I turned over to my sister, Salome, for her upbringing. She was a real mother to the dear child until I was married again the following year to Anna Kindschi. She came with her father and relatives from Switzerland to America. With her I have 5 girls. Two are going to school. They are being taught German and English."
6Census, Federal - 1910 - Sauk, WI, Prairie du Sac Village, Ancestry p.14, 22 Apr 1910, Ancestry.com. "Line 86 Dwelling 205 Family # 208 2nd Ave
Straub, Charlotte head 46 WI GER MO 0 Chil b/0 living
Mintermantle George brother 77 GER GER GER occ:own income imm: 1856 Na."
7Doris Litscher Gasser, Wintermantels: Schmiedlin Branch reunion, Sauk Prairie Star; 18Sep2003, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens. "Sauk Prairie Star 18 September 2003
Wintermantels: Schmiedlin Branch Reunion
by Doris Litscher Gasser
Feature Writer
Through the years family names have come and gone in the history of he community. So it is with the Wintermantel name. The local General Telephone Book of 1865 had two Wintermantel names. George Wintermantel and Fred Wintermantel. Today there are none.
John Jacob Wintermantel and his wife, Salome Walter Wintermantel sailed to the United States in 1965. It is uncertain as to how they came to Wisconsin or Irish Valley; perhaps on the train.
John Jacob, his wife and six of their nine children left from Baden, Germany, Oberlein section on Passport #38. John Jacob is described as being 55 years old, 5'9'' tall with a longish, healthy face, brown hair, high eyebrows, blue eyes, pointed nose, middle sized mouth, small beard on his cheeks, bad teeth and no distinguishing marks. The passport was issued with the "Proper payment in triplicate'' and requested that all native and foreign civil and military authorities allow his travel without hindrance and to provide help if necessary The passport included John Jacob Wintermantel's wife and the names and ages of six of their nine children accompanying them, Christian - 13, Rosina - 15, William - 17, John George - 20, George Jacob - 24, and Anna Maria - 26. The other three children followed the family later, George Frederick, John Jacob and Salome Wintermantel. Another son, Frederick, came by himself via New Orleans and the Mississippi. He was never found by his family and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Wintermantels purchased a farm in Irish Valley and built a home. They sold the farm to Martin Yanke in 1907 and his descendants continue to live there. The house was in the path of the same tornado that destroyed the Catholic Church in Plain in 1918.
John George Wintermantel, known as George (1835-1920) son of John Jacob must have been the most dedicated and affluent writers in the family, for his work has provided treasured sources of information about life during their time. George purchased a farm two miles west of the Ragatz Church on PF in 1871. It was a typical Swiss style stone house brought to our attention recently as a block and stack design by Jane Eisley and Donald Kindschi.
George married Charlotte Rose in 1862. They had a daughter, Charlotte. When Charlotte Rose, the mother, passed away, George married Anna Kindschi. George and Anna had seven more children, six daughters and then a son, Fred, mentioned in the first paragraph of this account,"farmed his father's farm before he took over the
John Deere Dealership in Prairie du Sac." According to Dr. Kindschi, Fred told that his father regarded his eight cows as being a sizable herd at that time. Fred sold the business to Les Sprecher about 1949. As a member of Sauk County Male Chorus, Fred was known for being an accomplished singer. Les reported that Fred had a unique way of dealing with irate customers, Fred just stood there and calmly sang a hymn." Fred's daughter, lone and son, John are both deceased. Ione passed away at the Pines shortly after we worked on a short story with her for the Honey Creek Hamlets Sesquicentennial book.
The other Wintermantel, George, mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, who many people remember, was the son of John Wintermantel (1866-1938) who lived in Prairie du Sac and clerked at Conger and Schoephorsters. John Winttermantel
married Emma Ragatz and lived next to the EUB Church in Prairie du Sac.
John had two sisters living in Prairie du Sac, Mary, Mrs. August Mallentin who had no children, and Sarah, Mrs. Felix Sprecher, retired from the farm and had two daughters
Grace, Mrs. Carl Litscher, who had four children and May who later in life became Mrs. Ray Meng. John's older brother,Jacob, went on to live in Hull, Iowa, married Amelia Buttke and had one son, Emmet, who married Annetta Hall and had live children. John's older sister, Salome, married Al Hudson from Lodi and they made their home in Reedsburg. After Al passed away Salome made a home for her two brothers George and Chris who were in the butchering and meat market business in Reedsburg. After Chris passed away in 1927, George went into the business of selling McNess products. Salome and Al had one daughter, Jessie, who married Maurice Cowles and had two daughters; the younger one was born after Maurice had passed away. Jessie, her mother, Salome and her Uncle George made their home together in Reedsburg. John's brother, William, passed away at the age of 27. Rose, the youngest in the family, married Fred Sprecher, farmed near Black Hawk and had five children, Wilbert married Marcella Felix and they had four children, Viola, Mrs. Howard Sorg, had five children, Clarence married Argent Marks and they had three sons, Rosina, Mrs. Cecil Mc Cready had one daughter and Ruth, the sole living member of her generation, Mrs. Donald Hehenberger, has five children.
We'll leave George the banker, in Prairie du Sac and join his great Uncle George, the writer. George, in writing to his sister-in-law Matilda upon the death of her husband, wrote, “Everything is subject to change, no exceptions. We are thank God, healthy. Since spring I have lived with my oldest daughter Charlotte Straub. She built a house in town last summer and by the middle of September it was ready to move into. Since that time we have lived in it. It is build of red brick, 26'x28', a two story home with a full basement. It is a nice looking little house, nicely arranged and costing, with the lot, $1,900.''
That nice, little, brick house across the street from Marion Park on Grand Avenue is now the home of Rev Bill Richards.
In an earlier letter to his friends and relatives in Germany in 1975, George wrote about farming and life in the United States. Their family like many others, fled turmoil in their own country, only to have to participate in the Civil War soon after their arrival to the land of freedom and opportunity.
Without complaining George wrote, "Brother Jacob, in Irish Valley found it difficult to leave his wife, Agnes Joos and their children to fight in the war. Brother William fought in Mississippi, Kansas and Arkansas, in Indian territory in danger night and day in bloody battle. Brother Christian was in grave danger serving between southern rebels and enemy Indians with everything sometimes looking like a cemetery for fallen soldiers.''
In the same letter he mentions that M. Schmiedlins were living next to his parents. There lies the tie-in with the Schmiedlins.
George Wintermantel, son of John Wintermantel, married Della Kindschi, lived in Prairie du Sac and was a key fixture in the Bank of Prairie du Sac for approximately 50 years. George and Della had two daughters, Shirley Finger in Madison. and Janice
in Prairie du Sac Janice married Rev. Gordon Bender (deceased), lived in various places where he served as a pastor and returned to retire in Prairie du Sac.
Julie Edwards of Manchester, MI, planned a reunion for the Schmiedlin branch of the family tree in Marion Park in Prairie du Sac, Saturday,August 9, as a central location for Lodi, Madison and other places Schmiedlins live in the surrounding area.
About 50 relatives came to become acquainted, meet one another enjoy the potluck dinner and outing and hear of Julie's latest information in researching the family history.
Salome Wintermantel was the oldest daughter of Johann Jacob Wintermantel and Salome Walter Wintermantel. Salome Wintermantel and Mathias Schmiedlin were both born in Baden, Germany. Mathias was born in 1820 and Salome was born in 1823. They were married and came to the United States with their eight children several years after their parents and younger siblings. While the Schmiedlins first came to live near Salome's parents, they moved around a bit. By 1900 Salome and Mathias Schmiedlin were living in Sauk City. Their daughter, Salome, married Emanuel Kirschner. They lived in Sauk City with their children Josephine, Rosa, Ernest, Louisa and Irma. Their son, Mathias and his wife, Kate Schmiedlin and their children Fred, Mamie, Daisy and Mary lived in Lodi. Another son, Christian and his wife, Emma Schmiedlin and their children Clara Roy, Raymond and Emma also lived in Lodi. Their oldest daughter Magdalena and her husband Adolph Weber lived in Iowa.
Bill Kirsclner of Sauk City is the great grandson of Salome and Mathias Schmiedlin. His grandfather, Emanuel Kirschner, started a ''meat market'' in Sauk City in 1864 on a butcher block made out of the trunk of a tree, according to Bill. Bill's father, Ernie took over the bossiness in 1909. The Kirschner brothers, Bill and Phil (deceased) have a story of their family history in "People of Sauk Prairie" IV page 42 found in the local libraries.
We've touched the of the tip of the iceberg as far as the Wintermantel and Schmiedlin history is concerned. There are some high energy level individuals throughout the country who are pursuing the study. Some of them are Margaret Ann Jenstad of Richfield Minnesota, great-great-granddaughter of Jacob Wintermantel and Agnes Joos
Wintermantel, Julie Edwards, Manchester, Michigan, great-great granddaughter of Salome Wintermantel Schmiedlin and Mathias Schmiedlin and Patsy Clark, Woodbridge, Virginia, great-great- granddaughter of Rosina Wintermantel Heitz and Paulus Heitz. These ladies are searching and researching information on stories and lives of the Wintermantels so that future reunions will become progressively more fascinating.
auf Wiedersehen!.". "John George Wintermantel, known as George (1835 - 1920) son of John Jacob, must have been the most dedicated and afffluent writers in the family, for his work has provided treasured sources of information about life during their time. George purchased a farm two miles west of the Ragatz Church on PF in 1871. It was a typical Swiss style stone house brought to our attention recently as a block and stack design by Jane Eisley and Donald Kindschi.
George married Charlotte Rose in 1862. They had a daughter, Charlotte. When Charlotte Rose, the mother, passed away, George married Anna Kindschi. George and Anna had seven more children, six daughters and then a son, Fred...Fred told that his father regarded his eight cows as being a sizable herd at the time."
8Census, Federal - 1900 - Sauk Co, Wi, Twsp Honey Creek ED137 .
9Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens.
10Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel.
11Patsy Clark , Cemeteries - an Email, dated 9May2003. "s/w Ernest Rahlmeyer, Row N13."
12Margaret Ann Jenstad. received via Karen Rose Ladd, 29Apr 2014.
Anna KINDSCHI
1Census, Federal - 1880 - Sauk Co, Wi, Honey Creek Twsp, ED# 254.
2Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens.
3K Hasse, , email, 16 Mar 2015. "Anna Kindschi was born 4/29/1842. She died 1/20/1899, presumably in
Honeycreek Township in Sauk County, WI. She is buried in the Salem
Cemetery in Honeycreek Township."
4Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel.
5Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel.
6Patsy Clark , Cemeteries - an Email, dated 9May2003. "s/w Georg Wintermantle, RowN13."
7Margaret Ann Jenstad. received via Karen Rose Ladd, 29Apr 2014.
John George WINTERMANTEL
1George Wintermantle, Letter from George Wintermantle to Mathilda Druschel 1/16/1908, Personal files of Dianne Z. Stevens, 1301 Reetz Road, Madison, WI 53711. Translation by Renata Schwertl - 1983. "John George Wintermantel letter of 1908 to sister-in-law Mathilda(Fey) in Oregon,
as translated by (someone found by Patsy Clark) July 2003:
page 1
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin - January 16, 1908
Dear Sister-in-law Mathilda,
God's grace and greetings.
I will take time today to write you a letter. I received the letter you wrote on October 16th. We had already heard of the death of your husband. That will mean an important change in your family's life and work as it usually does in such circumstances. Everything on this earth is subject to change - no exceptions. We are, thank God, healthy. Since last spring I have lived in Prairie du Sac with my eldest daughter, Lotte. She built a house in town last summer, and by the middle of September it was ready to move into and since then we have lived in it. It is built of red brick, 26x28, two story, and a basement. it is a nice-looking little house, nicely arranged, and cost (with the lot) a little over $1900.
*Here he changes the topic and without mentioning anyone goes on like this*
The impact of a mentally disturbed person is such that he will run around town and talk
page 2 of translation
constantly. This state will last for a few weeks and then there are weeks when he won't leave the house or talk to anyone and shows no interest in what goes on around him. I am of the opinion that he is not seriously ill, although he suffers a lot with blind hemorrhoids. You can imagine how much worry and heartache this causes, otherwise we could live quite comfortably in town. His pension was raised to $20 a month and they have some capital from the farm so they have the means for a decent life. The Straub farm where Charlotte lived for almost 20 years was sold for $10,000. The notice in the paper was that they were looking for an heir, so I wrote to the Milwaukee paper and it was a different Wintermantel they were looking for. I expected that, since I couldn't imagine how I could inherit anything. The crops in 1907 were not very good. Wheat is not used much. Oats was light. Because of too much rain and not enough warmth, the corn did not ripen satisfactorally. The price for cattle and pigs has
page 3 of translation:
by 1/3. It seems the upswing in business the last 8 or 10 years will go in the other direction now. It was to be expected. We have nice winters, very little snow, no severe colds, mostly sunny days, and few cold winds. We hear that Madison, Chicago, and Milwaukee have a lot of snow. On June 19th my son Friedrich got married to Laura Witwen, daughter of John Witwen, whose father built the (?) mill. Th wedding was in Baraboo where the family is living now. John is the county treasuer. It was a very small wedding with only the immediate family present. Soon after they went on a honeymoon trip to Nebraska where my daughter Rosina, and her husband, Ernst Rahlmeier, live, then to Hudson, Wisconsin where Julia and her husband, Edward Parman, live. Both of these men are farmers. Wilhelm Stueber, who used to live in Prairie du Sac, traded in his nice house for a farm so now the family lives in the town of Lodi, Coilumbia County, Wisconsin, about 8 miles east of Prairie du Sac. Of all my sons-in-law there is only one who is not a farmer, namely....
page 4 of translation:
Conrad Adam. He's a miller in Black Hawk. The family of my brother Jacob has had much grief and heartache. He has about 118 acres, about 80 acres in hills and woodlands, and a few acres of swampland. On my farm is Friedrich, who is renting it. He had some good years and made a lot of money, but he is not frugal. He wants to buy the farm, but I am reluctant to sell, although I don't intend ever to go back on it to live. I like it better in town. We live in a nice locality. About 300 steps from the house the railroad runs by that goes to Mazomanie, to Sauk City, and to Praire du Sac. When I awake at 7 in the morning I can see the train without raising my head - I just have to turn my face towards the window. In 15 minutes I can walk uptown or to church. In about 20 - 25 minutes I can be in the middle of Sauk City. Prairie du Sac is a nice little town. Pastor Buhler told me one could go far in America before finding a town as nice for its size as Prairie du Sac. The E. U. congregation and its surrounding community is a strong congregation. The church was built about two years a go and cost over $19,000 and about a...
page 5 translation:
year after its dedication it was all paid for. Since then the congregation has brought up more than $2000 for pastor's salary, missions, and support of Sunday school and misc. This fall I bought some more land not far from my house. We keep a cow and I hope there will be enough pasture for her next summer. Charlotte has a nice garden. She got 40 bushels of potatoes and other garden vegetables. I got 30 bushels of potatoes and 25 bushels of corn. Now I will close, hoping this finds you in good health. May God bless you with everything neede in time and eternity.
Greetings to you all.
Geo. Wintermantel."
2Census, Federal - 1870 - Sauk Co., WI, Twsp of Honey Creek. "Name: John Winterman
[John Wintermantel]
Age in 1870: 32
Birth Year: abt 1838
Birthplace: Baden
Home in 1870: Honey Creek, Sauk, Wisconsin
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sauk City
Value of real estate: 3000
Household Members: Name Age
John Winterman 32 farmer
Ana Winterman 28 from Switerland
Charlotte Winterman 7
Louisa Wintermantel 4
Carlina Wintermantel 2."
3Census, Federal - 1880 - Sauk Co, Wi, Honey Creek Twsp, ED# 254, p. 13, Jun 1880.
4Census, Federal - 1860 - Sauk Co., WI, Honey Creek Twsp., Ancestry p. 191, 3 Oct 1860. "Line 25 Dwellin # 1663 Family # 1643
Frederick Rose age 48 M Farmer re $6000 PE $1000 born Hanover
Catharine 44 F Prussia
Charlotte 15 F WI attends school
Henry 12 M WI "
Frederick 8 M WI "
Christian 3 M WI
George Wintermantel 24 M Farm Laborer Baden."
5Letter from George Wintermantle to relatives in Germany, from papers received from Paul Wintermantel via Patsy Clark; June 2003. "January 31, 1875
Honey Creek, Sauk County, Wisconsin
Dear Relatives and Friends,
Since nearly 10 years have already passed since our emigration to America, and I have not entirely forgotten you who still live at my place of birth, I finally came to the thought to write again to you. Very likely, there are those of our relatives and acquaintances there who still think about us and would like to know how things are going with the Wintermantel family in America. This short report will give you some idea how we have fared.
After a wait of 2 days in New York we journeyed directly to Wisconsin and settled in Honey Creek, Sauk County, where we worked for the first few months for different farmers until August when our father moved a few miles farther and, in September, bought 40 acres of land for $1.00 an acre. Next spring we built a house on this land, and that is where the parents now live.
The first years father broke up 20 to 30 acres of land with the help of Jacob and William planted a vineyard and fruit trees, so that the parents have a pretty nice home. Both are still living. Father is still well and strong for his age. Mother is somewhat frail, but still pretty well. They live in well-to- circumstances and know nothing of want, for their land has produced MANY A GOOD HARVEST of wheat, oats, corn, wine and different vegetables with which you are acquainted too.
The land was still pretty wild when we arrived. The first ones came to this region about 10 years earlier, most of them from Switzerland, others from North Germany and South Germany and from the Alsace, still others from the eastern and southern states. Until 1846, wild people and wild animals were the only inhabitants of this region. And some of the original inhabitants are still present.
Now I will give you a brief report of all our relatives. M. Schmidlins live close by our parents. He had father's farm in rent for several years. but then they bought out an Irishman. The two older daughters are married. Several children were born in America, and several have died. The parents
and the rest of the children are healthy and well. Brother John Jacob was found by Brother William in Memphis in 1860 and then took the train to Wisconsin. He lived for several years with the parents. In 1865 he went to Iowa, bought land, married, sold the land again, moved farther west, bought other land at Winterset, Iowa County, Iowa, where he now lives. He is a widower, but lives in well-to-do circumstances. We never saw anything more of Brother Fredrich. According to J. J. Angaben he died in 1847 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sister Anna Maria has also died. She was married to Rudolf Jager, a
cobbler from Hanover. He died 3 years earlier in 1867. Brother George JACOB lives beside Schmidlin. He was married in 1859 to Agnes Joos, who as a little girl came from Switzerland with her parents. He does little as a cobbler, but in his farming he already has good help from his boys.
During the Civil War George JACOB'S lot came to go into the army, and he went to Petersburg and Richmond in Virginia. He returned to Wisconsin safe and sound at the close of the war. It was hard for him to leave wife and children. He told me that sometimes everything was a cemetery for the fallen soldiers. Brother William enlisted in the army in the beginning of the war. He served 3 years in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment, mostly under General Bloncl in the southwest, in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and in Indian Territory. He was in many battles and bloody situations, and in danger day and night between southern rebels and enemy Indians. In 1865 he moved with John Jacob to Iowa where he bought and sold farms several times, naturally not without profit. But two years ago he moved to Kansas where he again acquired 160 acres of land. Probably, according to law, every soldier with an honorable discharge was entitled to 160 acres of land. He sold a farm in Iowa, I think it was 730 acres. His wife was a daughter of a German preacher from Illinois. Sister Rosina was married in October, 1861, and lives in Minnesota since 1865. This state is west of Wisconsin. And the place where Rosina lives with her husband, Paul Heiz, is probably 300 miles from here.
Brother Christian was also in the war. He served in the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment He was in some of the largest battles of the whole war, near Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville in Virginia and at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He endured earthshaking cannon fire, he saw blood flow in streams in larger and smaller battles. After his three years of service in the army he came back hom from the war unhurt. After the war he married Mathilda Fei who came with her parents from Prussia to America. In 1867 he sowed 2 acres of hops on Father's land and made more than a thousand dollars from the hops. In the fall of 1868 he moved to the other brothers in Iowa.
Iowa, our western neighbor state, draws the people there because there it is not necessary to make a farm out of woodland like in Wisconsin, in most cases, for there on the large prairies you can see only heaven and grass for hundreds of miles. There the settlers can prepare 40, 50 or 60 acres of the nicest and fattest land with the break-plow and two teams of horses in one summer, and harvest 800, 1000 or 1500 bushels of wheat the next summer, and so with one stroke come to easy street. Of course, it does not always go so -well, but it does in many cases. The harvesting as well as the sowing and threshing is done with machines. Ten horses (5 teams) and 12 to 14 men are used for threshing when the grain and weather are dry, and 400 to 500 bushels of wheat or 700 bushels of oats can be threshed in one day, and in most cases, so well cleaned that it can be taken to the mill or to the market. Of course, the grain is cheap in the west and the workers wages are high. From myself, I cannot report such famous deeds and thrilling experiences.
Not like my brothers, I stayed in the same town and county where we settled in June, 1856. For five years I worked as a hired man for $140 a year. But in 1858 1 already bought 43 acres of land for $315. The following year I bought 20 acres more for $45. These 20 acres are hilly with much timber on them. In 1861 I made the beginning on this piece of land, and with the help of Brother Christian I cleared 8 acres of hazelbrush and burned it all in 8 days. We broke the land with a large plow and 5 yoke of oxen in 4 1/2 days. The next year I already threshed 157 bushels of wheat. The next spring I cleared five acres more on which I immediately planted corn and potatoes. Results were very good.
In December, 1862, I married Charlotte Rose, daughter of Fredrich and Katrina Rose, but after a short marriage of I year and 2 weeks, my dear Charlotte died. Eleven weeks before her death a girl was born whom I turned over to my sister, Salome, for her upbringing. She was a real mother to the dear child until I was married again the following year to Anna Kindschi. She came with her father and relatives from Switzerland to America. With her I have 5 girls. Two are going to school. They are being taught German and English.
On January 13th I received a letter from Brother Christian in Iowa in which he enclosed a letter from you which you sent to Christian Wintermantel in Iowa. Regarding this I wanted to write to you, and had a letter ready when I received 2 other letters from him, one was from you and one from my mother's oldest sister, Kathrina, very likely written by her daughter, Kathrina. The next morning I brought them to my parents and read them to them in the presence of their daughter, Salome, and the young Schmidlin. These 2 letters surprised us, and brought joy, but also sorrow. We blamed ourselves for great carelessness, that for such a long time we did not write to you, and if I should give the reason, I would not know what to say. After the letters were read, father gave me $10 which I was to send to my mother's oldest sister. But if she should not be living any more, one half of it shall go to Rosina, the other sister of my mother, but the other half to go to the oldest sister's daughter, Kathrina.
Now I could come to a close, but I cannot send empty paper to Germany. I will, therefore, write something about the price of land. Last spring a farm of 120 acres was sold in our neighborhood for $2,700. It is almost all level land, but perhaps 50 acres is usable, the other is woods. But the land is all fertile. Another farm of 200 acres, with 80 acres under plow was sold for $4,250. On it was a 2 story stone house which cost $1,200.
Now I shall also write something of the conditions of the state and church, but there isn't enough room. Finally, a hearty greeting from us all to you all. Next spring I want to write another letter, God willing. When you write again tell us how many gulden you received for the $10. Our address is,
George Wintermantel, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.". "Not like my brothers, I stayed in the same town and county where we settled in June, 1856. For five years I worked as a hired man for $140 a year. But in 1858 1 already bought 43 acres of land for $315. The following year I bought 20 acres more for $45. These 20 acres are hilly with much timber on them. In 1861 I made the beginning on this piece of land, and with the help of Brother Christian I cleared 8 acres of hazelbrush and burned it all in 8 days. We broke the land with a large plow and 5 yoke of oxen in 4 1/2 days. The next year I already threshed 157 bushels of wheat. The next spring I cleared five acres more on which I immediately planted corn and potatoes. Results were very good.
In December, 1862, I married Charlotte Rose, daughter of Fredrich and Katrina Rose, but after a short marriage of I year and 2 weeks, my dear Charlotte died. Eleven weeks before her death a girl was born whom I turned over to my sister, Salome, for her upbringing. She was a real mother to the dear child until I was married again the following year to Anna Kindschi. She came with her father and relatives from Switzerland to America. With her I have 5 girls. Two are going to school. They are being taught German and English."
6Census, Federal - 1910 - Sauk, WI, Prairie du Sac Village, Ancestry p.14, 22 Apr 1910, Ancestry.com. "Line 86 Dwelling 205 Family # 208 2nd Ave
Straub, Charlotte head 46 WI GER MO 0 Chil b/0 living
Mintermantle George brother 77 GER GER GER occ:own income imm: 1856 Na."
7Doris Litscher Gasser, Wintermantels: Schmiedlin Branch reunion, Sauk Prairie Star; 18Sep2003, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens. "Sauk Prairie Star 18 September 2003
Wintermantels: Schmiedlin Branch Reunion
by Doris Litscher Gasser
Feature Writer
Through the years family names have come and gone in the history of he community. So it is with the Wintermantel name. The local General Telephone Book of 1865 had two Wintermantel names. George Wintermantel and Fred Wintermantel. Today there are none.
John Jacob Wintermantel and his wife, Salome Walter Wintermantel sailed to the United States in 1965. It is uncertain as to how they came to Wisconsin or Irish Valley; perhaps on the train.
John Jacob, his wife and six of their nine children left from Baden, Germany, Oberlein section on Passport #38. John Jacob is described as being 55 years old, 5'9'' tall with a longish, healthy face, brown hair, high eyebrows, blue eyes, pointed nose, middle sized mouth, small beard on his cheeks, bad teeth and no distinguishing marks. The passport was issued with the "Proper payment in triplicate'' and requested that all native and foreign civil and military authorities allow his travel without hindrance and to provide help if necessary The passport included John Jacob Wintermantel's wife and the names and ages of six of their nine children accompanying them, Christian - 13, Rosina - 15, William - 17, John George - 20, George Jacob - 24, and Anna Maria - 26. The other three children followed the family later, George Frederick, John Jacob and Salome Wintermantel. Another son, Frederick, came by himself via New Orleans and the Mississippi. He was never found by his family and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Wintermantels purchased a farm in Irish Valley and built a home. They sold the farm to Martin Yanke in 1907 and his descendants continue to live there. The house was in the path of the same tornado that destroyed the Catholic Church in Plain in 1918.
John George Wintermantel, known as George (1835-1920) son of John Jacob must have been the most dedicated and affluent writers in the family, for his work has provided treasured sources of information about life during their time. George purchased a farm two miles west of the Ragatz Church on PF in 1871. It was a typical Swiss style stone house brought to our attention recently as a block and stack design by Jane Eisley and Donald Kindschi.
George married Charlotte Rose in 1862. They had a daughter, Charlotte. When Charlotte Rose, the mother, passed away, George married Anna Kindschi. George and Anna had seven more children, six daughters and then a son, Fred, mentioned in the first paragraph of this account,"farmed his father's farm before he took over the
John Deere Dealership in Prairie du Sac." According to Dr. Kindschi, Fred told that his father regarded his eight cows as being a sizable herd at that time. Fred sold the business to Les Sprecher about 1949. As a member of Sauk County Male Chorus, Fred was known for being an accomplished singer. Les reported that Fred had a unique way of dealing with irate customers, Fred just stood there and calmly sang a hymn." Fred's daughter, lone and son, John are both deceased. Ione passed away at the Pines shortly after we worked on a short story with her for the Honey Creek Hamlets Sesquicentennial book.
The other Wintermantel, George, mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, who many people remember, was the son of John Wintermantel (1866-1938) who lived in Prairie du Sac and clerked at Conger and Schoephorsters. John Winttermantel
married Emma Ragatz and lived next to the EUB Church in Prairie du Sac.
John had two sisters living in Prairie du Sac, Mary, Mrs. August Mallentin who had no children, and Sarah, Mrs. Felix Sprecher, retired from the farm and had two daughters
Grace, Mrs. Carl Litscher, who had four children and May who later in life became Mrs. Ray Meng. John's older brother,Jacob, went on to live in Hull, Iowa, married Amelia Buttke and had one son, Emmet, who married Annetta Hall and had live children. John's older sister, Salome, married Al Hudson from Lodi and they made their home in Reedsburg. After Al passed away Salome made a home for her two brothers George and Chris who were in the butchering and meat market business in Reedsburg. After Chris passed away in 1927, George went into the business of selling McNess products. Salome and Al had one daughter, Jessie, who married Maurice Cowles and had two daughters; the younger one was born after Maurice had passed away. Jessie, her mother, Salome and her Uncle George made their home together in Reedsburg. John's brother, William, passed away at the age of 27. Rose, the youngest in the family, married Fred Sprecher, farmed near Black Hawk and had five children, Wilbert married Marcella Felix and they had four children, Viola, Mrs. Howard Sorg, had five children, Clarence married Argent Marks and they had three sons, Rosina, Mrs. Cecil Mc Cready had one daughter and Ruth, the sole living member of her generation, Mrs. Donald Hehenberger, has five children.
We'll leave George the banker, in Prairie du Sac and join his great Uncle George, the writer. George, in writing to his sister-in-law Matilda upon the death of her husband, wrote, “Everything is subject to change, no exceptions. We are thank God, healthy. Since spring I have lived with my oldest daughter Charlotte Straub. She built a house in town last summer and by the middle of September it was ready to move into. Since that time we have lived in it. It is build of red brick, 26'x28', a two story home with a full basement. It is a nice looking little house, nicely arranged and costing, with the lot, $1,900.''
That nice, little, brick house across the street from Marion Park on Grand Avenue is now the home of Rev Bill Richards.
In an earlier letter to his friends and relatives in Germany in 1975, George wrote about farming and life in the United States. Their family like many others, fled turmoil in their own country, only to have to participate in the Civil War soon after their arrival to the land of freedom and opportunity.
Without complaining George wrote, "Brother Jacob, in Irish Valley found it difficult to leave his wife, Agnes Joos and their children to fight in the war. Brother William fought in Mississippi, Kansas and Arkansas, in Indian territory in danger night and day in bloody battle. Brother Christian was in grave danger serving between southern rebels and enemy Indians with everything sometimes looking like a cemetery for fallen soldiers.''
In the same letter he mentions that M. Schmiedlins were living next to his parents. There lies the tie-in with the Schmiedlins.
George Wintermantel, son of John Wintermantel, married Della Kindschi, lived in Prairie du Sac and was a key fixture in the Bank of Prairie du Sac for approximately 50 years. George and Della had two daughters, Shirley Finger in Madison. and Janice
in Prairie du Sac Janice married Rev. Gordon Bender (deceased), lived in various places where he served as a pastor and returned to retire in Prairie du Sac.
Julie Edwards of Manchester, MI, planned a reunion for the Schmiedlin branch of the family tree in Marion Park in Prairie du Sac, Saturday,August 9, as a central location for Lodi, Madison and other places Schmiedlins live in the surrounding area.
About 50 relatives came to become acquainted, meet one another enjoy the potluck dinner and outing and hear of Julie's latest information in researching the family history.
Salome Wintermantel was the oldest daughter of Johann Jacob Wintermantel and Salome Walter Wintermantel. Salome Wintermantel and Mathias Schmiedlin were both born in Baden, Germany. Mathias was born in 1820 and Salome was born in 1823. They were married and came to the United States with their eight children several years after their parents and younger siblings. While the Schmiedlins first came to live near Salome's parents, they moved around a bit. By 1900 Salome and Mathias Schmiedlin were living in Sauk City. Their daughter, Salome, married Emanuel Kirschner. They lived in Sauk City with their children Josephine, Rosa, Ernest, Louisa and Irma. Their son, Mathias and his wife, Kate Schmiedlin and their children Fred, Mamie, Daisy and Mary lived in Lodi. Another son, Christian and his wife, Emma Schmiedlin and their children Clara Roy, Raymond and Emma also lived in Lodi. Their oldest daughter Magdalena and her husband Adolph Weber lived in Iowa.
Bill Kirsclner of Sauk City is the great grandson of Salome and Mathias Schmiedlin. His grandfather, Emanuel Kirschner, started a ''meat market'' in Sauk City in 1864 on a butcher block made out of the trunk of a tree, according to Bill. Bill's father, Ernie took over the bossiness in 1909. The Kirschner brothers, Bill and Phil (deceased) have a story of their family history in "People of Sauk Prairie" IV page 42 found in the local libraries.
We've touched the of the tip of the iceberg as far as the Wintermantel and Schmiedlin history is concerned. There are some high energy level individuals throughout the country who are pursuing the study. Some of them are Margaret Ann Jenstad of Richfield Minnesota, great-great-granddaughter of Jacob Wintermantel and Agnes Joos
Wintermantel, Julie Edwards, Manchester, Michigan, great-great granddaughter of Salome Wintermantel Schmiedlin and Mathias Schmiedlin and Patsy Clark, Woodbridge, Virginia, great-great- granddaughter of Rosina Wintermantel Heitz and Paulus Heitz. These ladies are searching and researching information on stories and lives of the Wintermantels so that future reunions will become progressively more fascinating.
auf Wiedersehen!.". "John George Wintermantel, known as George (1835 - 1920) son of John Jacob, must have been the most dedicated and afffluent writers in the family, for his work has provided treasured sources of information about life during their time. George purchased a farm two miles west of the Ragatz Church on PF in 1871. It was a typical Swiss style stone house brought to our attention recently as a block and stack design by Jane Eisley and Donald Kindschi.
George married Charlotte Rose in 1862. They had a daughter, Charlotte. When Charlotte Rose, the mother, passed away, George married Anna Kindschi. George and Anna had seven more children, six daughters and then a son, Fred...Fred told that his father regarded his eight cows as being a sizable herd at the time."
8Census, Federal - 1900 - Sauk Co, Wi, Twsp Honey Creek ED137 .
9Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens.
10Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel.
11Patsy Clark , Cemeteries - an Email, dated 9May2003. "s/w Ernest Rahlmeyer, Row N13."
Charlotte ROSE
1Jan Bender, Patsy Clark, Julie Edwards, and Margaret Ann Jenstad; about 2002, Descendants of John Jacob Wintermantel, Copy in Personal Files of Dianne Z. Stevens.
2Census, Federal - 1860 - Sauk Co., WI, Honey Creek Twsp., Ancestry p. 191, 3 Oct 1860. "Line 25 Dwellin # 1663 Family # 1643
Frederick Rose age 48 M Farmer re $6000 PE $1000 born Hanover
Catharine 44 F Prussia
Charlotte 15 F WI attends school
Henry 12 M WI "
Frederick 8 M WI "
Christian 3 M WI
George Wintermantel 24 M Farm Laborer Baden."
3Patsy Clark , Cemeteries - an Email, dated 9May2003. "s/w Georg Wintermantle, RowN13."