Frank/Frenk Family Genealogy
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ORIGINS AND IMMIGRATION TO THE NEW WORLD The surname Frank is also spelled Frenk, Frenck, and Franck. The Frank family originated in the town of Vallendar, Germany in what was then considered Prussia (see map of Prussia here). Vallendar is located near Koblenz, the third largest city in The Palatinate, southeast of Cologne. Vallendar is located in the district Mayen Koblenz and the settlement area of the city spreads on the right bank of the Middle Rhine opposite the inhabited island Lower Rhine Werth. The city is located 5.7 km north of Koblenz and 12.3 km south of Neuwied in Neuwied Basin, a part of the Middle Rhine basin. Im Osten steigen die Höhen des Westerwaldes auf, jenseits des Rheins im Westen die Höhen der Eifel . To the east rise the heights of the Westerwald, across the Rhine in the west the heights of the Eifel. In 1910 the population of the city was 4,462. The current population is 8,763. The first record of Vallendar is in 830 CE It was historically said to be owned by the archbishops of Trier, but may also be of Celtic origin, and thus much older (700 - 600 BCE). In 1232 the Count of Sayn built a castle on the north side of Vallendar. In 1802 the city was under the principality of Nassau-Weilburg, but in 1815 it became the Kingdom of Prussia. The Congress of Vienna assigned Koblenz to Prussia, and in 1822 it was made the seat of government for the Prussian Rhine Province. The Rhine Province (German: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia (Rheinpreußen), was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg. In 1946, the Rhine Province was divided into the newly-founded states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. According to cousin Ervin Frank (1914-1999), "The Frank family left Prussia (Preußen) in large numbers and went to New York, Ohio and Arkansas in the 1840s and 1850s." Clifford Neal Smith lists the passengers of the ship Nordamerica, a vessel based in Hamburg, departing Hamburg for New York on Aug. 18, 1849, steerage compartment. Listed together are: Theodor Frank (from Hamburg) Anna Kelting (from Hamburg) (Source: Page 10 of Clifford Neal Smith's Passenger Lists from Hamburg and Bremen to Australia and the United States, 1846-1849, published by the German-American Genealogical Research Monograph, number 23, McNeal, AZ: Westland Publications, 1988, p.27. These data were extracted from vols. 1-4 (1846-1850) of the Allgemeine Auswanderungs-Zeitung, published in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, (now) German Democratic Republic and includes the name of ship, occupation, and possibly the place of origin. The source publication code is 8655.19.1. Another potential source of their emigration record is: Gale Research. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2006.) The 1850 Census record for New York City, ward 6, lists: Frank, Theodore 32 carpenter Frank, Anna 30 Frank, Joseph 6 mo. (See below for later census data.) Theodor Frank's wife was Anna, née Kelting. Additional information on the Kelting family is available HERE. From what I can gather, it is likely that Theodor and Anna met on the same ship on their voyage to the U.S. It is possible that they met in Germany, although Anna grew up in Schleswig-Holstein, which is primarily Protestant. Anna was Protestant and Theodor was Roman Catholic. According to Klaus Struve, an expert in Schleswig-Holstein genealogy, "Catholics in Schleswig-Holstein were very rare." Struve suspects they met on their voyage to America. He recommends that I check the Hamburg birth records, which index all churches from 1816-1866. VOYAGE OF BROTHERS: NEW YORK TO WISCONSIN Between 1850 and 1855, the family moved to Addison, Washington County, Wisconsin. The family is listed in the 1860 Census of Washington County, Wisconsin: Theodore, 44, farmer from Prussia; Anna, 41, born in Denmark; Joseph, 10, born in New York; Anna, 4, born in Wisconsin. Note the different locations for each of the four family members. The value of the family property was just $500; the value of the personal assets of the family was a meager $150. (The family would later be worth much more.) Joseph Frank is listed as attending school. [A note about schooling: A letter from Marie Rudolf, granddaughter of Joseph Frank, states, "[Grandpa] had a beautiful handwriting. All Germans of any means were state educated."] Theodore Frank, the father of Joe, was primarily a farmer, but records indicate he also may have been a wine merchant, as Marie (Reitzner) Rudolf indicated that she found wine orders mentioned in a German family Bible. In the 1860 Census of Washington County, Wisconsin, Theodore Frank's brother Joseph (b. Oct. 1809) is listed as living in the town of Addison. The listing included Joseph Frank, 50; his wife Christina (nee Straub), 39; Jacob, 5; Annie/Anna, 4; and Mary, 3. The scribe's writing is not very legible, so some of the children's names may have been incorrectly interpreted. The value of the assets of this Frank family in 1860 was $360. The value of their home was $1600. Another daughter was born into the family, Josephine Sybilla Frank, in April 1863 in St. Lawrence, Wisconsin. According to records from the St. Lawrence Church, Christina Straub was Protestant. Straub was previously married to Gottfried Schmidt and had a son, Jacob Joseph Schmidt, with Gottfried. Jacob Joseph Schmidt was later baptized Jacob Joseph Frank. Christina Straub converted to Catholicism on July 2, 1864 while suffering from stomach inflammation. Her bapitismal sponsor was Margaretha Weninger and the witnesses were Theodor Frenk and Laurent Koegl. Joseph Frank (b: 1809) died October 23, 1862 in Wisconsin. Christina Straub Frank remarried after Joseph's death to Mr. Daniels. She died on Sept. 10, 1913 in Addison, Wisconsin. Anna Frank, the sister of great-great-grandfather Joseph Frank, died in 1864 at the age of eight of unknown causes. One interesting note is from a letter I received from cousin Helen Schmid, which states, "[Great-grandpa] Joe Frank's father adopted a boy, but he died young." (This boy may be Jacob Joseph Frank, who was adopted by Theodor Frank's brother Joseph.) Joseph Frank was the only child who survived to adulthood, but he had two to three siblings who died young. FRONTIER TRAVELERS Speaking of great-great-grandfather Joseph Frank (1850-1913): Born in New York on January 24, 1850, Joseph married Mary Doll on July 7, 1875 at St. Lawrence Church in St. Lawrence, Wisconsin. Then, between July 1877, and June 1879, the Frank family headed south, and settled in Conway, Arkansas. (Before stopping in Arkansas they may have stopped in New York or Ohio to visit friends and/or family members.) Conway, a town a few miles north of Little Rock, has a present-day population of about 26,000 people. The family stayed in Arkansas for six years, long enough to see the third to fifth Frank children born. The third child, Joseph Frank, died in Arkansas and is buried in the Conway area. The 1880 U.S. Census lists Joseph and Mariah (Mary) Frank living in Faulkner County, Arkansas. The town name is Cadron; the family resided in District 51 of the town. Their daughter Maria (Mary Anne) is listed. Joseph is listed as working on a farm. Both Joseph and Mary's parents are listed having been born in Prussia. According to a letter from Marie (Reitzner) Rudolph, "Grandpa [Joe Frank] had 300 acres in Arkansas and raised cotton. He used black slaves to pick cotton." The family spent six years in Arkansas. As part of a "new wave" of German emigrants who were exploring the West, the family left Arkansas, to travel to Kansas. The move occurred sometime between the time Elizabeth "Lizzie" Frank was born in March, 1884 and June 1885, when Joseph Frank established residence in Kansas. They settled in Windthorst, Ford County, Kansas. Windthorst is a town of a population of under 1,000 people in rural Ford County. The present-day community consists of a church, a school, a priest's house, and residential housing -- but little more. Windthorst is spelled one way on one side of town (Windthorst) and another way on the other side of town (Windhorst). Joseph and Mary, already with three children (two others had died), settled on a farmhouse. The home was mostly used for farming and gardening. The reason of settling in Windthorst is unknown. On June 18, 1885, the Frank family established residence on the Frank family land in Windthorst. On November 8, 1887, the house was built. The house, built on 160 acres of land, had measurements of 12'x12', with a board roof, one door and two windows, a sod hut 12'x30' inside with two windows, and one door. Joseph Frank cultivated 35 acres and had a water pump run by horsepower. Water was caried partly in troughsand partly in a ditch. The house had running water all year round. Mr. Frank also dug three to four wells a few feet deep and planted 800 cottonwood trees. The total value of the house was $800 by 1890 standards. Later, 40 acres were cultivated. Joseph Frank had cultivated 50 acres of land, for a total of five seasons as of May 22, 1894. His original plantings were 186 bushels of wheat, 80 bushels of potatoes, 10 acres of corn, and 10 total acres in garden produce. On Oct. 11, 1886, Joseph testified to the above improvements to the homestead in order to justify his homestead right. Christian Schwind and Charles Newhauser both testified to the Ford County Clerk, Dodge City, Kansas that Joseph Frank had lived continuously on the land to that date. He was described as a carpenter and a gardener. WINDTHORST AND SPEARVILLE: KANSAS PIONEERS The Franks were among the first settlers in the outskirts of Windthorst, which had a population of less than 150 families when they settled. (In 1880 there were only 80 families.) Windthorst is a rural parish -- far too small to be called a town -- without a railroad station or a post office. The Church is the backbone of the community. The older parish records in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Windthorst, Kansas, were written in latin, using the German script. Present-day Ford County is different than old times, however the old farm homes in the area of Dodge County have deteriorated, as large land plots require such a large amount of machinery. In the area there are many vacant and dilapidated homesteads. The Frank children (girls and boys alike -- at least those that were of age) attended school in next door Spearville. In school the children were taught German, religion, reading, grammar, writing, English, arithmetic, geography, and spelling. During recess, games were played with a homemade baseball. Recess was often short, as the baseball would typically not last long. Baptismal sponsors of the Frank children included Christopher Hornung and Madeleine Boecker (Theodore Christopher Frank), Joseph Molitor and Helen Hornung (Joseph Frank, Jr.), John and Mary Torline (Margaret Frank), and Joseph Hecke and Helen Hornung (Helen Frank). Spearville has a present-day population of 660. It's 20 miles East of Dodge City. Spearville was later the town the Frank family moved to, as Joe Frank sold his original land plot and then homesteaded the SE 1/4 of section 10-26-22 in Ford County. (The first land plot was sold to Ben Schawe, who sold it to the Temaat family; the second plot was sold to J.C. Laudick, who sold it to Mrs. Gertrude Herman.) This second land plot was only four miles south of first. Finally, according to a letter in my posession from a Frank descendant, in 1894 Joe and Mary Frank moved to Franklin, Crawford County, Kansas. As the second plot of land of the Frank family was sold to J.C. Laudick in 1897, this claim (about the Frank family residing in Crawford County) appears unsubstantiated. According to my research, the Frank family was in Arkansas from approximately 1878 to 1885. Then from 1886 to 1897 the family was in Ford County, Kansas. In 1894, Bernard and Katharine Schawe moved onto the original Frank plot in Ford County. Joseph Frank was a man of small means and worked for his neighbors to supplement his meager income. By living off the land, he was doing all that was possible within his means. On May 13, 1887, L.E. McGerry, office of District Court, Dodge City, Kansas, wrote a letter to honorable C.F. Neniles, Garden City, testifying that Joseph Frank was unable to establish actual residence of the land described in his original application due to the serious illness of his wife. One day later, on 14 May 1887, Joseph Frank filed for homestead rights at the Land Office, Garden City, Kansas of SE4, Sec 10, Tsp 26sR22w under section 2289 of Revised Statutes of the U.S. On Nov. 8, 1887 the house was built, and they established residence in the frame house 20'x20,' 1.5 stories high, with a barn 20'x35', and a granary 12'x20'. The wells were dug, and complete with pump and corral. The land was identified as prairie farm land, with no coal, saline, or minerals. Mr. Frank, still living with wife and seven children, had resided continuously on the land. That same year, Mr. Frank homesteaded a second farm located at the SE 1/4 of Section 10, Tp26 in Re 22. This land was more level, and easily cultivated. On April 2, 1894, Joseph Frank made application for homestead property at SE4, Sec 10, Tsp25sR 22n, before the Register of Deeds, Dodge City. May 22, 1894 Joseph Frank filed a Homestead proof of Testimony on his claim #14670. This land was located in Spearville, not Windthorst, but was only four miles from the original Frank homestead. On this new land, Frank tended to 960 acres of land and had a house place a sod hut on the other end of the farm. He vouched he lived continuously on the land with his wife and seven children and improved it as indicated. Christian Horning and Joe Demming gave testimony that Joe Frank claimed and established residence on SE4, Sec 10, Tsp 26sR22 on prairie farm land 14 May 1887, and established residence on November 8, 1887. He lived there continuously. In total, Joe Frank cultivated 70-80 acres of land for seven seasons (the seasonal cycle is different than a standard year) and had a 20'x24' frame house, 24'x24' barn, 12'x20' granary, hen house, corral, and well and pump with a total value of $700. DROUGHT CAUSES RELOCATION In 1897, the family experienced some crop failures due to a drought that occured in Kansas. This failure -- combined with the ongoing severe weather from season to season -- caused them to consider moving. On June 30, 1898, this land was sold to Mr. John Conrad Laudick for $500. Mr. Laudick sold the half section near Leoti. Mr. Laudick then sold the land to the parents of Mr. Henry Hain in 1916/1917. Mrs. Gertrude Herman of Dodge City, Kansas now owns that land. In 1897, the Frank family sold most of their posessions. At the time they had left the children alone on the farm, and the cows got into the sorgum field; one cow died. In 1897, the family headed out by covered wagon, likely stopping in Conway, Arkansas. By the beginning of 1898 the family returned to Washington County, Wisconsin again. The mode of transportation for the well-to-do Frank family was covered wagon. The family was said to stop along the travel route and sleep in the wagons. The fact that the family was able to travel with the luxury of horses and wagons proved their rising social status. In Wisconsin, land records prove that Joseph Frank and family lived in Addison, Washington County, Wisconsin and maintained 40 acres of land. The land plot was in section 15 of the County's land, and was located at 11 degrees North and 18 degrees East in Washington County. LETTER TO FRIENDS Unfortunately, the 1890 U.S. Census was lost, so the 1890 listing in Kansas does not exist. That said, there was an 1895 State Census taken in Kansas that I have yet to look into. After the Frank family moved to Wisconsin, Joseph Frank sent a letter to Mr. John Temaat in Kansas. It is dated December 18, 1897. The letter, written in the neat cursive handwriting of Joe Frank, says: ..........................Dear Sir and Friend, ..........................We are all (well) at present. Hoping you are all the same. You know, the Coon Creek was burned out a few years ago. Ben Schawe wrote me that about one half of my trees would die and wanted to know whether he could cut the dead trees down. I wrote to him if he would agree to trim the young sprouts down, leaving from one to three at a stump, he might cut the dead trees down. ..........................I wish you would let me know what Ben Schawe had done to my trees and in what shape they are in, if you please. I think lots of my trees and I think the grove is worth more than a fence. Coon Creek can't be beat for trees. ..........................What is the prospect with alfalfa? Now, there is 80 acres of land where the water is from 4 to 14 feet as good land for alfalfa as the River bottom. If I would ever come back, the first thing I would do I would sow the creek bottom, and sand hills in Alfalfa. We have good sleighing and cold weather at present. ..........................Yours Truly, ..........................Joseph Frank & Family RELIGIOUS CONFUSION, RELIGIOUS DEVOTION Mrs. Rudolf was in possession of two Frank family Bibles -- one German and one Lutheran. Someone in the Frank family likely converted to Catholicism -- either grandfather Theodor Frank or his son Joseph Frank. (Most likely the latter.) Theodore Frank's Bible listed friends such as Mr. Meisel, Mr. Fischler and Mr. Jacob Miller. The features of Joseph Frank were particularly dark, and Joseph Frank knew how to generate revenue, so rumors in the family surfaced regarding the possibility of a Jewish background. This claim has not been substantiated by any means. One of Joseph Frank's children, Henry, even changed his surname to Franklin when he was living in San Francisco to avoid being characterized as Jewish. Joseph Frank was said to have used his Bible to pray at the dinner table. He often spent time reading his Bible, praying alone. He died in 1913 in Addison, Wisconsin and was buried April 3, 1913. Mary (Doll) Frank was also a holy woman who prayed a lot. Photos always reveal her in black coverings, often including a head covering. On November 6, 1919, against the wishes of her children, Mary (Doll) Frank married John Schild of Hartford. Together the Schild family resided on Fourth Street in Hartford, but later moved to High Street. After Mr. Schild beat his wife in a drunken rage, she pursued a Church separation from him. CENSUS DATA The 1880 U.S. Census lists Theodor Frank, the father of Joseph Frank, as living in Addison, age 64, with wife Anna. Frank is listed as a farmer. Anna is listed as having been born in Holstein; Theodor is listed as having been born in Prussia. The Frank family had considerable wealth; they employed a servant, Joseph Meip, age 19. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Anna Frank, age 80, is listed as living with her son Joseph, age 50, her daughter-in-law Maria, age 42, and her grandchildren Elizabeth B., 16, Theodore C.,12, Peter J., 11, Margaret M., 9, Lena C., 7, Herman J., 4, and Henry, 1. THE LEGAGY OF THE FRANK FAMILY Joseph Frank planted trees on his plot in Ford County. Years ago there was much variety, but the only trees that stayed into the mid-Twentieth Century were the Cottonwood trees. Coon Creek runs through this land and several trees still remain. As Kansas is such a dry state, the trees Joseph Frank planted in the late 1800s were well-regarded for over one-hundred years. One tree in particular was regarded as among the best Cottonwood trees in the state (according to the Kansas State Forest Service), and it was appropriately named "The Joe Frank Tree." Part of the Osage Indian Reservation was on the Joseph Frank property in Kansas. (I am unsure which of the two properties -- the Windthorst property or the Spearville property.) The Santa Fe Trail runs through the land, as well. A marking stone is still standing describing the trail, which existed from 1822-1872. Joseph Frank was said to have operated a wagon part-time on the trail, hauling supplies at $10 per load. Joseph Frank died March 29, 1913 in Addison. He is buried at St. Lawrence Catholic Cemetery, St. Lawrence, Wisconsin in row 18 (old north) with his wife Mary. He was buried April 3, 1913. Mary Doll Frank Schild died in 1928 and is buried beside her first husband. A photo of the grave stone has been generously placed OnLine by Larry and Linda Kopet. The Frank family is still remembered by some residents in Ford County, Kansas. Theodor and Anna Frank were buried at St. Lawrence Catholic Cemetery, row 18 (old north) in 1888 and 1901, respectively. Anna Kelbing Frank died of heart failure, chronic bronchitis, and asthma (WI death cert. 3322 and 3434). Heart disease is genetic in the Frank family; great-great-great-grandmother Anna was not the only one effected. Great-great-grandfather Joseph Frank (1850-1913) and great-grandmother Margaret Frank (1892-1935) also died of heart complications. Mary Doll suffered from diabetes and gout's disease in her latter years. Photos of the Frank family are available OnLine. The surname Frank is an ethnic or regional name for someone from Franconia (German Franken), a region of southwestern Germany so called from its early settlement by the Franks, a Germanic people who inhabited the lands around the river Rhine in Roman times. The surname Kelbing is Danish, although its specific meaning is unknown. The surname Doll has two possible meanings. First, it may have been a habitational name from Brandenberg. Second, it could be a nickname from Middle High German tol or dol, meaning 'foolish' or 'mad' or 'strong' or 'handsome'. (Special note of thanks to John Von Haden, Henry Hain, Fr. Baker of Windthorst, Jack Fleischmann, Jeanette Leverance, ChrisAnn Leverance, Ervin Frank, Marie Reitzner Rudolf, Helen Schmid, Dan Otto, and Patricia Simon Peters for their assistance in compiling this information.) Surnames of those in my direct ancestral line appear in BOLD. 1 (unknown) Frank ..+ (unknown) (unknown) ........ 2 Joseph Frank b: Oct. 1809 in Prussia d: Oct. 23, 1862 in Addison, WI ............+ Christina Straub Schmidt b: March 25, 1831 in Guntersblum, Hessen, Germany m: Abt. 1855 d: Sept. 10, 1913 in Addison, WI ...................... 3 Jacob Schmidt (baptized Jacob Frank) b: Abt. 1854 d: Aft. 1870 ...................... 3 Anna Adelheid Frank b: Abt. 1855 in WI d: 1860-1870 in WI ...................... 3 Mary Elisabeth Frank b: 1856 in St. Lawrence, WI m: May 24, 1877 d: 1880-1883 in Chicago, IL ........................ + Joseph Ziegler b: Aug. 1852 in Prussia d: Aft. 1920 in Chicago, IL ...................... 3 Katherine Clementine Frank b: Jan. 9, 1858 in St. Lawrence d: June 19, 1929 in Milwaukee, WI ........................ + John Peter Ramsteck b: April 13, 1855 in Milwaukee m: Dec. 30, 1895 d: June 1, 1921 in Milwaukee ...................... 3 Martha Dorothy Frank b: Abt. 1861 in St. Lawrence d: 1913-1938 ........................ + (unknown) Hartly/Harteg ...................... 3 Josephine Sybilla Frank b: April 6, 1863 in St. Lawrence d: Oct. 26, 1938 in Milwaukee, WI ........................ + Joseph Grauvogel b: March 26, 1859 in Milwaukee m: Sept. 22, 1885 in St. Lawrence d: July 20, 1908 in Milwaukee ........ 2 Theodor Frank b: Sept./Nov. 08, 1817 in Prussia d: May 23, 1888 in WI ............+ Anna Kelting b: March 24, 1820 in Holstein, Denmark (presently DEU) .............. m: Bef. 1850 d: Feb. 6, 1901 in Addison, WI ...................... 3 Joseph Frank b: Jan. 24, 1850 in New York d: March 29, 1913 in Addison, WI ........................ + Maria Franziska "Mary" Doll b: July 21, 1857 in WI d: June 23, 1928 in WI ............................... 4 Theodore Julius Frank b: April 04, 1876 in St. Lawrence, WI d: Aug. 22, 1876 in WI ............................... 4 Mary Anne "Mamie" Frank b: July 09, 1877 in WI d: June 08, 1946 in Rubicon, WI ...................................+ Ludwig J. Neu b: April 23, 1872 m: Nov. 23, 1897 d: Jan. 25, 1949 ............................................. 5 Adolf Neu b: Abt. 1899 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Anita Storck b: June 05, 1901 in WI d: August 1976 ............................................. 5 Clara Neu b: Abt. 1901 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Earl Hayes ............................................. 5 Lena Neu b: Abt. 1902 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ............................................. 5 Leo Neu b: Abt. 1904 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Rose Lewandowski ............................................. 5 Leona Neu b: Abt. 1906 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Harry Licht .......................................................... 6 Harry Licht, Jr. .......................................................... 6 Robert Licht .......................................................... 6 Laverne Licht ............................................. 5 Helen Neu b: Aft. 1910 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Arthur Gaede .......................................................... 6 Thomas H. Gaede d: Abt. 1952 in Alaska ............................................. 5 Margaret Neu b: Aft. 1910 in Rubicon, WI d: in Milwaukee, WI ..................................................+ Eugene Burns b: unknown d: in Milwaukee, WI .......................................................... 6 Coleen Burns .......................................................... 6 James Burns ............................................. 5 Frances Neu b: Feb. 13, 1912 in Rubicon, WI d: in Hartford, WI ..................................................+ LeRoy "Pat" Fries m: June 24, 1933 in Hartford, WI .......................................................... 6 Barbara Fries .......................................................... 6 Mary Ann Fries ............................... 4 Joseph Frank b: June 09, 1879 in St. Lawrence, WI d: May 27, 1880 in Conway, AR ............................... 4 Anna Mary Frank b: July 27, 1880 in AR d: June 11, 1952 in Rubicon, WI ...................................+ Joseph L. Schmid b: 1877 in WI m: Oct. 22, 1901 d: 1963 in WI ............................................. 5 Eileen Marie Schmid b: March 24, 1904 in Hartford, WI d: Oct. 10, 1949 ..................................................+ William Tesch b: unknown d: Oct. 10, 1949 ............................................. 5 Dorothy E. Schmid b: Aug. 26, 1907 in Hartford, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Theodore M. Abraham b: unknown d: unknown .......................................................... 6 Diane Helen Abraham b: Aug. 31, 1936 in Rubicon, WI .............................................................+ Robert H. Licht m: May 8, 1965 in Milwaukee, WI .......................................................... 6 Janice Ann Abraham b: Dec. 6, 1940 in Milwaukee, WI .............................................................+ Roland Brosel m: Feb. 23, 1963 in Milwaukee, WI ................................................................... 7 Bradley Jay Brosel b: private in Milwaukee, WI ................................................................... 7 Jill Ann Brosel b: private in Milwaukee, WI ............................................. 5 Joseph Schmid b: May 10, 1910 in Rubicon, WI d: Dec. 9, 1977 ..................................................+ Mary Liegl m: May 24, 1932 in Leroy, WI .......................................................... 6 Delores Schmid b: May 30, 1933 .............................................................+ Harold Hanni m: Oct. 4, 1952 in Woodland, WI ................................................................... 7 Daniel Hanni b: private ................................................................... 7 Kenneth Hanni b: private ................................................................... 7 Jeffry Hanni b: private ................................................................... 7 David Hanni b: private ................................................................... 7 Mark Hanni b: private .......................................................... 6 Shirley Schmid b: unknown d: unknown .............................................................+ Donald Albert m: Feb. 20, 1954 in Woodland, WI ................................................................... 7 Susan Albert b: private ............................................. 5 Catherine Anna Schmid b: Abt. 1913 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Edwin John Schmidt b: Dec. 21, 1912 in Hartford, WI ..................................................... m: June 2, 1934 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown .......................................................... 6 (unknown) Schmidt b: Feb. 18, 1939 in Milwaukee, WI d: Feb. 18, 1939 .......................................................... 6 Edwin R. Schmidt b: July 21, 1940 in Milwaukee, WI .............................................................+ Patricia Koskinin m: unknown ................................................................... 7 Donald Schmidt b: private ................................................................... 7 Christine Schmidt b: private ................................................................... 7 Jacqueline Schmidt b: private .......................................................... 6 Patricia K. Schmidt b: Nov. 6, 1941 in Milwaukee, WI .............................................................+ John Heinlein b: July 25, 1939 m: Oct. 14, 1961 ................................................................... 7 Sharon Heinlein b: private ................................................................... 7 Kirt Heinlein b: private .......................................................... 6 Richard J. Schmidt b: Sept. 28, 1943 in Milwaukee, WI .............................................................+ Joleen Orwal b: Nov. 8, 1945 m: Feb. 25, 1967 ................................................................... 7 Lori Schmidt b: private ............................................. 5 Helen Lucille Schmid b: Aug. 23, 1916 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Clarence Louis Rafenstein b: Aug. 23, 1916 in Rubicon, WI .................................................... m: Oct. 12, 1940 in Milwaukee, WI d: unknown .......................................................... 6 Kathleen Ann Rafenstein b: April 11, 1943 .............................................................+ Richard Howard Otto b: Sept. 17, 1940 m: Oct. 5, 1963 ................................................................... 7 Daniel Richard Otto b: private ................................................................... 7 Linda Sue Otto b: private .......................................................... 6 Joyce Lynn Rafenstein b: March 7, 1947 .............................................................+ Fredrick Joseph Pinter m: July 13, 1968 ................................................................... 7 Shelley Pinter b: private ............................................................ *2nd Husband of Joyce Rafenstein: .............................................................+ Donald Jensen m: Aug. 20, 1976 ................................................................... 7 Jaclyn Nicole Jensen b: private ................................................................... 7 Andrea Kathleen Jensen b: private ............................................. 5 Richard J. Schmid b: Oct. 12, 1919 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ Eleanor Wegener b: Nov. 1920 m: Jan. 11, 1941 in Rubicon, WI .......................................................... 6 David Schmid b: July 10, 1943 in Wisconsin ..................................................*2nd wife of Richard Schmid: ................................................. + Petrea (unknown) b: July 31, 1917 .......................................................... 6 Eileen Schmid b: private .......................................................... 6 Petrea Schmid b: private .......................................................... 6 Sandra Schmid b: private ............................... 4 Elizabeth Berta "Lizzie" Frank b: March 08, 1884 in AR d: Nov. 20, 1962 in WI ...................................+ Robert A. Reitzner b: Aug. 01, 1880 in Germany m: Oct. 24, 1905 ..................................... in St. Lawrence, WI d: June 04, 1964 in Rubicon, WI ............................................. 5 Marie Reitzner b: Abt. 1909 in Rubicon, WI d: unknown ..................................................+ James Rudolf b: unknown d: unknown ............................... 4 Theodore Christopher "Ted" Frank b: June 24, 1887 in KS d: Dec. 1, 1936 in Hartford, WI ...................................+ Katherine Rosalia "Katie" Rohlinger b: Jan. 11, 1893 in Woodland, WI ..................................... m: Oct. 4, 1911 in Hartford, WI d: 1994 in Hartford, WI ............................................. 5 Frances Ida Frank b: Jan. 21, 1918 in WI d: Jan. 24, 1918 in Hartford, WI ............................................. 5 Ervin M. Frank b: 1914 in Hartford, WI ..................................................+ Frances Elizabeth Klink b: May 31, 1915 in Fox Lake, WI .................................................... d: Dec. 1, 1964 in Aurora, IL .......................................................... 6 Michele Theresa Frank b: private in Nurnburg, DEU .............................................................+ Elmer M. Schelling b: private in Aurora, IL ................................................................... 7 Christopher M. Schelling b: private ................................................................... 7 Nichole E. Schelling b: private .......................................................... 6 Mark Ervin Frank b: private in Madison, WI .......................................................... 6 Michael Allen Frank b: private in Hartford, WI .............................................................+ Nancy E. Lenkowski b: private in Chicago, IL ................................................................... 7 Catherine Frank b: private ................................................................... 7 Benjamin Frank b: private ................................................. *2nd Wife of Ervin M. Frank: ..................................................+ Wilma E. Urak b: April 11, 1912 d: unknown ............................................. 5 Robert J. Frank b: Abt. 1924 in Hartford, WI d: in Manitowoc, WI ............................................. 5 Jeanette A. Frank b: Abt. 1926 in Hartford, WI d: March 2008 ..................................................+ Maurice Leverance b: private .......................................................... 6 Michael Leverance b: private .......................................................... 6 Thomas Leverance b: private ............................... 4 Joseph J. Frank b: Feb. 27, 1889 in KS d: Nov. 06, 1918 in Rubicon, WI ...................................+ Susan E. Gehl b: 1891 in WI m: June 24, 1914 in WI d: 1946 in WI ............................................. 5 Marie Susan Frank b: March 20, 1915 in St. Lawrence, WI d: unknown ............................................. 5 Joseph Frank b: Jan. 13, 1919 in St. Lawrence, WI d: Dec. 9, 1963 in WI ..................................................+ Marian M. Thies b: July 14, 1920 m: Nov. 26, 1938 at .................................................... St. Mary's Church, Holy Hill, WI d: June 17, 1981 in St. Lawrence, WI .......................................................... 6 James Frank b: unknown .......................................................... 6 Robert Frank b: unknown .......................................................... 6 Richard A. Frank b: 1941 in Wisconsin d: 1997 in Wisconsin ............................... 4 Margaret Miriam Frank b: Jan. 15, 1891 in KS d: April 21, 1935 in WI ...................................+ Peter Andrew Kolb b: Oct. 12, 1887 in WI m: June 10, 1924 ..................................... in Pardeeville, WI d: April 09, 1941 in Milwaukee, WI -- Notes on Peter and Margaret Frank Kolb: ............. Baptised on December 27, 1891 in Windthorst, Kansas. Sponsors were John and Mary Torline. Her occupation was a corsetere. At her wedding with Peter Kolb, her step-father, John Schild, gave her away (1924). She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in April, 1935. Burial at block 41 east. -- ............................................. 5 Russell Peter Kolb b: private in Milwaukee, WI ..................................................+ Vivian Louise Hirschboeck b: private in Milwaukee, WI ............................... 4 Helen Clara Frank b: March 26, 1893 in Windthorst, KS d: March 04, 1995 in WI ...................................+ Oscar Joseph Peters b: Dec. 10, 1889 in Woodland, WI ..................................... m: Sept. 9, 1913 d: Dec. 21, 1942 in Milwaukee, WI ............................................. 5 Donald Peters b: May 23, 1917 in Wyocena, WI d: March 01, 1989 in WI ..................................................+ Ruth Christians m: Feb. 16, 1942 in Alexandria, LA .......................................................... 6 William Joseph Peters b: July 6, 1956 d: Jan. 20, 1976 .............................................................+ Yvonne Gilbert m: Feb. 13, 1975 in Fall River, WI ............................................. 5 Robert Joseph Peters b: Nov. 25, 1933 in Portage, WI d: in Berlin, WI ..................................................+ Virginia McMonigal b: unknown d: unknown .......................................................... 6 Mary Beth Peters b: private .......................................................... 6 John Peters b: private .......................................................... 6 James Peters b: private .......................................................... 6 Lisa Peters b: private ............................... 4 Herman Joseph Frank b: Sept. 11, 1895 in Windthorst, KS d: Nov. 1965 in WI ............................... 4 Henry Franklin b: Oct. 30, 1898 in WI d: 1946 in San Francisco, CA ............................... 4 Mathias Robert Frank b: Dec. 16, 1900 in WI d: June 27, 1984 in CA ...................................+ Angeline Mary Stanczyk b: Oct. 02, 1906 in Stevens Point, WI ..................................... m: Abt. 1923 in Waukegan, Illinois d: Jan. 24, 1962 in Inglewood, CA ............................................. 5 James Frank b: July 4, 1928 in Milwaukee, WI ............................................. 5 Mary Jane Frank b: July 20, 1930 in Milwaukee, WI ..................................................+ (unknown) Tucker m: unknown ............................................. 5 Roger Frank b: Dec. 21, 1935 in Milwaukee, WI ...................... 3 Anna Mary Frank b: Jan./July 24, 1856/1858 in St. Lawrence, WI d: July 09, 1864 WINDTHORST TOWN HISTORY The first Windthorst Parish Buildings (Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish). Church built in the Spring of 1879 and was blessed by Father Wolf on Easter Sunday. Father Ferdinand Wolf was a Benedictine priest who came to minister to the spiritual needs of Windthorst, May 21, 1878. He also took care of mission places, St. Joseph's, eight miles North of Windthorst, Kinsley and Dodge. He celebrated his first mass May 22, 1878, in the Henry Tasset home. An old photo of the church is Online HERE. The first brick for the current church in Windthorst was laid on May 4, 1912 and the building was dedicated on June 12, 1913. The present Immaculate Heart of Mary Church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1876, a number of German men met at Arbeiter Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, representing various trades, cobblers, tailors, carpenters, foundry workers, guilders, tanners, blacksmiths, and common laborers. None were farmers. They banded together as the Aurora Colonization Society (German Catholic Aurora Homestead Association, formed Jan. 1878) and elected Henry Macke, president, and John Luzons, secretary. They met to better conditions in the land of opportunity, as times and wages were poor. They raised capital in the amount of $160,000 (no small amount at all) and divided it into shares of $400 each. The money was to be used to purchase large tracts of land in the west. Correspondence was carried on between the General Land Agent of the Santa Fe Railroad and Father Felix Schwemberg of Newton, Kansas. Land agents in Little Rock, Arkansas were also contacted. The Association members went to Cincinatti, Ohio first, seeking advice on where to settle. It was recommended that they settle in Ford County, Kansas. Men were sent to check out the land. These migrants first stopped in Arkansas and then went to Kansas. (It can be assumed that this is how the Frank family came into contact with these migrants.) After many meetings and surveying the land, the Association members purhcased 10 sections of land at ten dollars per acre. The Railroad Company, in good faith, donated 80 acres of land to the Association. The Association members found plenty of buffalo, grass, fertile soil, and top soil (20 to 30 inches of it); there was also a plentiful amount of water and an invigorating climate. After much debate, the Association agreed on the name Windthorst. Twelve men settled immediately, among them Fred Hain and John Torline. On Feb. 21, 1878, the first families from Ohio arrived in Windthorst. Additional history is available HERE. According to page 25, vol. II of Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History ... (Standard Publishing Co., Chicago) edited by Frank W. Blackmar, "Windhorst, a hamlet in Ford county, is located about 15 miles east of Dodge City, and 12 miles south of Belfont, the nearest railroad station and the post office from which it receives mail. The population in 1910 was 10." I don't believe the population statistic is accurate. [To be continued ...] |
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My Family Genealogy |
