Pecher Family Genealogy
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The Pecher family resided in Mühlberg/Muehlberg, Bohemia, which is today Lesík in the Czech Republic. The town has about 10,000 people and is located in the Sudetenland region, south and west of the larger town of Nejdek (Neudek). The Sudetenland was formerly parts of both Germany and Austria. Neudek (Nejdek) and is located in the province of Karlovarský, sub-region Karlovy Vary. (Neudek is located here on a European map.) The current population of Neudek is 8,500. Nejdek is located at 50 degrees, 20 minutes North, 12 degrees, 45 minutes East, 77.8 miles west northwest of Prague. It is in the district of Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) and was formerly in the district of Elbogen in northwest Bohemia. Nejdek originated in in the first half of the Fourteenth Century as a trade route, which led to Saxony. In the Fifteenth Century, the town advanced in the silk and mining industries, and was known for its tin, silver, lead, and iron ore. A description of architecture in Nejdek is available OnLine. Additional information about Neudek can be found in All About Neudek and Northern Bohemia (1993) by Heinz K. Henisch and translated by Herbert F. Ullmann, both of whom grew up in Neudek. The book includes photos of Neudek's upper market, a squareview of Neudek (from the Kreuzberg), The Plessberg near Neudek, the gasthaus (hotel/restaurant) in Breitenbach, the Karlsbad hirschensprung monument to Kaiser Karl IV, the Karlsbad alte wiese ("the old common"), the Karlsbad Hotel Richmond, Karlsbad's pulsating hot spring (the sprudel), and goethestrasse 591, an original architectural sketch of the author's home in Neudek. Nineteenth Century information about the town is available in The Kingdom of Bohemia (volume 15) by Johann Gottfried Sommer. Volume fifteen is currently being translated by Urs Geiser of Woodridge, Illinois. The family name Pecher in the district of Nejdek was very frequent until 1945. The first Pecher is documented in 1494, when the judge of Neudek, Endres Pecher confirmed a statute about tin-digging. Later in 1525, a Hans Pecher and a "klein" Hans Pecher, probably son and grandson of Endres Pecher, are mentioned in the tax list of the counts Schlick. The now existing parish books of Nejdek start at 1562 (baptism books), so that at least the names of the child's father will be known to possibly the year 1500 (with the assistance of the Schlick tax lists). The parish books are available in the West Bohemian Archive in Plzen (Pilsen), according to both the Dictionary of Bohemian Parishes in the Czech Republic by Felix Gundacker and Gerhard Pecher, who specializes in Nejdek genealogy and resides in Ingolstadt. The first ancestor I have been able to identify on this line is Johann Pecher, a land owner in Mühlberg. He married Franziska Rezner of Bernau (Bernov). They had a son, Anton, who married Elisabeth Kraus, daughter of Christian Kraus and Barbara Beringer of Rossmeisl (Rozmyšl) on February 23, 1846 in Mühlberg. Anton and Elisabeth had at least two children, my great-great-grandmother, Katharina Pecher, and her brother, Wenzel Pecher. Katherina Pecher settled in Milwaukee in 1880. Wenzel Pecher, her brother, and his family came to the U.S. in 1884. Photos of the family are available OnLine. Peter Kolb's neighbor, Andrew Schoenecker, recommended his first cousin Katherine Pecher to keep the house of Peter Kolb, who had a young child and a sick wife. It was an arranged marriage. After Catherine Kolb (first wife of Peter Kolb) died in March, 1880, Katherine Pecher and Peter Kolb were married within six months. Peter, as a single male, needed help keeping the house, and so Katherine Pecher arrived to assist him. In October, 1880, the marriage took place in Milwaukee. Other Pecher family members lived in rural Ozaukee County and downtown Milwaukee at different points. Adolph, Andy, Katherine, Joe, and their parents came to the U.S. in 1882. The 1910 U.S. Census for Milwaukee lists the Graser family as living in the 10th ward and includes: Joseph, 60; Anna, 59; Adolph, 31; Joseph, 24; Andreas, 22; Peter, 19. The 1930 U.S. Census for Milwaukee (District 290) lists Katherine Kolb (mother) living with her daughter Annie and her nephew Adolph Graser (age 57). Next door or in the same building was Lilly Kolb and her husband John Langer. Graser is listed as a brewer and Langer is listed as tool-and-die-maker. Adolph Graser (b: 1878) became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 25, 1906 (a variant record shows he was naturalized Oct. 25, 1900). The witnesses to the naturalization were Michael Weber and Wolfgang Hackl (Milwaukee County Records, petition 11410, volume 10, p. 327). The 1930 Census for Milwaukee (District 262) lists Joseph W. Graser and his wife Ottilia. Joseph is listed as a silversmith. The 1930 Census for Milwaukee lists Wenzel Pecher, age 76, living with daughters Lena, age 47, and Mary H., age 51. The Pecher family farm still sits in rural land on the outskirts of Cedarburg, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. The land is still farmed by Raymond Pecher, the nephew of great-great-grandmother Katherine (Pecher) Kolb. I was able to find an Anthony Pecher in the 1880 U.S. census in New York. This Anthony was born approximately 1851 in Bohemia (FHC Film 1254879; NA Film T9-0879; page 675A). He was a cigar maker by trade. His life was Louise (b: 1857). I have been unable to verify if this Anthony Pecher is the brother of Wenzel and Katherine. The Pecher family was Roman Catholic. The surname Pecher is an occupational name for someone who prepared, sold, or used pitch, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pech, or 'pitch'. The surname Krause is from the Middle High German krĹ«se or 'pitcher' or 'jug', a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of jugs or a nickname for a heavy drinker. In German, pech translates to bad luck. The first carrier of the surname was likely a pecher by trade. This occupation had been in existence since the Middle Ages. Each pecher leased a couple of hundred trees from the forest owners. During summertime, the pechers lived in the forests to collect the resin from the trees. The resin was used to produce pitch. The occupation of pecher did not have a very high reputation since they spent the whole summer on their own in the forest. The pechers often appeared to be somewhat eccentric characters. Their faces assumed a black color from the resin they collected. However, the pechers were very popular with the children who played in the forests. (Special note of thanks to my cousins Jean Hinz and Raymond Pecher for their assistance in compiling the below information.) If you see any connections in the below, please contact me. Surnames of those in my direct ancestral line appear in BOLD. 1 Johann Pecher b: in Mühlberg, Bohemia d: unknown ..+ Franziska Rezner b: Bernov, Bohemia d: unknown ......... 2 Anton Pecher b: Abt. 1819 in Mühlberg, Bohemia d: in Neudek, Bohemia ............+ Elizabeth "Elise" Kraus b: Abt. 1824 in Neudek, Bohemia m: Feb. 23, 1846 in Lesík d: in Neudek, Bohemia ................ 3 Anton/Anthony Pecher b: in Lesík, Bohemia d: in Neudek, Bohemia ................ 3 Wenzel Pecher b: Sept. 28, 1853 in Lesík, Bohemia d: Feb. 10, 1936 in Hartford, WI ....................+ Mary Kunsman b: April 28, 1849 in Neudek m: 1889 in Chicago ...................... d: Nov. 6, 1910 in Wisconsin -- Notes on Wenzel and Mary Pecher: .............Mary is also known as Marie. The maiden surname was also spelled Kunzman, Kuzmann, and Kusmann. -- ............................... 4 Mary Pecher b: October, 1878 in Neudek, Bohemia d: unknown ............................... 4 Lena Pecher b: June, 1882 in Milwaukee, WI d: unknown ............................... 4 Emma Pecher b: unknown d: unknown ............................... 4 William H. Pecher b: Oct. 31, 1890 in Chicago, IL d: February 1969 in WI ..................................+ Orma Hitch b: Abt. 1897 in Wisconsin d: unknown ....................................... 5 Marcella Pecher b: April 15, 1916 in Jackson, WI d: Sept. 7, 1990 in WI ...........................................+ Harold Schmit b. Sept. 15, 1918 d. Sept. 25, 1994 in WI ....................................... 5 Raymond Pecher b: Dec. 07, 1918 in Town of Jackson, WI ...........................................+ Anna May Moldenhauer b: June 30, 1919 in Andes, Montana ................ 3 Anna Pecher b: in Lesík, Bohemia d: unknown ....................+ Joseph Graser b: 1850 in Bohemia d: unknown ............................... 4 Adolph Graser b: 1878 in Neudek, Bohemia d: Aft. 1930 in Milwaukee, WI ............................... 4 Katherine A. "Kitty" Graser b: June 07, 1883 d: Nov. 01, 1957 in WI ..................................+ Anton "Anthony" Mueller b: Abt. 1882 d: unknown ....................................... 5 Marion Mueller b: Abt. 1911 d: Abt. 1955 ...........................................+ (unknown) Muth b: unknown d: Abt. 1955 ....................................... 5 Anthony "Tony" Mueller b: Abt. 1915 ....................................... 5 Lucile Mueller b: Abt. 1917 d: unknown ...........................................+ (unknown) Schroeder b: unknown d: unknown ....................................... 5 Catherine Mueller b: Aft. 1920 d: unknown ............................... 4 Joseph W. Graser b: May 30, 1886 in WI d. October, 1976 in WI ..................................+ Otillia "Tillie" Frank Stelling b: 1886/1887 in Wisconsin d: unknown ....................................... 5 Francis T. Stelling b: 1910 d: unknown ............................... 4 Andrew Graser b. Dec. 13, 1887 in Bohemia d. September, 1965 in WI ............................... 4 Peter Graser b: Abt. 1889 in Bohemia d: unknown ................ 3 Katharina Rosina Pecher b: Nov. 13, 1856 in Lesík d: June 11, 1948 in Milwaukee, WI ....................+ Peter Kolb b: Jan. 27, 1841 in Riedseltz, France d: April 20, 1904 in Milwaukee, WI -- Notes on Katherine Pecher Kolb: .............Immigrated in 1878. Little is known about her life, notwithstanding the information provided above, prior to 1935. Katharina lived with her daughter's Lilly and Annie. She spoke very little English and had a hearing problem in her later years. She was a kind, loving individual who loved to eat breakfast in the very early morning and lunch in the middle of the afternoon. She was devoted to her Church and to her family. Katharine also visited the cemetery extremely often, and her grandson Russell Peter Kolb said that she "loved to give out hugs." Buried June 16, 1948 at Calvary Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. .............The obituary: Kolb, Katharina (Pecher), 2327 N. 37 St., Milwaukee. Beloved mother of Anna Kolb, Lillian Kinkade, and Arthur Kolb. Survived by 2 daughter-in-laws, 1 son-in-law, 6 grandchildren. Passed away Friday, June 11, at 91 years of age. Funeral held June 14, at St. Anne's Church, Milwaukee. Member of the Apostilate of Suffering. -- ............................... 4 "Katie" Kolb b: June 20, 1881 in WI d: Oct. 30, 1946 in Milwaukee, WI ..................................+ John Kopersky d: in Canada ....................................... 5 Rose K. Kopersky b: March 30, 1916 in WI d: Feb. 10, 1995 in WI ...........................................+ Eugene Henry Timmerman b: May 10, 1917 in WI ............................................. d: January 27, 1996 in WI ....................................... 5 Delores Kopersky b: Oct. 26, 1919 in WI d: July 1976 in WI ...........................................+ Robert Seng b: Jan. 09, 1924 in WI d: Jan. 1985 in WI ............................... 4 Anna "Annie" Kolb b: Aug. 19, 1883 in WI d: Jan. 14, 1971 in WI ............................... 4 Peter A. Kolb b: Oct. 12, 1887 in WI d: April 09, 1941 in WI ..................................+ Margaret Frank b: Jan. 15, 1891 in Windhorst, KS d: April 21, 1935 in WI ....................................... 5 Russell Peter Kolb b: private in WI ...........................................+ Vivian Louise Hirschboeck b: private ..................................*2nd Wife of Peter Andrew Kolb: ..................................+ Theresa H. Planer b: Sept. 24, 1891 in WI d: May 19, 1976 in WI ............................... 4 Elizabeth Barbara "Lilly" Kolb b: July 14, 1891 in WI d: Oct. 12, 1970 in WI ..................................+ John Carl Langer b: May 24, 1894 in WI d: 1933 in WI ..................................*2nd Husband of Elizabeth Barbara "Lilly" Kolb: ..................................+ James Kinkade b: June 08, 1894 in WI d: Sept. 21, 1963 in WI ............................... 4 Adolph Joseph "Art" Kolb b: Aug. 17, 1894 in Milwaukee, WI d: in WI ..................................+ Irene Catherine Ertl b: Oct. 13, 1897 in WI d: Nov. 1991 in WI ............................... 4 Bernice Irene Kolb b: private in Milwaukee, WI ................................... + James Schmitz b: private in Haywood, WI ............................... 4 Arthur Lawrence Kolb b: private in Milwaukee, WI ................................... + Madonna Louise Trepanier b: private in Marshfield, WI ............................... 4 Robert F. Kolb b: private in WI ................................... + Geraldine Seidenstricker b: private in Milwaukee, WI |
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My Family Genealogy |