The White Family

I thought it past time that I investigated this Lawrence "Larry" aka "Rice" White that has been hanging around my sister for well over 50 years now. So here it is...

Larry and Kay White family photo

Lawrence "Larry" White was born on the 10th of November, 1943. He was married to Kayleen Marie "Kay" White aka "YoYo" on the 9th of October, 1970 in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were blessed with three children Jennifer White Proksch, born in 1973, Leah Marie, born in 1976 and Michael Patrick, born in 1979.

Larry's father was Lawrence Edward White who was born on March 27th 1908 in Wabasha county, Minnesota. In the 1930 Federal Census he is living with his parents and working as a farm laborer.  Lawrence Edward married Julia Evelyn Norton in 1938. They lived in Hyde Park township, Wabasha county, Minnesota. Their daughter Judith Ann White was born on the 5th of February 1940. Constance Patricia White was born in 1941 and the above mentioned son Lawrence "Larry" White was born in 1943. According to the 1950 Federal Census, Lawrence Edward was an Elevator Operator for a Meat Packing Plant and lived with wife, daughters and son in St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota at 2040 Stillwater Avenue.

Larry's Grandfather was Edward George White who went by George Edward and was born on the 4th of November 1879 in Pepin, Pepin County, Wisconsin.   He married Minnie Mae Lamb in Lake City, Minnesota in 1904. They had 13 children. By the 1940 Federal Census, George was a farmer living in Hyde Park township, Wabasha county, Minnesota with his wife and daughters, Marian, age 30, who was a teacher and Hazel, age 25, who was a waitress. George died in Lake City in July of 1964. Minnie died in 1968. 

Larry's Great Grandfather was James B. White who was born in Spring Creek township, Warren county, Pennsylvania on the 22nd of December 1827.

The following is taken from an article titled "James White - Early Pepin County Settler".

[James ran away from home after the family moved to Illinois and walked all the way back to Pennsylvania.  Later, at the age of 16 . . . ]

"James B. and [older brother] Sanford started for Wisconsin in the fall of 1843 or 1844. The steamer they were on became frozen at Dubuque, Iowa. They continued the journey on foot to Wabasha, Minnesota walking most of the way on ice. Their intended destination was St. Croix . . . They chopped timber that winter on an island at the mouth of the Chippewa River called the 'Cut Off'. 

   James B. went to Eau Galle Mills the following March where he made a timber claim. He later made a homestead claim and built a frame house where he lived for many years . . . While he was in Eau Galle, a post office was established in Wabasha, Minnesota, the first between Prairie du Chien and Fort Snelling.  James B. rented his farm and ran on the Mississippi River as a pilot near every summer from 1850 to 1870....James B. built a large beautiful two-story clapboard house . . .  James B. married Miss Hannah A. Cardwell, daughter of John and Rachel Cardwell on August 29, 1871. 

   After marriage James B. carried on general farming and bred Scotch Clyde horses . . . James B. and Hannah White were buried on their farm. Their remains were moved to a cemetery in Lake City, Minnesota in the 1930's."  James and Hannah had 10 children including 3 sets of twins!

James B. White's father was Converse B. White, who was born in Quebec Province in 1789. By the 1810 U.S. Census, his family had moved to Spring Creek township, Warren county, Pennsylvania. At the age of 23 Converse volunteered to fight in the War of 1812. He served in the 2nd Battalion (Andrews) Pennsylvania Military. He married Catherine Carlin ca. 1818 and they farmed in Pennsylvania until 1834 when they moved to Monmouth, Warren county, Illinois. Converse died there in 1837. His burial place is unknown.

Catherine "Kate" Carlin was born in Ireland in 1794. Her date if arrival in America isn't known. At 21, she married Hugh Fitzpatrick in his Pennsylvania home in August of 1815. They had a daughter Nancy in 1817. Hugh was murdered the same year by a man named George Speth Vanholland to whom they had given refuge. The story of her escape is a thrilling one. Kate then married Converse B. White ca. 1818.  They had seven children.  After Converse's death in 1837, Kate returned to Pennsylvania and married Hugh Lafferty, who died in 1867. As a widow Kate lived in Centerville, Crawford county, Pennsylvania. In the 1870 Federal Census her household included: daughter-in-law, Ellen Lafferty, age 41, Ellen's sons John, age 11, James, age 7, and Richard E., age 3, along with Kate's brothers John Carlin, age 72, and Daniel Carlin, age 64. During the 1880 Federal Census she is listed as the Widowed Mother-in-law, age 86. Household members now include John Carlin, age 84, Ellen Lafferty, age 50, John Lafferty, age 21, James Lafferty, age 16, Edwin Lafferty, age 13. Kate died in 1889 and was buried in the Old Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Children of Kate Carlin and Converse B. White were: Converse A. White, born in 1819; Sanford White, born in 1823; James B. White, born in 1827 and his twin sister Rachel White; Stephen White, born in 1830; Harriet White, born in 1831; and Abel White born in 1834.

From these rugged pioneers came Larry White - still dancing with Kay to Arthur Murray. 

Great Uncle Ludwig "Louis" Swartz and the move to South Dakota

 Ludwig "Louis" Frederick Swartz was born on the 28th of July, 1882 in Winnebago Township, Winnebago County, Illinois.  His father was Joachim "Joseph" Christian Swartz and his mother was Caroline Dettwiller.  Louis married Alice Klinger on the 26th of October 1906 in Winnebago County, Illinois. Their first born daughter Marguerite Carolyn Swartz was born there in 1906.

We can only speculate what prompted their decision to leave Illinois but by 1910 they had moved to Baker Township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota where they were farming. My Grandmother Ella Emelia (Swartz) Glaeve was a sister to Louis and she and my Grandfather Frederick Glaeve made the trip with them. 

Louis and Alice's daughter, Gladys Ellen Swartz, was born in 1910. Another daughter, Eleanor Jessie Swartz, was born in 1917. 

At the time of the WW1 draft, they were living and farming in Lake Preston Township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota. Their son, Roy Louis Swartz, was born in 1920.

 Ludwig "Louis" Frederick Swartz 

                                                       Alice (Klinger) Swartz

When the 1930 Census was taken, they were living on a farm in Matthew's Township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota. Louis died in 1949 at the age of 66. The gravestone has the birth date as 1881 but all other sources have the date as 1882. He was buried in De Smet Cemetery.

 

 

Alice and Uncle Louis

Alice is listed in the 1950 Federal Census as a widow living in De Smet. 

She survived until 1970 and is also buried in De Smet Cemetery. 

Their first daughter Marguerite "Marge" Caroline married Theodore Lauritz Hansen a farmer from Emmetsburg, Iowa on February 4th 1926. They had two daughters Frances Myrtle and Madeline. They continued to farm in rural Kingsbury County and are buried in De Smet Cemetery.  

The next daughter was Gladys Ellen Dorathea Swartz. She was born on April 8th of 1910 in Mathews Township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota.  She continued to live with her parents and never married. She died at the age of 23 in 1933 and was buried in De Smet Cemetery.  

                                                                                                                         Gladys Ellen  Swartz

Elinor Jessie Swartz was born on March 6th of 1917. She was married to Edward Fredrich Wittrock in 1936 and they resided in De Smet. They had one son, Leroy Edward Wittrock born in 1938. By 1945 they had moved and were living in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Edward died in 1990 and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls. Elinore died in 1999 and is buried next to him. 

                   Elinor Jessie Swartz

                                                                                              Roy Louis Swartz grave stone

                                                                                                                                                                     

Roy Louis Swartz was born on June 12, 1920 in Manchester Township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota. He enlisted in the US Army on the 20th of May 1942 and was discharged on the 4th of November 1945 and was married to Hannah Isabella Hay in Santa Barbara, California. According to the 1950 Federal Census they have moved to Cedar Falls Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa, where their daughter Barbara Helen Swartz is born. About 1958 they moved to Hot Springs Township, Fall River County, South Dakota. Roy died there in 1986 and is buried as a veteran in Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis South Dakota. Hannah died in 1994 and is buried next to him. 

         Roy Louis Swartz

                                                    

                                                                                                                  

Families who left Mecklenburg and settled in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago County, Illinois

Families that left Mecklenburg and settled in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago County Illinois included: Anders, Glaeve, Kasch, Laabs/Loobs, Meyer/Meyers/Meier, Rapean, Ritter, Sass and Schwartz/Swartz

Today the province of Mecklenburg where my ancestors lived is called Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The modern state formed after World War 2 has much different boundaries. It takes in many of the old Mecklenburg duchies as well as a portion of  the western part of Pomerania (the rest is now Poland)

The Railroad between Rockford and Freeport Illinois was completed in 1853, a distance of about 31 miles. Bancroft's location was equidistant from both. Some of the families that came from Mecklenburg with a destination of Bancroft stayed on in Rockford while others traveled on to Freeport. 

                          contemporary highway map of the route from Rockford to Freeport

Friederich Albert Anders was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 30th of January 1843. He was married in Mecklenburg to Maria Schwartz of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. They emigrated in October of 1872 and arrived in the Port of New York on 26th of November. In 1872 they are residing in Pecatonica, Illinois when the birth of their son, Albert Anders, is reported. They stayed for the rest of their lives and are buried in Thompson Cemetery. 

Great Grandfather Frederick "Fred" Glaeve was born in 1841 in Beestland, Demmin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. He was married to Maria "Mary" Fredericka Neberman in 1874. Birth of daughter Wilhelmina Marie "Minnie" Glaeve on 15 Dec 1875 in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois. Birth of Son Frederick Carl Glaeve on 02 Apr 1878  Ridott, Stephenson, Illinois. Birth of daughter Martha Lydia Fredricka Glaeve on 18 May 1888  Freeport, Stephenson, Illinois. He died on December 11, 1907, in Winnebago County, Illinois, at the age of 66. Mary died on July 11, 1919 and is buried beside him in Winnebago Cemetery on Westfield Rd. in Winnebago, Illinois. 

Frederick Christian Theodor Kasch Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 3rd of November 1842. He married Sophia Christiana Dorothea Roeder in 1869. They arrived in the USA in 1874 and resided in Burritt, Winnebago County, Illinois. Sophia died in 1876 and in 1881 he was  married to Catharina Dettwiller at St. John's Lutheran church in Pecatonica. He died in 1927 and was buried in Pecatonica Cemetery. Catharina died in 1929 and is also buried in Pecatonica Cemetery. 

Charles Carl Kasch was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 2nd of May 1838. He married Mary Diedrich in 1860. They emigrated to the USA in 1871 and took up residence with their children William, Charles, Georgiana, and Mary in Pecatonica, Winnebago, Illinois. Charles died in 1921 and his wife Mary in 1914. They are buried in Thompson Cemetery.

Christian Kasch was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 9th of May 1850. He emigrated to the USA in 1872 at the age of 22. In the early1880's he moved to Pecatonica, Illinois and was  married to Wilhelmina "Minnie" Dettwiller when birth's of children Albert and Laura are announced. They later moved to Burritt Township, Winnebago County, Illinois where he was employed as a "farm laborer". Minnie died in December of 1913 and Christian died in December of 1918. They are both buried in the Pecatonica Cemetery

Charles Carl Laabs was born in  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 1st day of March 1826 and was married to Caroline Wilhelmina Lentz in 1854. They arrived in New York in 1857 and soon set up residence in Granville, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. In ca. 1868 they moved to Pecatonica, Illinois where their son Louis "Lewis" Albert Laabs and his wife Sophie Dettwiller were living.

John Rapean Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on 6th of February 1831. In 1855 he was married to Sophia Elisabeth Anna Mellendorff  and they emigrated to the USA the same year with their first daughter, Katherine, being born in New York in July of 1856. They lived in Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin until later moving to Ridott township, Stephenson County, Illinois. One more move found them living in the late 1890's in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois. 

John Rapean Jr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 21st of October 1854. He was an infant when he emigrated to the USA with parents John Sr. and Sophia. In the 1870 Federal Census, at the age of 16, John is working as a "farm laborer" in Pecatonica, Illinois. He married his first wife Johanna "Anna" Laabs in 1879 and they had a son, Ernest. Anna died in 1883 and he remarried Louisa Dettwiller with whom he had 6 more children. John died in 1905 at the age of 50 and is buried in Twelve Mile Grove Cemetery Pecatonica. Winnebago, Illinois.

Henry Carl Ritter was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 8th of August 1862. He emigrated in 1884 and married Marie Bertha Wernicke in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois in 1891. Henry Carl was employed as a farmer on his own farm in Winnebago Township, Winnebago County, Illinois. In 1935 they moved to Rockford, Illinois. Henry died in 1951 and was buried in Willwood Burial Park, Rockford. Marie died in 1960 and is buried with Henry.  

Their daughter Caroline Marie Ritter married Joachim Frederick Wienk on the 28th of December 1881 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. They emigrated in July 0f 1888 and settled in Pecatonica, Illinois where they raised their family. 

Their son Frederick Carl Ritter also continued to live in Rockford and followed the trade of a carpenter.  He married Vera Eleanor Patrick in 1921. Frederick's parents and he and his wife were all buried in Willwood Burial Park, Rockford.  

Henry Fredrick Sass was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 1st of November 1853. He emigrated at the age of 15 in 1868 to Pecatonica, Illinois. He was married to Sophia Elisabeth Anders on the 26th of December 1877. They lived there for the rest of their lives and are buried in Thompson Cemetery, Winnebago County, Illinois.

Johann "John" Friederich Schwartz Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 21st day of June 1812. He was married to Marie Reinschottel in 1843.

Marie died in Pecatonica. Illinois in 1896. He continued to live in Pecatonica until his death in 1913  at the age of 101.

30 Jan 184          

                                                             Pecatonica Main Street North

The Dettwillers

My Paternal Grandmother Ella Emelia Schwartz was the daughter of Joachim “Joseph” Swartz and Caroline Dettwiller. She was born in Pecatonica, Illinois and married Fred Carl Glaeve in 1901 at St. John’s Lutheran in Pecatonic with Fred Schwengels and Augusta Swartz as their witnesses. 

                                                                                                                              Ella Emelia Schwartz

z ar 

Ella’s mother’s parents were Heinrich “Henry” Dettwiller and Charlotte Block. Both were from Dehlingen, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. They emigrated to America in 1856 via the Port of New Orleans. They came with 3 children: Charlotte born in 1847; Heinrich “Henry” Jr. born in 1849; and Caroline born in 1854. They lived in Granville, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. After the Dettwillers arrival in America, more children were born. They were Catherine in 1857, Wilhelmina in 1859, Louise in 1861, Sophia in 1863. Christina in 1865 and William in 1868.

The Dettwilllers moved from Granville, Wisconsin to Burritt Township, Winnebago County, Illinois after the Jun 1, 1870 Census but before the 1875 founding of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Original St. John's Lutheran Church

Winnebago County Map showing Pecatonica and Burritt townships

Charlotte, the oldest daughter married Joachim “Joseph” Meyers on August 1, 1969 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They moved to Pecatonica in Winnebago County and were there for the June 1,1870 Federal Census while her parents were still in Granville. Joseph was “farming” and Charlotte was "keeping house." Joseph was the son of Johann Peter Gustav Meyer and Elizabeth Schockner and was born on the 16th of Jun, 1841 in Beestland, Demmin, Mecklenburg, Germany.

After arriving in Winnebago County, Heinrich Dettwiller became part of the group who founded St. John’s (German Lutheran) Church in Pecatonica. Before the church was founded, his wife Charlotte died on April 16, 1873 leaving Henry with, Caroline, Catherine, Christina, Henry Jr., Louise, Sophia, Wilhelmina, and William ages 19 - 5. She was buried in the Thompson Cemetery, Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois.

Heinrich’s son William “Willie” born on April 21, 1868 in Granville died of diphtheria on February 1, 1877 in Pecatonica and is buried in Thompson Cemetery with his name inscribed on edge of Henrich and Charlotte’s stone.

Heinrich, who by 1880 was known as Henry, continued to live on the Burritt Township farm (location from the Atlas). In 1880 most of his children were still living with him.

His remaining daughters, Catherine, Louise, Wilhelmina, Sophia and Christina were all living at home and were working as maids in other houses during the day. Some may have boarded at their employers but don’t show up on the census. His son Henry (Jr.) had married Ernestine Rossow of Granville, Wisconsin on February 21, 1879 in West Bend, Washington County, Wisconsin. They resided in Pecatonica until 1900 when they moved to Ellendale, Shelby, Tennessee where both died and were buried.

Caroline married Joseph Frederick Christian Schwartz at St. John’s Lutheran Church on December 7, 1876. Joseph was born in Dargun, Mecklenberg and was another founder of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Their marriage was the first one performed in the newly organized church. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Catherine married Frederick C. Kasch Sr. on May 5, 1881 at St. John’s Lutheran Church Frederick was from Mecklenberg. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Sophia married Louis “Lewis” Albert Laabs/Loobs on April 12. 1883. Louis was born in Granville, Milwaukee County. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Louise married John Rapean at John’s Lutheran Church on May 27, 1884. John was born in Griefenberg, Mecklenburg. They originally made their home in Winnebago County, Illinois but later moved to Stephenson County, Illinois

Wilhelmina “Minnie” married Christian Kasch, Frederic Kasch's brother, on March 31, 1888. Christian was born in Mecklenberg. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Christine married Henry G. Bursick on November 24, 1892. Henry was born in Hesse, Germany. They made their home in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois

                                                         Henry and Charlotte's gravestone

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Alternative spellings for Glaeve and Thompson Cemetery in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago Ill.

 Alternative spellings for Glaeve: Glawe, Glaf, Glave, Glaewe, Gläeve   

Shan made a contact with the village of Pecatonica to get directions to the Thompson Cemetery. The reply was very specific. "It is located on the West side of Ahrens Road which runs South off of Telegraph Road. There is no road into the cemetery nor alongside. You must park along Ahrens Road. It is nestled in farmland. It is a small cemetery with no name posted."

Thompson Cemetery from Ahrens Road

Thompson Cemetery from the side

A closer view

Joachim Christian Johann Glawe was born in Beestland, Pommern, Prussia (present day Germany). He died 24 Apr 1897 and is buried beside his wife, Maria, in Thompson Cemetery in Pecatonica, Illinois. His brother, Joachim Christian Johann Glawe (Glaeve)was also buried in Thompson Cemetery.

Grave Marker for Johann Carl Frederich Glawe (Glaeve) and portrait

    

 Joachim Christian Johann Glawe (Glaeve) is buried with wife Maria Meyer Glawe

Also buried in Thompson Cemetery is Joachim "Joseph" Friederic Christian Swartz 1851–1916 and his wife Caroline Dettwiller  

Glaeve Sisters marry Schwengels Brothers

My Grandfather Fred Glaeve had two sisters who both married Schwengels

Martha married Fred Schwengels  on 7 Feb 1907 in Winnebago, Illinois 

      Martha and Fred's family

                     Children 

1. Son Edwin John, 9 Oct 1907
2. Son Theodore Otto "Ted", 18 Jul 1910
3. Son Clarence E., 18 Apr 1916
4. Daughter Ruth M. , 13 Nov 1917
5. Daughter Ada Irene, 02 May 1920
6. Son Leonard, 13 May 1923
7. Son Howard Robert, 04 Jul 1925
8. Son LeRoy Paul, 30 Sep 1926

               Minnie married John Schwengels on 04 Mar 1897 in Freeport, Illinois

Children

1. Son Frederick Henry, 07 Feb 1899
2. Son Herman Emil, 24 Jan 1901
3. Daughter Anna, 07 Oct 1902
4. Daughter Martha Sophia,   abt. 1905
5. Son Martin, 30 July 1908
6. Son Paul Gerhard, 19 Aug 1910
7. Daughter Emma Wilhelmina, 19 Oct 1912
8. Son John Albert, 12 Jan 1915
9. Son Walter Robert, 13 Apr 1917 
10. Son Warren E., 13 Mar 1923    

                         Minnie and John's 50th Wedding Anniversary 

     Five of the Schwengels Children: 

top row from left Walter, John, Warren, front row Emma and Fred

Minnie's Obit from the Janesville Daily Gazette, Saturday Dec. 20, 1958

Mrs. John Schwengels, 83, Darien, a former resident of Clinton, died at 2 a.m. Saturday in Lakeland Hospital. Death followed an illness of five days. The former Minnie Glaeve. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Glaeve, was born in Freeport, IL., Dec. 15, 1S75 and was married March 4, 1897 to John Schwengels.

They farmed in Winnebago County until moving to a farm south of Clinton in 1905. In '23, they purchased a home in Clinton, residingthere until '50 when they moved to Darien to make their home with a daughter, Mrs. Morgan Martin. She was a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Churchand the Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

Survivors are her husband; six sons, Fred, Janesville, Herman, Beloit, Paul, Waukesha, Walter. Clinton, John, Denver, Colo., and Warren, Mesa, Ariz.; three daughters, Mrs. Martha Reimer, Beloit, Mrs. Anna Simonson, Clinton, and Mrs. Morgan Martin; a sister, Mrs. Martha Schwengels. Rockford; 24 "grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services have been scheduled tentatively for 2 p.m. Monday in Christ Lutheran

Church, the Rev. John Stephan officiating. Burial will be in.Clinton Cemetery

The Nebermans of Freeport, Illinois

Great Grandfather Frederick Glaeve was born in 1841 in 

Beestland, Demmin,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

 He was married to Maria "Mary" Fredericka Neberman in 1874. 

Birth of daughter Wilhelmina Marie "Minnie" Glaeve 

on 15 Dec 1875 in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois

Birth of Son Frederick Carl Glaeve

on 02 Apr 1878  Ridott, Stephenson, Illinois

Birth of last child, daughter Martha Lydia Fredricka Glaeve 

on 18 May 1888  Freeport, Stephenson, Illinois

He died on December 11, 1907, in Winnebago,

 Illinois, at the age of 66, and was buried in 

Winnebago, Illinois. Mary died on July 11, 1919

and is buried beside him. 

When Maria "Mary" Fredericka Neberman was born on April 29, 1851, in Schrödershof, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, her father, Christian, was 35, and her mother, Maria, was 35. She had one son and two daughters with Frederick Glaeve between 1875 and 1888. She died on July 11, 1919, in Winnebago, Illinois, at the age of 68, and was buried in Winnebago, Illinois.

Her father Christian Joachim Friedrich Nebermann was born April 16, 1816 in Lussow, Gustrow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, He died on March 31, 1883 in Freeport, Stephenson, Illinois. 

other children of Christian and Maria were:

Fredericke 1840-1919

Johann F. 1847-1937

Sophia 1856-1886

The kid sister

Kay was in one of the first classes in the new Como Park Junior High School. Originally opened in 1957, Como Park Junior High School was converted into a senior high school in the fall of 1979, accepting students from the just closed Washington and Murray High Schools, both of which became junior highs that same year.

Como Park Junior High School  ca 1957 MHS

Washington opened as a high school in 1929 and drew from a handful of public grade schools—Whittier, Rice, Smith, and Gorman—all of them now gone. As the only public high school in the North End, Washington was a community center and anchor, much the way high schools are in small towns. Fifty years after it opened, Washington was converted to a junior high and later a middle school. Many of my relatives including my mother and my sister attended Washington when it was a Senior High. 

The Hellers and others come from Burgenland to Columbus Township, Anoka County Minnesota

Many of the Burgenlanders who settled in Columbus Township, Anoka County, Minnesota, came from a small cluster of villages on the North East side of Lake Neusiedl.  

The families included Schotls from Monchhof, Altenburgers from Podersdorf,  Kreishitz/Kreitzs from Deutsch Jahrdorf,  Groess from Halbturn; Hellers from Halbturn; Thurnbecks from St. Andras and more.  I previously published a blog about Burgenland with information about the individual villages and the spread-sheet that Shan created, "People we think are Burgenlanders in Columbus Township"  (see that spread-sheet and blog here) 

Frauenkirchen, Church of Maria auf der Heide

To get an idea of the size of the area, the distance from Frauenkirchen to Halbturn is 6 km.; to Podersdorf 7.9 km. to Monchhof 5.6 km.; to Tadten 11.2 km.  

We know that Anton Heller was  born in Halbturn, Burgenland  in 1851.  He married Maria Hershelder in 1877, when he was 26 years old.  Together with children Joseph Mary, and Katherine they sailed on the ship Zaandam which departed from Amsterdam, on April 24, 1886. 

It appears that they went directly to Columbus Township, Anoka County, Minnesota.  At the time of the 1900 Federal Census, they were living on their farm with their 3 children; Joseph, Mary, and Katherine.    


In the 1905  State Census, Anton, Maria and their daughter Katherine were still living on the farm. Son, Joseph and daughter-in-law, Marie Lunzer lived on the next farm where they also farmed 80 acres.

Columbus Township,  Anoka County,  MN 1914

At the time of the 1910 Federal Census, Anton, Marie and their daughter, Katherine lived on the family farm on Holl and Nolz Road. Anton and Marie had 9 children only 3 of whom survived.

Anton died at age 63, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Forest Lake, Washington County. The Find A Grave Memorial# is 132145281

Mary survived him by 13 years.  She moved in with her son Joseph and daughter-in-law Mary.  We find her there in the 1920 Federal Census. 

Mary died in 1927 at age 70 and was buried next to Anton in Calvary Cemetery, Forest Lake. The Find A Grave Memorial # is 132145263.


Shan pointed out that the two 40 acre parcels on the left side, of what was called Schotl Road in the 1910 Federal Census, were owned by Math Schotl (blue highlight).  The two 80 acre parcels on the right side of the road had been the original Heller farms owned by Anton and Joseph Heller.