PHOTOS FROM GLASS NEGATIVES

This Edward is a younger brother to the Josephine Merk Turba shown 
in the photos. Edward was born in the Town of Russell about 1867 of 
J. B. Merk and Maria Harnert. He is shown on the 1870 census for 
Town of Russell.
*******
From Fond du Lac county marriage records:
Edward Merk and Lena Gulig (v.8 p.338)
Married June 4, 1891 in Catholic ceremony at Marytown, Fond du Lac County
Edward Merk
Son of John Baptist Merk and Mary Hanert
Farmer at St. Anna –born at St. Anna, Calumet County
Lena Gulig
Daughter of Jakob Gulig and Elisabeth Wolf
Born at Town of Brothertown, Calumet County
Witnesses Nicolaus Stemper and Margaret Gulig
*******
Lena Gulig's sister:
From Fond du Lac county marriage records:
Anton Steffes and Katherine Gulig (Fond du Lac 9-91)
Married Jan. 26, 1892 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Marytown, Fond du Lac County
Anton Steffes
Son of John Joseph Steffes and Gertrude Arens
Born Town of Marshfield –farmer in Town of Marshfield, Fond du Lac County
Katherine Gulig
Daughter of Jacob Gulig and Elizabeth Wolf (deceased)
Born Town of Calumet, Fond du Lac County

From Calumet county marriage records:
John Mertens and Frances Herzog (v.3 p.55)
Jan. 17, 1888 at St. Anna, Town of New Holstein
John Mertens
Son of Casper Mertens and Katharine Trimborn
Born Town of New Holstein
Frances Herzog
Daughter of Joseph Herzog and Theresa Turba
Born Town of New Holstein
**********
From Calumet county death records:
Frances Mertens nee Herzog (v.13 p.349)
April 6, 1866-Aug. 7, 1953
Daughter of Joseph Turba [should be Herzog] and Theresa Herzog [should be Turba]
Born Wisconsin
Died from “cerebral hemorrhage”
Buried at St. Anna Cemetery, Town of New Holstein
**********
Francisca was born April 6, 1866, and is the daughter of Joseph Herzog and Theresia Turba 
(they are buried at St. Anns in Calumet county. 
Joseph and Mary had 5 children:
1. Mary -born Oct. 30, 1861 and married to Valentine Boll  on Jan. 24, 1882 at St. Anna
         bur. St. Anna cem., Chilton.
2. Anton -born Feb. 20, 1863 and married Sophia Mertens on Jan. 17, 1888 at St. Anna
         bur. St. Anna cemetery.
3. Francisca -born April 6, 1866 and married to John Mertens Jan. 17, 1888 at St. Anna
      [this is a case of a brother and sister marrying a brother and sister in 
       a double wedding]/bur. St. Anna cemetery.
4. Katherine -b. Nov. 14, 1868/married John Klotz June 22, 1897 at St. Anna/bur. at
      St. Anna cemetery.
5. Joseph J. Herzog -b. Nov. 6, 1876/married Amanda Johnson Nov. 7, 1903 in 
      Menomonee, Michigan/bur. Pine Crest cem., Mobile Co., Alabama
*********
Mrs. Frances Mertens, 87, of St. Ann, died early Friday evening at St. Agnes
Hospital, Fond du Lac, following a brief illness.
Born April 6, 1866, in St. Ann, a daughter of Joseph and Theresa Herzog Turba,
she was married to John Mertens of the Town of New Holstein at St. Ann's
Church on Jan. 17, 1888.
The couple operated the Mertens homestead farm in the Town of New Holstein
after their marriage.
Following the death of her husband on April 3, 1897, Mrs. Mertens continued
to make her home on the farm with a son, Joseph. She moved to St. Ann in
1941.
Mrs. Mertens was a member of the Christian Mothers Society of St. Ann's 
Catholic Church.
Survivors are the son, Joseph, of Kiel; one daughter, Mrs. Edwin (Alvina)
Schmitz, of Town New Holstein; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren,
and a sister, Mrs. Valentine Boll of Beverly Hills, Calif.
Two sisters, and two brothers preceded her in death.
Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Meiselwitz Funeral
Home, Kiel, and at 10 a.m. at St. Ann's Church. The Rev. John M. Haen, 
pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
The body will lie in state at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Sunday. Members
of the Christian Mothers Society of the parish will recite the rosary at
8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
(8-7-1953 handwritten on the obituary-no newspaper named)
***********
St. Anna Cemetery
Johann  10-20-1862  4-3-1897
Frances  4-6-1866   8-7-1953
***********
The following is her son's obituary, she and John are mentioned in it.

Joseph J. Mertens, 96, a former Kiel resident, died Tuesday afternoon at
Calumet Homestead Nursing Home in New Holstein, where he resided for the
past two years.
He was born Jan. 19, 1889, at St. Anna, son of John and Frances Herzog 
Mertens.
He attended school in St. Anna.
One Nov. 12, 1913, he married the former Katherine Heus at Visitation
Catholic Church in Marytown. She died in 1940.
Mr. Mertens operated the homestead farm near St. Anna until 1942, when
he moved to New Holstein and was employed at A.T. Hipke Co. and Tecumseh
Products Inc., until his retirement in 1959.
He moved to Kiel in 1971 and was a member of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic
Church in Kiel.
Survivors are three daughters, 17 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren
and a great-great-grandson. He was preceded in death by two sons, a 
daughter, two grand-children, a great-grandchild and a sister.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Ss. Peter and
Paul Catholic Church by the Rev. Thomas Leannah, pastor. Family rites
will be held at 7 p.m. at Meiselwitz Funeral Home. Burial will be in
St. Anne Cemetery at St. Anna.
Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. Thursday.
A memorial fund has been established in Mr. Merten's name.
********
From Calumet county death records:
John Mertens (v.2 p.73)
Oct. 20, 1862-April 3, 1897
Husband of Frances Mertens
Parents unnamed
Born Town of New Holstein
Died from “meningitis”
Buried at St. Anna, Town of New Holstein

SOPHIA (PITZEN) MERTENS

Sophia (Pitzen) Mertens (Mrs. Joseph Mertens)

From 1906 Sts. Peter and Paul church census:
Joseph Mertens and Sophia Pitzen
Joseph Mertens was born Aug. 18, 1851 in Wisconsin. He was a "free mason" 
and spoke both German and English. He owned a 188 acre farm and "does not 
go to church".  Lived in the Village of "Hinzeville".
Sophia Pitzen (his wife) was born April 20, 1851 in Wisconsin. She speaks 
German with English a second language.
They were married June 8, 1875 in St. Anna by Rev. Schleier. In 1906 they 
had the following 11 children:
Maria born April 5, 1877 (works in Sheboygan)
Jacob born June 5, 1878 (living in Dakota)
August born Sept. 5, 1879
Catharina born Dec. 17, 1881 (living in Milwaukee)
Peter born Aug. 26, 1883 (butcher "here")
John born Nov. 26, 1884
Nicolaus born Dec. 19, 1885 (living in Dakota)
Minnie born April 12, 1888
Edward born March 12, 1889
Sophia born Jan. 26, 1891
Joseph born March 23, 1897
[Note shows that Joseph "pays nothing" to the church."]
*************
(This is the obituary of her husband but it shows who Sophia Mertens is)
The funeral services for the late Joseph Mertens, a former resident of
Kiel and Sheboygan, who passed away in St. Josephs Hospital in Milwaukee,
Nov. 26th, were held Monday morning, Nov. 29th from Holy Name church,
Sheboygan. Father Orth officiated and burial was made in North Side
Catholic cemetery. Mr. Mertens was born in St. Anna on Aug. 18, 1851, 
and grew to manhood there. On June 8, 1875 he was united in marriage to
Miss Sophia Pitzen and they made their home on a farm near Kiel, until
he retired from active business. Mr. Mertens was also engaged in buying
and shipping live stock and in the retail meat business while he was a
resident of Kiel. Since his retirement Mr. Mertens has resided in 
Sheboygan and about a year ago Mr. and Mrs. Mertens moved to Milwaukee
to live with their daughter, Minnie Minchler. Prior to his death, he 
had been in poor health for some time, but no one realized the 
seriousness of his illness until a month before he died. The survivors
are the widow, four daughters, Mrs. Max Thiel, Mrs. John Lokker of 
Sheboygan, Mrs. F.V. Minchler of Milwaukee and Mrs. Earl Hawley of
Flint, Michigan; and seven sons, John Mertens of Sheboygan, Jacob and
Joseph of Kennebec, South Dakota. Nicholas, Peter and Edward of Withee,
and August of Los Angeles, California. Three sisters, Mrs. Peter Roehrig
of Kiel, Mrs. Anton Herzog of New Holstein, and Mrs. Jos. L. Voelker of
St. Anna, and one brother Jacob Mertens of Kiel.
(February 1926 handwritten on obit.)