STIEFVATER FAMILY TO 1664
Times were tough, the country was poor, there had to be a better place, they had to have more. Their decision was made to sell their farm, to go to another world in hopes of no harm. They came with very little in search of a dream, with just their family, so it had seemed. With tears in their eyes and wide open hearts, for the only land they knew, they'd be far apart. So off they sailed, with children's wide eyes, in hopes that the journey, would be fair-weathered skies. Can you imagine the fear, for in 1866, America was young and it needed to be fixed. Because the New World was at an unrest, They were all too determined it was still for the best. While immigrants were arriving to the new land you see, they had the spirit, the spirit of opportunity. They came to a place for where rich earth they's sow, to create their new roots, a place for the family to grow. St Nazianz was their destination, with Pastor Oschwald, where auslanders came with great visions, he saw. So begot the Stiefvater's, the Wiesler's, and so, begot the Hatfield's, and Conger's, that's us you know. For today in out search, we look in the past, I've found our ancestors, and their decendents at last. Now I can go there and touch the earth, I'm going to the home of our Great-grandfather's birth. I'll speak with the people whom I'll come to know, for in Ehrenstetten, Obermunstertal, and St. Ulrich, That's our ancestors homeland, it is so. So off I go to research this mystery, of all the names, the dates, and history. For in the Kohlerhof, I'll make a grand toast, I'll enjoy myself, our great cousin is my host. Toast to our ancestors, for without them we wouldn't exist, to our family for searching, you know we couldn't resist. And when I return from our ancestors homeland, I hope to have all the details at hand. With all the information that we may retrieve, Never stop looking, there's always more, I believe. So tell your children, your family, and friends, Geneaology Research is important and never to end. It is for our children, the best present to give, for when we find our ancestors, we find why we live. Karen Elaine Conger-Helwig 26 July 1998 copy by permission only please. helwig@ix.netcom.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (1) Trudpert Stiefvater born: abt 1665 place: Gstiel? marry: 20 Jun 1689 place: St Trudpert, Munstertal, Germany witnesses: Adam Leut and Peter Wiesler died: place: Wife (2) Maria Wiesler (Wiessler) --------------- born: abt 1665 (3)Father Michael Wiessler b. 1635--Mother:(4)Barbara Riesterer b.abt 1640 Maria's parents married on 03 May 1661 Maria Wiessler's brother is (5) Joseph Wiessler b. 1669 1st wife was (6) Katharina Gutmann b.1670 d. (SOURCE: Marriage cert. ) CHILDREN: (7) Anna Marie b. 05 Jan 1691 married Johannes Georg Gross (8) Joseph b. 08 Feb 1692 married (9)Katharina Pfefferle (10) Maria b. 10 Apr 1693 (11) Anna b. 06 Apr 1696 married Vincenz Maier (12) Johannes b. 15 Jan 1698 Family lived in Gstiel (SOURCE: (# Joseph birth cert) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (8) Joseph Stiefvater born: 08 Feb 1692 place: Godparents: Jacob Riesterer and Maria Wiesler marry:26 May 1719 place: died: place: Wife (9) Catharina Pfefferle born: 28 Oct 1690 place: died: place: CHILDREN (13) George b. 11 Feb 1721 married (14) Maria Gutmann (SOURCE: (# Georg birth cert) family lives in Gstiel, Obermunstertal, Germany -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (13) Georg Stiefvater born: 11 Feb 1721 place: Gstiel, Munstertal, Germany Godparents: Joseph Gross and Maria Geuthmann (Gutmann) MOVED on 08 Apr 1726 no longer lived in Gstiel Marry: twice (see below) place: St Trudpert, Munstertal, Germany died: 27 Apr 1792 place: FIRST wife married on 15 Jan 1751 (14) Maria (Geuthmann) Gutmann from Obermunstertal, Jetzenwald born: 08 Apr 1720 place: Godparents: Johannes Pfefferli and Anna Weislerin died: 28 Oct 1760 place: Geiersnest (?), Munstertal, Germany (SOURCE: # Birth cert) CHILDREN: (15) Joseph b: 10 Nov 1751 in Jetzenwald married (16)Maria Schneider from Seganbach b. 1749 d. 13 Oct 1820 (I have lateral list) (17) Johann Baptist b: 18 Jun 1753 in Jetzenwald married (18) Ursula Grammelspacher(Gremmelsbacher)b.1767 (19) Maria b: 17 May 1755 Gieshubel, Geiersnest, Munstertal, Germany (SOURCE: (# 17Johann's birth cert and Johann & Ursula marriage cert) SECOND Wife married on 18 Jan 1761 (20) M. A. Riesterer from Sorrbaum born: 02 Dec 1733 place: died : 29 Jan 1787 place: CHILDREN: (21) Lorenz b: 09 Aug 1765 (22) Anna b: 04 Oct 1766 (23) Trudpert b: 03 Sep 1768 (24) Stephan b: 25 Dec 1769 (25) Klara b: 18 Jun 1771 (26) M. Theresia b: 19 Aug 1772 (27) M. Anna b: 20 Mar 1774 (28) Anna b: 18 Aug 1776 Family lives in the Gieshubelwirtschaft (gasthaus and home Gieshubel) (SOURCE: # From the book of the Munstertal Vally 1650-1940) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (17) Johann Baptist Stiefvater born: 18 Jun 1753 place: Geishubel, Geiersnest, Munstertal, Ger Godparents: Mathias Mayer from Munster and Anna Schlebin, wife from Joseph Mayer (he died 26 July 1823 in St Trudpert.) marry: twice (see below) Witness to 1st marriage: Mathias Meier, Joseph Ortlieb, Trudpert Stiefvater. place: St Trudpert Church, Munstertal, Germany died: place: FIRST Wife married on 09 Jul 1792 in St Trudpert, Germany (18) Ursula Grammelspacher born: 1767 place: Hofsgrund, UnterMunstertal, Germany Her brother is possibly: Jacobus (Jakob) Grammelspacher born: abt 1767 place: Hofsgrund, Untermunstertal, Germany Jacob was witness to baptisim of (29) Trudpert and (30) Lorenz (SOURCE: Johann & Ursula Marriage cert) CHILDREN: (29)Trudpert b. 15 Dec 1793 married (33) Maria Theresia Nee' Riesterer (30)Lorentius (Lorenz) b. 16 Jun 1795 married (34) Maria Agatha Riesterer b. 05 Mar 1800 ( I have her family list) (31)M. Anna b. 10 Mar 1797 (32)Maria b. 16 Aug 1797 d. 1807 NOTE: #33 & #34 were sisters. Children of (35) Dominik Riesterer and (36) Agatha Nann SECOND Wife married on 18 Aug 1800 St Trudpert, Germany (37) Theresia Wiessler from Kappeleh., France born: 16 Oct 1773 place: died: 08 Aug 1836 place CHILDREN: (38)Maria b: 14 Sep 1801 d. 1804 (39)Joseph b: 27 Mar 1803 d. 27 Apr 1853 in Wittnau (was single) (40)Maria b. 11 May 1804 (41)Michael b. 10 Sep 1806 d. 1817 (42)Elisabet b. 23 Jul 1808 married in Wittnau (43)Andreas b. 05 Dec 1811 d. 1817 Family lived in Gieshubelwirtschaft (Gasthaus and home) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (29) Trudpert Stiefvater born: 15 Dec 1793 place: Gieshubel, Geiersnest, Munster, Germany marry: 13 oct 1823 place: St Trudpert Church, Munstertal, Germany Wife (33) Maria Theresia (nee")Riesterer born: 16 Oct 1788 place: Kohlerhof, Ehrenstetten, Munstertal, Germany (SOURCE: # Trudpert & # Maria Marriage cert. Father: (35)Dominik Riesterer b.1759---Mother:(36) Agatha Nann b.17Jan1762 I have family list of Children and Birth dates and house #. (Family is from the Kohlerhof next door to Kohlerwirtschaft) CHILDREN (44) Laurentius (Lorenz) b. 21 Oct 1828 married (45)Franziska nee' Wiessler b. 28 Nov 1827 I do not know the siblings of Lorenz (SOURCE: # Lorenz birth cert) Family lived in the Gieshubelwirtschaft -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (44) Lorenz Stiefvater born: 21 Oct 1828 place: St Trudpert, Munstertal, Germany marry: 12 Jun 1851 place: St Ulrich, Munster, Germany MOVED from the Gieshubel to the Kohlerwirtschaft after marriage to Franziska (SOURCE: # 44Lorenz & #45 Franziska marriage cert) Wife (45) Franziska (nee' Wiesler) born 11 Nov 1827 place: Sorrbaum, Godparents: Joseph Wiessler (from Armgasse) and Maria Riesterer (from Susenbrunn, single) Franziska's Parents information: Father:(46) Trudpert Wiesler b. 28 Feb 1789 from Sorrbaum who's F was:(47) Dominik Wiesler m. 03 May 1784 from Sorrbaum who's M was:(48)Maria Hartmann sister to (51) Mother:(49) Gertrude Riesterer b. 14 Apr 1796 from Susenbrunn who's F was:(50) Franz Riesterer b.1787 m.24Nov1783 from Susenbrunn who's M was.(51)Gertrude Hartmann b.? sister to (48) Witnesses to (46) Trudpert & (49) Gertrude marriage was Joseph Wiesler, farmer in Sorrbaum and Joseph Wiesler, widower and farmer in Breitnau, Germany (SOURCE: #(46) & # (49) Marriage cert) CHILDREN: (52) Johannes b. 18 Jul 1852 (53) Stephan b. 26 Dec 1853 (54) Adoline b. 17 Nov 1854 (55) Robert b. 26 Sep 1857 d. 19 Oct 1857 (56) Maria b. 11 Oct 1858 (57) Verena b. 16 Jun ???? d. 14 Apr 1861 (58) Karl (Charles) b. 24 Jul 1862 married (60) Magdelena nee' Hecker (59) Frederich b. 02 Aug 1864 - Family lived in the Kohlerwirtschaft #14 From a letter written from the archives in Ehrenkirchen regarding the emigration application of the family. From the BOOK: Die Auswanderungen aus Ehrenstetten und Kirchhofen nach Nord Amerika in der zweiten Halfte des 19 Jahrhundrederts. von PAUL PRIESNER (translation: The Immigration from Ehrenstetten and Kirchhofen to North America in the 2nd half of the 1900's.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Quote from Document) From Family of #44 & #45 {Kohlerwirt Lorenz Stiefvater told the district council on 16 Apr 1866 that he has decided with his wife Franziska nee' Wiessler and his six children Johann, Stephan, Adeline, Maria, Karl, and Frederick, they are 12, 10,9,7,3 and 1 year old to migrate to North America, that he doesn't leave any debts, because the town of Ehrenstetten had bought his and his wife's estate and could not fail the emigration permission.} After a long awaited process the permission was given. On May 19 1866. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT OF THE SALE OF THE KOHLERWIRTSCHAFT Dated 18 May 1866 signed by Lorenz Stiefvater and Franziska Stiefvater nee' Wiessler. 3 large pages long, in old script, explains the sale of the gasthaus and the surrounding area, including everything left in the gasthaus. Retreived from the Archives in Kirchhofen on or about 5 November 1998 by Trudpert Wiessler for Karen Helwig. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husband (58) Karl (charles) Stiefvater born: 24 July 1862 place: St Ulrich Church, Munstertal, Germany marry: place: St Nazianz, Wis, USA Wife (60) Magdelena Hecker (nee' Heinzen) born: 03 Mar 1864 place: died: 13 Jul 1934 Father: (61) Jacob Hecker b. 25 Mar 1823 from Prussia Mother:(62) Katherine Heinzen b. 17 Jan 1826 from Prusssia CHILDREN: (63) Adeline b. 21 Feb 1891 married (72) Arthur Hatfield on 25 Apr 1911 (64) Robert X. b. 16 Aug 1889 (65) Clara b. 13 Nov 1892 (66) Joseph b. 10 Apr 1896 (67) Josephine b. 22 Feb 1898 (68) George (twin) b. 26 Sep 1900 (69) Edward (twin) b. 26 Sep 1900 (70) Gertrude b. 15 Nov 1902 (71) Hildegard b. 17 Sep 1904 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wife (63) Adeline Stiefvater born: 21 Feb 1891 place; Greenwood, Wis, USA married: 25 Apr 1911 place: Greenwood, Wis, USA died: 23 Feb 1970 buried 27 Feb 1970 Los Angeles, Ca place: Alhambra, California Husband (72) Arthur James Hatfield born: 12 Mar 1888 place: Lynn, Ma died: 22 Apr 1949 buried 25 Apr 1949 Los Angeles, Ca place: Alhambra, Ca CHILDREN: (73) Dorothy Rose b. 26 Jul 1914 (74) Verona Mary b. 15 May 1913 (75) Son (76) Son (77) Daughter (78) Daughter (Note:Due to the probability of including currently living persons in subsequent generations, I will have to end at this point what I can put online. To contact the submitter for more information on this family, consult the contributors page on this site. Shari Milks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am the GGG-Granddaughter of Lorenz Stiefvater. I have taken a Video of the inside of the Kohlerwirtschaft dtd 6 Nov 1998, and some video of the inside of the Kohlerhof (next door) dtd 26 Jul 1998. I have taken a video and I have photographs of the houses and mountains of the surrounding area, to include photographs of the Kohlerwirtschaft dtd abt 1867 with the next owners of the Kohlerwirtschaft after the Stiefvaters sold the gasthaus in 1866. I also have video of the Gieshubelwirtschaft where Georg Stiefvater moved to with his family in abt 1726. video dtd abt 26 Jul 1998. I have video taped a conservation of two 80 yr old Stiefvater Ladies. They are Maria Stiefvater b. 1913 and Gertrude Stiefvater b. 1920 who were also the GGranddaughters of the Johannes Baptist Stiefvater. They live approx. 1/8 of a mile from the Gieshubelwirtschaft. (Gieshubel gasthaus still bears family names from the family of Stiefvaters. Herman Franz is a descendant of Franziska Franz who married Anton Stiefvater in 1850. Anton Stiefvater was the son of Lorenz Stiefvater and Agatha Riesterer married 1823. Lorenz was the son of (17)Johannes Baptist Stiefvater.) While living in Germany I searched and retrieved this information. Then I moved back to the states to find a descendant from one of the Stiefvaters family. A man who has put together the "Famous Stiefvater Reunion's" in Nebraska. His name is Wayne Stiefvater. He went to Germany and found at the church of St. Trudpert a copy of family records written by Willibald Strohmeyer written in 1938. Willibald Strohmeyer was a dekan who followed the travlings of Joseph Stiefvater. Joseph who married Anna Schatzle in 1890 owned the famous "Belchenhaus". Wayne found and photographed copies of records from this book called "The Book of Geneaology of the Munster Valley 1650-1940" With this book, it has confirmed many family lines. Though it did not contain all of the family from (12)Trudpert Stiefvater b. 1793 (I produced that information from the Erzibischofliches Archives from Freiberg, Germany with Birth and Marriage records. These families immigrated to the State of Wisconsin at St. Nazianz. These and other families from the area had apparently followed a preacher named Ambrose Oschwald from Germany. I have his records of work and immigrating to the states. I also have a piece from a book that was written about him and his doings in Germany. Many families came from Germany with names like, Gutmann, Riesterer, Grammelspacher, Wiesler, Schneider, Pfefferle, Burkert, and of course Stiefvater's. If you would like more information on any of these ancestor's please e-mail me. I am proud to share this information. Also, I would like to share a poem that I wrote about this search while I was in Germany. I happened to go on the day of my Birthday ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Family's Dream in 1866