Sunday's Obituary - John Boegel

John and Bertha Boegel nee Rosbeck (sitting)

John Boegel is my husband's great grandfather.  He was the fourth son of eight born to William and Katherine Boegel nee Melzer.  William and Katherine's children were:

Unknown newspaper

William Boegel Jr (b. 25JUL1875 / d. 09AUG1939)
Maria Boegel (b. abt 1876)
Katherine Bonlender nee Boegel (b. 21FEB1877 / d. 29NOV1956)
John Boegel (b. 12NOV1878 / d. 02MAR1935)
Peter Aloysius Boegel (b. 07FEB1881 / d. 19SEP1945)
Raymond Boegel (b. 29SEP1883 / d. 10JAN1946)
Mary Strabel nee Boegel (b. 29JAN1886 / d. 20JAN1947)
Theresa Boegel (b. 08OCT1888 / d. 04JUL1949)

John married Bertha Rosbeck on April 24th, 1900 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their children are all accounted for in the obituary below.  Their daughter, Leona, was my husband's grandmother.

The obituary is pretty standard.  Of course some of the women were merely listed as Mrs "so-and-so", but his daughter's name was actually listed with her husband.  Very interesting.  I was also impressed by the last paragraph.  It's evident that John was well respected in the community.  I wish I knew more about him!

"John Boegel

John Boegel, age 56 years, 3 months, and 10 days, a resident of the vicinity of St. Kilian, passed away at his home there at 5 a. m.  on Saturday, Mar. 2, after an illness of about a year due to a complication of diseases.

Mr. Boegel was born in the town of Ashford, Fond du Lac county, on Nov. 12, 1878.  Growing to manhood, he married Miss Bertha Rosbeck, who survives, on April 24, 1900, the couple coming to their present home 30 years ago.  Four children were born to the couple, three of whom survive their father as follows:  Roman at home, Leona (Mrs. Romand Kuehl) of St. Michaels, and Clarence of St. Kilian.  A son, Rudolph, predeceased his father 10 years ago.  Deceased also leaves one granddaughter, three sisters, and three brothers.  The brothers and sisters are William of Jackson, Peter of St. Bridget, Mrs. Gebbardt Strobel of Milwaukee, and Raymond, Mrs. Joseph Bolander, and Theresa of St. Kilian.

Funeral services for Mr. Boegel were held at 10 a. m. on Tuesday, Mar. 5, from the Miller funeral home at Kewaskum to St. Kilian's Catholic church, the Rev. John Reichl officiating.  Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Mr. Boegel was a man who filled his station in life with credit to himself, always giving the best that was in him to his family, his community, and his country.  His righteousness and sincerity gained for him the esteem of his fellow citizens and his family requited his devotion with love.  The memory of him will be kept alive by those who knew him best, the memory of a noble soul and a life that was worth living. The News extends its sympathy to the bereaved survivors."

[The clipping was hand-dated with John Boegel's date of death.  The newspaper's name and date of publication is unknown]

Family Recipe Friday - Oh Cookie Recipe, How I've Been Looking for You!

And for quite some time too!  Years ago when I was a teenager (and I'm not saying how long ago that was) my sisters and I used to make these cookies.  They had two of the things we loved most in them...chocolate and peanut butter.  They came from a small, free recipe book that Hershey put out in 1979.

The dough was always tough to make though.  There aren't a lot of liquid ingredients and if we used our hand-held mixer for this recipe it would smell like it was burning.  I'm not sure whether that was the fault of an old mixer or the cookie dough, but after smelling it we immediately stopped using the mixer!  It was hand stirring only for us and one time we actually broke a wooden spoon while mixing the batter!

My father had this recipe book in his kitchen and many years ago I asked for it.  I wanted to find the recipe that made those yummy cookies and make them for my kids. He gave it to me and I eagerly looked through the pages in search of it.

I'm a visual person.  I can remember where something was on a page, although I might not remember everything it said.  I remembered that the recipe was on a left page of the cookbook, but search as I might, I couldn't find it.  I couldn't remember it's name and nothing seemed familiar.  Then the other day as I was cleaning my kitchen I picked up the book again and turned right to it.  It must have been staring me in the face and laughing at me, it just didn't register.

My oldest son made the cookies while I made salsa on Super Bowl Sunday.  Since the Packers weren't playing there wasn't a big party like last year, but salsa and cookies (not together...ick) were required for the game.

Every oven is different so take the baking time with a grain of salt.  You want the cookies to start to turn golden on the bottoms so that they don't stay soft after they cool.  Yeah...that's pretty hard to do with a chocolate cookie, but after making the whole batch (and eating many of the warm, yummy cookies) I realized that they were undercooked when they cooled.  They should be crunchy, not soft.

Also, the recipe says to drop by teaspoonfuls...use your best judgement there.  Yes, that's the only way you'll probably get 5 dozen cookies, but they will be too small for my liking!  I hope you enjoy my little piece of nostalgia!

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

1 c. butter
1-1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
2/3 c. cocoa
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) pkg Peanut Butter chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; blend in.  Stir in peanut butter chips.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool 1 minute before removing to wire rack. About 5 dozen cookies.

Wednesday's Child - Raymond Dart

Clippings like this always make me sad.  No parent should lose a child.  Raymond is my husband's 2nd cousin once removed.

"Infant Son of Darts Buried The Morning

Special to Press-Gazette

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - Funeral services for Raymond Dart, six-months-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Dart, Luxemburg, route 4, who died Saturday afternoon in a Green Bay hospital after an illness of one week, were held at 9 o'clock this morning in St. Martin church at Tonet.  Burial was in the church cemetery.  The McMahon Funeral home was in charge of the arrangements.

The infant, who was born Nov. 1, 1949, is survived by his parents; a sister, Darlene, age 2; his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Matheys, of Sugar Bush; and his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. August Dart of Luxemburg."

[Hand-written "died Apr 8 1950"]

Tombstone Tuesday - Another Brick in the Wall

I've blogged about Dennis Dugan before.  He married Elizabeth "Bessie" Quirk who died shortly after giving birth to their daughter via c-section.  Their daughter was Elizabeth "Betty" Dugan and while I found her in the 1920 census with her widower father, by 1930 Betty is missing and Dennis is remarried.

Even though Bessie, Dennis and Betty are not in my direct line, I have spent a lot of time trying to find out what happened to Betty.  Why?  Bessie was the only other child of William and Mary Quirk nee Lee to marry and have a child.  The other was my great grandfather, Edward, and he had one child that lived.  He too lost his wife and second child shortly after childbirth via c-section. Despite William and Mary having had 9 children they do not have a multitude of descendants.  Part of me hopes beyond hope that perhaps Betty went off to live with another relative by 1930 and perhaps she married and had children.  I've found nothing to prove that...or disproved that, thus far.

I have hopes that someday I can find word of her.  She wasn't mentioned in her father's obituary.  Not a good sign.  There is likewise no grave for her in Holy Saviour Cemetery in Bethlehem, PA.  This is the cemetery that her father, Dennis, is buried in.  If she is buried there, perhaps it is under her married name.  A girl can hope.

I had hoped that Dennis' tombstone might add some additional information or chip a little away from the brick wall that are the Dugans.  Nope.  On one side of the tombstone is merely the surname "Dugan".  On the other "Auer," "King," and "Larkin".  I know his second wife's maiden name was King, and her mother's maiden name was Larkin, but I don't know who this "Auer" is.  Perhaps a clue.  I'll have to call the caretaker back and see if he can give me the names of these unknown people. Until that time, it doesn't appear that any bricks are coming down.  Sometimes I think there's a devilish leprechaun building up the wall instead.  Tricky little buggers, but I'm determined to find the gold at the other side of the rainbow brick wall.

[A very special thank-you to Charlene Teifer Stiffinella for taking the pictures of the tombstone and for permitting me to use them in my blog!]

Military Monday - My Father-in-Law is Drafted

Patrick W. Cayemberg, Jr

Doesn't dad look handsome in his uniform!

Green Bay Press-Gazette, 23APR1954

"Seven From Here Among Draftees

[hand-dated April 23, 1954]

Seven Green Bay men are among the 14 Brown County residents comprising the April quota of the local Selective Service Board.

The Green Bay inductees are Patrick W. Cayemberg Jr., 2023 Willow St.; James R. Smith, 1200 Reed St.; Harley R. Bopray, 1925 Farlin Ave.; Wilbur J. Van Ermen, 202 W. Walnut St.; Thomas G. Skelly, 218 N. Van Buren St.; and Donald J. Horkman and Bernard D. VanPay, both of Rt."

The end of the clipping is cut off.  I'll have to get a better copy when I go back to Wisconsin.  Usually the dates hand-written on these clippings refer to the date of the event, but here, I'd venture to guess that it's the date of publication.  I guess I'll find out in a few months!

I suppose the rest of the article wasn't that important to Patrick's mom who clipped the article though.

Sunday's Obituary - Who in the World is Benjamin Koss?

Well, perhaps I should rephrase that as, "Who is Benjamin Koss to my family?"  None of the names in the obituary are in my family tree or even familiar to me.  I can only imagine that this article was clipped because of his position in the community in which my husband's ancestors lived.  A rather gruesome recounting of the death as well.

I don't know which paper it was published in (I'll add that to my list of things to check on!), but most of the articles that were passed on were from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.  This one is hand-dated October 31, 1956.  I have noticed that this usually refers to the date of death rather than of publication.

I won't completely rule out that this person may have a place in my family tree, but for now I'm thinking no. Perhaps the article will fit into another researcher's tree.

"Koss Killed In Accident With Sawmill

[Hand-dated Oct 31, 1956]

Town of Luxemburg Chairman; Funeral Rites Set Saturday

LUXEMBURG, Wis. - A portable sawmill accident Tuesday afternoon cost the life of Benjamin Koss, 45, of Luxemburg, Rt. 2.  He was chairman of the Town of Luxemburg and chairman of the Kewaunee County highway committee.

Koss was feeding logs into the machine on the Allen Farm in the Town of Preble.  A slab of wood kicked back and struck him below the chin, severing his jugular vein.  He was dead on arrival at a Green Bay hospital.

The accident happened about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Owned Portable Mill

Mr. Koss, who operated a farm in the Town of Luxemburg, did custom sawing with a portable powered rig.

He was serving his third term as chairman of the Town of Luxemburg.  Previously he had served two terms as town treasurer.

Mr. Koss was a member of the Luxemburg Court of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Holy Name Society of St. Odile Church, Thiry Daems.

He was born May 18, 1911, in the Town of Lincoln, Kewaunee County.  In 1932 he married to Collette Junion in St. Odile Church.

Survived by Wife

Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Karen, at home; four sons, Eben, Glen and Karl, all at home, and Gene, who is stationed with the U. S. Army at Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Wash.; one granddaughter, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Koss, Town of Lincoln.

Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Lee (Marie) Fett, and Mrs. Frank (Rita) Havel, both of the Town of Lincoln; and two brothers, John, Rio Creek, and Matt, Green Bay.

Funeral services will be held at 9:30 Saturday morning at St. Odile Church, Thiry Daems.  The Rev. Anthony J. Righino will officiate.

Friends may call at the Weisner-Massart Funeral Home, Casco, after 6 o'clock this evening.  The Rosary will be recited at the funeral home at 8 o'clock this evening and Friday evening and 8:45 on Thursday evening."

Wordless Wednesday - Four Darts

Pictured above from left to right:  Odile, Mary, Louisa and Desire Dart (or so I'm told)

Odile, Mary, Louisa and Desire Dart are four of the twelve known children of Jean Baptiste Dart Sr and Marie Josephe Podor.