April 2014

Ancestral Newsletter # 29

Hi Everyone! Wilson and I were on vacation down South. In February we went to a re-enactment of the Civil War battle at Olustee, Florida. Part of the movie Glory, starring Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick, was filmed there. The now famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment was the last company to leave that battlefield. The re-enactment was entertaining. Cannons boomed, men would fall, occasionally a palmetto would fly up into the air seemingly forced up by the explosion. The fife and drum played on as the cavalry and infantry engaged the enemy. Gunfire, smoke and cries of pain filled the air. Medics would run out onto the battlefield to retrieve the wounded. One unfortunate fellow bounced right off the stretcher as the medics were running him to safety. The soldier decided to walk the rest of the way. In spite of its entertainment value, I was always aware that I was standing on the ground where the actual Battle of Olustee was fought on February 20th, 1864. Real people fought, suffered and died there.Women lost their husbands and sons. Children lost their fathers. And, after the Civil War ended, the South faced great economic hardship. It has now been 150 years since the War of Southern Rebellion was fought. Or was it the War of Northern Aggression? Anyway, since this is the sesquicentennial year of the Civil War, and since HenryNeuheisel's father, Balthasar, was a soldier and prisoner during the war, I've decided to devote some space in this newsletter to honor those who fought. I've reprinted the story of Balthasar's imprisonment (newsletter # 14) on page 6. In this and the next few newsletters, I will be writing up mini-biographies of Anna Brechtl Riedersparents and siblings.

Hope you all have a Happy Easter!

Debby Klug 25332 S. Wind Lake Rd.Wind Lake, WI 53185262-895-2103debby524@netzero.com

Johann “Baptiste” Brechtl and Anna Hutter Brechtl

Baptiste Brechtl was born on May 11, 1848 in Ast Bavaria. His parents were Johann Friedrick Prechtl and Theresa Aumann. Baptiste had five brothers: John, Francis Xavior, Adam, Frederick, and Robert. There were no sisters. In 1866, he immigrated to America with John, Xavior and Adam. Anna Hutter was born on June 11, 1854 in Ast, Bavaria. Her parents were Johann Baptist Hutter and Anna Marie Liegl. Her siblings were Johann Baptist (infant), Johann Baptist Jr., Katharina, Aloys, Joseph (infant), Anna Marie (Catherine), and Joseph. She came to America at age nine along with her family. Baptiste and Anna got married on June 13, 1873 in Plain, WI. They had ten children: Anna, Marie, Kathryn, Margaret, Clara, John B., Cecilia, Alois, Grace and Herman. Baptiste and Anna began their married life on a farm later owned by Joseph Alt. In 1886, they moved to another farm (later owned by William Schoenmann). There is no photo of that farm. And then in 1890 they settled on a farm situated across the street from Baptiste's brother, Xavior. Finally they moved into a house that would eventuallybelong to Ferry and Anna Rieder. Besides farming, Baptiste also worked as a janitor for St. Luke's.

The tornado of 1918 damaged Baptiste and Anna's house and barns. It also destroyed St. Luke's Church which stood on the Brechtl property. Baptiste became distraught and his health began to fail after that. He died on November 23, 1923. His obituary describes the type of person he was: Mr. Brechtl's life was one of trials, but he never wavered in his faith. Through it all he was kindly, patient and cheerful. “The patient Baptist” his neighbors called him. He was ever mindful of others, consoling and cheering them, coaxing their tears to smiles, being particularly thoughtful and attentive to his wife, who had been an invalid for the past thirty-five years.” Anna had lived the life of a farm woman raising ten children but dealing with health issues. After her husband passed away, she lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Ferry Rieder. Anna Hutter Brechtl died on February 3,1938. Her obituary states: “She was a devout Catholic, a good and kind mother, and although she was in poor health, for the last fifty years, she always consoled herself and others.”

Below: home of Anna and Baptiste and a 4 generation photo: Anna B., Anna R., Laura & June Weitzer

Anna Brechtl Rieder

Anna Brechtl was born on September 22, 1874, in Plain, WI. She was the first born to Anna Hutter and Baptiste Brechtl. On November 16, 1896, she married Ferry Rieder in a double wedding ceremony with her sister, Kathryn and Henry Neuheisel. Anna and Ferry had seven children: Clara, Albert, Herman, Laura, Frieda, John and Donald.

They first rented a farm from Nathan Smith for three years. That farm was later owned by Joseph Brickl. In 1900 they bought the Ernest Buelow farm where they lived and worked for 36 years. Anna and Ferry retired from farming in 1936 and then moved into the village of Plain at the home that had belonged to Anna's parents. The farm was sold to their son John and later on to their grandson Kenny.

In 1946 Anna and Ferry celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends. They lived at the home in Plain for 15 years. Then, on April 10, 1951, Ferry passed away (at home)after a three week illness. Anna died on March 23,1953 at the home of her daughter, Laura, in West Allis. Anna had 28 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Ferry and Anna with Al, Laura & Ralph W. House in Plain 50th Wedding Anniversary

Maria Brechtl

Maria Brechtl was born in 1875, in Plain WI. She was Anna and Baptiste's second child but she didnot live very long. There is not much information on her. She probably died at the age of 14 in 1889. However there is another source that has her year of death as 1898. Perhaps the last two digits were accidentally switched. In 1898 she would have been 23 years old. She was not married.

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Kathryn “Kate” Brechtl Neuheisel

Kathryn was born on April 2, 1876 in Plain Wisconsin. Her parents were Baptiste and Anna Brechtl. Her name is also spelled Katherine or Catherine in the information I have on her. Kathryn married Henry Neuheisel in a double wedding ceremony with Anna and Ferry Rieder on November 16,1896. She was 18 years old. Kathryn and Henry had seven children: Children Spouses

1) Walter (1898-1971) Genevieve Grass (1902- )2) Mary A. (1900-1986) Adam Soeldner (1895-1980)3) Anthony (1903-1953) Emma Ederer (1906-1989)4) Cecelia (1905-2009) Edward Ederer (1895-1986)5) Hubert (1907-1986) Cecelia Bindl (1911-2005)6) Leonard (1909-1997) Lucille Thering (1914-2008)7) Frieda (1911-2000) George Soeldner (1906-2008)

The family lived on the farm where Henry was born. In the cyclone of1918 their big barn collapsed and was reduced to splinters. The article belowis from St. Anne's Hill The Plain Shrine:

Henry Neuheisel

Henry Neuheisel's grandparents, Johann “George” Neuheisel and Theresia Emser were some of theearliest settlers to arrive in Plain. These excerpts are from A History of Plain, Wisconsin: Henry Neuheisel

Balthasar Neuheisel was the son of George and Theresia Neuheisel. When the Civil War broke out the town of Franklin helped pay for the war in taxes and money voluntarily collected. They also sent volunteers to fight. Balthasar was one of them. Three million Americans fought in the Civil War. The average soldier was:

• 80% literate * average height 5' 8”• mostly farmers * average weight 145 lbs. • 18 to 29 years old

Twenty-five percent of the Union soldiers were immigrants or second generation Americans. I don't know when Balthasar was born but he would fit into that group. Other stats include:

• 180,000 African-Americans fought for the Union• 10,000 Native-Americans fought in the war ---on both sides • Over 400 women disguised their identities and secretly served

A union private's pay was $10.00 a month with an extra $3.00 for clothing allowance. Union daily rations:

• 12 oz. of pork or 18oz. Salted beef• 22oz. of bread or hardtack flour biscuits • Potatoes, vegetables and dried fruit

One in four Civil War soldiers died, with two-thirds succumbing to illness alone. The Civil War is considered the deadliest conflict in American history. 620,000 dead = 6,140,000 dead today 2% of 1860 population = 2% of todays population

Balthasar Neuheisel was captured. This article appeared in newsletter #14. It is from A History of Plain:

After Andersonville Prison in Georgia, Libby Prison is considered the second most notorious Civil War prison. The following articles are from Wikipedia:

The rules allowed prisoners only 6 lines of writing for their letters home. Here is one example:

In the earlier years of the war, the North and South traded out prisoners but the Union stopped the program because the South kept putting their men back into combat. When the North heard the horror stories of the Southern prisons they retaliated by maltreating their Confederate prisoners. Neither side originally intended to mistreat anyone. Both sides thought the war would be over quickly and they weren't prepared for such a large influx of war prisoners. The South, running out of men and money, could barely feed or clothe their own army much less the tens-of-thousands of prisoners. Balthasar Neuheisel survived Libby and returned to Plain where he and Theresa Alt raised a family.Their son Henry was born on May 21, 1874. In 1885, not long after Henry celebrated his eleventh birthday a tornado struck the area. The new barn that his father had the Cramer Bros. build was barely finished when the storm blew it off its foundation. This was the same storm that damaged Andrew Hutter's barn and almost completely destroyed the orchards of Andrew's brothers George and John Jr. (newsletter # 12). Henry Neuheisl would face another tornado in 1918. Henry and Kathryn had married, settled on the farm where Henry was born, about a mile south of Plain. They raised their seven children there. The youngest, Frieda, was only 6 years old when the 1918tornado hit. The big barn collapsed and was reduced to splinters but no one was hurt. In 1923, St. Luke's Church decided to build a shrine, on a hill, in honor of St. Anne. The congregation donated money, labor and materials. The stations of the cross would lead up to the chapel on top of the hill. Field stones were picked up and hauled to the site. Henry Neuheisel was one of the volunteers hauling them. One large stone had come from his grandfather's log home where the first Mass in Plain had been held. That stone served as a cornerstone for the chapel. St. Anne's Shrine was completed in1928. Kathryn and Henry lived on the family farm until1936 when they retired and moved into the town of Plain. In 1946, they celebrated their Golden Anniversary.

Henry died two years later on December 9, 1948. He died at his home in Plain at the age of 74. Kathryn died on February 7, 1960. She was 84 years old.