Bio: Schaetzl, Matthew and Ursula

Contact: Stan

 

Surnames: Schaetzl, Stasek, Ludkey, Dvorak, Sprenger, Quaw, Schill, Schnappsville

 

----Source: 1880 - 1980 Rietbrock, Marathon Co., Wis. Centennial, pg. 47

Schaetzl Family

Matthew and Ursula Schaetzl came to this country in 1878, with their only child Matthew, then 12 years old. They settled on the P. Hedruk farm now owned by Raymond Reuter. Later they moved to Rib Falls, then settled on a tract of land in Section 15, in the Town of Rietbrock. They cleared land so that they could put up their house and barn and grow food to preserve for the long cold winter. Clothing was homespun and wool was spun on a spinning wheel. Yam was dyed and knitted into warm socks, caps, and mittens. Mattresses were filled with straw and woolen quilts kept them warm on the cold nights. The cooking stove was their only source of heat. Tallow was saved and soap was made usually in the early spring in a large black kettle. Matt, being their only child, cared for his aging parents until their death. He married Gertrude Matthew Schaetzl and Gertrude Sprenger wedding certificate Sprenger, the daughter of Anton and Gertrude (Singer) Sprenger, when he was twenty years old. Their five children were: William, Mary (Belter) Helen (Biel), John and Joseph. After a few years they bought the Jake Bergman land joining his father's land, located one and one-quarter miles from Poniatowski. Matt had improved the buildings and toiled as the years progressed.

Not to far away from their farmland was a little village called Poniatowski, where a creamery was built facing the road, south of the saloon and store. It was here where Matt and his oldest daughter Mary operated the separator. The skim milk the farmers took back home to feed their animals. Later years a cheese factory was established.

Mary recalls that many times they had been left to take care of the farm work while the mother and father operated the Poniatowski cheese factory. During the Taken at Anton Sprenger farm, Matthew and Gertrude's wedding. In the winter months, in the early years, the cheese was made every other day. In the meantime, Matt scaled lumber for Quaw & Schill Co. at Schnappsville. Mary recalls when she was helping her father they sometimes worked day and night as whenever the price of milk went up they made sure they got the cheese out before the prices would drop. Besides being a cheesemaker he was also a treasurer for the Marathon County Farmer's Creamery Co. when it was organized in 1906. He held various offices in the Town of Rietbrock for 25 years. He was a Republican candidate for a Member of Assembly 1st District, belonged to a bridge committee; was on the County Board, took census, in the early years and also took part in church activities.

Matt later sold his interests to his daughter and son-in-law John and Mary Belter in 1948. To them were born six children namely: Gertrude (Dvorak), Marcella (Ludkey), George, Patricia (Stasek), Norbert and David. John and Mary farmed until John's death in 1959, leaving Mary to farm with the children until some of them found interests elsewhere. In 1977 Mary sold her farm to her son Norbert with whom she has been and is presently living.  

1900 Federal Census, ED 92 Rib Falls town, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 1, family 16

Mathias Schaetzl, white, married, male
years married: 2
estimated marriage year: 1898
immigration year: 1889

Household Members
head Mathias Schaetzl M 23 (Jul 1877) Bavaria
wife Gertruth Schaetzl F 24 (Apr 1876) Germany, mother of 1 living child
son Willie Schaetzl M 1 (Aug 1899) Wisconsin
father Mathias Schaetzl M 49 (Mar 1851) Bavaria
mother Ursula Schaetzl F 43 (Sep 1857) Bavaria, mother of 1 living child

 

 


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