Meeting Grandpa

Kathy meets her grandfather for the first time
 

If she looks angry, she is.  Just as she was asking her grandfather silently in thought, "Why didn't you care", totally oblivious to her surroundings, her husband snapped this picture .

Through my research, I learned he did care, very much.  This knowledge made me and my mother less critical of him.

No, he wasn't perfect and he made personal mistakes, but then again no one is perfect.  But a hard life during the depression does have a profound impact on people. Feelings of hopelessness, frustrations and failures I now know he endured.

Genealogy has a way of discovery that can and do heal wounds of the heart. Happy that I could bring some peace and understanding to my mother, allowing her to better understand her father.





Black Sheep Sunday - Murder Intent

It all started in Grant County, Wisconsin, when James read a newspaper story of a 14-year-old boy in a double slaying murdered a man and his wife. The story led him to set a plan in motion.

Sixteen-year-old James hid in the shadows as his father, Glen, age 46, a part-time County Deputy Sheriff was putting the family car in the garage.  His mother sat in the passenger seat. James pulled the trigger on a .22 caliber riffle shooting his father in the back of the head.  The slug fracturing his jaw. His mother suffered shock and was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown.

James was charged with intent to murder in the impulse shooting of his father and was held on a $15,000 bond.  His plea was innocent by reason of insanity in connection to the ambush.  Authorities planned to take him to the Mendota State Hospital for a mental evaluation.  He was found to be sane at the time of the shooting.  James then changed his plea to guilty.

James was sentenced to a term not to exceed six years.

Glen survived this brutal attack by his son and lived to the ripe old age of 93.



.

Sunday's Obituary - Magdalina

Mrs. Crouch, 93, Dies at LeMars on Jun. 23, 1851
Civil War Veteran's Widow Came to U. S. in Sailing Vessel

LeMars, Ia.--Special--: Mrs. Magdalena (Roesch) Crouch, widow of the late Andrew W. Crouch Civil War veteran, who would have been 94 years old June 23, died Sunday morning here at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Harold Pew, after suffering a stroke Saturday night.  She was the daughter of Mathias Roesch and Magdalina Jehle.

Mr. Crouch, who was the last surviving member of the Grand Army of the Republic post here, died in January shortly before his 96th birthday.

Mrs. Crouch was born June 23, 1851, in Aachen, Germany. She came to the United States at the age of 5 in a sailing vessl with her parents, who settled in Wisconsin.

On September 15, 1871, she was married to Mr. Crouch at Potosi, Wis. The following year they homesteaded 10 miles north of Sioux City in Plymouth county, where they resided until 1901 when they retired and moved to LeMars.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Methodist church in LeMars, Rev. J.J. Share will officiate. Burial will be in the LeMars cemetery. Her grandsons will be pallbearers.

Survivors are a son, O. W. Crouch, Hinton; five daughters, Mrs. C. C. Hauff, Merrill; Mrs. H. Van Dyke, Sioux City; Mrs. W. F. Douglass, Hampton, Ia; Mrs. A. C. Lemon, Moscow, Idaho, and Mrs. Pew of LeMars; three half brothers, Otto, Charles, and August Roesch, all of Lancaster, Wis.; 19 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and a great great grandchild.

Four grandsons and three grandsons-in-law are in the military service. They are Lt. (jg) Dean Lemon and V-12 Student Ralph Lemon, both in the Navy; Maj. Guy H. Todd in France; S. Sgt Richard Pew in England; Sgt Donald Douglass in Pacific area; Pfc. Richard Stillinger and Raymond Hodapp, both in the United States. S. Sgt. William E. Bergman, a great grandson-in-law, was killed May 29, 1944 in Italy.

Note: She was named for her mother, Magdalena Roesch

Magdalina and Andrew Crouch

celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary

with their children

Milton Otto Roesch

Milton was born on October 15, 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Otto Roesch and Mary Belle Pierce.  Sadly, Milton died on July 5, 1908 at the age of six.  He is buried in Hillside Cemetery, Platteville Grant County Wisconsin.

Lewis Gelbach

Lewis Gelbach was born at Bettlehausen, Westphalen, Prussia, Dec. 26, 1833; came to Duncannon, Ps., with his parents in 1846, latter in 1857, to Lancaster, Wisconsin.

October 7, 1860, he was united in marriage to Maria Sophia Napp. They lived in Lancaster until December 1869, when they moved to Hurricane, where his wife departed from this world January 24, 1900.

In February 1901 he again moved to Lancaster, where he died Saturday afternoon about five o'clock, June 26, 1909, at the age of 75 years, 6 months.

He left to mourn his departure six sons and three daughters: John C. of Grangeville, Idaho; Charles H. of Kooskia, Idaho; William L. of South Lancaster; George F. of Albany, Wisconsin; Mary E. at home; Nettie L. (Mrs Charles Dolphin), of South Lancaster; Fred N. of Houser, North Dakota; Ida L. (Mrs Samuel E. Kemper), of Lancaster; Warren A. of Mt. Vernon, Washington.

Also thirteen grandchildren, three brothers and one sister: George of Spokane, Washington; Charles and Daniel, and Mrs Elizabeth Baker of Duncannon, Pa.

Mr. Gelbach was a loving husband, kind father and as honest, true and good hearted a man as could be found anywhere.

Why should our tears in sorrow flow
When God recalls his own,
And bids them leave a world of woe
For an immortal crown?

Is not e'en death a gain to those
Whose life to God has given?
Gladly to earth their eyes to close
To open them in heaven.
His toils are past, his work is done,
And he is fully blest!
He fought the fight, the victory won,
Then entered into rest.

Then let our sorrows cease to flow,---
God has recalled his own;
But let our hearts, in every woe,
Still say, Thy will be done.

Mr. Gelbach was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Lancaster. He also was a firm believer in the teaching of God, always attending church when his health permitted. Mr. Gelbach also enjoyed company and meeting his friends to the last.

The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at the M. E. Church which was filled with sympathizing friends who gathered to pay their last respects to the departed one. Rev. J.T. Morgans delivered a touching sermon.

The remains were laid to rest by the side of his wife in the Hillside cemetery.

from a Lancaster, Wisconsin newspaper

The Harbor City

My great grandfather. William Russell Roesch, Mayor of Eau Gallie, Florida and founder of the Eau Gallie Record newspaper, once said, " The writer has made his home here since 1883 with varied degrees of success in a financial way, but always looking forward to the time when Eau Gallie would become one of the foremost cities of the east coast". 

He was always promoting the area that he loved.  When he arrived here in November of 1883 he said of this place, "With a lavish hand nature has bestowed upon this little city many things that have been withheld from other less favored localities.  No place has a brighter prospect for the future".

In the early 1900's William put together this booklet, "Eau Gallie, The Harbor City", to describe all that the area had to offer.  It tells the story of Eau Gallie's accomplishments, history, fishing, transportation, boating & water sports, school & church's, graves, gardens and farms, It's location, health, conditions and surroundings, and it's future. The remainder of the book are old photographs of all the historic buildings in Eau Gallie, including Roesch's Highland cottages on Highland Avenue.

This booklet belonged to his daughter-in-law, my grandmother, Florence. She signed her name along the top. This treasure has been passed down to me.

Ever Been Broke

William standing in failed crop

By 1932, due to the terrible depression, many banks had closed their doors.  Money was difficult to come by and jobs were just not available.  The watermelon crop he grew to earn money by selling them dried up and turned to dust for there was no rain that summer. With no money, it was difficult to even buy food. His wife had wilted to 96 pounds and he became a stick of a man.

So my grandfather, William Phillip Roesch wrote this letter on December 10, 1932 in desperation to find work.

"Dear Colonel:"

     "In spite of the fact that for the first time in many long, lean years we of the Democratic faith are about to be allowed to come within smelling distance of the trough containing the dainty morsels known to the vulgar as federal jobs.  Along with about sixty per cent of our citizens I am getting ready to make a play for the postmastership at Eau Gallie, and am taking the liberty of using your name as a reference as to my political faith, general cussedness and disability.
     "Of course this is looking far into the future and anticipating what will happen, but when the time gets ripe I will certainly appreciate your support of my application.
     "I believe I spoke to you one time about a slight change we want made in Eau Gallie's charter at the 1933 session of legislature, but being so full of political warring at the time I have forgotten the conversation.  At present our City clerk is an elective office and a number of us believe that it should be made appointive.  Will it be necessary to advertise our intentions and if so how and for how long a time?
     "Thanking you for past favors and awaiting our reply concerning above,
I am,
Very truly yours,
W. Phil Roesch"

(1) Noah Butt replied on December 13, 1932

     "I have yours of the 10th and wish to advise you that it will be my pleasure to assist you, along the line mentioned in your letter, at the proper time.
     "When the time is right for such a move prepare for my signature such endorsement as you wish me to sign."

Two years later on Jan 21, 1934 my grandfather wrote Noah Butt once again.

"Dear Colonel:"

     "Referring to our correspondence of December 1932 concerning my application for the postmaster's job in Eau Gallie. 
     "The Civil Service Commission will hold an examination about February 5th to fill this position.  Should I be in the list of eligibles I will need your help.
     "P.S.  I have not forgotten the fact that I am indebted to you to the tune of a few dollars, but, colonel, have you ever been broke?  However, if the Lord or Mark Wilcox will smile on me maybe I can catch up again."
Very truly yours
W Phil Roesch"

Later that year Bill received a copy of a letter from Noah Butt that he had written to the (2) Honorable J. Mark Wilcox, M.C.  It Read:
    
      "The undersigned, being a qualified Democratic elector and a patron of Eau Gallie, Florida post office, respectfully recommend W. Phil Roesch to you as my choice of those eligible for the position of Postmaster of Eau Gallie and assure you any effort you may make toward securing such appointment for Mr. Roesch will be appreciated."

Ultimately, William was not appointed for the postmast position.

(l) Colonel Noah Butt, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and was chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority.

(2) Honorable James Mark Wilcox was a U.S. Representative from Florida.  He was graduated from the law department of Mercer University, Macon, Georgia in 1910 and admitted to the bar that same year.

Dr. Holmes

I went looking for Dr. George W. Holmes in a little town named City Point located just north of Cocoa, Florida. It was established shortly after the Civil War.

I had learned that my grandfather, William Phillip Roesch, had broken his leg when he was a young boy, while living in Eau Gallie, located south of Cocoa.  The only way to get word that medical treatment was needed was to tell the steamboat captain to please relay the information up river until it eventually reached Dr. Holmes.

This historic City Point Community Church sits on the beautiful Indian River shoreline. The church was used for Sunday service, town meetings, social gatherings, voting station and a school.  I discovered that not only did Dr. George W Holmes live here, he was also a member of the Board of Trustees that was formed to build this non-denominational church for whites and blacks in 1885.

He was the first physician to practice medicine in Brevard County.  He set  up his practice on the river so that he could quickly sail north or south to take care of his patients.  He charged $2 a call or $1 a mile.

Lake Roesch and Edna Thomas



June 6 1904
Potosi, Wisconsin

Lake's father was John Albert Roesch, who was

 the first born American citizen of Mathias and Magdalina

 who sailed to America from Germany in May of 1857

Walter Christian Roesch - A Veteran Surprise



Walter as a young man
with his parents,

Julia and Clyde Roesch

 Walter Christian Roesch was born in Potosi Village, Wisconsin on August 9, 1925.   It was in October 2008 that I learned that he was in Heartland Nursing Home in Platteville, Wisconsin, not recognizing anyone.  He passed away this past January 28, 2012 at the age of 86.  He was the grandson of Philip Roesch who served in the Civil War.  Walter never married and never had children.

Walter is remembered as a young boy carrying his violin to school as he took music lessons.  He spent many months in Eau Gallie Florida as a child with his parents in a cottage on Highland Avenue.  His father, Clyde, purchased it from his brother, William Russell Roesch, Mayor of this charming town.

After graduation from Potosi High School, Walter attended Bayless Business College in Dubuque, IA. During World War II, Walter served in the U.S. Army. He worked as an administrative assistant at the Potosi Brewery. Walter later worked at the Civil Defense Office in Lancaster until his retirement. He was a member of the Davies Memorial United Church of Christ, where he played the organ for over 40 years.

Five months have now passed since Walter's death.  Then a surprise came to me on June 22, 2012 in the form of a message waiting for me on ancestry.com.  It read: 

My name is John C. and I work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Memorial Programs Service and have received an application for a marker for Walter C. Roesch. Unfortunately there is a requirement that a next of kin signs the request in order to issue the marker. If you wish to be of help in this matter, please contact me at 888-101-1111 ext 111. Regards,

I immediately called John.  It seems a veterans agent in Wisconsin had called him about the situation for he said that Walter had no next of kin.  John told me that when these situations arise he researches ancestry.com to see if he can find a relative.  This is how he found me.

I was overwhelmed with emotion and so grateful for the opportunity to do something so very special for Walter. 

Voicing His Opinions.

Observations By An Observing Observer is a column my grandfather, Wm. Phillip Roesch wrote in 1925 in Eau Gallie, Florida.  Here is a small collection of his witty, subtle, and sometimes cutting  remarks to voice his opinion.

A few years ago the greatest preventive known to fond moments for Old Maidism was a partly concealed, well oiled porch swing - now replaced by the rumble seat in a sport modeled roadster.

It requires more time and attention to raise a crop of "wild oats" than one would imagine - and then the crop is worthless.

Over in Tampa the police threatened to jail two girls for appearing on the street without stockings - straining at a gnat and swallowing a horse fly - as it were.

If you want to find a prosperous town, find one where the Dove of Peace is a permanent resident.

Miami has a new method of showing police officials that the public is really their boss, by trying a few of 'em om ordinary murder charges.

Suggested slogan for the Garden Club:  "Make your house look like a home - plant flowers."




Strange as it may seem, you never see a checker game going on in the store of a consistent advertiser.

About To Take Flight

Thanks to Find a grave, I have a picture of my 2nd great grandparents, Philip and Helen Roesch's, gravestone.  I don't know what I expected, if anything.  I don't think it ever occurred to me to look for it because they were laid to rest in British Hollow Cemetery located in Rockville, Grant County, Wisconsin.   

 I was thrilled to see this beautiful stone with such amazing detail.  What excited me most were the feathered wings. How special that they would choose to carry their German heritage to their grave. 

These are the wings of an eagle and prominently displayed at the top of the stone.  The wings are elevated and the wing tips are facing up indicating that they are about to take flight into heaven.

Westward Passage

Mathias Roesch sailed from Baden, Germany with his family, arriving at Castle Garden in New York on May 26, 1857 after 46 days days at sea..  This was the journey they took by train to reach Potosi, Wisconsin where they lived and farmed.  (Ellis Island should read Castle Garden on the map)

Celestin Kaltenbach - Elected Official

Celestine Kaltenbach was born in Baden, Germany in 1813 and then coming to Potosi, Wisconsin.  In 1853 he was made Town Treasurer, the first town office to be held by a German. 

He  became the Dean of Postmasters in the United States holding that office from 1837 to the time of his death, March 18, 1891, at the age of 78. 

Before coming to Potosi he had mined iron for three years about Dubuque.  On coming to the "Hollow" he started a store (in the location then known as Van Buren) which he carried on for more than fifty years.  He held several town offices and was so much esteemed in the community that to hundreds his advice or admonition was law.

His grandson, Celestine David, named for him married into the Roesch family when he wed Gwendolyn September 26, 1934. 

He graduated from Potosi High School in 1918 and went to Duluth, MN to study electricity.  He was a mailclerk at St. Paul in 1919.  He worked for years in Potosi State Bank starting in April 1923, and was postmaster for 34 years prior to his 1968 retirement. On September 26, 1934 he married Gwendolyn A. Roesch.   A member of Grant County and State Historical Societies; National Legion of Postmasters and American Legion WWI veteran.  They lived at Whitewater after 1987. 

Gwen passed away in an assisted  living facility.  Her obituary read as follows:

POTOSI/WHITEWATER—

Gwendolyn Alice (Roesch) Kaltenbach, 86, formerly of Potosi, died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 1995 at the Fairhaven Residential Facility in Whitewater, where she had resided since 1987.

She was born Feb. 26, 1909 in Boise-Lancaster, the daughter of Lake and Edna (Thomas) Roesch.  She married Celestine Kaltenbach on Sept. 26, 1934 in Dubuque, Iowa.

She was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church and the Altar Society in Potosi.  She was a member of the Grant County Historical Society and the DAR.  She attended Lawrence University, the UW-Madison and was a graduate of the UW-Platteville.  She taught high school at Lancaster and Cornucopia for five years.  She authored a historical booklet entitled “Old Potosi” and other magazine articles.  She was also employed at the post office in Potosi for many years.

Surviving are a son, David (Shirley) Kaltenbach, Seattle; a daughter Diane (Jack) Trojan of Whitewater; two grandchildren, Andrew (Trecia) Kaltenbach and Lisa (Doug) Bush; one great-grandson, Jacob Kaltenbach; a brother, Keith Roesch, Lancaster; a sister Anita Schaefer, Potosi; a sister-in-law, Nellie Schenk, Whittier, Calif.; and other relatives and friends.

Interment services were held on Tuesday at St. Thomas Cemetery in Potosi with a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at a later date to be announced.  Memorials may be given to the church, the DAR or the Grant County Historical Society.

The Skindingsrude Funeral Home in Whitewater served the family.

 

Coquina Art

I just returned from a month long vacation in Florida.  Had a wonderful time dining in my favorite restaurants, enjoyed a three hour kayaking tour in and around the Thousand Islands of the Banana River where we saw dolphins and manatees so close we felt we could touch them.

Went to the Florida Historical Society and donated 14 newspapers of the Eau Gallie Record dating as far back as 1910 that my great grandfather William Russell Roesch founded.  His son, William Phillip, my grandfather, and he were both writers and editors.  When I approached my uncle Clyde, William Phillip's son who lives in Bunnell, Florida about donating the Eau Gallie Record newspapers, he gladly offered them to me to present to the Historical Society, which was most grateful.  Once they are digitized, the society will give both of us copies on a disk.

The town's name of Eau Gallie means rocky water.  It was given this name because the area has rocky ledges of coquina rock which gives the land a firm base.   I never really questioned how coquina was made except to assume that little crushed shells fused to together at the water's edge until I read an article in one of the newspapers before turning them over to the Historical Society.  Coquina rock is used everywhere as treasured art pieces.  Here is what my great-grandfather wrote in the newspaper to tell the story of the coquina rock.

"To the stranger here one of the things that particularly attracts his attention is the unusual rock formation along the river shore.  Coquina rock is the result of ages of work by millions of minute insects collectively.  This insect is closely related to the coral insect and works in the water in the same manner.  A peculiarity of their work is the fact that in many places as along our shores, they work in a circle making about one foot of rock around a sand core about twelve inches in diameter, thereby when the sand is dislodged leaving long straight perpendicular holes in the rock about every foot, these holes here are often quite deep penetrating the earth for many feet. 

"In the Atlantic about one-fourth  mile from the beach another line of the rock is being built and in time to come will retain enough of the drifting sands to make that the shore line."

These are obviously too heavy and large for me to carry home.  So I have a piece about a foot long that I have displayed in my greenhouse window with other shells.

25 Years Into The Future

Written by my grandfather, William Phillip Roesch, Publisher of the Eau Gallie Record in 1925.  In his words, February 5, 1925.



"Conditions change with the passing of time; 25 years ago when the writer was a boy, a street or road in this section paved with oyster shell with a width of 8 ft. was something to wonder at, and to go out of our way in order to drive over it.  Today we accept as a necessity 40 ft. asphalt streets and 18 ft. concrete roads - even pledge our property collectively in order to provide additional streets and roads, so that we may move quickly and comfortably from place to place.' 

"Twenty-five years in the future, in 1950, it is possible the elaborate systems of streets and highways of which we are so proud today will be used only as a parking place for our airplanes.  It is more than probable, it is certain, that development of transportation will continue and the airplane of 1950 will be even more a necessity to everyday life than the automobile of 1925 or the bicycle and horse of 1900."

Eau Gallie Woman's Club

Eau Gallie, Florida was a close knit community.  Women of social prominence had their own association, the Eau Gallie Women's Club.  The purpose was for "The Betterment of Our Town" and their motto was "Not For Ourselves Alone".  The club founded its first library for the town.

Programs consisted of, but were not limited to, a "Child Welfare Tea", "Americanism", "Sculpture", "Japanese Art", and "Crime Prevention".  The meetings were held the second Tuesday of each month promptly at 3:00 in the afternoon in the home of whoever was hostess.

My grandmother, Florence Roesch was named press chairman of the club, a natural choice whereas her husband was the owner, editor and writer of the Eau Gallie Record.  My great grandmother, Ada Louise Houston Roesch and my grandfather's first wife, Nellie Roesch, were listed in memoriam

The Mayor's Pick-Up Truck

In 1908 William Russell Roesch, my great grandfather, built a new farmhouse five miles west of his Highland Avenue home in Eau Gallie, Florida.  He named the street leading to his home Aurora Road. The name came from Aurora, Illinois, "The City of Lights". it was one of the first cities in the United States to implement an all-electric street lighting system in 1881 and it made quite the impression on the Judge when he saw it for the first time.  (William was called Judge because he was the Mayor of Eau Gallie.)

His new home was a modest three bedroom home painted white with a porch across the front.  It had a white picket fence with a gate that opened and shut with a latch.  Once inside the gate, a dirt driveway led directly to a one car garage. William was one of a very few people at this time to own a vehicle, a wooden platform truck with wood paneling that he always parked inside the garage.

The roads were dusty dry sand and hub deep.  High clearance vehicles were needed on account of the grass ridge in the middle.  The roads were impassable for most vehicles.  Oil pans and axles were destroyed on the Model T.

Behind the house and behind the garage lay the land for farming.  He had chickens and two cows.  He grew squash, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, peanuts and watermelon.  There were also citrus trees of oranges, tangerines and grapefruit.

Every year he would set up a long table on the right side yard and load it up with freshly picked watermelon for family, friends and neighbor to enjoy a big juicy feast.

He would use his truck to take his produce to market, and every week he delivered a variety of produce to his daughter-in-laws home.

Beach Beauties

Left to right:  Ada, Julia, Lena and Clyde Roesch
 Circa 1910
Sunbathing on the Atlantic Ocean Beach in Eau Gallie, Florida

Determination and Perseverance

Keith Thomas & Dorothy Lillian Koeller Roesch wedding picture July 18, 1934. 

 

Keith was a well-known farmer and had an outstanding purebred Holstein herd.  He was the first president of the Lancaster, Wisconsin Chapter of the Future Farmers of America.  At the age of 35, he was stricken with polio and spent some time in an iron lung; however, he continued to farm in spite of any disabilities.  

When he got polio the doctors said he would never walk again.  But he said he would walk and he worked until he could. At one time he even walked with a cane. Nothing was ever to hard for him to overcome. 

Besides hunting, milking cows and putting in crops he had a large garden he tended. He loved to go in the garden and sit on the ground and weed it while eating radish and onions.  He was known for his determination and ability to overcome all obstacles.

An avid sportsman, he loved to hunt and trap and was a lifetime member of the National Trappers Association.