Wathier, Sebastian 1858-1935 & Susan Reiser Family

WATHIER, REISER, WERTZ, PEUTZ

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/25/2024 at 16:28:27

Wathier, Sebastian 1858-1935 and Susan Reiser Family

This family story was taken from the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Book of 1883-1983 page 225. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes have been added.

Sebastian Wathier was born in Jackson County, Iowa on April 22, 1858. He was the son of Mr. & Mrs Jean Wathier who came from the French province of Alsace. His mother’s maiden name was Wertz. On June 7, 1881, he married Susan Reiser at St. Lawrence Catholic Church at Otter Creek in Jackson County. In the spring of 1882, they moved to a farm in Sioux County ehich was virgin prairie that he had purchased the previous fall. The farm, east of Alton , is still owned by his grandson John Wathier.

In later years Mr. Wathier acquired more land south of Alton which he and this sons operated, but he continued to live on the home farm until his death.

Mr. and Mrs. Wathier were the parents of fourteen children, now all deceased. They were Matt, George, Joe, Charles, Henry, Leo, John, Elizabeth, Mrs. Lena Kohles, Ida Mrs. Mike Herrig, Mary Mrs. Victor Erickson, Anna Mrs. Al L. Streff, Sr., Clara Mrs. George Bowers, and Nicholas who died in childhood.

Susan Reiser Wathier died on February 2, 1929, and Sebastian Wathier on October 16, 1935.
(end of the family story in the St. Mary’s Church book.)

RESEARCH NOTES: From a family report on ancestry.com submitted by other than this submitter.

Sebastian Wathier was born Apr 1858 Otter Creek Jackson county IA died Oct 16, 1935 IA. Parents Johann Wathier 1818-1887 and Mary Wertz 1817-1887. Sebastian married Susanna Anne Reiser 7 Jun 1881 Jackson County IA.

Susanna Anne Reiser was born 10 Dec 1862 Otter, Jackson County IA died 2 Feb 1929 Alton, Sioux County IA. Her parents were Nicolas Reiser III 1836-1920 and Susanna Peutz 1840-1919. Sebastain and Susanna had the following children.

CHILDREN: From ancestry.com public member trees submitted other then this submitter, from local archives such as obit from this web page.

1. John Wathier born Oct 1882 Alton IA died 20 Oct 1916 Alton IA. See his obit on this web page.
2. Elizabeth Wathier born 10 Nov 1883 Alton IA died 1 Dec 1937 Kimberly Twin Falls, ID. See her obit on this web page.
3. Joe Wathier born 22 Nov 1886 Iowa died May 1969 Centerville Turner SD. He married Teresa Maria
4. Nicholas Wathier born about died in childhood. Alton democrat of Aug 19th 1891 A child of Sebastian Wathier died after sick for several days.
5. Matthias Wathier born May 29, 1888 died April 1956 Alton IA , See his obit on this web page.
6. Lena Wathier was born 15 May 1891 IA died 18 Jul 1976 Twin Falls ID. She married Anton Carlos Kohles. Children Fabian Sebastian Kohles and Anna Irene Barclay.
7. Henry Wathier born 30 Nov 1893 Sioux County IA died 11 Apr 1983 buried St. Mary’s Alton IA.
8. Anna Wathier born 21, Oct 1894 IA died Dec 1981 Alton, IA. She married Aloysius Streff: Their children were Aloysius l. Streff, Clarice Ann Jonas, Evelyn Isabel Bindner, Milo Douglas Streff, Hazel S. Schumacher and Arnold Mathew Streff. See her obit on this web page.
9. Charles Wathier born 9 Jul 1896 Alton IA died 2 Aug 1975 Kimberly, Twin Falls, ID.
10. Clara Frances Wathier born 29 Apr 1898 IA died 20 Apr 1966 buied St. Mary’s Alton. She married George Ernest Bowers, Their children George W. Bowers and James Robison Bowers
11. Mary Agnes Wathier born Dec 1899 IA, died 24 Dec 1933 Rochester MN. She married Victor F. Erickson, their children were George Henry Erickson, Clarence James Erickson, Raymond Harold Erickson, Leo Ferdinand Erickson, John Arnold Erickson and Kenneth Reynold Erickson. See her obit on this web page.
12. Ida Wathier born 17 Dec 1900 Sioux County IA died 31 May 1949 Le Mars IA. She married Michael J. Herrig.
13. Leo ‘Claude’Wathier born 26 Jul 1902 IA died 6 Jan 1970 Los Angeles CA. No further reference found.
14. George Wathier born 1909 IA died 1960 Alton IA. He married Dorothy List
Fisher. They had children  Lucille, Jeanne and John. See his obit on this web page.

OBITUARY Sebastian Wathier 1858-1935

Source: Alton Democrat (10-25-1935) Born: April 22, 1858 Died: October 16, 1935

SABASTIAN WATHIER, SIOUX COUNTY SETTLER IN 1882, BORN IN JACKSON COUNTY, IOWA--FUNERAL OF EARLY SETTLER HELD SATURDAY
Funeral services for the late Sebastian Wathier, Alton farmer since 1882 who died at his home northeast of town on October 16, were held on Saturday morning, October 19, at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church at Alton, the Very Reverend M.A. Schemel, pastor of the church, officiating. Burial was held St. Mary’s Cemetery, beside his good wife who died February 2, 1929. The six sons of the deceased pioneer acted as pallbearers. Mr. Wathier was born in Jackson County, Iowa, on a farm near Otter Creek on April 22, 1858, the son of Johann and Maria (Wertz) Wathier. His father had come from French province of Alsace. The family name of his mother, who had been highly educated in the old country, was Wertz.

On June 7, 1881, he married Miss Susan Reiser, also of the Otter Creek neighborhood, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church at Otter Creek, and after living the rest of the year in that neighborhood they came to Sioux County in the spring of 1882 where they purchased a farm which was the virgin prairie land. Mr. Wathier had come up here the preceding fall and engaged carpenters to build a small house on the place which is still part of the present home on the farm.

He was the last of his generation of the Wathier family, the younger of three brothers. The other two Nicholas and Mathias, preceded him in death. Both lived in Jackson County.Mr. Wathier’s judgment as always highly respected by those who knew him. He was conservative by nature. His livestock bore a high reputation in the neighborhood, his farming methods were thorough and the land well tilled. In later years he acquired two more farms south of Alton which his son John operated before the latters death. The tragic passing of Joe nearly 20 years ago was a severe shock to the parents. Mr. Wathier was one the exceptions who kept his head during boom times and never expressed any desire to purchase any more land after the death of his son John.

The names of the children who survive, not in the order if their ages are as follows: Math, George and Miss Ida, at home; Joe, Centerville, South Dakota; Miss Elizabeth and Charles, Kimberly, Idaho; Mrs. Lena Kohles, Twin Falls, Idaho; Henry and Leo, Anna (Mrs. A.L. Streff), and Clara (Mrs. George Bowers), all of Alton.Four sons of his late brother, Nic, were here from Jackson County to attend the funeral--Math, Nic, John and Waldo Wathier--and also Herbert Pitz, of the same county. The late Mrs. Wathier’s two brothers, Peter and Frank Reiser, and the latter’s two daughters: Misses Irene and Margaret Reiser, also a nephew, Melvin Lueken, all of Butt, Nebraska, also came Friday. Mr. and Mrs. John Feiler, daughters Alverna, Marie and Gertrude, of Granville, attended the funeral. Mrs. Will Henrich and her son, Arthur Henrich, both of Centerville, South Dakota, also came, as well as old neighbors of Mr. Wathier from Orange City and from the Granvile vicinity, as well as Mrs. Al Jonas, formerly Miss Martha Herrig, of Ashton, and Mrs. Anna Bellaire of Le Mars. Katherine Erickson of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, a granddaughter arrived Saturday morning for the funeral.All of the children attended the funeral. Mrs. Lena Kohles, Miss Elizabeth and Charles Wathier, of Idaho, are remaining here for a visit and also Miss Erickson of Cannon Falls. Mrs. Peter Reiser and Melvin Lucken of Butte, Nebraska, are also visiting here this week. The Wathier boys returned to Jackson County Saturday afternoon.

OBITUARY  Susan Mrs. Sebastian Wathier 1862-1929
Source: Alton Democrat (2-8-1929) Born: December 10, 1862 Died: February 2, 1929 CAME HERE NEARLY FIFTY YEARS AGO-- MRS. SEBASTIAN WATHIER DIED SATURDAY AT THE AGE OF 66 YEARS.
Mrs. Sebastian Wathier passed at her home two miles east of Alton Saturday afternoon after an illness of only four weeks. Mrs. Wathier had not been well for more than a year but continued to do the housework of her home as usual up until a few weeks before her death. She was taken ill with cardiac asthma this winter but kidney trouble caused her to sink rapidly the last two weeks. Her death was not only a shock to the family but to relatives and friends, many of whom knew of her serious illness only a short time before she passed beyond.
Susan Anne, was the oldest daughter of Nicholas and Susan (Puetz) Reiser, pioneers who came from the duchy of Luxemburg and settled in Jackson County, Iowa, sometime in the “50”s. She was born at Otter Creek, Jackson County, December 10, 1862 and grew to young womanhood there, being married to Sebastian Wathier in St. Lawrence Catholic Church at Otter Creek on June 7, 1881, Reverend Father Mc Horn reading the Nuptial Mass and solemnizing the ceremony which made them man ad wife. They lived at Otter Creek the rest of that year but in the spring of 1882 Mr. Wathier came to Sioux County and bought the quarter section farm which is the southwest corner of Floyd Township.
On that farm she lived the rest of her life, happy in the care of her husband and children. She was greatly attached to her home and seldom left her family for more than a few days, and in the arts of the home was excelled, perhaps, by none. The early years were filled with hardships as so many of our early settlers can testify. Children came and the necessities of life were not always easy to obtain in the first few years. Later prosperity came but prosperity to her meant plenty. Luxuries were not looked upon kindly by early settlers and are not so regarded now by most of them. But no needy soul ever called at that farm and left empty handed.
Her parents moved to Butt, Nebraska several years after her marriage and her brothers and sisters, of whom she was the oldest of a family of eleven, including seven brothers, survive her, the parents having passed on. She was a devoted member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and her family carefully reared in the teachings of that church. Fourteen children were born, the two oldest boys, John and Nick preceding her in death. The surviving children are as follows: Miss Elizabeth Wathier, Kimberly, Idaho; Joseph, Centerville, South Dakota; Math, at home; Mrs. V.F. Erickson, Mary, Cannon Falls, Minnesota; Mrs. Lena Kohles, Twin Falls, Idaho; Henry, Alton; Mrs. A.L. Streff, Anna, Alton; Charles, Kimberly, Idaho; Mrs. George E. Bowers, Clara, Alton; Miss Ida, Leo and George at home.
The brothers and sisters, who survive are: Peter, Frank, Joseph, Adolph, Charles, Benedict, and James Reiser, all of Butte, Nebraska; Mrs. W.J. Henrich, Centerville, South Dakota; Mrs. H.J. Cupp, Defiance, Ohio; and Mrs. George Luken, Butte, Nebraska.
Funeral services were held Tuesday morning at 9:30 o’clock at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Alton, Reverend John Housmann reading the High Mass. The six sons acted as pallbearers. Burial was at St. Mary’s Cemetery here. Many friends came to pay respects to her memory.
A brother, Mr. Frank Reiser and daughter, Irene, and a niece, Miss Dolly Reiser, all of Butte, Nebraska, and the son Charles of Kimberly, Idaho, arrived Monday night. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wathier and son Sebastian arrived last Friday. Mrs. Anna Bellaire of Le Mars, a cousin, attended the funeral and also other relatives from nearby towns. Many from a distance were unable to come on account of the severe weather and sickness. The family have the sympathy of the community in the death of the beloved wife and mother.