Families (4)

Browns, Sugar Creek and Riggs, Waterford Township, Clinton County, Iowa

Compiled by Lorraine Houghton and Marilu Thurman, updated August 2006.
Thank you so much to Lorraine and Marilu for sending this information to us. 

The Perion Family
Andrew Perion, Sr. was born about 1823 in Maierle #11, Gottschee, Austria. He married Mary Rom in Austria. Mary was born in Bistriz #9. Four of their children, John, Andrew, Jacob and Joseph were born in Loka #16, Austria. Why they moved to Loka, I have no idea. The Perion’s came to the United States between 1867 and 1870. John married Mary Smith; Andrew married Elizabeth Carey; and Joseph married Ella Murphy. According to the 1880 census records, their other children were; Mary, who married Anton Fier; (See Fier family). Mathias, who married Mary Maurin; and Peter who married Mary Ludwig. The marriage of Maggie Banowetz to Andrew Perion in 1890 is shown in the Clinton County marriage records. This was a year after Andrew, Sr.’s wife, Mary, died. The 1895 census shows that he was living in the 3rd ward in Lyons, Iowa. He was 72 at that time, and his wife Maggie (Banowetz) was 58. There were no children living with them at this time. We have no record of a Maggie Banowetz at this time.

Mathias Perion, born in 1872, married Mary Maurin, the daughter of Joseph Maurin and Maria German in 1908. Mary was born in 1882 in Lyon County, Kansas. In the 1920 census Matt and Mary and their two children, were living in Delmar, Iowa. Mary’s mother, Mary Maurin was also living in Delmar in 1920. Matt and Mary had a son, Ray, who married Winifred "Dot" Hansen.

The Peschel Family
There were several Peschel families in Sugar Creek, and they are very confusing. Some of them were half first cousins, and some were the next generation, and some were siblings. The Peschel families came here from Gottschee area of what was then Austria. Many other Sugar Creek settlers came here from the same area.
Joseph Peschel came to the USA about 1861 and was from Bistriz #5. He served in the Civil War as a Union Soldier. After the war, he married Maria, last name unknown, and they had 2 girls. After Maria died in 1873, he married Maria Strutzel, and they had 4 children: Anthony, John, Mary and Annie. Maria Strutzel was born in Naklo #7, the daughter of Mathias and Maria Saje Strutzel, and came here about 1872. After Joseph died in 1880, Maria married Joseph Shelko, and they ended up in Cleveland, Ohio. Joseph Peschel, his first wife and 2 girls are buried at St. Joseph’s at Sugar Creek. Brothers, Joseph Shelko came here about 1877 and John Shelko came here about 1872. They were born in Von Javas, the sons of Joseph and Ana Sodja Shelko.

Maria, John and Joseph Peschel were the children of Joseph’s brother Johan, and were born in Bistriz #5. Maria came here about 1872 and she married John Shelko in Sept 1874. He was listed as a laborer in Waterford Township in the 1880 census. By 1900 they had moved to Clinton, Iowa. Their children were: John, Joseph, Mary, Andrew, Lena, Michael, and Frank. John Peschel married Annie Canda Brunskule and they also lived in Clinton, Iowa. Their children were: Anna, Veronica, Rosa, and Kathryn. Most of these two families are buried in Clinton, Iowa. Joseph came to the USA about 1886 and he married Maria Schoenfeldt in 1887. Joseph and Mary had 3 children before he died in February 1895. Their children were: Mary, Kate and John. They were living in 1st Ward, Clinton in the January 1, 1895 state census. After Joseph died, Mary married Albert Winkel. Peter Peschel, another brother to Maria, John, and Joseph, lived in Kankakee, Illinois. He married Georgiana Crevier and they did not have any children. Peter may have lived in Sugar Creek for awhile before he went to Kankakee. Franz, the son of another sister who stayed in Gottschee, lived in Ely, Minnesota. I think Franz was in Sugar Creek long enough to get his citizenship there in 1906. Franz married Johanna Zunic and their children were: Stefanie, Marjorie, Mayme and Anne.

Brothers, John and George Lamuth were 1st cousins to Joseph Peschel and came to Sugar Creek about 1860. Their mother, Catherine Peschel Lamuth, was an aunt to Joseph and they were born in Gric #14. John married Maria Styer in Austria, and they had 7 children, some of them were born in Sugar Creek. George married Catherine Vogrin, probably in Sugar Creek, and they had five children. Both men were farmers in Waterford Township. There is more about them in the Lamuth story.

Andrew Peschel is the same generation as Joseph (in paragraph number 2), but he is from a second marriage, so they are half first cousins. Andrew, his wife and 2 daughters came here about 1866 from Bistriz #6. Andrew, Sr. was a farmer. He and his wife, Mary, and several of their children moved to Todd County, Minnesota about 1902. Andrew, Jr. and his wife stayed at Sugar Creek and are buried at Sugar Creek. Andrew, Jr. at one time operated a grocery store and hotel and was postmaster. Andrew Peschel’s store and the neighboring saloon were destroyed by fire in 1910 when flames from the steam engine flew out. These were later rebuilt.
These are Andrew, Sr.’s children and whom they married.

Maria Peschel married Martin Pluth, from Dolejna Paka #8, and moved to Minnesota.

Their daughter Anna married Joseph Messerich, son of John Messerich and Appolonia Maurin. Other children were: Mary, Helen, Katherine, John, Joseph, Mae, Henry, Rose, Frank, Edward, Clara and Evelyn.
Anna Peschel married John Teshack and they moved to Omaha.
Children were: Anna, John, Catherine, Lena, Joseph, Mary, Andrew, George, Rose and Edward.
Andrew Peschel married Mary Lamuth, daughter of George, stayed at Sugar Creek.
Children were: Frank b. 1894, Ben b. 1895, Rose b. 1897, Joseph b. 1900, Genevieve b. 1902, and Ann b. 1906.
Catherine Peschel married Leo Pezdirtz, from Podzemelj #5, and they moved to Omaha.
Children were: Andrew, Joseph, Rosa, George, Lillian and Leo.
Theresa Peschel married Joseph Stuckel, moved to Minnesota.
Children were: Arthur, Clara, Edward, Mary, William, Art, Raymond and Clarence.
John Paul Peschel never married, moved to Minnesota
Joseph Peschel married Anna Lamuth, daughter of John, moved to Minnesota.
Children were: Gordon, Robert and Loretta.
George Peschel married Alice Grimes in Minnesota.
Children were: Marjory, Donald and Bernadette.

The Powers Family
John Powers was born around 1847 in Ireland. In 1870 John was living with his mother, Mary, and 4 siblings. His wife, Joanna Burke, was born about 1856 in New York, however her parents were born in Ireland. The Powers had the following children: Richard, John, William, Anna, Mary, Robert, Josephine, Marie, Loretta, Lydia, and Margaretha. In the 1880 census, John Powers’ mother, Mary Powers, born about 1828 in Ireland is also living in the Powers home. A brother of John’s, Matthew Powers, born about 1858 in Iowa, and a brother Robert Powers, born about 1860 in Iowa, is also shown living in this household. Based on the above information, we believe the Powers family came to Browns around 1855.

The Proost Family
John Proost, was born about 1848 in Prussia and died in 1925. He was the Shoemaker in Sugar Creek, with his shop located on what was later Reuter property. This was across the road and to the southeast of the church. His wife, Mary Woltering, was born about 1856 in Iowa and died in 1897. Their children were Christina (b. 1876), who married Frank Diedrich in 1897, (whose family emigrated from Luxembourg); Katherine, Herman; Ben; Frank; John, Henry and Nicholas. In 1920 John was living in Charlotte and he was still a shoe repairman.

The Reiff Family

From St. Joseph’s Church - Sugar Creek - 1855 - 1980
Peter Joseph Reiff was born in March in 1800 in Widdersdorff, Germany. He married Margaret Lemper in 1827 in the village of Esch where he lived until all of his ten children were born. Peter Reiff earned enough money to buy ten acres of land, which he sold later for $1000.00. It was then that Peter and Margaret Reiff came to America, landing in New York, to secure better advantages for their family, and to have their sons escape the military compulsory draft in Germany for all men between the ages of 18 and 21.

After a short stay in New York, the Reiff family traveled on to Kankakee, Illinois. Later they lived in Potosi, Wisconsin, where Reiff worked in the lead mines. Eventually, they traveled to Clinton County, Waterford Township. John Reiff, their son, married Catherine Nurre, the daughter of Henry Nurre in Sugar Creek on November 13, 1868. Upon their marriage, Peter Reiff presented his son with $100 in gold, which John took to a bank and exchanged for $130.00 in currency. The lived in the Browns area when their children were born: Henry, John, Mat, Mary, Gertrude, Margaret, Peter, Elizabeth, Herman, Ann and Christine. Gertrude, Peter and Herman died as small children. In 1892, the family moved to Early, Iowa to a 400 acre farm purchased for $40.00 per acre. John Reiff died on May 23, 1913 in Hotsprings, Arkansas. Catherine lived on with her unmarried children and died in Early, Iowa on January 19, 1935.

(Footnote: Herman Reiff’s son Joseph married Susan Underberg, daughter of John and Mary Underberg in Carroll County. Herman was the son of Peter and Margaret.)

The Reuter Family
Michael Reuter was born in Altenahr, Rhine, Germany, November 26, 1860, the son of Peter and Catherine (Gasper) Reuter, also from Altenahr, Rhine, Germany. Peter and Catherine did not come to the United States. They were engaged in farming. They were the parents of six children, five of which remained in Germany, Rhine Province. They were Margaret, Christine, Joseph, Katherine and Mary. The other son, Michael came to America.

Michael Reuter received his education in the schools of Germany until the age of 13, at which time he assisted his father on the farm. In May 1881, he sailed from Antwerp on the "City of New York" and after a two-week voyage landed in New York. He made his way westward, to Lyons, Clinton County, Iowa where he obtained work for a week on the public road, and then worked in a sawmill for four weeks. >From there he came to Waterford Township, where he secured a position on a farm, and remained there for five years.

On February 2, 1886, Michael Reuter married Mary Burken, who was born in Clinton County, Iowa on March 14, 1862. Mary was the daughter of William Burken and Lizzie Cossman, both natives of Germany.

Michael Reuter and Mary Burken had 9 children:
Elizabeth Reuter married Jacob Lehnertz. They had 3 children.
Wilhelmina Reuter married Michael Banowetz. They had 15 children.
Peter Reuter married Katherine Banowetz. They had 14 children.
John Reuter married Lena Banowetz. They had 4 children.
Veronica Reuter married August Frett. They had 14 children.
Catherine Reuter became Sister Laurentia.
Mary (Mayme) Reuter married William Keiffer. They had 8 children.
William Reuter married Catherine Diedrich. They had 3 children.. He later married Ludwina Franzen Luskey. They had seven children.
Joseph Reuter married Nellie Norton. He later married Martha Munseh. They had four children.

The Roling Family
The 1892 Farmer’s Directory of Clinton County shows Herman Roling, Sr. with a Browns address. In the 1900 census Herman and Christina had 9 children. Herman was born about 1854 in Jackson County, Iowa and Christina Woltering was born about 1858 in Iowa. The 1925 directory shows Catherine (Christina) Roling, with the following children: Henry, Kate, Herman (born in 1886, see below), George married Elizabeth, Joseph married Helen, Leo, Mamie, Lena, Loretta and Rosella. Herman, Sr. died in 1923 and Christina died in 1952.

The 1925 directory shows Herman Roling, Jr. with his wife, Agnes Soppe. They had nine children.

The Roschitsch Family
Michael and Mary Roschitsch came to the USA from Austria about 1875. Michael was born about 1845, possibly in Golek. Mary was born about 1847, possibly in Doblice. Their first 3 children were born in Austria, the rest in Iowa. Their children were, from census records: Mike, John, Mary, Joseph, Margaret, Peter and Matthew.

The Rose Family

The Rose family is connected through marriage to several of the families from Browns. A detailed history can be found in THE ROSE HISTORY-CONRAD, JOHN, and ALOYSIUS, and may be accessed through Arlene at arlenerose2000@yahoo.com. John Rose and Christina Helming emigrated from Helmern, Westphalen. John came first in 1865, and Christina arrived 6 years later. They married in Clinton in 1876 and settled in Center Township, Clinton County. Their children were Frank, Al, Mary, Lena, Theresa and Frances.

Frank married Maggie Kisting from Highland, Wisconsin and stayed near Highland where they farmed. They had ten children.

Al Rose married Elizabeth Banowetz who died of child birth complications after the birth of their second child.

Mary Rose married Joseph Skoff. They had two children. After the death of his wife, Mary, Joseph Skoff married Anna Boehmer. After the death of his wife, Anna, Joseph married Anna Luckiesh.

Lena Rose married Mathias Boehmer, son of August. They had no children.

Teresa Rose married William Holdgrafer. They had nine children.

Frances Rose married Anton Teshak. They had four children.

The Ross Family
Charles Ross and his wife, Frances Miller emigrated from Germany. At one time, they had a tavern in Old Browns. They had the following children:
Peter, who died young; John, who married Dolores Cleary from the Petersville area, which is south of Riggs and southwest of Browns. John Ross and his wife lived in the white house on the hill, overlooking Old Browns. As of 2005, this house is still standing. You can see it directly to your left, as you are heading south, down the hill on 308th Avenue, just before the bottom ground where the tracks used to run, and the buildings of the village of Browns used to stand.

Charles, who married Clara Portz, from the Springbrook, Jackson County, area. They had two children.
Joseph, who died young;
Ferdinand "Fred", who married Mary Lena Gerlich from Bellevue. They had five children.
Mary "Marie" who married Charles Wagner. They had four children.

 

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