Unfortunately, Eli met with a sudden, mysterious ending. On 18 Nov 1871 Eli went to Decorah with a load of firkins to sell. (He was a cooper and a firkin was a small wooden “peck sized” container.) It turned out to be Eli's last trip. Rumor had it that he was murdered on his way home after stopping to water his team. Other folks say it was an accident with the team. We will never know the truth but poor Eli's family was left without a father and a bread winner.

Henry Jefferson married the girl next door and bought the farmland adjoining Katie’s farm.

My grandmother Delia who was only 12 went to town to work as a hired girl for Judge Coolie, (see David and Delia Musser story)

Charles Martin helped on the farm and when he was 17 years old he went to Great Falls, MT to the railroad shops. Later, he started farming at Hazel, SD. There he met and married Agnes Elizabeth Andrus. He later moved to Innisfail, Alberta, Canada on a half section in the Big Bend district.

Their farm was known as the “Brandt Stopping House”. In those days every 10 miles was a stopping place so people coming through with teams of mules, oxen or horses would stop to rest and feed and water the team. If the family was gone, they would make themselves some dinner and leave 25 cents per person in the spoon holder on the table.

Katie (Hochstetler) Brandt passed away on 22 Jun 1898. She and Eli are buried just below the crest of the hill in Phelps Cemetery in Decorah.

Brandt, John and Emma (Schroeder)

(Robert Brandt)

John and Emma Brandt and family.

John Brandt was born near Garnavillo, IA10 Apr 1873, the son of German immigrant parents August Conrad Gottlieb and Marie (Hartman) Brandt. John married Emma Carolina Schroeder of Postville, IA 16 Jan 1895. Emma was born 22 Jan 1875 and died 5 Feb 1944. John died 13 Aug 1957. Both are buried at the Pleasant View Cemetery near Castalia.

During their first 15 years of married life, John and Emma moved around a lot. John liked to “wheel and deal" in farms. They first owned a couple of farms near Postville; then in Ft. Atkinson, Cresco, Minnesota and finally in 1910 they settled in Bloomfield Twp., Winneshiek Co. near Castalia.

Many of their moves were made in railroad cars or they would have a sale and start farming all over again. After 6 years on the farm on the west edge of Castalia, he sold it to Charles Schweinefus and purchased 30 acres on the east side of Castalia. John was 47 years old and Emma was 45. It was time to stay put, which they did. By this time they had 4 children: Irene, Walter, Hattie and Oran.

They decided to build a house and other outbuildings. It took 3 days to dig the basement with 3 teams of horses and scrapers. The cement blocks for the walls of the foundation were made on the spot by Ed Mann, the local mason. Emma was a quiet person, but John was a talkative person and had to be involved in something all the time. He formed and managed a shipping commission in Castalia. He helped move the Lutheran Church from the Bloomfield Cemetery west of Castalia to the present site in Castalia. He was on the school board and the church council. In the 1920’s when automobiles were becoming popular, he built the first gas station in Castalia. It is still standing. The first gas deliveries were made in barrels by team and wagon. In the 1920’s John built large pens on his property and raised silver fox. There was a good market at that time for furs for ladies coats, capes and muffs. He bought 6 cows and started home delivery of bottled milk in Castalia. He began with horse and buggy at 5 cents a quart. The milk was delivered in the evening after the milking, warm and freshly bottled from the cow -no cooling or pasteurizing. He would deliver full bottles of milk and pick up empties. The empty bottles would be washed and filled again. Before he started home delivery, everyone in Castalia had their own cow. His last big project was the planting of a large strawberry patch. He also planted a number of blackberry bushes. He would sell berries by the quart.

Emma had a stroke in the 1930’s and was disabled for many years. Descendants of John and Emma still live in the county. Grandchildren are: Robert Brandt, Bernie (Bachelder) Koenig, Irene (Bachelder) Koenig; great grandchildren living in the county are: Stan Brandt, Sally (Koenig) Conway, Gale Koenig, Lon Koenig and Janene (Bachelder) Leeper. Also there are several great, great grandchildren.

Brandt, Robert and Marius (Engelhardt)

(Robert Brandt)

Robert Brandt, son of Walter and Annetta Brandt, was born  near Castalia, IA in Fayette Co. Marius (Engelhardt) Brandt, daughter of Edwin and Anna (Stee) Engelhardt, was born  near Monona, IA in Clayton Co. Robert and Marius were married 25 Jan 1948 at Castalia, Winneshiek Co. They have lived on their Bloomfield Twp., Sec. 4 farm for 45 years.

Robert and Marius have 3 sons: Stanley  married Linda Faldet from Calmar, IA. They live on a farm near Ridgeway, IA. They have 2 children, Shira and Brian. Shira married Patrick Gebel 7 Aug 1993. Bradley  married Janet Kurth from Ft. Dodge,