"A Place Called Schouweiler, Wabasha County, Minnesota"

A PLACE CALLED "SCHOUWEILER"
Contributed by Louise Huber

A small village in Luxembourg named Schouweiler was given its name because most of the residents living there were Schouweilers. We know the settlers went back to the 1300�s but we have no proof of their names. Therefore, I will start with those we are certain of. They are:

Nicolas Schouweiler, born 1685 in Hondelange, Belgium, died in 1755 in Hondelange, Belgium. He married Maria Shumers November 18, 1732 in Hondelange, Belgium. Their children were:

Child #1	Eva, born 1735�died 1740-50 from typhus. She was married to Carlos Thel.
Child #2	Charles, born 1738�died 1740-50 from typhus
Child #3	Dominic, born October 2, 1742 in Hondelange, Belgium�died January 12, 1812 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg. First marriage was to Susanna Hintgen, 1759 in Sprinkgen, Luxembourg. Their children were:

Child #1	Suzanne, born October 2, 1760 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg
Child #2	Jacob, born November 5, 1761 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg
Child #3	Barbara, born July 23, 1763
Child #4	Clare Jeanne, born February 21, 1765 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg
Child #5	Johan, born February 11, 1767 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg, died October 1, 1834. He married Susanne Hanson, March 3, 1795 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg. Their children were:

Child #1

Johan, born April 13, 1795 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg, died December 19, 1858 in Hungershoff, Luxembourg, married Johanna Neu, November 13, 1822 in Hondelange, Belgium. Their children were:

Child #1

Johan, born April 13, 1795 in Schouweiler, Luxembourg, died December 19, 1858 in Hungershoff, Luxembourg, married Johanna Neu, November 13, 1822 in Hondelange, Belgium.

All their children were born in Schouweiler, Luxembourg. (Here I need to explain: Several of these children were given the same name and that is why they have �#� with their names. Why? We do not know.) Their children were:

Child #1	Johan #1, born December 18, 1823
Child #2	Michael #1, born August 28, 1825
Child #3	Catherine #1, born January 13, 1828
Child #4	Antoine #1, born April 24, 1830
Child #5	Anna Marquerite (twin), born December 17, 1831
Child #6	François Jacques (twin), born December 17, 1831
Child #7	Susanna, born March 28, 1934
Child #8	Johan #2, born April 24, 1836
Child #9	Michael #2, born April 18, 1838
Child #10	Catherine #2, born February 26, 1842
Child #11	Antoine #2, born October 5, 1844

Children of Johan Schouweiler and Susanne Hansen continues:

Child #2	Bernard, born August 29, 1780�married Anna Catherine O�Rianne February 14, 1811, Schouweiler, Luxembourg
Child #3	Mathias, born September 17, 1802�married Marguerite Hiedelbach, June 3, 1854
Child #4	Nicolas
Child #5	Nicolas, born February 25, 1811�married Mandelaine Wendel, February 6, 1869�died June 10, 1875

2nd marriage of Dominic Schouweiler was to Susanna Hanen in 1772, Schouweiler, Luxembourg. All the children were born in Schouweiler, Luxembourg. Their children were:

Child #1	Catherine, born March 2, 1773
Child #2	Pierre, born November 8, 1774
Child #3	Catherine, born July 13, 1776
Child #4	Maria, born October 6, 1778
Child #5	Pierre, born August 29, 1780
Child #6	Johan François, born April 3, 1782
Child #7	Susanne (twin), born July 30, 1785
Child #8	Rosanna (twin), born July 30, 1785
Child #9	Dominique, born February 25, 1788

The people in the village, Schouweiler, Luxembourg, built a Catholic Church and began adding buildings of different businesses. They built a castle, which is now used as a nursing home for the lame and elderly people. The town grew but was never a city. It was mainly a farming area. They finally had a railroad for train transportation to and from their village.

Aerial view of Bettange, the castle in the center of the picture
which was built by our Schouweiler ancestors in the 1880s.
It is now a home for handicapped people.
Picture taken in 1978

Schouweiler's Main Street
Napoleon passed on this road.
The school and administration building are in the center.
Picture taken in 1978

The municipality of Dippach is formed by 4 villages:
Bettange, Dippach, Schouweiler and Sprinkagne.
They were successful farmers, blacksmiths, builders, and had many other ways of talents for making a good living. This was not to last. In the mid 1800�s times grew very hard to feed their large families. Wars and hard times kept getting worse. The younger generations decided to leave their loved ones and homeland to go to the �New World.� They had news that America was the land of �milk and honey.�

Six of the Johan and Johanna Nue Schouweiler children made that decision in the mid 1800�s. The first was their eldest son, Johan #1. Here I must explain why his name was #1. This is a mystery to all of us descendants. He was not the only child with a number. Later, another child was named Johan #2. Strange but true, they had two Michael�s, two Antoine�s and two Catherine�s. How they identified them and called each of their names, I do not know.

On the ship Johan #1 was on, was a family named Lehnertz. Their mother�s name was Catherine and there were at least two daughters and two sons. We can only assume the father Bernard Lehnertz was dead and buried in their homeland, Prussia.

Young Schouweiler and one of the Lehnertz daughters, whose name was Margaret, fell in love before getting to America. Her mother, Catherine Lehnertz, died from an illness while on the ship and was buried at sea. The two families landed in America and settled for a few years in Dubuque, Iowa. I assume they were married by the Catholic priest in Holy Cross Catholic Church because their first two children were baptized there.

Home of John and Margaret Schouweiler in Kellogg, Wabasha County, MN
After their arrival came brothers, Antoine (Anthony #1), Michael #1 and Catherine Klien. They had stopped off in Tiffon, Ohio where Michael and Catherine�s first child was born. They must have not felt that their marriage was legal because they also bought a marriage license in Dubuque, Iowa but were not married until they moved on to Minnesota.

They were married by the Catholic priest in Cook Community in Wabasha County, Minnesota. Anthony #1 and Angeline Puetz were married in Holy Cross Catholic Church as was their sister Catherine #1 Schouweiler and Bartholomew Klien. It is believe that these couples knew one another before they left Luxembourg. Frank and Johan #2 came later in 1856. He met and married Eva Lehnertz, sister to Margaret, Johan #1�s wife. Johan #2 married Anna Momper before leaving Luxembourg in 1866.

All six immigrants bought farms near one another in Highland, Glasgow and Greenland communities. They built nice homes and farmed their farms. Michael was of the business nature. He saved a little money, then loaned it out for an interest. Some of his children and grandchildren followed in his footsteps.

Four of the immigrant�s homes are still standing today and well kept. My great grandparent�s farm has stayed in the Schouweiler generations ever since they moved to Arkansas in 1878. The young couple that now owns it has torn the old house down and built a nice brick home.

I had the good fortune to go to a Schouweiler family reunion in 1990. It was a dream come true. Relatives came from many different States and from Belgium. It was a three- day affair. Those responsible for the work that went into the reunion are to be commended for a great success. I was able to walk on the ground that once was my great grandparent�s home. I attended the Catholic Church Mass that our immigrants attended. I saw their graves in the well-kept cemeteries. My grandfather�s sister, Johanna, was married to Louis Fisher when the Johan#1 family came to Logan County Arkansas to make their home. Johanna stayed behind. I visited with her grandson, Al Cox and his wife, Evelyn. I visited the home that once was the Fisher Family�s. This was the highlight of working on my family research. A cousin whom we had never met and his lovely wife took us to their home to stay those three wonderful days and nights. Leo and Kaye took us all over Wabasha County and I believe into Wisconsin. They took us around in Rochester where they live and showed us the beautiful Mayo Clinic Complex. My young niece had a kidney transplant in that hospital. Leo and Kaye, as well as all the relatives we met at the reunion, were wonderful people.

Now about our relatives from Belgium: You see, for years we thought the six emigrants that came to America were all that was in their family. We were much surprised when we learned they had five more siblings that remained with their parents in Hungershoff, Luxembourg. They were François �Frank�s� twin sister, Anna Margaret, Susanna, Michae#2 and Anthony#2. The relatives from Belgium are descendants from Anthony#2 line.

Three were able to speak English but it was very hard to understand the other five. The oldest was up in her eighties, but seemed more like in her fifties. George Biver, great-great-grandson of Antoine #2, was the family researcher for their families. He has sent me numerous records he has found and shared with several of us in America. It was certainly a dream come true. I need to add here the Hungershoff, Luxembourg, was a large farm and is still today. It is near the German boarder.

And now for my great grandparents and family that journeyed to Arkansas. They read in a church paper that the Railroad Company in Arkansas was searching for European family immigrants to buy land here in Logan County, Arkansas, very cheap. I think it was $2.50 an acre. Johan sent two of his oldest sons to investigate the land. They returned and told their father it was rich soil and an abundance of trees. They were familiar with cutting and sawing trees for lumber. When they got here life was very hard. I was told they had to live in a one room shack until they could get their home built. An older relative remembers her mother telling her that Margaret cried and said, �We left a smoke house full of meat and nice warm three storied house for this." It was even worse when they lost their baby girl. Anna was eight years old and while playing in and out from a heavy ladder that was on the side of the house they were building, it fell on her. Three days later she died. Not knowing the area, they did not know where to bury her. The first Monks had come to Subiaco, just down the road from the Schouweilers, to build the Subiaco Abbey. They had buried one man near their little one room log church/home. They invited the Schouweilers to bury their little Anna in the same place. It is now a large cemetery. The Abbey has grown to be a very large complex.

John and Margaret (Lehnertz) Schouweiler
Logan County, Arkansas
Johan #1 and Margaret had the following children:

Child #1	John Nicholas, born June 29, 1853 in Holy Cross, Iowa. He died December 4, 1933, in Ratcliff, Logan County, Arkansas. He married Martha Ezell, March 27, 1879, in Paris, Logan County, Arkansas.
Child #2	John Peter, born May 8, 1855 in Holy Cross, Iowa
Child #3	Johanna, born April 26, 1857. Married Louis Fisher, July, 1876, in Kellogg, Wabasha County. (The other six were born in Kellogg, Wabasha County, Minnesota.)
Child #4	John Baptist, born February 26, 1859 (My grandfather) died January 2, 1934 in Paris, Logan County, Arkansas. He married Frances Mauracher, November 24, 1891 in Subiaco, Logan County, Arkansas. She was a granddaughter of Karl Mauracher of Austria. He was responsible for the spreading of the famous song, "Silent Night."
Child #5	Gerhard, born February 28, 1861. Died December 23, 1895 from a gun shot.
Child #6	Frank Jacob, born July 2, 1862�died January 23, 1919 in Charleston, Franklin County, Arkansas. (He owned a merchandise store.) He married Angelina Klaeger, October 8, 1889.
Child #7	Eva, born September 13, 1864�died March 11, 1947�married John Metzger October 8, 1889.
Child #8	Anna, born February 13, 1869�died November, 1878. She is buried at Subiaco, Arkansas, as explained in the above story.
Child #9	Margaret, born March 10, 1872�died December 1963�married Edward Bartsch, January18, 1890.
Child #10	Barten, born March 1, 1875 in Kellogg, Wabasha County, Minnesota� Died September 1, 1875�buried in Kellogg, Wabasha County, Minnesota.

Continue with children of Johan Schouweiler and Johanna Neu. Data on family record.
Michael #1 and Catherine Klein Schouweiler had the following children:

Child #1	Catherine A. married George Howe�May 7, 1868 in Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #2	John Anthony and Mary Ann Mehan married June 8, 1877 in Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #3	Jacob F. never married
Child #4	Bartholomew William and Carrie Nelson married March of 1893 in Fairmont, North Dakota
Child #5	Emma Mary and Daniel McDonough married February 8, 1880 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #6	Elizabeth and James Kennedy married October 11, 1883 in Plainview, Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #7	Michael E. and Jennie Mehan married January 10, 1888 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #8	Nicholas A. and Nellie R???? marriage (unknown)
Child #9	Catherine and John Sorely married January 11, 1988 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
Child #10	Anthony never married
Child #11	Anna and William J. Kennedy marriage (unknown)
Child #12	George

Catherine #1 and Bartholomew Klein married June 14, 1856 in Holy Cross, Dubuque County, Minnesota. Their children were:

1.	Margaret M and Joseph Emmerick, marriage unknown
2.	Catherine E. and Garrett Graff married January 17, 1881�Conception, Wabasha County, Minnesota
3.	John Nicholas and Elizabeth Mary Bricher married July 3, 1885 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
4.	Susan and Joseph Graff, July 27, 1885 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Bartholomew Klein died July 14, 1863. Catherine married Mathias Markus later on. They had a daughter, Anna Markus. She married Michael Ellenz.

Frank James Schouweiler and Eva Lehnertz married June 6, 1856 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their children were:

1.	Sebian ?�born May 7, 1858�died an infant
2.	John Garrett, born May 7, 1858 (twin of Sebian) married 1st Minnie Sorrenson�no children�after her death he married Mary Bechan�after her death he married Mary Kolker
3.	Catherine and Jacob Howe married February 10, 1879 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
4.	John M. and Elizabeth Waugen married March 2, 1886 in Wabasha,Wabasha County, Minnesota
5.	Michael and Katherine Losch marriage unknown Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota. (The new spelling for Waugen is Wagner)
6.	Margaret and William Elsin married January, 1886 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
7.	Johanna and Herman Tushaus married September 28, 1892 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
8.	Annie and John Plein married May 15, 1889 (she was a twin to Nicholas)
9.	Nicholas died an infant
10.	Frank and Elizabeth Plein married October 25, 1893 in Conception, Wabasha County, Minnesota
11.	Peter and Willamina Plein married March 1, 1895 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
12.	Elizabeth and Anthony Wampach married August 13, 1908 in Watopa, Wabasha County, Minnesota
13.	Garrett and Mary Clausen married May 7, 1891 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
14.	Jacob Andrew and Clara Hostettler married November 4, 1804 in Conception, Wabasha County, Minnesota

The Peter and Willamina (Plein) Schouweiler Family
(Peter is the son of Frank and Eva)

Front Row L to R: Fred, Peter Sr., Raymond, Theresa, Laurall, Willamina and Anna
Back Row: Clara, Mary (Sister Ann Marie O.S.B.) Peter Jr., Leo, Joseph and Edna
John #2 Schouweiler and Anna Mumper Married June 18, 1860 in Hondelange, Belgium. Their children were:

1.	Nicholas and Eva Peters, married June 24, 1890 in Wabasha County, Minnesota
2.	Mary A. and Nicholas Brucher married September 28, 1884 in Conception, Wabasha County, Minnesota
3.	Catherine died at birth
4.	John H and Julia Graff married September 26, 1892
5.	Michael died a small child
6.	Anthony died a small child
7.	Frank died a small child
8.	George died at birth
9.	George R. and Anna Reil married October 19, 1909 in Kellogg, Wabasha County, Minnesota

Anthony #1 and Angeline Puetz were married June 25, 1855 in Holy Cross, Dubuque County, Iowa. Their children were:

1.	Catherine and George Young were married June 8, 1876 in Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota
2.	Mary and Peter Tibesar married April 4, 1880 in Kellogg, Wabasha County, Minnesota
3.	Peter and Barbara Klein married June 27, 1893
4.	Anna died about 1 year of age
5.	Margaret and Adolph F. Rauch married in 1900 in Minnesota
6.	Frank James died about 1 year old
7.	Katherine died at birth
8.	Michael died when he was about 6 years old
9.	Susan never married

Members of the Anthony and Angeline Schouweiler Family:

Seated L-R: Florence Young, Frank Young, George Young
Standing L-R: Catherine (Schouweiler) Young, Kermit Zickrick, Berneice Young, Ida Mae Schoff Young, Margaret Young Zickrick

George and Catherine (Schouweiler) Young were the parents of Frank Young and Margaret Young Zickrick. Margaret was the mother of Kermit Zickrick. Frank Young was the husband of Ida Mae (Schoff) Young. Their children were Florence Young and Berneice Young.

Daughters of George and Catherine (Schouweiler) Young
L-R: Margaret (Young) Zickrick, Cecilia (Young) Beckman and ?

Angeline Puetz, age 91, widow of Anthony Schouweiler, emigrant #3. She lived to be 93.
All six of the Schouweiler emigrants settled in Wabasha County, Minnesota. All lived and died there except my Great Grandfather, Johan #1. I have already explained their move to Arkansas in 1878. Many descendents of these pioneers are still in Wabasha County and other parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas as well as all over the USA. I have found them from coast to coast and both North and South.

SCHOUWEILER RELATIVES
WABASHA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ABOUT 1934

Front Row L-R: Elizabeth Schouweiler Wampach (Anthony), Anna Schouweiler Plein (John), Catherine Schouweiler Howe (Jacob), Julia (Suzie) Graff Schouweiler (John H.) and Suzie (Klein?) Graff (Joseph?)

Back Row L-R: John Klein?, Some think this is John Klein, Frank Howe?, John H. Schouweiler, Paul Schouweiler, Irwin Schouweiler
Elizabeth, Anna and Catherine were daughters of the emigrants, Frank and Eva Schouweiler.
Julia (Suzie) is sister to Joseph Graff, husband of Suzie Klein Graff who was daughter of the emigrants, Bartholomew and Catherine (Schouweiler) Klein.
John Klein was also son of Bartholomew and Catherine
John H. Schouweiler was son of emigrants John (#2) and Anna Mumper Schouweiler.
Paul and Irwin Schouweiler were sons of John H. and Julia Suzie Graff Schouweiler.
Frank Howe's relationship is unknown.

Fred & Mary (Thill) Plein and daughters: Florence, Mary Lou and Eleanore

Mary Thill Plein, age 92 in 1986
Other siblings of this family of emigrants that stayed in Luxembourg were:

7.	Anna Marguerite and Michael Wagner married in 1859 in Hondelange, Belgium
8.	Susanna and Nicolas Kohn marriage unknown
9.	Michael #2 and Marguerite Wagner married January 20, 1854 in Behange, Messaney, Belgium
10.	Catherine #2 and Michael Gautier married in Luxembourg
11.	Antoine #2 married Marguerite Wagner (I assume the two Marguerite Wagner ladies were two separate people, maybe sisters, the way people named their children back then.)

I do not claim that everything I have written is correct. Much of it was handed to me without proof. If anyone that reads this has corrections, please notify me. I will appreciate any corrections or additions. My Email address is: [email protected]

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