EAST OTTER TAIL COUNTY VOL. II 1994

Otter Tail County, Minnesota - Page 12

ALTSTADT AND BOEDIGHEIMER FAMILIES

        Arthur Joseph Altstadt was born August 8 1913 in Perham to George Jr. and Elizabeth (Krekelberg) Altstadt. He graduated from Perham High School in 1932 and from St. Cloud Teachers College and Moorhead State College. He taught at the Riestenberg School from 1937 to 1939 and at St. Joe�s Grade School from 1939 to 1948. He taught and was school principal in Ogema and Callaway, also teaching in Detroit Lakes .

        Arthur married Mildred Marie Boedigheimer, who was born on May 7 1918 to Clemens Ignatz and Anna Cecelia (Schornack) Boedigheimer, on Nov 24, 1938. They had six children: David James, Carol Ann, Mary Jeannine, Thomas John, Michael Allan and Kevin Mark.

        Arthur died on January 26, 1988 and Mildred on Nov. 19, 1991

        Arthur�s grandparents, George Sr. and Genevieve (Ott) were among the first settlers in Otter Tail County , coming here in 1870 from Johnstown , Pennsylvania . George Jr. was their first child born in Minnesota and the first child baptized in St. Joe Church. It is interesting to speculate that had George not left Johnstown when he did, they might have all been wiped out in the great Johnstown flood.

        Mildred�s grandfather, Joseph Boedigheimer, who was later married to Julia Schekall, came to Otter Tail County along with his parents, Bruno and Maria (Mary Bauhaus) Boedigheimer and six brothers and sisters, in 1866 from Mercer County , Ohio . Cholera had broken out there and many settlers left their homes to escape this disease. The Boedigheimer�s traveled to Minnesota with Father Albrecht and his followers. When reaching Minnesota , the group settled in the area along Rush Lake . Pioneer life in those days was rugged and difficult and their first year, especially, was filled with many hardships, their first winter consisted of endless cold, snowy days.

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OBITUARIES:

Antoinette (Siebels) Altstadt

        Antoinette Altstadt, age 87, of Perham , MN , passed away Tuesday, February 9, 1999 at the Perham Memorial Home. Funeral services were held on Friday, February 12, 1999 at St. Henry's Catholic Church in Perham with Father David Rieder officiating. Internment was held at St. Henry's Church Cemetery .

        Antoinette (Nettie) Mary Siebels was born June 13, 1911 at St. James Hospital in Perham , MN . She was the youngest of nine children born to Henry G. and Josepha (Greb) Siebels.

        Nettie was raised in the St. Joe community, attending St. Joe School for five years and then transferring to St. Henry's, from which she graduated in 1925. After one year in high school, she had to stay home to help her Dad who was a widower.

        Nettie married Frank Altstadt at St. Joseph 's Catholic Church on June 3, 1930. The couple farmed in the St. Joe community for forty-two years before moving into Perham. They were custodians at the Perham Bank for six years.

        Nettie was a member of Catholic Daughters, Christian Mothers and the Catholic Aid Society.

Surviving Nettie are her daughter, Florence Hammers and her son John (Rosie) Altstadt, both of Perham; seven grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren; two sister-in-laws and one brother-in-law.

Nettie was preceded in death by her husband Frank of sixty-seven years; her parents; six sisters and two brothers.

        Nettie always enjoyed a good game of cards with family and friends, after which there was always coffee and goodies.

        Arrangements were provided by Schoeneberger Funeral Home, Perham , MN .

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Enterprise Bulletin

Perham, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Thursday, February 11, 1926

OBITUARY: BENEDICT A. ALSTADT

BEN PASSES AFTER DESPERATE STRUGGLE AGAINST SEPSIS AND PNEUMONIA 

FORMER PERHAM BOY DIES MONDAY IN MILWAUKEE .

        Benedict A. Alstadt, better known to his friends here as Ben, died at Milwaukee Monday night from an attack of sepsis coupled with double pneumonia. He had been desperately sick for a week and little hope was held for his recovery. The septic poisoning developed from a slight wound caused by stepping on a nail. To further complicate the situation and render his chances of recovery very slight double pneumonia developed. He fought the combined forces of disease for a week before the battle went against him.

        Ben Alstadt was born and raised in Perham, and had spent practically his entire life in this village. He was educated in the parochial school, attended a short time at high school and took a business course at Little Falls. Returning to Perham he took employment at the Farmers Store, working there about a year and a half. Shortly after the death of his father, Wm. Alstadt in December 1924, he went to work at the Perham Mill in the position left vacant by his father�s demise. In November of last year he was married to Miss Farilla Weickert. After a short residence in this village he went to Milwaukee to live, the family having moved there some time before.

        Ben was 24 years, nine months and seven days of age at the time of his death. He leaves to mourn him, beside his young wife, his mother, his brother, Alois, of Wahpeton, and his sisters, Mrs John Schmitz, Ann, Molly, Louise , Frances and Katherine, all reside in Milwaukee . An older brother, Leo, died in 1914.

        The body was brought to Perham Wednesday and taken to the Weickert home, where many friends called to take their last look at the dead and pray for the peace of his soul.

        The funeral was held this morning at 10 o�clock and was one of the saddest of recent years. Rev. Fr. Haupt officiated in the requiem mass. The church was filled with relatives and friends and many accompanied the body to the burial ground where it was interred in the family lot. St. henry�s Society and the Perham Fire Department attended in a body. The pall bearers who were chosen were friends who had known him all his life. W. J. and Frank Bernauer, B. J. Drahmann, Clarence Jung, Leo Hassler and Paul Miller.

Attending the funeral from out of town were his wife; his mother, Mrs. Wm. Alstadt, his sisters, Amalia Frances and Louise of Milwaukee; his brother, Alois and wife, of Wahpeton; Victor Kelly, of Milwaukee ; and Dr. Harold Weickert, of Wheaton . His sisters, Ann, Catherine and Mrs. John Schmitz, were unable to come.

        The death of Ben Alstadt, entering upon young manhood and but recently married, occasioned general sorrow and regret in this community where he was born and reared, and where he numbered a host of friends. The sincere sympathy of all goes out to the young wife and the bereaved mother, brother and sisters, from all their old-time friends.

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