Heritage of Hope
1905-1983

Saturday, January 20, 2001

JOE RISSLING FAMILY

I was born in Franzfeld, Russia in 1902.  I came to Canada with my parents, John Rissling and Elizabeth (nee Schmidt) in 1905.  We arrived in Qu'Appelle where my father worked ont he section and in the flour mill.  We took up a homestead in 1910 in Denzil, before it became a village.  Dad had a family of 6 boys and 6 girls.  I remember the big prairie fire and the building of the railroad that came after.  In 1926, I married Agatha Weber, daughter of Martin Weber and Agatha (nee Meier), a family of ten.  They came from Russia to North Dakota in 1903 and then in 1905 moved to the Revenue district.  They first lived in a mud house with Battleford being their closest town.  I was a Coucillor for 7 years for the Eye Hill, RM No. 382 and a member of the Glen Eden School Board and Denzil Telephone Exchange.

Agatha and I had 6 children:

Betty is single and employed by Father Klein of Unity.

Martin passed away at 3 weeks old.

Angelena married Tony Richelhoff. They live in Red Deer and have a family of 3 girls and 1 boy.  Two of the girls are married.

Gertrude married Rudolph Rollheiser.  They live in Rosetown.  They have three boys and two girls.  One boy and one girl are married.

Rod married Rose Benz.  They have two girls and live on the home farm in Denzil.

Angelena and Gertrude have celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversaries.

Our youngest son, Ronald studied at North Battleford and Edmonton and was ordained an Oblated Priest of Mary Immaculate on April 5, 1975, in the Denzil Sacred Heart Parish.

One year later, we had our 50th Wedding Anniversary with our family and friends and relatives.  Father Ron celebrated the Mass.  A banquet and community celebration followed.

At present we are retired and are living in Denzil.  I am 80 years of age and Agatha is 77.  We are in fair shape - considering the normal aches and pains of old age.  We ask God to help us make it to our 60th Wedding Anniversary in 1986.

We have 11 grandchildre.

Sharon, Ann, Terrance, Bernadette, Jeanette, Richelhoff.

Timothy, Tom, Rosalia, Joe and Mary Rollheiser.

Dana and Lori Ann Rissling.