Untitled Surnames: Pape, Schaffhausen, Richter, Tush, Schraudenbach, Beiter, Polking, Obermueller, Zuber, Lenox, Muckerheide, Albers, DeBecke, Kleiber, Mueller, Thill, Bruhin, Dreis, Grobschmidt, Salick, Stelphfling, Tobin, Franke, Duve, Kalterbuch, Doras, Mazzuchelli, Ragan, Causse, Princton, Hubbs, Brogard, Gibson, Brennan, Verhoef, Nuits, Vivaldi, Hodnett, DeVine, Bernhard

From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 94-95

REV. PETER PAPE, priest of St. Andrew's Catholic Church, of Potosi, Grant county, is a native of Wisconsin, having been born in Springfield Corners, Dane county, Feb. 14, 1866, son of Frank and Susan (SCHAFFHAUSEN) PAPE. Frank PAPE came to Dane county while a young man, married, and settled on a farm of unbroken land near Springfield Corners, where he resided until his death, in 1884. His wife is still living, residing in Dane county.

Rev. Peter PAPE received his early education in the common schools of his neighborhood, and then entered St. Francis Seminary, at Milwaukee, and was ordained to the priesthood June 22, 1890, by Bishop RICHTER, of Grand Rapids. He was first stationed at Kenosha, Wis., as assistant, remaining there two years. His next charge was the Church of St. Hubertus and St. Augustine, at Richfield, Washington county, where he remained three years and eight months, coming thence to Potosi on April 27, 1895.

Rev. Peter PAPE is a member of the Catholic Knights and St. Andrew's Benevolent Society. Although still a young man, our subject has shown a high order of ability as a priest, and has attached himself to his people in a remarkable degree.

St. Andrew's Catholic Church, of Potosi, Grant county, was organized in 1846, Rev. Andrew TUSH celebrating mass that year on the first Sunday in Advent. The congregation consisted of some twenty families, and the first church edifice was a small frame one, 20x30 feet, to which additions were made until it covered an area of 50x30 feet. Connected with the church from the beginning was a parochial school, which was in charge of a lay teacher, and later of sisters from various orders.

Father TUSH was succeeded by the following priests: Rev. SCHRAUDENBACH, 1851 to 1855; Rev. Michael BEITER, 1855 to 1856; Rev. Joseph POLKING, 1856 to 1857; Rev. T. M. OBERMUELLER, 1858 to 1859; Rev. F. ZUBER, 1859 to 1863; Rev. L. LENOX, 1863 to 1864; Rev. H. J. MUCKERHEIDE, 1864 to 1865; Rev. J. M. ALBERS, 1866 to 1868; Rev. M. De BECKE, 1868 to 1871; James KLEIBER, 1871 to 1872; Rev. J. A. MUELLER, 1872 to 1874; Rev. N. A. THILL, 1874 to 1877; Rev. A. BRUHIN, 1877 to 1880; Rev. Joseph DREIS, 1880 to 1886; Rev. P. M. GROBSCHMIDT, 1881 to 1890; Rev. August B. SALICK, 1890 to 1895; and Rev. Peter PAPE, the present incumbent.

The present church structure is built of brick, handsomely furnished, covers an area of 100x50 feet, and has a tower 12x14 feet beyond the main edifice. It was erected by Father N. A. THILL, in 1875, at a cost of $12,000. The old church served as a school for a time, but is now replaced by a handsome building, constructed in 1896, of brick, two stories in height, covering an area 80x32 feet. The ground floor consists of three large rooms, while the second is thrown into a hall. This building was erected at a cost of $4,200. In the church itself, the appointments are very costly, the high altar, put in by Father SALICK, costing $1,200. The congregation numbers 165 families, and about 480 souls.

The school, which is one of the best in the diocese, is in charge of sisters of the Order of St. Francis, of Wisconsin. The attendance is from 150 to 155 pupils, and the course of study a very fine one. The church has an Order of Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, J. P. STELPHFLING, president; J. J. TOBIN, secretary; August FRANKE, treasurer; and Jacob DUVE, assistant secretary.

St. Thomas Catholic Church, Potosi, Grant county, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1886, having been organized sixty-five years ago, in what was then the village of Van Buren, although at present not one of the original members is living, the last survivor, Celestine KALTERBUCH, having passed away since the half century milestone of the church was passed.

From 1836 to 1840 the tiny church was dependent upon missionaries, and among those who ministered to the faithful congregation during those early days were Rev. Mathias DORAS, now bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, and Father MAZZUCHELLI, of Galena, where the records were kept until the church was fully organized at Potosi. The first church building was of logs, and stood on the site of the present village of Potosi. Later it served as a residence for a Mr. RAGAN. On June 2, 1841, the records were brought to Potosi. Father CAUSSE was the first priest in charge, staying from 1840 to 1854, during which time he baptized 475 people, and his congregation increased to 500 people. Following this good priest were Fathers PRINCTON and Martin HUBBS, and then Rev. J. N. BROGARD, who remained until 1857. The next incumbent was Rev. M. W. GIBSON, 1857 to 1861, who was followed by Father G. H. BRENNAN and Rev. W. H. VERHOEF, the latter remaining until 1865. Rev. J. M. ALBERS remaining until 1865. Rev. J. M. ALBERS remained from 1865 to 1867 and part of 1868. Later Rev. NUITS and Rev. VIVALDI officiated, and they were succeeded by Rev. Thomas P. HODNETT. Father James KLEIBER followed, from 1871 to 1873; from 1873 to 1876 Rev. J. A. MUELLER was in charge, and was succeeded by Rev. James TIERNAN, 1873 to 1876; Rev. J. C. DeVINE officiated from 1876 to 1880, at which time he died, and was buried June 1, 1880, at Potosi. For a short time during 1880 Rev. William BERNHARD officiated, assisted by Rev. Joseph A. DREIS, and they were succeeded by Rev. GROBSCHMIDT, Rev. A. B. SALICK, and Rev. Peter PAPE, the present priest in charge.

The present church building was erected by Father CAUSSE, in 1847, at a cost of $8,000. It is a substantial structure of brick, covering an area of 36x56, and is two stories in height, with a steeple sixty feet high. The interior of the church is beautifully finished, while the high altar is a marvel of beauty. The building adjacent to the church was built prior to 1845, and was used as a female seminary by sisters from Dubuque until 1852. During Father ALBERS' incumbency arrangements were made to have St. Thomas made a mission of St. Andrew's, which condition exists today.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck