Sister M. Adele Hirt (1894 - 1992)

Like Sister Gratiana, Sister Adele is the great aunt of my generation; the sister of our grandfather Louis Hirt, and daughter of Mary Ann and Andrew Hirt.  Following is an extended obituary written by her friend and colleague, Sister M. Bona Ney with links to informational websites and pictures added by Jim Oehler.

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    Friday, March 13, 1992, was a happy day in the life of Sister M. Adele Hirt.  On that day she was released from her sufferings and went home to God after a long life approaching 98 years.  The time of her departure was 6:05 am, and the place was St. Clare Convent, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

    Applicable to her were the words from Psalm 100, which the Sister prayed soon after in their Morning Prayer:

                    Ant.: Let us go into God's presence singing for joy.

                            Cry out with joy to the Lord....
                            Come before him, singing for joy.

                            Know that he, the Lord, is God,
                            He made us, we belong to him,
                            We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

                            Go within his gates, giving thanks,
                            Enter his courts with songs of praise.
                            Give thanks to him and bless his name.

    Sister M. Adele was born in Medford, Wisconsin, on July 9, 1894.  She was the seventh child of Andrew and Mary Anne (Brost) Hirt, homesteaders in Taylor County, Wisconsin.  They were the parents of fourteen children--eight daughters and six sons, all of whom reached adulthood.  They gave their seventh child the name Gertrude Marcella when she was baptized.

Gertrude (later Sister Adele; seated), Helen Hirt (standing left),
and Elizabeth Hirt approximately 1910.

    With her brothers and sisters, Gertrude attended the district elementary school and grew up on their parents' dairy farm.  Her sister Frances (later Sister M. Gratiana), who was the fifth child, three years older than Gertrude, entered the Community of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in Marshfield, Wisconsin, in 1908, when she was seventeen, and Gertrude followed her into religious life on September 18, 1911, also at the age of seventeen.  In an interview for a newspaper in 1989, she stated that she was encouraged by her parents, who were of German descent, to serve the Lord.  "My parents," she said, "were anxious to have their girls become Sisters, to bring blessing to the family." She was received into the novitiate in Marshfield as Mary Adele of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on September 29, 1912, and took her first vows on October 4, 1914.  Meanwhile she attended St. Mary's Convent High School in Marshfield, from which she graduated in 1915. She then attended the summer session at Stevens Point Normal. In August 1915 she was sent to teach at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Wabasha, Minnesota.  This was the first of her 75 years of teaching.  She wrote, "When I started out teaching, only a high school diploma and a county examination were needed to teach elementary schools.  But every summer we were obliged to take courses in normal schools or teachers' colleges to continue our educational studies." She earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Wichita, in Wichita, Kansas, in 1937, and after that continued to keep updated with summer courses and much reading.  She kept up on civic and world affairs as well, and wherever she was missioned she registered so as to be able to vote when the time came for it.

Circa 1915.  Vintage postcard that was posted for sale on Ebay. 

    Sister M. Adele taught at the following schools during her 75 years "out on the mission":

        St. Joseph's Orphanage, Wabasha, Minnesota, 1915-1916
        Public school in Villanueva, New Mexico, 1916-1928
        Public school in Ribera, New Mexico, 1928-1930
        St. Mary's School, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, 1930-1933
        St. Rose School, Mt Vernon, Kansas, 1933-1939
        St. Louis School, Waterloo, Kansas, 1939-1942
        Mother of Perpetual Help School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1942-1945
        (She was the first principal at this school.)
        St. Rose School, Mt. Vernon, Kansas, 1945-1947
        Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Wichita, Kansas, 1947-1953
        St. Mary's School, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, 1953-1956
        Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Wichita, Kansas, 1956-1964
        Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Wichita, Kansas, 1964-1965
        St. Mary's School, Auburn, Iowa, 1965-1969
        Santa Nino Catechetical School, Aragon, New Mexico, 1969-1970
        St. Ann's School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 1970-1972
        Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Gallup, New Mexico, 1972-1979 (While at this place,
        she traveled to Ft. Wingate every Wednesday night to give religious instructions to
        Navajo Indians.)
        San Rafael Mission, San Rafael, New Mexico, 1979-1986 (CCD and parish work)
        Holy Trinity Parish, Flora Vista, New Mexico, 1986-July 1990 (parish work and
        CCD)

[This equates to 15 different schools in six different states in 75 years of teaching.]

    Sister M. Adele taught in all the grades, the first through the eighth.  In the interview mentioned above, she said, "Teaching was so much easier in my day [her earlier years].  Discipline just wasn't a problem.  If we had a problem, we took care of it in the classroom."  Much of her discipline, she said, was implemented by joining the students' activities.  If she had playground duty, she was always sure to become a member of one of the teams involved in a game of baseball or marbles.  Because of her direct involvement and good rapport with the children, they did as was expected of them.  One of her students when she taught in Waterloo, Kansas (1939-1942), was the present Bishop Eugene Gerber of Wichita.  In a letter that he wrote to her a few years ago he reminded her of those days.  Another former student of hers when she taught in Mt. Vernon, Kansas, is our Sister M. Loretta Jacobs.  Sister Adele was the principal and superior and taught the upper grades from about 1933-1970.  In 1983, when she was almost 90 years old, she wrote, "Since my health is good, I do not see any reason for retiring at this time."  During these latter years, from about 1970 on, she did remedial work, taught CCD, prepared children for First Communion, and helped in the parish and in the convent.

Sister Adele, Joe Ziehlke (brother-in-law), and Martha Hirt Ziehlke (sister) in 1981.

Sister Adele in 1984 during a family visit to Wisconsin.  Specific location unknown.

    When her sister, Sister Gratiana, died in June 1987, Sister M. Adele wrote the obituary report.  Like her sister, she loved to collect rocks in the hills and mountains in New Mexico.  These she polished and made into jewelry--necklaces and bracelets.

    In the summer of 1989 she lost most of her hearing in her good ear, as the result of an infection, and decided that it was time for her to retire at the end of the 1989-1990 term. 

    She came to Our Lady of Sorrows Convent in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to retire on July 31, 1990.  But she continued to be very active, when she was not spending time in prayer.  She made many rosaries, did much reading, and took walks on the convent grounds.  In October of that year she began to experience severe abdominal pains. She was admitted to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa for tests, which indicated that she had an inoperable malignant tumor.  She was discharged to St. Clare Convent on November 8, and remained at St. Clare's during the time that she was undergoing treatments for the cancer.  By May 14, 1991, she felt well enough to move back to her room at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent.  She busied herself as before with praying, reading, and visiting the ducks at the pond on the grounds of Fanciscan Villa.  She also spent time reading to the visually impaired Sisters at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent and St. Clare Convent. 

    She celebrated 80 years in our congregation on August 25 at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent.  For that occasion her sister Martha came from Ohio to spend a few days with her.  This was her fifth jubilee; she celebrated her silver jubilee in 1939, her golden in 1961, her diamond (60 years) in 1971, and her 75th in 1986.

    By the end of 1991 her health was visibly failing; she was experiencing much nausea.  In the beginning of January a Sister who had not seen her for a few months visited her and saw the change in her.  She expressed her concern about her health and encouraged her to become more active.  Sister M. Adele's response was that she would get back to making some rosaries again and would spend time preparing for death.  She spent much time in chapel, almost the whole time that the Blessed Sacrament was exposed during the forenoons, and was in chapel again in the afternoon.  It had been her practice to spend an hour in prayer every dah since she had made a retreat with Bishop Sheen in Gallup, New Mexico, and had been encouraged and inspired by him to make a holy hour daily.  

    Towards the end of January, 1992, she was coughing severely, as her lungs were filling with fluid.  She was anointed on February 4, 1992, and moved to St. Clare Convent that afternoon. Her condition continued to deteriorate, although when her niece, Ethel Kalmon of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, visited her about two weeks before her death, she told her niece that she thought she would be able to move back to Our Lady of Sorrows in about two weeks.  She did come back, but not as she had expected.

    Sister M. Corita Ortiz, who was very close to her, as they had spent the last eleven years of Sister's teaching years together in San Rafael and Flora Vista, New Mexico, came from Belen, New Mexico, to our Lady of Sorrows Convent on March 10 to be with her friend during her last days.  She spent the night of March 12-13 with her.  From 2:00 am on Sister M. Adele had no more pain, although earlier she had had to be given medication for pain every three hours.  She did not sleep after that, and Sister M. Corita prayed with her, reminisced about their mission days, and sang their favorite songs.  Although Sister M. Adele had an oxygen mask on, she was very alert and indicated that she was following along.  Her hearing, without her hearing aids, had become very acute during these last days.  A half hour before her death, she turned her head and looked around, as though seeing beyond this earthly veil, and her face became radiant.  She tried to tell Sister Corita something but could not make herself understood because of the oxygen mask.  She passed peacefully to the next world at 6:05 am, conscious to the end.

    The body was brought back from the mortuary in the afternoon of March 15, and the wake service was held in the chapel in the evening.

    The Funeral Mass was offered at 10:30 am in the chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows Convent on March 16 with Bishop Eusebius Beltran as the main celebrant.  Concelebrating with him were Father Martin Morgan, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Tulsa; Father Patrick Schuller, S.J., convent chaplain; and Father Oliver Curran, pastor of Madre de Dios Parish in Winslow, Arizona.  Father Oliver had been pastor in San Rafael and Flora Vista, New Mexico, when Sister M. Adele was missioned in these parishes.

    In his homily, Bishop Beltran recalled his first meeting with Sister M. Adele more than a decade ago, when she was in her 80's and had introduced herself to him, telling him that she was still on mission.  At each subsequent meeting with him she had reminded him of her age and that she was still active.  She was proud of the fact that she had been able to be on mission until she was 95.  She believed in Jesus' words, "I am the resurrection and the life," and put everything in the hands of the Lord.  This mind-set gave her the strength to be on mission as long as God willed.

    Among family and friends present for the funeral, in addition to the Sisters, were Sister M. Adele's brother Anthony Hirt, 83, the youngest of the family of fourteen, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, his wife Eva, and his son-in-law, Roger Lecander of Crystal, Minnesota.  They were also present for the wake the evening before.  After the luncheon following the Mass, they accompanied the body, along with a number of Sisters and others to Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa for the graveside service, led by Father Oliver Curran.  Before leaving the cemetery they paid a visit to the grave of Sister M. Gratiana Hirt.  

    Sister M. Adele's survivors in addition to her brother Anthony are two sisters and a brother: Mrs. Agatha Lawrence, Seattle, Washington; Mrs. Martha Ziehlke of Glenford, Ohio; and Louis Hirt, Medford, Wisconsin.  She is survived also by fifteen nieces, four nephews, and two cousins.

    Lord, may Sister M. Adele, who has died in your peace, give you everlasting glory in heaven, where we, too, hope to praise you for ever.

                                                                                            Sister M. Bona Ney

Sister Adele's gravestone in Calvary Cemetery, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
Photo from the Find a Grave website.

For more information about Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and St. Clare's Convent, please visit the blog post for Sister M. Gratiana.

Sister M. Gratiana Hirt, S.S.M. (1891-1987)

February 16, 1891 - June 21, 1987

Sister Gratiana is the great aunt of my generation; the sister of our grandfather Louis Hirt, and daughter of Mary Ann and Andrew Hirt.  Following is an extended obituary written by her biological sister, Sister M. Adele Hirt, with links to informational websites, pictures and additional information added by Jim Oehler.

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    Sister M. Gratiana Hirt, who was 79 years in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, passed peacefully into eternity at St Clare Convent, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 4:30 pm on Sunday, June 21, 1987 at the age of 96.  She had been in declining health for some time, especially after her birthday in February when she became gradually weaker.

St Clare Convent, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  Date unknown.  Picture found on Pinterest.
Convent was torn down in 2015.

    In the latter part of February, Sister M. Adele, her sister, traveled from Flora Vista, New Mexico to spend a week with Sister.  At that time she was able to converse with Sister M Adele and seemed pleased to have her visit for she wanted someone there all the time.

    Sister M Gratiana was born in Medford, Wisconsin on February 16, 1891.  She was the fifth in the family of 14 children of Andrew Hirt II, and Mary Anne Brost.  She grew up on a farm and attended the district elementary school.

    Sister is survived by four sisters: Sister M. Adele, Helen Beck (Santa Rose, California), Martha Zielke (Glenford, Ohio), Agatha Lawrence (Seattle, Washington), and two brothers: Louis Hirt (Medford, Wisconsin), and Anthony Hirt (Eden Prairie, Minnesota).

    Sister M Gratiana's life story was one of struggle against illness.  At the age of 15 she suffered acute appendicitis and was taken to St Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield.  It was there she became acquainted with the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother with whom she spent 79 years of service.

    In 1908 she entered the Community of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.  After 16 months as a postulant [a candidate for a religious order], she received the habit on May 1, 1910 and received the name Mary Gratiana of St Mary Magdalena.

    Early in her novitiate [a novice, especially in a religious order] she contracted tuberculosis and was sent to St Mary's Hospital, Roswell, New Mexico.  Being at the point of death she professed her first vows privately.  Later on, in 1913, have recovered, she received special dispensation from Pope St Pius X to profess her first vows publicly even though she had not completed her novitiate.  Sister professed her final vows on August 15, 1919 in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

    In 1914 her first assignment was St Francis Hospital, Wichita, Kansas, where she spent two years as a pharmaceutical student and received the certificate as Registered Pharmacist in the state of Kansas on February 18, 1916.  Sister continued her studies and passed the state boards and became a Registered Nurse on May 27, 1920.  During her 13 year stay at St Francis, Sister M Gratiana served in various occupations.  Besides her work in the pharmacy she served for a short time as instructor and director of nurses.

    Sister left St Frances in 1927 due to a recurrence of tuberculosis at which time she returned to St Mary's, Roswell, for a treatment.

    After a two year recovery period, Sister went to St John's, Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1929, where she pursued courses in medical technology at Monte Cassino Junior College and the University of Tulsa.  Sister became a certified Laboratory Technician on January 10, 1931.  For a while Sister worked as a Laboratory Technician and was in charge of Medical Records.  In 1933 she attended Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Upon her return to Tulsa she took the post of Director of the School of Nursing.

    Sister's achievements at St John's include helping to design the nurses' residence, a home and a program for the young women in training.  Library Science was one of Sister's favorite subjects so she was instrumental in making the library at the nurses' resident "a mine" of reference in all fields of nursing.  A woman ahead of her time, Sister advocated an 8 hour a day for nurses.  Having a special aptitude for landscaping and gardening she helped beautify the grounds with trees, shrubs and flowers.

[According to this history of St John's she, "set the standards and brought
the school to an acknowledged level of excellence" as the Director of Nursing.]

    Sister's apostalate as director was again interrupted by a short period of illness from 1936 to 1937 which she spent at St Mary's, Roswell.  In 1937 Sister returned to St John's and in all completed 25 years as Director of Nurses.  Approximately 800 nurses received their training during the tenure of Sister M Gratiana.  According to an article in the Southwest Courier, of July 26, 1959, Sister stated: "The 25 years as Director of the School of Nursing have been years of joy, of hope, of sadness, but replete with satisfaction in having the opportunity for helping those who needed help, guidance and counseling encouragement and sometimes material aid.  The reward has been more than ample in the loyalty and devotion which the gathering years have multiplied as the number of graduates have increased." Her nurses returned from time to time to Our Lady of Sorrows, Franciscan Villa and St Clare to visit with Sister and reminisce about the past  They did not cease to compliment and than Sister for her guidance, direction, and fairness.  During her tenure at St John's Sister M Gratiana celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1938.

    In 1958 Sister left St John's for a less strenuous apostolate at St Anne's Hospital, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, where she was assigned to the pharmacy and record library.  In 1959 Sister celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother and in 1968 she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.

    

1950 photo of Sister M. Gratiana.

Below are a few pages from the 1958 St. John's School of Nursing year book.

July 1958 article about Sister Gratiana giving up her post of Director of Nursing
at St John's in Oklahoma and moving to St Anne's in New Mexico.

Another July 1958 article about Sister Gratiana moving on.
This article contains more detail about her achievements as Director of Nursing.

In 1973 Sister retired at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent, Broken Arrow, at the age of 80 years.  Here she spent her days praying, reading and just being quite and contented with her surroundings.  Severe arthritis had confined her to her wheel chair.  When the Franciscan Villa opened in 1979 Sister was moved to the Health Center to receive nursing and loving care around the clock.  

    In 1983 sister was still ab le to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee Extraordinary of 75 years in the Community from her wheel chair.  She moved to St Clare Convent in 1985 when it opened.  

Sister Gratiana in the mid to late 1970s.

Sister Gratiana in the 1980s.

    During the last few months of Sister's life, Sister was very confused and wished someone to be near her at all times.  The Sisters at both St Clare and Our Lady of Sorrows tried to be with her as much as they possibly could.  Many times one would pass by her room and the rosary was being prayed or songs were being sung.

    Rev Frederick Schuller, ,S.J. conduced the Wake Service on June 22, 1987 at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent.  During the service Father pointed out how when one has faithfully said "yes" to God throughout her life, then all work, prayer, and being is accepted as "yes" and cannot be measured by human standards.  The love of God overcomes all earthly recognition.  

    
    The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated on June 23, 1987 at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent.  The relatives that were able to attend were: her sister, Sister M Adele Hirt; her brother, Anthony Hirt; his wife, Eva Hirt; and their daughter , Joanne Lecander.  Bishop Beltran was the main celebrant.

                                                                                                Sister M. Adele Hirt

Sister M. Gratiana's headstone at Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
Courtesy  Find a Grave website. 

More information:

History of the Community of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother by Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother (1960). Includes history of the founding of the community, and its works including the development of hospitals in Wichita Kansas,  and several in Wisconsin.  Sister Gratiana worked at many of them.

Gruny-Hirt World Tour

Go on a virtual tour of the places where Louis and Clara (Gruny) Hirt and their ancestors were born, where they immigrated, where they worked, and their final resting places.  A customized Google Earth file has been created to take you to all of these places. 

1) Download and install Google Earth at this website.

2) Email me at jimoehler3 at gmail.com to obtain the Google Earth (*.kmz) file.

3) Download the file to your computer and double click it in Windows Explorer to open it in Google Earth.

4) Click on each yellow push pin in the menu on the left of the screen to "fly" to each location (see screen shot below).

5) Click on the push pin title, highlighted in blue, on the left of the screen to learn more about how that location relates to that family member. 

Have fun!

Andrew Sr and Mary (Smithers) Hirt

Compiled by Jim Oehler (jimoehler3 at gmail.com)

Andrew Hirt Sr., date unknown.

Click on any of the pictures or graphics for a larger view.

Andrew Hirt was born in 1810 in Bremen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany a very small farming hamlet east of Ravensburg. His parents are currently unknown.  Ravensburg is a historic town that dates back to at least 1088.  It still has 10 intact towers of the medieval fortification.

Explore current day Ravensburg by viewing this short travel and tourism
video that shows many of the town's historic buildings.

Location of Ravensburg, Germany.  Click here to explore the area in Google Maps.

Sometime before 1840, Andrew migrated to America and settled in Lancaster, NY just east of Buffalo where he established a farm.  In that year he married Mary Smithers.  Mary was born about 1812 in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.  The exact town is not known.  By 1831 she migrated to New York.  How and where she met Andrew is not known.

Between 1841 and 1854, they had six children: Magdalena (1841–1935), Louis (1842–1893; perhaps my grandpa's namesake), Mary (1844–1904), Frances(1849–1883), Henry (1850–1949), and Andrew Jr, my great grandfather (1854–1916). 

In 1855, Andrew and Mary settled in Allegany, where Andrew cleared 100 acres of woodland on Nine Mile Road and established a farm along the Allegany River.  Mary died August 21, 1878 at the age of 66 of unknown causes.  She is buried at St. Bonaventure Cemetery in Allegany.

By 1880, only Andrew Jr. resided at home with his father until he migrated west to Wisconsin.  By 1892, Andrew Sr. remarried to a Catherine Hoffman, originally from the Bayern region of Germany.  They resided on the same farm along with Andrew's son Henry and his family.  Andrew Sr. died on October 1, 1897, in Allegany at the age of 87.  He is also buried at St Bonaventure Cemetery, along with his original wife Mary.  Several of the Smithers-Hirt children remained in Allegany and so there are likely distant relatives still there. 

1880 Federal Census showing Andrew Hirt Jr as the only remaining member

of the Smither-Hirt family residing with Andrew Sr.

1892 NY Census showing Andrew Sr. remarried to Catherine. 

Son Henry and his family are also living with them on the farm.

Andrew and Mary Hirt headstone at St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Allegany, NY.

Andrew Hirt Jr and Mary Ann Brost

Compiled by Jim Oehler (jimoehler3 at gmail.com).  

Last updated: November 23, 2020.

Andrew and Mary Ann are the parents of Louis Hirt.  As such, they are my generation's great grandparents.  Andrew was born on October 24, 1854, in Lancaster, New York to Mary Smithers who was originally from  Alsace-Lorraine, France, and Andrew Hirt Sr, originally from Bremen, Germany. Andrew Sr. was 44 at his son's birth and Mary was 42. 

Click on any of the pictures or graphics to view a larger image.

 

Andrew Hirt in 1875 at age 21.  He was a red head.

Andrew Jr. was Mary Ann's senior by nine years.  She was born on December 25, 1863, in Alflen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.  Her father, Anton, was 28, and her mother, Katharine Steimers Brost, was 27. She migrated to the US with her family in 1882 when she was 19 years old.  For more on Alflen and the Brost family's immigration to America, read the blog post for Anton and Katherine Brost.  According to one family history, the travel agency through whom they made arrangements directed them to Taylor County, WI.  Two years after arriving in Wisconsin she married Andrew Hirt, likely in Medford, WI where they settled on 160 acres in Hammel township, a few miles west of the city.  

Andrew came to Medford from Lancaster, NY when he was 24 or 25.  According to that same family history, he was the youngest in his family and was slated to take over the family farm in NY.  However, his father had remarried after the passing of his first wife Mary Smithers and Andrew Jr. did not like his new stepmother so he left and went to live with his sister Frances Hirt Bockmier who lived about six miles west of Medford.  

 

Andrew and Mary Ann Hirt's 1884 wedding picture.

Copy of section 24 of 1890 platt showing location of Andrew Hirt ownerships (two 80 acre plots located at the corner of current day County Hwy E and Center Ave.).  Note little black squares indicate locations of buildings.

Current day aerial photo showing Andrew Hirt's original 160 acres. 

Click here to explore this area further in Google Maps.

Andrew and Mary Ann raised their family on the farm initially in a log house and then in a wood frame house.  They had 14 children in 23 years: Maria Katherine (1885-1972); Joseph Peter (1886-1967); John Henry (1888-1967); Mary K. (1889-1972); Francis Julianna (Sister Gratianna: 1891-1987); Andrew Oswald (1892-1946); Gertrude (Sister Adele: 1894-1987); Helen Theresa (1895-1988); Elizabeth (1897-1947);  Martha Elizabeth (1899-2002); Agatha Margaret (1900-1999); Louis George (1904-1998: my grandfather who was perhaps named after Andrew Jr's oldest brother); George Frank (1905-1984); Anthony Robert (1908-1996).  A few of their children stayed nearby, but most ventured far and wide across this country, settling in places such as Spokane, Tokoma, Hoquiam, and Seattle, Washington; Bar Nunn, Wyoming; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sonoma, California; and Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Andrew and Mary Ann's farm was about four miles south of Joseph and Maria Gruny's farm (parents of Clara).  Clara and Louis (my grandparents) would eventually marry.  Did they meet at a local swimming hole on the Black River, or at the local school, or perhaps at church?  They were both Catholic and attended Holy Rosary Church in Medford.  It's hard to know at this point, but fun to think about.

Approximate locations of Gruny and Hirt farmsteads. 
Click here to explore the area in Google Maps.

Andrew lived on his original farmstead for almost 30 years before he passed away on March 12, 1916 at the age of 61 of a cerebral abscess due to infected mastoids.  In other words he died of a very severe ear infection, something that would be almost unheard of today.  Mary Ann lived another 17 years living in the same house and farm that was inherited by their son John.  According to her obituary in the local paper, she died of the "flu and complications" but according to her death certificate, she died of "acute cardiac insufficiency." She died on January 24, 1933 at the age of 69. She is buried along with Andrew at Holy Rosary Cemetery, Medford, WI, GPS Coordinates: 45.14100, -90.32131.

Headstones of Andrew and Mary Ann Hirt at Holy Rosary Cemetery, Medford, WI.

Obituary for Mary Ann Hirt.

Andrew Hirt homestead at the time of John Hirt's ownership.

Andrew/John Hirt homestead in April 2017.

Mary Ann Hirt death certificate.

Anton Brost Sr and Katherine Steimers Brost

Compiled by Jim Oehler (jimoehler3 at gmail.com)

Anton and Katherine are among the earliest settlers of Medford, WI. They are the grandparents of Louis Hirt and therefore the great great grandparents of my generation. They are both originally from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the west-central part of Germany. More specifically, Anton was born in the town of Alflen while Katherine was born in Filz about four miles to the west.

[Click on any of the graphics below to enlarge]

Anton and Katherine Brost.  Date unknown.

Location of Alflen, Germany as indicted by the red tear drop.
Click here to explore the area in Google Maps.

Anton, also known as Antonius in German records, was born on May 23, 1835 to Elizabeth Thelen (aka Elisabetha), age 33, and Johann Adam Brost (aka Joanis), age 31. He was baptized the next day in the town's Catholic Church, perhaps Saint John the Baptist’s Parish Church, which is still an important part of the town. Anton was one of four siblings that included Johann (1838–1889), Anna Maria (1842–1924), and Johann Georg (1842–1842) who died at birth.

Saint John the Baptist Parish.  Photo from the Porteguese version of Wikipedia.

Katharine Stiemers, also known as Catharina in German records and Maria Katrina on her headstone, was born on September 8, 1836 to Mathias, age 34, and Maria Anna Thome, also age 34. Currently, no siblings are known. Katherine's father Mathias passed away sometime before 1863. The date of her mother's death is currently not known.

Anton and Katharine married on January 27, 1863 in the Catholic Church of Alflen. Anton was 27 years old, while Katherine was 26. Kids came along quickly with their first, Mary Ann (later to become Mary Ann Hirt, mother of Louis Hirt), being born December 25, 1863. She was followed by Peter (1865–1912; 47 years), Johann (1870 –1908; 38 years), Anton Jr (1872–1951; 78 years), and Joseph (1875–1886; 11 years). They had five children in 11 years.

Anton's parents passed away only a few years after his marriage to Katherine. His mother passed away on December 17, 1867, in Alflen, at the age of 66. His father passed away less than one year later, on September 3, 1868, at the age of 65.

Katherine and Anton immigrated to America, and more specifically to Medford, Wisconsin in 1883 (for some insight on why Medford, read the Joseph Gruny blog post). They were in their late 40s. They left Hamburg, Germany aboard the ship Rhaetia captained by a Vogelgesang on April 4 with all five kids in tow who ranged in age from 8-19. It was the ship's maiden voyage.  The trip across the Atlantic took 15 days. They arrived in New York on April 19 and were processed through the Port of New York. Very soon after they took to the roads or rails with Medford as their destination as Anton declared his intent to become a citizen of the United States on May 21, 1883 in Taylor County, WI. Medford is/was the county seat. That was just 32 days after arriving in New York. He became an official US citizen on January 23, 1889, almost six years later.  The 1920 federal census indicates Katherine became a US citizen in 1888.

Passenger list for the Rhaetia showing the Brost family, although misspelled as Borst.

The Rhaetia.  Picture courtesy of the Norway-Heritage website.

Anton Brost Sr, Declaration of Intention to become an American citizen.  

Anton Brost Sr. certificate of naturalization.
With its execution, Anton officially became a US citizen.

Sometime after arriving they were able to set up a farm on 40 acres east of Medford at the corner of present day Allman Ave and Crane Dr. An 1890 platt map shows the location of the farm. By 1900, the farm was taken over by their son, Anton Jr. who was in his late 20s.  By 1913, Anton Jr. added on another 40 acres, purchased from B. Shenoweth on the west side of Crane Drive. This farmstead has stayed in the Brost family for five generations. The platts show other Brosts as neighbors. Presumably they were all related but I don't know exactly how at the time of this writing. Perhaps J Brost is his brother, Johann.

1890 platt map showing the location of Anton's 40 acre farm.

1913 platt showing location of Anton Brost farm, now owned by Anton Brost Jr. his son.

1900 federal census showing Anton Jr as head of family at the age of 27. 
Anton Sr. and Katherine continued to live on the farm.

Katherine and Anton Sr. had their share of heart ache. Just three years after arriving in Medford, their youngest son Joseph passed away at the young age of 11. They also outlived their third oldest, Johann, who passed away in 1908 at the age of 38. Their second oldest, Peter, died three years after Anton Sr. in 1912 at the age 47. The causes of these deaths is unknown.

Anton Sr. passed away on June 4, 1909 at the age of 74 of “fatty degeneration of the heart.” He is buried in Holy Rosary Cemetery in Medford, WI (GPS: 45.14162, -90.32178) just one mile south of the farm that he settled. His brief obituary in the local paper, the “Star News,” celebrates him as one of Medford's pioneer settlers. Katharine lived for another 12 years, living at the farm with Anton Jr and his family throughout that time. She died on September 10, 1921 when she was 85 years old of "arterio sclerosis." She is interned next to Anton Sr. at Holy Rosary Cemetery.

Anton Brost Sr death certificate citing "fatty degeneration of the heart"
as the cause of death on June 4, 1909.

Anton Brost Sr obituary in Medford's "Star News."

Following are some interesting notices and ads from the 1909 Star News where Anton Sr's obituary appeared. The paper reported on both local, statewide, and national news.

1920 federal census showing Katherine still living on the farm, one year before her death.

Katharina Steimer Brost and Anna Maria Oberpriller Stauner in 1916.

Katherine's death certificate citing "arterio sclerosis due" and "old age" as cause of death.

Headstone of Anton Brost Sr. Source: Find A Grave.  Click here for more details on headstone locations.

Headstone of Katherine Brost. Source: Find A Grave. 
Click here for more details on headstone locations.

A stately elm on the west side of Crane Drive.  Perhaps it was just a sapling when
Anton Sr and Jr farmed the land on either side of this street. Photo taken June 2017.