Gensmer Siblings in Wisconsin
John, Christian, and Ludwig stayed in Wisconsin. I do not know what happened to Gottfried. I believe his wife and children immigrated to Wisconsin.
Ludwig and his sister Marie were the first of the Gensmer siblings to immigrate to Williamstown, Wisconsin in 1846. He was a farmer and brick manufacturer. He and his first wife Wilhelmine Kinkel had two sons: Julius (1855) and Theodore (1858) and a daughter Louise Wilhelmine (1861). He married Maria Kinkel 16 September 1867. There is no record of his death. His three children were living alone on the family farm in 1880.
He was known to wander. The following article appeared in "Milwaukee German newspapers: where is Ludwig Gensmer? July 1869 Where is Ludwig Gensmer? The same left his home and family on March 2nd of this year, in order, as he said, to go to Nebraska where he also owns land. Since then nothing more has been heard from him. He wears a black satinet coat, gray pants, a black felt hat and heavy boots, is short - 5 feet 4 inches tall, wears a full beard, blond, and is 42 years old. He is in very good overall condition, but unfortunately, has long been absent-minded, and in consequence has been missing several times before. He was also in the state mental hospital last winter, and was released. His wife and brothers fear the consequence of his questionable mental condition may cause him harm, or even that an accident has already occurred. We ask old friends, with promise of a generous reward, for any information regarding his fate or whereabouts, to report immediately to Louis A. Meister, in Mayville, or his legal guardian at the following address: Mayville, Dodge Co., Wis. the 12 July 1869. John Macheel, guardian." Christian Frederick was a day worker and immigrated at age 26 in 1847 with his wife Louise Reichert and daughter Dorothee Louise age 3. Another newborn daughter Henriette died at sea. He farmed and made charcoal in Wisconsin. Elmer Gensmer describes the charcoal process, "Much of Christian's work around Williamstown consisted in clearing the forest, burning the unwanted timber into charcoal, and planting orchards. This latter custom was intensely followed by later German settlers who came to the Mayville area. In clearing the forest, as many trees as possible were hewn to fall together to form a wigwam. Charcoal was made by forming a large pit somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 to 12 feet deep and thirty yards or more across.
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Cordwood lengths of timber were set end up against each other to fill the circle. They were piled in layers upon each other as many as six and seven tiers high. The excavated dirt was heaped against and over the large mass of wood, and the wood inside was ignited. The burning without air produced the charcoal. This was hauled by horse and wagon as far as Iron Ridge to the "First Iron Furnaces" and used as fuel."
Their son Christian Frederick was the first white child born in Williamstown, Wisconsin on December 17, 1848. They had eleven children. Christian died July 28, 1879 in Williamstown, Wisconsin. John amd his wife Maria Melcher had three children - Henriette (1852), Louis (1854), and Louise (1856). The "History of Dodge County Wisconsin" lists John Genzmer and Paul Steinbach as among the founders of Turner Hall. The school was founded to assure that their children would learn the German language and culture.
According to cousin Helen Schrader, he was a farmer, miller, weaver, brick maker, and gardner. According the Elmer Gensmer after working at milling, he turned to gardening. "His gardens stretched along the west banks of the Rock River in Mayville and to the rear of what is now the Joe Welch home on the same street. Bees and grapes became a major line of his new occupation. Weaving rugs, his old trade in Germany, was continued and given industrious attention as the years crept up on him. John's house still stands (1936) and because of its make-up of small, fist-sized stones, it is quite a novelty." The Mayville New 9-9-1909 John Genzmer, 92, Mayville resident for 62 years has moved to E. St. Louis, MO. to live with his daughter, Mrs. Otto Koenig. He died there March 10 , 1910 at 92 years old. Gottfried Genzmer probably did not immigrate to the United States. Both Elmer Gensmer's family history and John Genzmer's wife's obituary mention nephews August and Fred who lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. There is also an 1862 immigration record listing Elizabeth Gensmer and her three children Auguste, August, and Friedrich. August was a farmer and Fred was a fisherman.
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