Peter Klaes 1780 — 1870

Townships of Roxbury and Berry, Dane County, Wisconsin

Source: 1878 Snyder, Van Vechten & Co. without permission

Below we see the 1850 Census for the Township of Berry, Dane County, Wisconsin. We note the spelling of “Klaes” as “Classman.” Agnes is reported as “Ernest.” Gertrude was married to Jacob Rosche, and no longer living at home with her parents and siblings. In 1850, Gertrude and Jacob were living in the Township of Westfield, Sauk County. Anna Maria was married to Franz Staeler and no longer living at home either. The “Value of Real Estate Owned” by Peter Klaes was $400.

1850 U.S. Census, Township of Berry, Dane County, Wisconsin

Source: familysearch.org

Peter Klaes 1780 — 1870

Peter and Agnes’ first child Jodocus Klaes did not immigrate. Their second child was an unknown Klaes, born in 1822. We do not know the fate of this child. Gertrude, Anna, Wilhelm, and Heinrich all immigrated with Peter and Agnes in 1845.

The immigration card of his son Wilhelm Klaes, who went by “William” in America, confirms their travel and arrival on board the Tremont. Wilhem’s travel with his parents and siblings is confirmed.

Immigration card of Wilhelm Klaes

Source: familysearch.org

On September 7, 1846, Peter Klaes was naturalized at nearby Prairie du Sac, Sauk County, which served as the county seat at that time. Sauk City was predominantly German Catholic; Prairie du Sac was Yankee Protestant. Residency was commonly based on religion, but Prairie du Sac served as the county seat at that time. Upon arrival in 1845, the family may have been living in Sac Prairie, probably in the German Catholic community of Sauk City vs. the Yankee Protestant community of Prairie du Sac, before relocating to the Township of Berry, Dane County, in 1850.

Peter Klaes 1780 1870

Naturalization card of Peter Klaes

Source: familysearch.org

Gertrude Klaes: Records indicate that Gertrude Klaes married Jacob Rosche on 10 September 1846 in neighboring Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. They were married by Charles O. Baxter, Justice of the Peace.

Marriage Record of Jacob Rushe and Gurtrude Klas, 10 September 1846 (note spellings)

Source: http://genealogytrails.com/wis/sauk/marriages.html

We note that Peter was naturalized on 7 September 1846, and Gertrude was married on 10 September 1846 in nearby Prairie du Sac, which was the county seat. Peter was naturalized and Gertrude was married three days apart in Prairie du Sac.

Prairie du Sac was the county seat, but the county seat was eventually relocated to Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin. When the Peter Klaes family arrived in Wisconsin in 1845, the nearby village of Prairie du Sac was considerably easier in which to obtain legal services than traveling the distance to Madison, the county seat of Dane County. He was naturalized prior to the family’s relocation to the Township of Berry, Dane County.

In 1843, Father Adelbert Inama, a Catholic priest born in the Tyrol region of Austria, came to New York. On November 25, 1845, Father Inama arrived in the Sac Prairie region of Wisconsin. In 1845-1846 he built his log cabin church in Roxbury, Dane County, Wisconsin, establishing the parish of St. Norbert. Many from Prussia and Bavaria followed Father Inama to the Catholic region of Roxbury. The Klaes family members were devout Catholics, although Gertrude was married by a Justice of the Peace.

Peter Klaes 1780 1870

Gertrude would have four or five children with Jacob Rosche. They would live in Minnesota, California, Iowa, eventually moving back to Prairie du Sac. Gertrude would spend the remainder of her life unmarried, living with her son John in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Gertrude died there in 1910. One census record indicates she was widowed. Another indicates she was divorced. She is buried in a Catholic Cemetery in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Anna Maria Klaes: Family genealogy records indicate that Anna Maria Klaes married Franz Staeler in 1848 in Germany. This is unlikely. According to his naturalization card, Franz Staeler immigrated in 1842. Anna Maria Klaes and her family arrived in 1845. With the degree of difficulty in traveling and the expense, it is unlikely that Franz and Anna Maria traveled back to Germany to marry. They were most likely married in Wisconsin. We are unable to find a marriage record, but their first child Agnes Staeler was born in 1848, in Wisconsin. Records indicate that their second child Christina Staeler was born in 1849 in the Township of Lodi, Columbia County, Wisconsin. In the 1860 census, Franz and Anna Maria were living in the Township of Roxbury, Dane County, where Peter and Agnes Klaes would reside with them. It is likely that Father Adelbert Inama married Franz and Anna Maria in 1848. As we can see by Franz’s naturalization card, he was naturalized on 7 September 1846, at the county seat in Prairie du Sac, Sauk County, on the same day as his eventual father-in-law, Peter Klaes.

Naturalization card for Franz Stahler, 7 September 1846

Source: familysearch.org

Anna Maria and Franz would have five children. In the 1870 census, Peter Klaes was still alive, living with them. They farmed in the township of Roxbury, Dane County, Wisconsin, until 1877, when legal notice in the newspaper would seem to indicate bankruptcy and the loss of the farm. In 1880, they were living in Arcadia, Wisconsin, in Trempeleau County, with their married daughter and family. Peter Klaes was no longer listed as living with them, so we can assume he was deceased. They moved to Hebron, Nebraska, with their married daughter and son-in-law. According to the census dated 3 June 1885 for Hebron, Nebraska, both Franz and Anna Maria were living with their married daughter and