Franz Joseph Leitheiser

1819 - 1884  (65 years)

• Name	Franz Joseph Leitheiser  [1]
  Birth	1819	Germany
  Gender	Male
  _UID	B6D89E953E604123855A2EDF2988240D91A8
  Death	11 Oct 1884	Bridgewater, SD
  Burial	13 Oct 1884	St. Stephen's Cemetary. Block 2, lot 12, grave 3
  Person ID	I963	Gary and Connie Genealogy
  Last Modified	7 Jul 2017

  
  

  Family	Mary Catherine Kircher,   b. May 1825, Ireland d. 15 Apr 1908, Goodrick, ND (Age ~ 82 years)
  Marriage	1843	Buffalo, NY
  _UID	0E1EAE172BB141E5BA7F6563414E097F0B9C
  Children	1. Marie Leitheiser,   b. 1846, Buffalo, NY d. 31 Dec 1864, West Bend WI (Age 18 years)   2. Sophia Leitheiser,   b. 10 May 1849, Buffalo, NY d. 14 Apr 1910 (Age 60 years)   3. Adam Leitheiser,   b. 28 Nov 1851, Buffalo NY d. 2 Jan 1931, Provost, Alberta, Canada (Age 79 years)   4. Rosa Leitheiser,   b. 1853, Buffalo NY d. 1912, Scotland, SD (Age 59 years)   5. John Leitheiser,   b. 11 Mar 1855, West Bend, WI d. 1921, Bridgewater, SD (Age 65 years)   6. Henry Leitheiser,   b. 8 Mar 1858, West Bend, WI d. 31 May 1924, Bridgewater, SD (Age 66 years)   7. Frank Leitheiser,   b. 27 Jun 1860, West Bend, WI d. 20 Jun 1930, Bridgewater, SD (Age 69 years)   8. Martin Leitheiser,   b. 27 Jun 1860, West Bend, WI d. 6 Nov 1912, Bridgewater, SD (Age 52 years)   9. William Leitheiser,   b. 15 Oct 1862, West Bend, WI d. 8 Jul 1928, Bridgewater, SD (Age 65 years)   10. Charles Leitheiser,   b. 11 Mar 1866, West Bend, WI d. 1929, Bridgewater, SD (Age 62 years)   11. Mary (Marie) Leitheiser,   b. 30 Jun 1868, West Bend, WI d. 9 Jan 1950, Minneapolis, MN (Age 81 years)
  Family ID	F148	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	7 Jul 2017

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1819 - Germany Marriage - 1843 - Buffalo, NY Death - 11 Oct 1884 - Bridgewater, SD  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Franz Joseph came to America with his older brother when he was 16 years old (1835). He came with his older brother from Germany to New York to escape the military training that all young men were required to take when they finished their education. The two bought a harness shop in New York, but Franz wasn't satisfied.The Louisiana Purchase was made during this time which nearly doubled the size of America. The railroads were doing a great job of moving people west. Franz went west. He got a job on the Erie Canal that opened a waterway to Lake Erie. While there, he met and married Mary Catherine. They moved to Barton, WI in 1854 [see Mary Catherine's notes]. Franz examined the soil near Barton and decided it could be used to make bricks, so he started a brick factory (Barton Brick Yard). The business was very successful. In 1879 he sold the business to Charles Kauffung They moved to Bridgewater, South Dakota to be with their sons in 1881.[see notes on Adam and Henry] He took three homestead claims by pre-emption, tree claim, and regular claim. Franz was a carpenter and cement worker. He helped his sons build up their homes. He helped build the Catholic Church and built a hotel (named the New Yorker) directly north of the railroad depot. The hotel was operating by the fall of 1883. His wife and children lived on the claim, and Franz stayed at the hotel. One day in 1884, while walking into town from the claim, he suffered a heart attack and died. His wife, Mary Catherine, donated the ground for a Catholic cemetary and Franz was the first person buried there. Died: Brain hemorrage

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Beatrice Leitheiser, Beatrice Leitheiser. Leitheiser family tree, with many primary sources, cited.