Francisca Elisabetha (Fessler) Diethelm (1820 - 1918)

Born 11 Nov 1820 in Alpthal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

Ancestors

Wife of Carolus Jodocus Diethelm — married 1 Jul 1850 in Alpthal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1918 at age 97 in Chanhassen Twp, Carver, Minnesota, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pat Quinn [send private message]

Biography

Francisca Elisabetha Fässler (known as Elisabeth) was born on Nov 11, 1820 in the mountain village of Alpthal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland and baptized in Eigen. (The church in Eigen served the nearby village of Alpthal.) She was the daughter of Zacharias Fässler and Maria "Theresia" Steiner. Godparents: Zacharias Kälin, (represented by Melchior Tschümperlin, the neighbor), and Francisca Steiner. (Usually baptisms took place the day after birth, but almost all sources show she was baptized on her birth day. - pq)^[1]

Elisabeth had 3 sisters and 12 brothers, one of whom died in childhood. Their home was known as Malosen Farm.

She married Carl Diethelm (1821-1901) on Jul 01, 1850 in Alpthal. Son of Alois Diethelm and Theresia Market. They had 11 children, two of whom died at birth in Switzerland, one died at age 4 in Minnesota, and a fourth died at age 19, also in Minn.

On Dec 8, 1853, Elisabeth, Carl, their 2 small children, and Carl's brother, Michael, boarded the ship "Rome" in Le Havre, France to emigrate to America. They arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on Jan 25, 1854. From New Orleans, they traveled north on the Mississippi River towards Minnesota Territory and almost reached it before their money ran out. When the boat stopped in Iowa to bury some cholera victims, they had to get off too. Carl's brother continued on to Minnesota Territory without them. They stayed in Iowa for a few months while Carl worked carpentry jobs to earn the money to finish the trip (and buy 2 cows).

While they were in Iowa her brother-in-law spent his first winter in St. Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota Territory. In the early spring of 1854 he walked about 35 miles west into the wilderness, and staked a claim in what would later be Laketown Township (Victoria), in Carver County. He is purported to be the first European settler in the area. He sent a letter to Carl and Elisabeth in Iowa and told them to hurry on up.

After Elisabeth and her family reached Minnesota in the spring of 1854 Carl arranged temporary lodging for her and the children, (probably in St. Paul) and then went out to meet his brother. He established his own claim by cutting down a few trees about one-third of a mile southeast of Michael's.

When Carl finally brought Elisabeth and the kids out to the new homestead, they traveled through thick woods previously only inhabited by the Indians. It's unknown how they managed to get their two children, who were only toddlers, plus all their clothing, tools and provisions from St. Paul to Laketown. The further from St. Paul they traveled, the more sparse the roads became until they disapeared all together. If they were lucky there were Indian or animal trails beyond that point, but they wouldn't have been wide enough to accommodate a wagon. It would be a few years before riverboat travel from St. Paul to Chaska (a few miles from Laketown), would begin. We don't know if Carl or his brother had a horse yet. (Before Carl arrived, Michael made the trip several times on foot to get his tools and supplies to Laketown.) Without horse or wagon, Elisabeth and Carl must have carried their children the 35 miles, The trip took several days, forcing them to camp out on the trail; sleeping on the ground, cooking over a camp fire. Her life as a pioneer woman had begun. Gender roles being what they were, Elisabeth would have been responsible for the children's care. (How do you keep 2 toddlers from wandering off into the forest, and how did she deal with dirty diapers?)

On Carl and Elisabeth's claim, there was about three acres which the Indians (who were still in the area) had removed most of the trees so it could easily be cleaned up for planting. That spring the brothers planted more beans, potatoes, and other vegetables. In later life Elisabeth often remarked that the first crop was so abundant that it easily carried them through to the next season.

"The brothers built a permanent log house on the spot where Michael had staked his claim and completed it by midsummer. It was quite large, and both families moved in until a house for Carl was completed on his claim that fall. They now had homes for themselves and about three acres of land ready for the plow, more than they had had in Switzerland and of much better quality."^[2]

Elisabeth had grown up being surrounded by a large family, but as the first Europeans in the area they were now isolated in the wilderness. Her brother-in-law had taken a wife so Elisabeth was lucky that she had another woman to talk to. More immigrants soon followed, and over the next few years three of her brothers followed her to Minnesota and settled nearby. Two brought their fiances with them and married them here.

In 1860 Carl and Elisabeth had 5 children. Elisabeth's brother, Josef "Frans" Fessler, who'd followed them to Minnesota in 1858, lived with them and worked as a farm laborer.

In 1861 her father sold their old Swiss farm and he and 4 more of her brothers immigrated. Most of them settled nearby in Carver County. One brother went to Wisconsin. A 5th brother left Switzerland in 1866 and settled in Tennessee. In total, her father and 8 of her 11 surviving brothers left Switzerland for America in the 1850s and '60s and she was surrounded by her family again. After immigrating, Elisabeth and most of her brothers changed their family name from Fässler to Fessler. (In English, Fässler is spelled Faessler.) All 3 of her sisters stayed in Switzerland. (Oddly, other than her brother-in-law, Michael, none of her husband's siblings emigrated.)

Her husband got title to their 120 acre farm in 1863.

Three of Elisabeth's brothers fought in the Civil War. Martin Dominic died of illness in Tennessee 7 weeks after enlistment, John was captured in battle and held prisoner by the Confederates; later exchanged. Only Meinrad returned home relatively unscathed.^[3]

It appears that her husband was a good provider and hard worker. By 1870 their farm had grown to 160 acres: 60 improved and 100 unimproved wood-land, cash value of farm $3000, personal property $800, and farming implements and machinery $200. Over the years, her husband periodically bought large parcels of his brother's land until they bought him out completely around 1872.

In the early 1870's some of Elisabeth's brothers left Minnesota and moved to Oregon. Always searching for new opportunities, in 1876 Carl sold 80 of their acres to their oldest son, Mike, and leaving the rest of their farm in Mike's care, spent the next few years on the west coast, in California, Oregon and Washington.^[4] Reports differ on the dates and time span of their wanderings, but it was most likely from 1876 to 1878. Since two of their daughters later married men from San Francisco, California we can assume that that was one of their stops. (Their daughter, Katie, later married a Hotelier named Joseph Steiner. He came from the same Canton in Switzerland as Carl and Elisabeth, and he and Elisabeth were probably related. The Fässlers and the Steiners had close ties. Steiner was Elisabeth's mother's maiden name. A Steiner family (not the hotelier's) lived next door to the Fässlers back in Switzerland, and three of Elisabeth's brothers married two Steiner sisters from that farm. It's logical to assume that the Diethelms went to California just to see Joseph Steiner.)

A 19 yr old son died in July, 1878. His obituary said that he'd "contracted a disease" in Oregon and returned to his parents home in Laketown to die. (Another source says that, according to family lore, he was gored by a bull. Since I can't see anyone surviving the long trip home with a such a serious wound I think family lore may be mistaking this boy for their grandson who died from an accident at roughly the same age 20 years later. - pq) Their son's illness may have been what brought all the Diethelms back to Minnesota.

Around 1877 one of Elisabeth's nephews moved from his parent's farm in Laketown to pre-empt land in Big Stone County on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Unlike Carver County, there was plenty of unclaimed land out west and a steady stream of Carver County farmers sold out around this time and moved to "the prairie", as that part of the state was known. Carl saw an opportunity to get 160 acres of free land through the Homestead Act. (They'd had to buy their farm in Laketown.) The Diethelms kept ownership of their home farm, but pre-empted their own land in Big Stone County around 1878. They stayed long enough to fulfill the Homestead application requirements, then sold this farm before 1885 and returned to Laketown.

The Weekly Valley Herald (Chaska) Jan 27, 1887 (pg 4, col 3)

"Miss Lena Breher, Carl Diethelm and wife and Mathias Huitmakers, all old residents of Laketown, will leave next week for California. Mr. Diethelm and wife, will remain if they like the climate and country. Miss Breher and Mr. Huitmakers make the trip for their health, and will remain until well. the HERALD wishes them all a pleasant trip and safe return." (Below this article was their son Joe's wedding announcement.)

Carl and Elisabeth stayed on the west coast for a year. Their 2 daughters in San Francisco had given them 8 grandchildren that they'd never seen. The railroads were in full operation by now, making it relatively easy to visit family in distant parts of the country. We don't know if they also visited Elisabeth's family in Oregon during that year.

In 1895, they lived with their son Mike, his wife and 9 children, and a boarder. Her husband (now 72 years old), was retired, but helped their son with the farm.

In 1897 her husband went into partnership with their son and son-in-law to establish the first mercantile store in Victoria. The following year they had a new house built.

Her husband passed away in 1901 in Victoria. In 1910 Elisabeth was living with her daughter's family, Theresia and Arnold Noterman in Chanhassen, Carver, Minnesota.

Elisabeth passed away in 1918 in Chanhassen Township and is buried in St. Victoria Catholic Cemetery, Victoria, Carver, MN.^[5][6][7]

Obituary

HAD REACHED NEARLY THE CENTURY MARK

Mrs. Elizabeth Diethelm died at the home of Mrs. Arnold Notermann, aged 98 years.

Mrs. Elizabeth Diethelm, one of the oldest pioneer settlers of Carver County, died quietly at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Arnold Notermann, in Chanhasaun township, at the ripe old age of 98 years and 19 days. Death was caused by infirmities incident to old age.

Deceased was born in Alpthal, Switzerland, October 11, 1820. She came to this country with her husband and children in the spring of 1854, coming to Carver county, settling in Laketown, and resided there until the time of her death.

In the year 1849 she was married to Carl Diethelm of Alptahl, Switzerland, who preceded her to the grave on March 20, 1901. Eleven children were born to them, seven living namely; Michael and Joseph Diethelm; Mrs. Arnold Notermann [nee Catherine "Theresia" Diethelm] of Victoria; Mrs. Jos Steiner [nee Catharine F. "Katie" Diethelm], and Mrs. Anton Ruegg [nee Elizabeth "Lizzie" Diethelm] of San Francisco, Cal.; Mrs. Patrick Ryan [nee Frances Diethelm] of Graceville, Minn.; Mrs. Geo. A. Zanger [nee Mary Diethelm] of Minneapolis; fifty-six grandchildren and eighty two great grandchildren are left to mourn her demise.

The funeral was held from the St. Victoria Catholic church at Victoria, on Monday morning at nine o'clock, the Rev. Father Heribert, Rev. Father Bernard, and Rev. Father Francis, celebrating the requiem high mass. She was laid to rest in the Catholic Cemetery at Victoria and the pallbearers were, Wm. Willems, Ferd Breher, Wm. Hentmacher, Jos. Schneider, Louis Schmidt and Anton Timmers. May she rest in peace.^[8] Birth records show her birth date as November 11, 1820 and not October as this obit, and her grave marker say.

Sources

1. ↑ Alpthal/Eigen Parish Baptismal Record Book and personal knowledge of A. Fässler of Alpthal, Switzerland.
2. ↑ Excerpts from "The History of St. Victoria Parish 1857-1957" by John A. Diethelm, 1957
3. ↑ Sources for Civil War records are in each man's Wikitree profile.
4. ↑ Other than Carl, there's no record as to which family members made the west coast trip, but they had children that they wouldn't have left behind, which means that Elisabeth went too. By inference, at least 2 daughters and a son were with them because the daughters later married men from San Francisco and a teenage son got sick in Oregon during this time period.
5. ↑ "Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V4QG-4YF : accessed 18 May 2013), Elizabeth Diethelm, 1918.
6. ↑ "Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FDS2-K83 : accessed 18 May 2013), Elizabeth Diethelm, 02 Nov 1918.
7. ↑ Death Certificate 1918-MN-002641 http://people.mnhs.org/dci/Results.cfm?CFID=33280674&CFTOKEN=88922657
8. ↑ Find a Grave memorial with obituary. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74054540

Part of their story is also found in the book "Germans in Minnesota" "Germans In Minnesota" By Kathleen Neils Conzen. Pages 17 & 18. [1] (Search [Ctrl+F] "Diethelm" to find pages.

Personal knowledge of A. Fässler of Alpthal, Schwyz, Switzerland.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Pat Quinn for starting this profile. Many thanks by PQ to Annemarie Fässler of Alpthal for contributing vital documents & sharing her local knowledge.