By Julie Huebel, Pierce County Historical Association

ELMWOOD, WI — Selecting what family to write about for each letter can sometimes be a difficult decision. There have been times I’ve spent a number of hours researching before I’ve decided on what direction to go in, so sometimes a little help narrowing it down has been helpful. There was a family someone asked about in a Facebook comment, and since my career had been in adding efficiency I thought, let’s make it official…L is for Lecheler.

I’ve also already done some Lecheler research as part of my project to link how the Elmwood Class of ’97 is related to each other. It turns out, my classmates Adam Bauer and Brandon Pelzel are 3^rd cousins through their fathers, who would then be second cousins. Their mothers, Marion and Olivia were first cousins, with their fathers being brothers. These brothers, Paul and John, were sons of George and Susana (Gindt) Lecheler.

George Lecheler was born in 1855 in Washington County, Wisconsin. Washington County is just north of Milwaukee. In 1884, he was married to Susanna Gindt who was born in Germany near Koblenz and came to the US at age six. They had eight children (seven of them pictured).   George passed away in 1936, Susanna in 1920. They are both buried in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery (Farmhill/Farm Hill). George had brothers that ended up in Chicago and one in Washington.

George’s parents were Anton (1821-1883) and Crescentia (Schirsner) (1820-1902). Anton was born in Briententhal, Germany. They settled in Theresa Township in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Anton filed paperwork for naturalization on October 23, 1858. They are farming there in the 1860 census with children George, Joseph and Anton, Jr.

Anton Sr. and Crescentia are buried in Saint Theresa Memorial Gardens Cemetery there in Theresa Twp, Anton with a beautiful headstone died in 1883 and his wife doesn’t seem to have a headstone (she died 1902). It’s a tale as old as time that the wives don’t always end up with a headstone, it’s a real shame.

Anton’s father was Pius Lecheler, born in Germany in 1782. I found this entry on the Ancestry website about him: “Pius Lecheler made his living as a blacksmith. When he handed his business over to oldest son, Pius II, his younger son, Anton, was so discouraged that he left Germany for the United States.” (per ‘suzbrunner’ on Ancestry).

This was not uncommon, many cultures see the family farm or business passed to the eldest son with the younger sons having to look elsewhere for opportunity.

After originally posting on this family back in February, several people reached out with family information and photos. One such person was Don Lecheler. He descends from George and Susanna’s son Paul and was born in La Crosse. He served in the US Air Force in Germany and while on leave decided to check a phonebook for some Lechelers to see if he could learn where his family came from. He met up with a Heiner Lecheler at a beer hall during Munich’s Oktoberfest and learned that under Hitler’s reign, everyone was required to have papers of their family origin. He said his mother’s papers named a town in eastern Bavaria and Heiner drove him there and dropped him off.

Don had no luck while researching at a church there. On a later trip, he enlisted the help of an enthusiastic gas station attendant that called about 25 Lechelers in the phone book asking if they could help with Don’s quest. He again returned to base disappointed, but a few days later he received a letter from someone that was contacted, a Pius Lecheler III.  Pius still lived in the town where Don’s great-great-grandfather was born, making Don and Pius 1^st cousins, three times removed. Don and Pius would write letters back and forth and eventually met in person.

Submitted by Sarah Weiske, UW Valleys

HUDSON, WI – United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys (UW Valleys) has been selected by the Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) as one of six United Ways in Wisconsin to administer OBT Community Responsive Fund grants through United Way Wisconsin in UW Valleys’ six-county service area.

United Way Wisconsin will administer and distribute $2 million in grants to local nonprofits this summer from the Otto Bremer Trust, with awards up to $75,000.

UW Valleys will serve as a local expert to ensure that the Otto Bremer Trust is increasing the positive impact in the regions it serves, focusing on grants for organizations within UW Valleys’ six-county service area of Burnett, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties.

“The Otto Bremer Trust is proud to work with United Way Wisconsin to administer and distribute grant funds in Wisconsin,” said Frank Miley, co-CEO and trustee, OBT. “The Trust’s mission has always been to fund organizations and programs that effectively address challenges and opportunities in their local communities. What better way to have a deeper understanding of where those challenges are than to work with an organization like United Way, which is fully integrated into the communities and regions we serve. We look forward to working together to increase our impact.”

Local nonprofits, organizations, and groups may apply for funding from the OBT Community Responsive Fund through UW Valleys. Qualified applicants must focus on one or more of the following areas: Literacy: Organizations and programs advancing literacy. Adoption and Foster Care Services: Organizations and programs that support adoption and foster care. Children’s Health: Organizations and programs that provide health-related access and services for children. Children’s Disability Services: Organizations and programs focused on supporting children with physical/cognitive disabilities. Mental Health: Organizations and programs that support access to and delivery of mental health services, with preference given to work that addresses the needs of children aged 5-15. Capital Projects for Hospitals and Clinics: Activities supporting the maintenance of hospitals, construction of facilities, and purchase of medical equipment.

“UW Valleys is honored to partner with the Otto Bremer Trust to support its Community Responsive Fund grants. Meeting community members’ needs is central to our respective missions. We look forward to working with local nonprofits to address community challenges and opportunities through these Otto Bremer Trust grants” said Steve McCarthy, Executive Director of UW Valleys.

Grant applications are now open for local nonprofit organizations and can be found at: uwvalleys.org/otto-bremer-trust.

UW Valleys fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Western Wisconsin. UW Valleys is committed to improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities Burnett, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties. Through strategic partnerships and impactful initiatives, UW Valleys helps address critical community needs and create lasting change.

The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable trust based in St. Paul, Minn. Created in 1944 by business and community leader Otto Bremer, it is committed to supporting an enhanced quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Since its founding, OBT has invested more than $1 billion in its region’s people, places, and opportunities.

For more information about UW Valleys, visit uwvalleys.org.

For more information about Otto Bremer Trust, visit ottobremer.org.