Bernhard Chester Kiepke was NOT the biological son of Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County, Wisconsin. He was the product of an affair between Cora Christensen a single woman from Angelica, Shawano County, Wisconsin and Ervin A. Lawler of Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin. Cora was the daughter of James (Jens) Christensen from Denmark and wife Mary from Norway.
The following was explained to me by the head of a historical society in the Angelica area a few years back. Church ministers would travel by horse & buggy to neighboring towns and counties to find husbands for women to "got into trouble" and It certainly looks like this would have been the case for Cora Christensen. In 1905, Cora married Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County.
A son was born within a year of the marriage. Johann Richard Carl Kiepke who died at age 3. Cora and Albert had another son, William in 1907.
Cora died of Tuberculosis when Bernie was just 7 years old.
Albert Kiepke and 2nd wife Clara (married 1910) officially adopted Bernie in 1917, 8 years after his mother was baby half-brother died. The story goes that Albert Kiepke was horrible to Bernie and he went to go live on the Paul Semerau farm (my great-great grandfather) as they took pity on him. The story also states that Albert Kiepke would frequently go to the Semerau farm and take any money Bernie made on the Semerau farm.
Bernie eventually married the Granddaughter of Paul Semerau, Magadalena F. Semerau. The legend also goes on to stay that when Bernie died in Wausau in 1959, other brother & step-brothers, the sons of Albert and 2nd wife Clara were NOT allowed at the funeral. This story was handed down my Magdalena herself.
The creator of this memorial page has no idea how and why Ervin A. Lawler of Brown County knew the Christensen family of Shawano County. However, I read several stories from Green Bay area newspapers regarding the Lawler family, Angelica and the nearby town of Pulaski were often mentioned.
Copies of the official Wausau Record Herald newspaper clipping adoption announcement and copies of the original court adoption records are now in the possession of the creator of this memorial page.
Obituary for Bernhard Kiepke
Marathon Times (Newspaper)
B.C. Kiepke, Former Village Official Dies
Bernhard C. Kiepke, 56, Marathon tavern operator, died in a Wausau hospital yesterday afternoon at 12:40 o'clock after a lingering illness.
Mr. Kiepke has served as a trustee of Marathon Village for six years and fro two years was president of the village. At the time of his death, he was president of the congregation of St. Mathew's Lutheran Church there.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock in St. Matthew's church, with the Rev. G.O. Krause officiating. Interment will be in Restlawn Memorial Park here. Private family services will be held Friday morning in the Lohr Funeral Home at Marathon, after which the body will be taken to the church. The remains will be in the funeral home this evening.
Mr. Kiepke was born Dec. 9, 1902, in Shawano County and was married July 28, 1928, in Marathon to Magdalena Semerau.
Besides the widow, he is survived by a daughter, Doreen, at home; a half- brother, William Kiepke, this city, and two grandchildren. The latter are children of a daughter, Jeanette Witkowski, who died about seven years ago.
The following was explained to me by the head of a historical society in the Angelica area a few years back. Church ministers would travel by horse & buggy to neighboring towns and counties to find husbands for women to "got into trouble" and It certainly looks like this would have been the case for Cora Christensen. In 1905, Cora married Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County.
A son was born within a year of the marriage. Johann Richard Carl Kiepke who died at age 3. Cora and Albert had another son, William in 1907.
Cora died of Tuberculosis when Bernie was just 7 years old.
Albert Kiepke and 2nd wife Clara (married 1910) officially adopted Bernie in 1917, 8 years after his mother was baby half-brother died. The story goes that Albert Kiepke was horrible to Bernie and he went to go live on the Paul Semerau farm (my great-great grandfather) as they took pity on him. The story also states that Albert Kiepke would frequently go to the Semerau farm and take any money Bernie made on the Semerau farm.
Bernie eventually married the Granddaughter of Paul Semerau, Magadalena F. Semerau. The legend also goes on to stay that when Bernie died in Wausau in 1959, other brother & step-brothers, the sons of Albert and 2nd wife Clara were NOT allowed at the funeral. This story was handed down my Magdalena herself.
The creator of this memorial page has no idea how and why Ervin A. Lawler of Brown County knew the Christensen family of Shawano County. However, I read several stories from Green Bay area newspapers regarding the Lawler family, Angelica and the nearby town of Pulaski were often mentioned.
Copies of the official Wausau Record Herald newspaper clipping adoption announcement and copies of the original court adoption records are now in the possession of the creator of this memorial page.
Obituary for Bernhard Kiepke
Marathon Times (Newspaper)
B.C. Kiepke, Former Village Official Dies
Bernhard C. Kiepke, 56, Marathon tavern operator, died in a Wausau hospital yesterday afternoon at 12:40 o'clock after a lingering illness.
Mr. Kiepke has served as a trustee of Marathon Village for six years and fro two years was president of the village. At the time of his death, he was president of the congregation of St. Mathew's Lutheran Church there.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock in St. Matthew's church, with the Rev. G.O. Krause officiating. Interment will be in Restlawn Memorial Park here. Private family services will be held Friday morning in the Lohr Funeral Home at Marathon, after which the body will be taken to the church. The remains will be in the funeral home this evening.
Mr. Kiepke was born Dec. 9, 1902, in Shawano County and was married July 28, 1928, in Marathon to Magdalena Semerau.
Besides the widow, he is survived by a daughter, Doreen, at home; a half- brother, William Kiepke, this city, and two grandchildren. The latter are children of a daughter, Jeanette Witkowski, who died about seven years ago.
Bernhard Chester Kiepke was NOT the biological son of Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County, Wisconsin. He was the product of an affair between Cora Christensen a single woman from Angelica, Shawano County, Wisconsin and Ervin A. Lawler of Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin. Cora was the daughter of James (Jens) Christensen from Denmark and wife Mary from Norway.
The following was explained to me by the head of a historical society in the Angelica area a few years back. Church ministers would travel by horse & buggy to neighboring towns and counties to find husbands for women to "got into trouble" and It certainly looks like this would have been the case for Cora Christensen. In 1905, Cora married Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County.
A son was born within a year of the marriage. Johann Richard Carl Kiepke who died at age 3. Cora and Albert had another son, William in 1907.
Cora died of Tuberculosis when Bernie was just 7 years old.
Albert Kiepke and 2nd wife Clara (married 1910) officially adopted Bernie in 1917, 8 years after his mother was baby half-brother died. The story goes that Albert Kiepke was horrible to Bernie and he went to go live on the Paul Semerau farm (my great-great grandfather) as they took pity on him. The story also states that Albert Kiepke would frequently go to the Semerau farm and take any money Bernie made on the Semerau farm.
Bernie eventually married the Granddaughter of Paul Semerau, Magadalena F. Semerau. The legend also goes on to stay that when Bernie died in Wausau in 1959, other brother & step-brothers, the sons of Albert and 2nd wife Clara were NOT allowed at the funeral. This story was handed down my Magdalena herself.
The creator of this memorial page has no idea how and why Ervin A. Lawler of Brown County knew the Christensen family of Shawano County. However, I read several stories from Green Bay area newspapers regarding the Lawler family, Angelica and the nearby town of Pulaski were often mentioned.
Copies of the official Wausau Record Herald newspaper clipping adoption announcement and copies of the original court adoption records are now in the possession of the creator of this memorial page.
Obituary for Bernhard Kiepke
Marathon Times (Newspaper)
B.C. Kiepke, Former Village Official Dies
Bernhard C. Kiepke, 56, Marathon tavern operator, died in a Wausau hospital yesterday afternoon at 12:40 o'clock after a lingering illness.
Mr. Kiepke has served as a trustee of Marathon Village for six years and fro two years was president of the village. At the time of his death, he was president of the congregation of St. Mathew's Lutheran Church there.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock in St. Matthew's church, with the Rev. G.O. Krause officiating. Interment will be in Restlawn Memorial Park here. Private family services will be held Friday morning in the Lohr Funeral Home at Marathon, after which the body will be taken to the church. The remains will be in the funeral home this evening.
Mr. Kiepke was born Dec. 9, 1902, in Shawano County and was married July 28, 1928, in Marathon to Magdalena Semerau.
Besides the widow, he is survived by a daughter, Doreen, at home; a half- brother, William Kiepke, this city, and two grandchildren. The latter are children of a daughter, Jeanette Witkowski, who died about seven years ago.
The following was explained to me by the head of a historical society in the Angelica area a few years back. Church ministers would travel by horse & buggy to neighboring towns and counties to find husbands for women to "got into trouble" and It certainly looks like this would have been the case for Cora Christensen. In 1905, Cora married Albert Kiepke of the town of Stettin, Marathon County.
A son was born within a year of the marriage. Johann Richard Carl Kiepke who died at age 3. Cora and Albert had another son, William in 1907.
Cora died of Tuberculosis when Bernie was just 7 years old.
Albert Kiepke and 2nd wife Clara (married 1910) officially adopted Bernie in 1917, 8 years after his mother was baby half-brother died. The story goes that Albert Kiepke was horrible to Bernie and he went to go live on the Paul Semerau farm (my great-great grandfather) as they took pity on him. The story also states that Albert Kiepke would frequently go to the Semerau farm and take any money Bernie made on the Semerau farm.
Bernie eventually married the Granddaughter of Paul Semerau, Magadalena F. Semerau. The legend also goes on to stay that when Bernie died in Wausau in 1959, other brother & step-brothers, the sons of Albert and 2nd wife Clara were NOT allowed at the funeral. This story was handed down my Magdalena herself.
The creator of this memorial page has no idea how and why Ervin A. Lawler of Brown County knew the Christensen family of Shawano County. However, I read several stories from Green Bay area newspapers regarding the Lawler family, Angelica and the nearby town of Pulaski were often mentioned.
Copies of the official Wausau Record Herald newspaper clipping adoption announcement and copies of the original court adoption records are now in the possession of the creator of this memorial page.
Obituary for Bernhard Kiepke
Marathon Times (Newspaper)
B.C. Kiepke, Former Village Official Dies
Bernhard C. Kiepke, 56, Marathon tavern operator, died in a Wausau hospital yesterday afternoon at 12:40 o'clock after a lingering illness.
Mr. Kiepke has served as a trustee of Marathon Village for six years and fro two years was president of the village. At the time of his death, he was president of the congregation of St. Mathew's Lutheran Church there.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock in St. Matthew's church, with the Rev. G.O. Krause officiating. Interment will be in Restlawn Memorial Park here. Private family services will be held Friday morning in the Lohr Funeral Home at Marathon, after which the body will be taken to the church. The remains will be in the funeral home this evening.
Mr. Kiepke was born Dec. 9, 1902, in Shawano County and was married July 28, 1928, in Marathon to Magdalena Semerau.
Besides the widow, he is survived by a daughter, Doreen, at home; a half- brother, William Kiepke, this city, and two grandchildren. The latter are children of a daughter, Jeanette Witkowski, who died about seven years ago.
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