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Note: Anton owned 40 acres of land in either Dane or Sauk, Co., Wis., (near Baraboo?) according to the General Land Office Records for Wisconsin. The land office record was dated 10 Aug., 1850. Anton is said to have immigrated from Alsace-Lorraine province of Northern France.
ST. ALOYSIUS CONGREGATION 115 Madison St. Sauk City Wisconsin 53583 Telephone: 643-6285
December 15, 1978
Mrs. John Schroepfer 1241 East 6th Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55106
"Anton Franzwa and M. Anna Leikem were married October 18, 1853. His parents were M. Franzwa and _____ Keifer. Her parents were F. Leikem and R. Theissen."
Carroll, Iowa November, 1974 THE FRANZWA SAGA by Henry J. Franzwa
"We will start with the name Franzwa. It is definitely French and comes from the name Francois, a very common name in France and Germany. When I was young I often heard the name of "Alsace Lorraine" mentioned and assumed that my forebears came from that country. The province of Alsace Lorraine is in the northeast of France and bordered at that time on the papal state of Prussia. Now you must remember in the early part of the nineteenth century, France was continually at war with itself or neighboring states, and due to military or political reasons many of the inhabitants of Alsace Lorraine crossed over the border into what is now Germany. No doubt the Francois family were among them. Now where did they settle? Frankly, I do not know, although I should, but that is one thing that escaped my memory. How do I know this? Because at different times I have seen members of the Francois family at our home; they were Dad's cousins and all were born in Germany. Now understand a great number of German immigrants came to this country around 1850. After landing in New York, they came by lake steamer to the port of Milwaukee--railroads were scarce in those days.
The Francois family were among these immigrants, including my grandfather, Peter Franzwa, and his bride, Anna Marie Leikes. He had changed his name no doubt to escape the draft. They were your great grandparents. I do not know if he had any brothers or sisters that came with him. They settled on some land near Baraboo, Wisconsin, in Sauk County, 125 miles west of Milwaukee. It was here where my father was born in 1854, the oldest of five children--four boys and a girl. When my dad was nine years old his father was killed in a farm accident. I know very little of what really happened. He is buried in or near Baraboo. Dad never told us much about that tragedy, nor did he ever go back to his birthplace.
How about the Francois family? I only knew two, one a nun in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her name was Sister Rose. She was a visitor at our house around 1901. Her brother and family lived in Nebraska City, Nebraska. I remember my brother Ed (your grandfather) being a visitor at their house at different times."
Excerpts from letters from Miss Katherine Franzwa to Gregory M. Franzwa in St. Louis: Oct. 12, 1969:
"His father's arm was cut off in a corn shelter and they took him to town in a wagon, and he bled to death on the way. How different things are now."
"Dec. 5, 1970: "Dad's (Fredrick) father (Anton Franzwa) left France during some war, and went over to Germany, and spelled his name the way they pronounced it. His father then came to America with a brother. This brother kept the old spelling Francois. We had cousins living in Nebraska by that name."
Notes from Sandy Stiemke - s_crary_2002at yahoo.com: "From Myrtle Cushing I have this to add to your information: Newspaper account of Oct. 14, 1859 - Anton Franzwa lost an arm in a threshing machine and infection set in - left wife and three (?) children."
Notes from Sharon Franzwa Gunderson - 28 Jul 04: "By the way, they pronounce it Fran-koys. We visited Sauk County earlier this month and I found some treasures. From early plat maps I found the farm that Anton and Anna Marie lived on and the library had the 1859 newspaper on microfilm that told of Anton's accident with the threshing machine and his death a few days later. I found the probate records that told of the sale of the farm to pay the debts, the list of their assets, of her father (Frederick Leikum) being appointed administrator etc. I put wild flowers on Anna Marie's grave in Honey Creek, and found her father's grave in St. Aloysius Cemetery in Sauk City. We know Anton is buried at St. Al's also but his gravestone was vandalized many years ago. The news article reads: UNLUCKY ACCIDENT. We learn from the Sauk City Pioneer (sp) that a German named Anton Franzwa, who resides in the town of Honey Creek, and owns a threshing machine with his brother-in-law, M. Leickem, had his arm so severely injured by the machine last Thursday, that it is feared amputation will be rendered necessary. These threshing machines would be a capital invention, if they would be content with threshing out grain, instead of wearing out horse-flesh, putting out eye-sight, and mangling the "human form divine." Baraboo News Republic, Oct. 13, 1859. page 2."
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