Notizen zu dieser Person
BIOGRAPHIE: The story of Frank S and Mary ZIPPERER PRITZL as told by two of their children; Regina PRITZL BOHMAN and Sister M. DeLellis (Helen PRITZL). Our father, Frank PRITZL, was the second youngest of eight children. When Franks father died, pa's uncle came late for the funeral. He came on horseback from nearby Munich. When our pa saw uncle, he called him "dada". That pleased uncle, so he begged to take along the four year old and raise him. Pa visited his mother only four times after that. When pa was a young man, he was a delivery man. In those days, horse drawn wagons were used to haul produce to nearby towns. This family also had an adopted daughter, because they had been childless. Pa stayed with them until he was to go for military training. He wanted to visit his mother one more time. She told him to go to America where his two brothers already were. Brother Michael was on a farm in Cato, and Wolfgang in Brillion. Pa's mother packed his clothing, and as soldiers were patrolling the main roads for draft evaders, they piled up a big load of wood on the wagon. Pa sat in the center as they crossed the inspection line and he made it to the ship. There was another inspection, but the captain hid the boys in the boiler room, and they were on their way to America. Pa landed at Baltimore, Maryland, and then traveled to Wisconsin. He carried a pair of pigeons along all the way. Uncle Anton came two weeks later. Before our father was married, he went to "Sleepy Eye" to work for a farmer. One day when pa was on his way to the bank, with money he had earned, several men on horseback asked him for a match. Pa said he'd give anything for a match. They looked him over and said, "He doesn't seem to have anything". Pa went back home with the money hidden in his shoe. The next day, the news came that the bank was robbed by Jesse James and his gang. After our parents were married, [1878], they left Brillion and went to New Ulm, Minnesota, to take up a homestead. The Indians were robbing and killing there, so after a few months, they came back to Brillion. There they settled on a forty-acre farm near Kasson. Mother's two brothers, Charlie and John, helped to build a log cabin. That part of the house is still standing. Other rooms and an upstairs were added. Robert [Frank's son], sold the place in 1919. Pa spoke a different dialect than his family, being raised in Bavaria. We asked ma how she met pa. She said she was waiting at a shoe shop having her shoes repaired, when pa walked in. It was love at first sight. But, her father didn't think so. He had a man picked for her and invited him to the home. Mother locked herself in her room upstairs and wouldn't come out. Her father was very provoked. He said, "if you marry this poor man, you will get no inheritance", and he kept his word. Pa and ma were married in the old St. Michael's Church, [1878], by Father Fessler. They are buried in what was called Kasson Cemetery, three miles northeast of Brillion. That mission church was taken down some years later. When ma's mother came to America on a sailboat, they sailed for six weeks. She knitted a pair of cotton stockings to keep her mind off the storms. The rosary was her companion. She brought along a hand-carved statue of Mary, which was always honored. Our parents were blessed with twelve children. Three sons died as infants, and a daughter, Clara, fell into hot water as a child, which caused her to be retarded and she died at age twenty-four. The story was often told of one of our fore-fathers, Schmitpetter, (*), who was a feather-merchant. He once was stopped by a man who had a lottery ticket. He wanted to exchange it for a meal ticket. Schmitpetter gave him money for a meal and after some coaxing, accepted the lottery ticket. The ticket turned out to pay so much money, that the bank couldn't pay it all at one time. He was the talk of the town. Soon after, Schmitpetter was in a tavern, when a man whispered, "those two men there, want to kill you, leave your hat, cane and run". He ran and hid in a grain shock. When hearing the men looking for him, he made a vow, if he would be safe, he would use the money for charity. Therefore, in 1836, the church and convent in Hirschau were built. The convent was built by his sister. When Schimtpetter died, he was buried beneath this church. God blessed this village with many vocations to the priesthood and religious life, more than any other place in Europe.
(*) Michael PRITZL's [1813-1886] grandfather was named Michael Schmidtpetter. The man who is buried in the church at Hirschau and is given credit for building the church is Andreas Schmidtpetter. It's possible that Andreas and Michael Schmidtpetter were brothers.
Manfred
Kolbeck
