The Birth of Bartholomaus (Barthel) Boerner

Today is the birthday of my paternal great grand uncle, Bartholomaus Boerner. I have made brief reference to Bartle (as the family wrote his name) earlier in a post about his younger brother, my great grandfather, Martin Boerner, Sr. The paper mill the brothers worked at in Niagara, WI was the Kimberly-Clark mill, also previously explored. Today’s focus is on Bartle and his family.

Bartholomaus Boerner, his name often written in American records as Barthel or Bartel Borner (the “e” removed),  was born on Christmas Eve of 1856 to Adam and Annae Mariae (Janz) Boerner. The family resided in Gaulsheim, Ahunhessen, Germany. He was baptized the next day, Christmas Day, at Roemisch-Katholische Kirche in Gaulsheim.

On September 19, 1884, when he was 27 years old, Bartle arrived in New York City on the ship, Rhynland, which had departed from Antwerp.* Like so many other immigrants, he traveled in steerage on the trip to his new country. He moved to Milwaukee, a popular place for Germans immigrating to the United States.

Fifteen months after he arrived in the States, Barthel married Minna Grube in Milwaukee on January 14, 1886. Minna was a first generation German-American born in Milwaukee to her German immigrant parents, Wilhelm and Caroline (Schurmann) Grube. The young couple lived in Milwaukee where Bartel worked as a packer and a laborer according the City Directories.

The couple’s first son, William Peter, was born on July 30, 1886 and their daughter, Anna, was born into the family on February 9, 1888. The family continued to live in Milwaukee until at least 1893 according to city records. Sometime soon after that they moved to Kaukauna in Outagamie County, WI so Bartel could work in the paper mill. Their youngest son, Arthur Fredrick, was born on May 30, 1895 in Kaukauna.

Two years later, in December of 1897, Bartle’s younger brother, Martin arrived in the United States and joined his brother in Wisconsin. The brothers traveled up to Niagara, WI to work at the mill for a year. Bartle then returned home to his family and Martin brought his family over to join him in Niagara.

According to the City Directory records, when the family moved to Kaukauna, Bartle was listed in the 1897 and 1901 directories as a fireman. In 1908, he worked at Boyds paper mill and in 1910 he was at Brokaw mill. It was also noted that he was an Alderman in 1910 at the age of 54. Bartle died on April 1, 1914 at the age of 57.

*Source: “United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KD33-L7Y : accessed 01 Oct 2013), Bart. Borner, 1884.