THE MATHIAS BRAUN FAMILY
1831 - 1968
In 1847 Mathias Braun came to the United States from either Darmstadt or Preisen, Germany (Prussia). He, a brother and three sisters landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and from there the group walked to St. Joe, Wisconsin (Fond du Lac County), a distance of about fifty miles.
About 1858, Mathias married Gertrude Stein. She was born in 1838 but her birth place is unknown. Mathias and his brother and sisters first settled in Fond du Lac County and most of them remained in that vicinity. However a brother, Peter, came to the United States first and he settled in the area of Aberdeen, South Dakota.
After living in St. Joe for a short time, Mathias moved to Woodville (Calumet County). Here he farmed, ran a saloon and general store, and was the postmaster.
Matthias Braun and Gertrude Stein had eleven children - Mary, Joseph, Anna, Margaret, William, John, Appolonia, Anton, Catherine, Jacob and Frank. His wife Gertrude died in childbirth in 1874.
He then married Josephine Wehner who lived about one year. They had no children.
About 1879, Mathias married Gertrude Becker who was born in 1855 in Koblanz, Germany (Prussia). She, at an early age, with her parents sailed to the United States. Her mother died while crossing the Atlantic and was buried at sea. Gertrude Becker once remarked that there was some French among her ancestors. Arnold Braun, brother of Mathias, married Gertrude Becker's Sister, Mary.
Mathias and his wife, Gertrude Becker, had twelve children - Catherine, Rose, Caroline, Helen, Mathew, Frank, Louis, Josephine, Emma, Mathias, Peter and Elmer.