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Much of the information on this page is from a chart sent via email by the very helpful and generous  Mary Utschig Read. She labeled it, "Information gathered from several people who are related to these families: Alice Erdmann, Raymond and DeAnn Meysing, David Jann, CA, David M. Jann, Marion Melsheimer Czachor, John H. Traut, and personal research. I hope I have not left anyone out--everyone has been very helpful and happy to share with one another. This chart has been put together by Mary Utschig Read. It is not complete, but the best that could be done with the information had by January 2007. Any corrections and/or additions are welcomed and hoped for so that the family's histories can become more complete and accurate. THANK YOU again for everyone's help in gathering the information so far collected."

To jump straight to photographs, click here: pics

Click on image to enlarge. Once enlarged, to zoom, move cursor to right of image, back onto image, and click again.

Bornhofen's 50th anniversary photo with Bitners in the crowd. To see labeled version, follow link beneath photo gallery	clockwise starting w Margaret Bornhofen in white coat, pos Julia Utschig Bitner, Katherine Bitner Bornhofen, Margaret Bitner, Mary Utschig Jann	Margaret Bitner from 50th anniversary shot, i.d. by Marion Melsheimer Czachor in 2007

To go to the labeled version of the shot of the golden anniversary gathering, click here: Bornhofen's 50th

I need to do some census surfing. From the Jann/Utschig side of the family I have learned of Veronica Juliana Utschig Bitner, half sister to Katherine Merten Bornhofen (Joe's mother). From the Pfleger side of the family (Joe's sister) I have learned of Joe's wife, Katherine Bitner Bornhofen. And Marion Melsheimer Czachor, granddaughter of Mary Utschig Jann, is the one who labeled Margaret Bitner in the 50th anniversary shot that holds so many of Katherine Merten Bornhofen's half sisters. I need to track down exactly how Joe's wife connects to the family of his mother's half sister.

Tracking Julia Utschig Bitner's family:

Wisconsin marriage records show Benedict Bittner marrying on 5-22-1890 in Fond Du Lac county. This matches the census info for this Benedict Bittner and Julia Utschig.

1900 census, Fond Du Lac County, WI, Marshfield: Benedict Bittner, age 36, born March 1864 in WI of parents born in Germany, married 10 years, occupation: general merchant. Wife Juliana, age 32, born Feb. 1868 in WI of parents born in Germany , mother of 4 of whom 2 are living. Daughter Juliana A., age 6, born May 1894. Daughter Margaretta A, age 2, born Sept 1897. Also in the household: brother-in-law August Utschig, widowed, age 72, born  May 1828 in Germany of parents born in Germany, immigrated 1842, occupation looks like Dray man? Dairy Man? Also in the household: Katie Eck, age 16, servant, born Jan. 1884 in IL of a father born in IL and a mother born in WI (note: Julia's half-sister married a man named Eck). Also in the house: Philip Abler, boarder, age 17, born Feb. 1893 in WI of parents born in WI, occupation: apprentice tinsmith. The next household is Anton Utschig born in WI of parents born in Germany, occupation: tinsmith, and wife Christina, born in WI of a father born in Ohio and a mother born in Germany. (NOTE on the same census page is the family of Joseph Wirtz, born in WI of parents born in WI, occupation retail liquor, wife's name Clara.)

1910 census, Fond Du Lac, Marshfield (assume anything I have not transcribed is omitted because it is unchanged from 1900): Benedict Bittner, age 46, married for 26 years in first marriage, dealer in general merchandise. Wife Julia A, age 42, mother of 8 of whom 6 are alive. Daughter Julia A, age 15, occupation: saleslady in general store. Daughter Margaretha A, age 12. Daughter Katherina C, age 8. Daughter Cecilia C, age 4. Son Aloysius, 11 months. Son Leo J, also 11 months. Also in the house: Katherine Bord, age 26, servant, occupation: cook.

1920 census, FDL, Marshfield (omitting duplicated info): Benedict Bittner, age 55, born in WI of parents born in Saxony, occupation: merchant, dry goods industry. Wife Julia, age 52, born in WI of a father born in Austria and a mother born in Prussia, occupation: saleslady, dry goods industry. Daughter Margaretha, age 22, occupation: saleslady in dry goods industry. Daughter Katharina, age 18. Daughter Cecilia, age 14. Son Aloys, age 11, and son Leo, age 11. Also in the house: Katharina Bord, age 35, servant, born in WI of parents born in WI.

1930 census, FDL, Marshfield (omitting duplicated info): "Ben" Bittner, age 66, married at age 26, storekeeper in general store. Wife Julia, 62, married at 22. Daughter Margareth, age 31, single Daughter Cecile, age 25, single, occupation: teacher--music. Son Alois, age 21, single. Son Leo, 21, single. Also in the household Cahterine Bord, 45, servant. The next household is again Anton Utschig, 58, tinner in tin shop but his wife this time is given as Christina, age 58, and they have daughters Ester, 21, and possibly Ludmilla? age 14.

Regarding Katherine Bitner who married Joe Bornhofen: Joe's niece had the photograph reproduced above showing Katherine Bitner and Margaret Bittner, and was under the impression they were sisters, but perhaps they were cousins? Despite Julia having daughters Katherine and Margaret, I suspect Julia's Katherine and Joe's Katherine were not the same person, simply because you don't marry your own cousin (or half-cousin in this case.) There was another Bittner family in Marshfield, WI in 1910 with a daughter Katherine, age 21 (thus born in 1889, putting her five years older than Joe, hmm). This was the family of Gustav Bittner. By the obituary of Joe's mother it would appear he had not yet married by July 1930. I can find neither Joe Bornhofen nor Katherine Bitner in the 1930 census. There is a reference in the Southtown Economist on 1-31-1951 (in reference to the doings of the St. Carthage Society) to Joseph Bornhofen of 7429 Harvard Street, which implies he never left his home address, though he is not at 7429 Harvard for the 1930 census (his sister and brother-in-law are there, but not him).

Oddly, I can find neither Joe nor Katherine in the Social Security death index. There are two Katherine Bornhofens born around the right time, but nothing to indicate either might be the right KB.

Connection: Julia's niece, Gert Bornhofen Pfleger, was sister-in-law to Irene Pfleger Wachdorf