At Home on the Farm

John and Elizabeth shared a long and probably difficult life together. John was approximately 8 years older than Elizabeth. He was 32 and Elizabeth 24 at the time of their wedding in January 1874. Ten months later Elizabeth gave birth to Peter, the first of nine children. Peter was followed by three daughters, Margaret (known as Maggie), Agnes (named after Elizabeth's sister), and Mary.

At 41, a middle-aged John Boehlen, relocated his family to Taylor County Wisconsin. The children were 8, 7, 5 and 3. Thomas was born in February 1882 and probably was an infant during the relocation. Peter would only live 26 years, but if he was physically able at 8 years old, he would have helped his father clear the dense forest that must have covered the "Boehlen Place" in Taylor County.

John and Elizabeth would have four more children, Vincent 1885, Elizabeth 1888, Michael 1891 and Joseph 1893. Joseph was to die as a toddler at the age of two. Daughters Elizabeth and Mary joined the convent. Peter passed away in 1901. Vince and Mike would marry sisters, Rosa and (Miline) Mildred Barbeau. Thomas remained on the Boehlen farm with his parents. After both had died, he married Louise Kelnhofer. Maggie married Emil Will and Agnes married John Riegert.

John Boehlen lead a difficult life. He was probably in his early-60s when this photograph was taken. You can see the wear of the years on his face. John had a minor deformity on his left hand. He had two thumbs. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the additional digit protruding from the wrist area. John is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Stetsonville, Wisconsin.	Elizabeth Boehlen shared John's hard life. Compare this photo with the family portrait taken less than 10 years earlier. Her obituary proudly states, "As one of our pioneers she has done her part in making a home out of a wilderness and through it all has always held the respect of all." Elizabeth is buried next to John in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Stetsonville, Wisconsin.
Thomas Boehlen remained on the Boehlen farm. He continued to work the farm after his father's death in 1919 and cared for his mother's well being until she died in 1924. He was a very soft spoken and kind man. His slim figure towered over most people standing well over six feet. He married Louise Kelnhofer after his mother's death and raised five children, Florina, Orvilla, John, Germain, and Francis.	Vincent Boehlen was born in 1885. At the age of 27, he married Rosa Barbeau in 1912. They had four children before Rosa died of influenza in 1920. Vincent never remarried. He left the farm life for a house in the City of Medford. He was a factory worker at Hurds and later a brewery worker in Milwaukee at Millers Brewery. He loved cigars and bowling. He died in Glenview Illinois in 1967. Vincent is buried next to Rosa in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Stetsonville, Wisconsin.
Michael Boehlen was the youngest of the Boehlen boys who survived childhood. At 23 (1914) he married Mildred Barbeau, the 17 year sister of his sister-in-law Rosa. They were married for 56 years until his death in 1971. The raised four children, Vincent, Michael, Dorothy and Dolores. Mike was a very kind man of shorter stature. He smoked a pipe. Mildred and Mike lived in Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, on the farm in Hustisford and finally in Nenno, Wisconsin. Both are buried at Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Nenno.	I included an enlargement of this puppy, most likely a family pet. I found it interesting that a dog was included in both the formal family portrait and the more candid setting above. My guess is that the Boehlen family loved animals. Do you and your children love animals? Maybe its in the genes.