A few days ago, I wrote about our upcoming trip to Austria and Germany. We’re visiting Austria specifically because it’s where Gary’s 2nd great-grandfather, Benedict Taschwer, was born.
So, here’s more info about Benedict (+ Wikipedia links for more info about locations in Austria, if you’re curious).
Origins
Benedict “Ben” Taschwer was born March 20, 1882, in the village of Turdanitsch in the city of Villach, Kärnten, Austria — actually a culturally German part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. He was a child of Frank/Franz and Elisabeth “Bessie” (née Prock) Taschwer. Ben was baptized at the Catholic church in the nearby village of Maria Gail.
When he was grown, Ben was described as being a little under 6 feet tall and about 180 lb, with a “ruddy” complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair.
The image above is a cultural map of the Austro-Hungarian empire as it would have looked while Ben was growing up there. If you want to find Villach on this map, look at the lower part of the pink section on the left, near the area labeled Carinthia.
Immigration
He departed Europe at age 21 on November 28, 1903 from Le Havre, Normandy, France aboard the S.S. La Champagne. He arrived in the United States on December 7, 1903, at Ellis Island in New York. According to the ship’s manifest, Ben was a weaver from Assling, an Alpine town about 125 km from Villach.
Ben moved to Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin — a popular destination for German immigrants at the time. Then at the age of 24, he married the 18-year-old Mary/Maria Kroisenbacher, on February 12, 1907.
Ben applied to become a naturalized citizen of the United States on August 24, 1909. This petition in included his wife, Mary. Interestingly, Ben signed his name with the spelling “Benedikt” on this document, which is a typical German spelling, though all later documents use the usual English spelling with a C.
Not long after applying for citizenship in 1909, he and Mary had their first child, a daughter named Mary after her mother.
Finally, on June 13, 1910, the couple’s request for naturalization was officially granted and Ben signed the Oath of Allegiance.
Family
They were soon joined by a second daughter, Johanna, who was born in 1911. She was followed by a son, Joseph, in 1914, and another son, William, in 1917. Ben worked as a carpenter to support his growing family. After the children were old enough to go to school and more or less fend for themselves, Mary also got a job as a janitor. They rented a home in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee.
After their children were grown, Ben and Mary bought a small house in Milwaukee proper. Ben found a job as a watchman at a steel mill, where he worked until he retired at the age of 60.
Death
Mary died suddenly on January 29, 1946, at the age of 58, there in Milwaukee. Her funeral was held there at the St. Anthony of Padua Church, followed by burial at Holy Cross cemetery. She and Ben had 12 grandchildren by this time.
Ben outlived his wife by over a decade. He died on February 27, 1958, at the age of 75, also in Milwaukee. His funeral was held at St. Michael’s Church and he was buried next to his wife. At the time of his death, he had 12 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
Gary and I will be visiting Ben’s birthplace, Villach, including a trip to the Maria Gail church to see the place where his family worshiped during his childhood. I can’t wait to share our experiences there with you!