The
Fastner/Niga Family and Places They Lived - Timeline
About 1798 to 1841/1844 - the Fastner family lived in Bohemia
1798,
Aug. 16: Caspar
Fastner & Anna Vater married at
Antoniahütte per record seen (not copied) at Trebon. Needs more research.
1812?: Johann Fastner was born in Kvilda, Vimperk (Bohemia) per Paul Polansky. Presently, this part
of Bohemia is in the Czech Republic. Parents of Johann are Caspar Fastner of Neugebäu 7 & Anna Maria Schmidt of Fürstenhut 27 per
Wenzel Fastner birth record. NOTE: Paul Polansky says the parents of Johann are
Mathias Fastner & Anna Maria Vatter married 1797 in Kvilda.
1816?: Magdalena
Hany was born in Kvilda,
Vimperk (Bohemia) per Paul Polansky. Parents of Magdalena are Johann
Hany & Anna Maria Schmidt of
Außergifild (Kvilda) per Wenzel Fastner birth record.
1836,
Sept. 12: Johann Fastner and
Magdalena Hany were married in Neugebäu, Vimperk (Bohemia) per Paul Polansky.
1838,
May 5: Joseph
Fastner (son of Johann & Magdalena) born in Neugebäu per baptism record in
Trebon.
1840,
July 17: Eleonora
Fastner (daughter of Johann & Magdalena) born in Neugebäu per baptism
record in Trebon.
1841,
Sept. 8: Wenzel
(Venceslaus) Fastner (son of Johann & Magdalena) was born in house number 3
at Neugebäu, Vimperk (Bohemia) per baptism record in Trebon.
1841 to 1844: The Fastner Family
emigrated from Neugebäu to Bukovina
date
unknown: Wenzel
Fastner, his siblings and parents emigrated from Neugebäu in Bohemia to Bukovina, settling in Gurahumora, then Solka.
1844, June 23:
Birth/Baptism record for Rosalia Fastner - Town name Gurahumora, Bukovina
1846: Catherine Niga (Wenzel's wife) was born in Solka, Bukovina
1846,
Nov. 25: Catherina
Niga was born in Solka, Bukovina (Romania) per Paul Polansky. (Catherine later
married Wenzel Fastner). Parents of Catherina are Gabriel Niga and Eudochia
_____ from Fromosa/Frumosu (Bukovina) per Catherina & Wenzel's marriage
certificate.
The Fastner Family in Bukovina
1848, March 12:
Birth/Baptism record for Johanna
Fastner - Town name
Gurahumora, Bukovina
1850, October 12:
Birth/Baptism record for Barbara Fastner - Town name Gurahumora, Bukovina
1860, April 30: Johann Fastner was
a witness in a wedding at Solka, Bukovina,
for Adam Powlowski and Anna Maria Konigsbauer.
1864, July 3: Johann Fastner was
a witness at a wedding in Bukovina (maybe in Glitt), for Mathias Scheinost
and Maria Wittek / Walitsch.
1865, May 30: Rosalia
Fastner (sister of Wenzel Fastner) & Andreas Sporniak married at the Catholic
church in Solka, Bukovina. Johann
Fastner signed the marriage certificate because Rosalia was underage (age
21 is listed as her age, but maybe she was a few days under age 21). Rosalia
and Andreas had 5 children (or more). Rosalia remained in Bukovina and died there May
19, 1916
according to a death record. Rosalia and Andreas Sporniak's son, Wilhelm
Sporniak, was a passenger on a ship to America in 1906.
1865, Sept. 12: Johan Fastner was a
witness at a wedding at Solka, Bukovina, for Katharina Plach & Martin
Scheinost.
* Interview
with Pauline Beer Kircher (age 99) in 1977: The Fastner family lived in Solka,
and the Beer family lived in Glitt (the two towns were about one mile apart). Sometimes
they went to the small neighborhood church, but when they wanted to attend a
Mass, they would walk to the larger church in Solka. Lena said her birth name was pronounced as "beeta
bleear" but later changed to Baer (pronounced as "beer"). The
Fastners and Beers immigrated to America on the same ship, and ended up in Yuma, Colorado, together. Another source lists 12
families that immigrated together.
Wenzel Fastner and Catherina Niga children and marriage - Bukovina
1873, July
26: Anna
Fastner born (daughter of Wenzel & Catherine Fastner), maybe in Vienna (per her daughter). Anna’s birth record was
not found in Solka, Bukovina records. Speculation by the author: Since
it appears that Wenzel met his future wife after immigrating to Bukovina, it's not likely Anna was born in Vienna.
1873-1875?: Christophicia
(Christine?) Fastner was born (child of Wenzel & Catherine Fastner) per
death index. She died at about age 10 or 12.
date
unknown: A son of Wenzel and Catherina Fastner died in infancy (probably in Bukovina?) per Amelia (Sr. Alodia).
1875, Oct. 2: Wenzel
(Venceslaus) Fastner & Catherina Niga were married in Solka, Bukovina (Romania) per marriage certificate at Bukovina
Institut in Augsburg.
1875,
Oct. 20: Leopold
(Louis) Fastner (son of Wenzel & Catherina Fastner) was born in Solka, Bukovina per birth index at Bukovina Institut in Augsburg.
1881, Feb. 2: or
1880?? Mary Fastner (daughter of
Wenzel & Catherina Fastner) was born in Austria on Feb. 2, 1881, per daughter Merie Blau. Paul Polansky
lists said Mary Fastner was born in 1880 in Solka. A birth record was not found
on microfilm.
1882,
March 6: Josephine
Fastner (daughter of Wenzel & Catherina Fastner) was born in Solka, Bukovina per birth index at Bukovina Institut in Augsburg.
1884, March
29: Philomine
Fastner (daughter of Wenzel & Catherine Fastner) was born in Solka, Bukovina per birth index at Bukovina Institut in Augsburg.
1885,
Feb. 2: Christophicia
(Christine?) Fastner died at Solka, Bukovina (at age 10 or 12 per secondary source).
1886,
Dec. 22: Amelia
(Sr. M. Alodia) Fastner (daughter of Wenzel & Catherine Fastner) was
born in Solka, Bukovina per birth index at Bukovina Institut in Augsburg.
1887 - Wenzel
Fastner and Catherine Niga Fastner, their children, and Wenzel's parents
(Johann
Fastner and Magdalena Hany/Hanny Fastner) left Bukovina and
emigrated to America
1887,
May 23: Zeugniss: A handwritten
document written in German is dated "23 Mai 1887" and stamped
"SOLKA," from Austria. Town: Bukowina. Names listed on
document: Johann & Magdalena Fastner,
Wenzel and Katarina Fastner and children Anna,
age 16; Leopold, age 12; Maria, age 8; Josefa, age 6; Philomena,
age 4; Emilia, age 3 months.
Source: The original
document is owned by Mercedes Seefeld Wienke, daughter of Philomine Fastner. The
document was transcribed from German script and translated to English by the
German Dept. of Emory University, Atlanta, GA in 1996; and by Georg J.
Blau in 1997.
1887,
June 18: Johann & Magdalena
(Hany) Fastner and their son, Wenzel Fastner, Wenzel's wife Catherine Niga
Fastner and their six children left Solka, Austria, and emigrated by ship from Bremen to New York, USA. The six children were Anna, Louis
(called Leopold on ship list), Mary, Josephine, Philomine and Amelia Fastner.
Passenger list of vessels arriving at New York on June 18, 1887 on the vessel Saale. Port of embarkation: Bremen. Source: Wisconsin State Historical Society,
Madison, Dane Co., WI, Reel No. P74‑4669. Ancestry.com: New York, Passenger Lists of
Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897.
Micropublication M237. Rolls # 95-580. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Passengers #492‑498 are friends,
the Beer family, including Pauline Beer (Kircher)
Passengers #499-505 are friends, the
Kunzmann family.
#482 Wenzel Fastner, 41, male,
farmer, Bohemia USA 4th protracted sojourn
#483 Cath. Fastner, 31, female,
wife, "
#484 Joh. Vater (father), 63, male,
painter, "
#485 Magd. Mutter (mother), 61,
female, none, "
#486 Leopold Fastner, 10, male,
"
#487 Anna Fastner, 14, female,
"
#488 Maria Fastner, 7, female,
"
#489 Josephine Fastner, 4 1/2,
female, "
#490 Filomena Fastner, 3,
female, "
#491 Joseph Fastner, 6 months,
male, " (Is this supposed to be Amelia?)
1888: (date error) Amelia Fastner wrote: "My parents had for some time been
planning to immigrate to America, so in May 1888, we set sail. After a
journey of about thirty days we landed safely at New York."
About 1888 to August 1891, the Fastner family lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1888
(or 1887): Amelia Fastner wrote: "After a short stay at New York, we journeyed by rail to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here we all felt quite at home for most
of the people spoke the German language. In a short time Father found a good
location for his tailor shop and we were all happy and content."
1888: Milwaukee City Directory, Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
Page 256: John Fastner, r. rear 681 15th.
Page 256: Wenzel Fastner, lab., r. rear 681 15th.
1889,
April 4: Julia
Fastner (daughter of Wenzel & Catherine) born in Milwaukee (birth record on microfilm, Milwaukee County).
1889,
April 23: Magdalena Hany Fastner, a resident of the Unites States
for only two years, died in the Town of Milwaukee. Her sudden death was being investigated
according to the Milwaukee Sentinel dated April 25, 1889: "Coroner
Leidel yesterday investigated the sudden death of Mrs. Magdalena Fastner, a
town of Milwaukee
octogenarian. He found the family almost destitute of the necessaries of life. The
old lade had made her home with her son, who has a large family and has been
out of work."
Questions: The
newspaper did not mention that Magdelena was survived by a husband. Did Johann
Fastner die before his wife, Magdalena? Johann is listed on the 1887 ship list,
so he must have emigrated from Bukovina in 1887. Granddaughter, Clara Fastner
Pecher, said she barely remembers him, and Clara was born in 1891 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 1891 Milwaukee city directory lists John Fastner at the
same address as Wenzel Fastner.
1889, April
25: Record of interment for Magdalena Hany Fastner found at St.
Boniface Catholic Church, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.
Magdalena was buried at Calvary Cemetery, 5503 West Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Location: Block
1, Row 6, Grave 28. Source:
July 28, 1992 letter from Calvary Cemetery listing grave location
(above). February 10, 1997 letter from Calvary Cemetery says the requested
genealogy information is not available in the computer system.
www.findagrave.com
has burial information for Magdelena. No tombstone was located.
www.cemeteries.org
has burial information, showing a different grave location: Block 1, Row 28, Lot 6
1889,
April 28: Baptism of Julia Fastner
at St. Boniface Catholic Church, 2661 N. Teutonia Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53206 (baptismal
record copied).
1891: Milwaukee City Directory:
Page 281: Fastner, John, lab. h. e. s. 17th, 6 n
Ring.
Page 281: Fastner, Wenzel, lab. h. e. s. 17th, 6
n Ring.
1891, June 20: Clara Fastner born
in Milwaukee (daughter of Wenzel & Catherine).
1891,
July 5: Clara Fastner baptized at St. Boniface Church, 2661 N. Teutonia Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53206 (baptismal record copied).
1892,
July 14: William Geib, first son of Anna
Fastner & Phillip Geib, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1892: There
was no Fastner name listed in the Milwaukee city directory (Reel P75-1588).
About 1892 to 1895 (or 1896), the Fastner family lived in Yuma, Colorado
* According
to a 1977 interview with Pauline "Lena"
Beer Kircher, other
families who went to Yuma with the Fastner and Beer families were:
Trunde, Fieber, Krickl,
Kunzmann, and Blaubetch.
1893
approx. Amelia Fastner wrote: "At the age of seven, having scarcely
completed the third grade, I had to leave my dear home in Milwaukee and attend a small country school in Colorado, where Father, on account of getting a
whole section of land just for living on it for five years, had decided to
settle. After a three years' stay in this wild prairie, crops began to fail. At
length all the Catholics dispersed so the church was closed. Then my Father
said, "Rather than lose our Faith in this wilderness we will give up
everything else." NOTE: Sister M. Alodia gave her birth date as December
23, 1887, and
that she came with her family to America in May 1888.
??: Wenzel Fastnere is listed on the "Index to Naturalization
Documents".
Source: "The
box" of naturalization papers held by the Clerk of the Yuma County Court
House, 310 Ash St., Wray, Colorado 80758
1894: Anton Beer is listed as the owner of a section of land in Township
4 North, Range 47 West in Yuma County, Colorado. Type of Patent: Homestead Act. Source: Township Map, Original Land Patents, 2003 Marion D. Monk & Lee C.
Zion
1894,
Feb. 12: Joseph Geib, second child of Anna
Fastner & Phillip Geib, was born in Yuma, Colorado.
From Eleanore Geib Ropiak: Don't
know year they (Phillip Geib & Anna Fastner) went to Yuma, Colo. Lived in
Athens, Wi., later moved to Mil. Built 2
log cabins in Athens,
one for grandma & one for family."
Another letter from Eleanore says, "My folks lived in Yuma, Colorado, then to Athens, Wi., when my father (Phillip Geib)
built 2 houses out of logs. One for grandma Fastner and one for his family. They
claim one is still standing. I don't know. That's near Milan, Wi...This is after John Sousa band my
mother took ill. Indians used to bring deer and bear meat to my mother. Later
moved to Milw. and he played in a Milwaukee band..
1894,
May 19: William
Fastner born in Colorado (son of Wenzel). Birth date from
tombstone. Place of birth listed as Colorado on 1905 and 1920 Census at Johnson
Township, Marathon Co., WI.
According to Clara Fastner Pecher on October
2, 1977: After
going to Milwaukee from Austria, the Fastner's went to Colorado for a few years. Then went back to Milwaukee.
According to Clarence Pecher on June
12, 1992 (son of
Clara Fastner Pecher): Clarence remembers hearing that the Fastners lived in Yuma, Colorado, about 5 years before coming to Athens.
NOTE: Things found out on a June 1993
trip to Yuma, Colorado: There is a museum in Yuma where no Fastner names were found. There
are no Fastner names in the funeral home records at Yuma. The courthouse in Wray, CO, has no Fastner information. Wray said
birth records for Yuma are kept at the city hall in Yuma. Yuma has old newspapers at the newspaper
office but they are not on microfilm yet. The library in Yuma has books about the history of Yuma (copies made).
NOTE: Letter dated Sept.
13, 1993 to
Rhonda Wright, Yuma City Hall, 221 S. Main St, Yuma CO 80759 brought this reply
in quest of birth, marriage and death records for Fastners between 1887 to
1897: "I did not find any information, birth or death records, 1894-1919.
R. J. Wright"
NOTE: Letter dated Sept. 14, 1993 to Fr.
Whipkey, St. John the Evangelist, 504 S. Ash St., Yuma, CO 80759 requesting him
to check church records from 1887 to 1897 brought this Sept. 22, 1993, reply
from Fr. Robert Whipkey of St. Andrew's Church, 412 Dexter, Wray, CO 80758: "Our
church records do not extend past the early 1920's. In order for you to receive
parish information on the Fastners you would need to contact the Chancellery
Office of the Archdiocese of Denver. The address is 200 Josephine St., Denver, CO 80206. The records on the Fastner family would
probably originate from records kept by the parish in Ft. Morgan in the late 1800's." Fr. Whipkey is
the priest for both churches in Yuma and Wray.
NOTE: Letter dated Nov.
7, 1993 to
Chancellery Office, 200 Josephine St., Denver, CO 80206, brought this Nov.
17, 1993 reply: We
do not have records for Ft. Morgan back as far as the 1800's. Our records
for the sacraments are as follows: Ft. Morgan 1908; Brush, 1927; Brighton 1887; Yuma 1923. I was hoping to find some
information in the Brighton microfilm, but did not. Sorry to
disappoint you. Enclosed is some history of the area in those days. Sister Mary
Hughes."
CHECK FOR CITY DIRECTORIES IN YUMA, CO.
As of January 2006, ancestry.com has no census records for Yuma, Colorado Census for the dates of 1892-1895.
1895 (or 1896) to 1897 – some (or all?) of the Fastner family
moved back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It is unknown if the entire Fastner
family moved back to Milwaukee after their stay in Yuma, Colorado. Perhaps only Anna Fastner and her
husband Phillip Geib returned to Milwaukee.
1895/1896,
Feb. 25: Emma Geib, third child of Anna Fastner
& Phillip Geib, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1895,
about: According to Clara Fastner Pecher on October
2, 1977: When
Clara was about 4 years old, her family moved from Milwaukee to the Athens area. She doesn't know why they moved to
Athens.
About 1896 to 1941, the Fastner family lived in Johnson
Township, Marathon County, Wisconsin
NOTE: Athens was originally named "Black Creek Falls" in 1879. The mail got sent in
error to Black
River Falls, so it was decided to change the name to
"Athens" on January 16, 1890.
1896,
approx. Amelia Fastner wrote: "So once more we started on our journey
and Athens, Wisconsin was our destination. Here we bought a
small farm of about forty acres. After
some years our farm was sold for another about two miles distant. Here Father
had a large house built and we could again enjoy the happiness of a beautiful
home." Find out where the first farm was
located!
1896: Obituary
of Catherine Niga Fastner says: "The
deceased was born in Austria, in that country she was married to
Wenzel Fastner, who died in Milan in 1905. They came to America in 1887. She has lived in Milan since 1896."
1897,
Oct. 17: Eulalia
Fastner born at Athens, Marathon Co., WI, area (daughter of Wenzel &
Catherine). Do not have birth record.
1897,
Nov. 28: Eulalia Fastner was baptized at Holy Redeemer (later church called
St. Anthony's Catholic Church) in Athens, WI (have 1977 hand-copy of baptism
information obtained from St. Anthony's church).
1898, January
3: Baptism of Leopold George Forstner,
born Jan. 3, 1898. Father: Joseph Forstner; Mother: Katherine Lauerer. Sponsors:
Wenzel Fastner & Joseph
Schmidt.
1898, Aug.
15: Eulalia Fastner died at Athens, Marathon Co., WI. (have hand-copied
death certificate from Marathon Co., original copy from State of Wis. records, & original copy from
Historical Society on microfilm.)
Questions: Where did Johann/John Fastner
die and where was he buried? In an October 2006 visit with the priest at Athens, the priest said the older church records
are at the Diocese of LaCrosse and that church records have no meaning for
genealogy purposes. The priest gave us a tour of the cemetery at Athens and pointed out where the older burials
would be located. The cemetery has a large map with names of the deceased, but
no Fastner name is listed (neither Johann nor Wenzel nor Eulalia). Perhaps
Johann Fastner died in Milwaukee, sometime after 1891. Or he
might have died on the way to, or in Yuma, Colorado! Check for a death record in Milwaukee or Yuma, or any other state.
Clara Fastner Pecher, born in 1891, said in 1977 at age 86, that her grandfather (John
Fastner) lived at the Fastner homestead (located on the southwest corner of
Highway A & E in Johnson Township at "Milan Corners"
– near Athens, Wisconsin). Clara said her grandfather came from Austria with the family; he was
blind; he was a doctor and set bones. Clara doesn't remember where Johann was
buried—possibly in Athens—she barely remembers him.
1900, June 1: Emily
Fastner is listed as a Servant on 1900 US Federal Census, Town of Halsey, Marathon County, Wisconsin. "Emily"' is most likely
"Amelia."
1900, June 5: Josephine
Fastner is listed as a Servant on 1900 US Federal Census, Town of Halsey, Marathon County, Wisconsin.
Note: Unable to find Wenzel and
Catherine (Niga) Fastner in the 1900 census!
1901: Plat map, Johnson Township, 29 North, Range 3 East, Section 18: 20
acres, "W. Fosther." (The
same area in later plat maps says "Jos.
Pecher.")
1903-1904: Wright’s Wausau City &
Marathon County Directory, in Wisconsin, Book: Dir 68-1915, dated 1903-1904,
page 287: Marathon County Directory: “Fastner
Wenzel, 18, 20 a, Johnson.”
1904: Work was started to build a new and
larger Catholic church in Athens, replacing Holy Redeemer Catholic
Church. Holy Redeemer church was built in 1886 on the site now (1990) occupied
by the Athens Community Hall. The first resident priest, Fr. Anthony
Muehlenkamp, came in 1896. He remained in Athens for 40 years. In 1931, the village of Athens bought the Holy Redeemer building from
the Rietbrock Land & Lumber Co. for $800 and tore it down.
On April 25, 1905, the corner stone was laid in St.
Anthony's church. On August 5, 1906, St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Athens, Marathon Co., WI, was dedicated.
Source: "Athens, Wisconsin 1890-1990
Centennial" and "Centennial of St. Anthony's, Athens, Wisconsin, 1881-1981".
NOTE: As told by the priest at
St. Anthony's in Athens on Oct. 2, 1977: Holy Family Parish in Pontiatowski
(near Athens) is an older church than St. Anthony's. There
are two cemeteries there.
1905,
May 8: Wenzel
Fastner died in the Township of Johnson (Milan), Marathon County, WI (copies of original death certificate
were made at the following places: Wisconsin State Historical Society (microfilm);
State of Wisconsin vital statistics office; Marathon County courthouse). Wenzel is buried at Athens according to the 3 death certificates
and obituaries. In a June 1992 and October 2006 trip to the Athens cemetery, a tombstone or burial site for
Wenzel not was located. In June 1992, the record keeper of the city cemetery
could not find Wenzel's name listed.
According to Clara Fastner Pecher (age 86) on October
2, 1977: Clara's
father, Wenzel Fastner, is probably buried in Athens. There's no marker. According to Clara's
son, Clarence Pecher, on October
8, 2006: He
doesn't know where his grandfather, Wenzel Fastner is buried. He thinks Wenzel
is buried in Athens. He never saw a grave nor heard a marker
was gone/missing/lost, and he never heard of Wenzel's father, Johann Fastner. Write a letter to the cemetery records keeper in Athens, Wisconsin, to ask for burial records for
Wenzel, Eulalia & Johann Fastner.
1905,
June 1: Census, Town of Johnson, Marathon County, Wisconsin, Sheet No. 2, Family No. 24, lists the
"Fastener" family:
Katherine, head, white, female,
age 48, born Germany, employed 12 months, home owned free,
farm
Louis, son, white, male, age 25,
born Germany, laborer saw mill 12 months
Emilia, daughter, white, female,
age 18, born Germany
Julia, daughter, white, female,
age 16, born Wisconsin
Clara, daughter, white, female,
age 13, born Wisconsin
Willia, son, white, son, age 11,
born Colorado
Birthplace of all of above
person's parents: Germany
