ANTON SCHIWAL FAMILY

Title

ANTON SCHIWAL FAMILY

Creator

Mrs. Joe T. Heidecker

Coverage

TOWNSHIP 137N RANGE 93W

Text

ANTON SCHIWAL FAMILY
Anton Schiwal was born Oct. 29, 1865 in Lesonhiem Germany. He was a shoemaker by trade. Nov. 8, 1888 he married Mary Ann Geil, who was a seamstress by trade.

The spring of 1898, Mary Ann and Anton came to the U.S. They moved to the Glen Ullin area where Anton worked as a hired man for three years. Their son was born while they were living in this area. In the early 1900's Anton and Mary Ann took up a homestead on section 6 in the Lefor area. Anton then worked for John Wiglanda for three years as a hired man. Mary Ann lived with the children (there were nine) on the homestead so that they could keep it. Anton worked as a hired man at several places. One place where he worked the farmer could not pay him so instead he gave him a horse. This horse would not work right but would run away at any chance. Not far from the homestead was a hand dug coal mine where they got their supply of coal. One day Mary Ann was taking the team to rake hay, this horse ran away and one wheel of the rake went down the bank of the coal mine. This caused Mary Ann a broken nose. She sent one of the children to Peter Schneiders for help. They took her to old Dr. John Braun for first aid.

Later Anton and Mary Ann bought a full section of land west of the homestead. They built up a place and lived there. The place is now owned by Anton's grandsons.

Anton Schiwal died Oct. 12, 1944. Mary Ann Geil Schiwal died Oct. 19, 1949. They are both buried in Lefor.

1916 Anton and Mary Ann sold the homestead quarter to their son-in-law, Joseph J. Schmidt. Joseph was married to their daughter Katherina Frances. Joseph and Katherina had 13 children; Mary Ann (Mrs. Joe T. Heidecker whose history is also in this book), Peter died at age five, Tony, Martin, Bertha, Frank, Louis, Leota, Joe, Agnes, Alice, Martha, and Magdalen.

Katherina and Frank died on the same day, Aug. 10, 1940, of food poisoning. The others who also got food poison were saved. They are buried in Lefor. Joseph died Dec. 24, 1940. He had had a stroke and had been ailing for some time. He is buried in the Lefor Cemetery.

By Mrs. Joe T. Heidecker