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Joseph was born in New Ulm, Minnesota on June 10, 1906, as one of sixteen children. His family moved to Manitowoc, where he later met his wife Anna. Anna was born in Manitowoc County on February 15, 1909, one of nine children. Joseph and Anna were married on January 18, 1926 and moved to Sheboygan soon after. Joseph worked as a foreman at the Garton Toy Factory. The Garton Toy Factory still stands but has been converted into an apartment complex. Both coming from large families, they had thirteen children, who at the time of the accident were the following ages: <ul><li>Earl, 25</li><li>Donald, 24</li><li>Dorothy, 23</li><li>Joseph Jr., 21</li><li>Betty, 19</li><li>James, 17</li><li>Robert, 16</li><li>William, 15</li><li>Eugene, 14</li><li>Nancy, 12</li><li>Jackie, 11</li><li>Daniel, 9</li><li>Dale, 8</li></ul>On Sunday, October 21, 1951, Joseph and Anna left for an afternoon drive in the country. They took these drives often, and usually enjoyed them with their youngest children along, but they decided to go alone that day. At 3:28pm, their 1941 two-door sedan was hit by the Milwaukee Road’s passenger train, “the Chippewa,” when it was crossing County Road N, one mile north of Waldo. Their car ran into the side of the engine – the impact was so strong it sent the motor flying out of the sedan, 225 feet into an adjoining field. Due to the lack of seatbelts, which would not become mandatory by law until 1968, Joseph and Anna were thrown out of the vehicle and into the side of the speeding passenger car. Joseph was thrown 33 feet from the crash. Anna was decapitated by the impact. The train engineer said that the proper intersection signal was sounded but the car did not slow down and stop until it was too late. A closed casket funeral was held that following Wednesday at Gerend’s Funeral home. Anna and Joseph were survived by 13 children and 3 grandchildren.

Anna and Joseph Brandl II died in one of Sheboygan's most tragic and gruesome accidents. The tragedy of their deaths was compounded by the number of children left behind after their passing. Both Anna and Joseph are buried at the Calvary Cemetery, where they were laid to rest after a closed casket service. They were survived by their 13 children.

Anna and Joseph Brandl II

Join the Sheboygan County Historical Museum in exploring the lives (and deaths) of some of Sheboygan's citizens. This tour will take you around the Calvary Cemetery to explore the history and culture of Sheboygan. 

Joseph Hauser, the homerun king, was born January 12, 1899 in Germany. His family immigrated to America soon after his birth and settled in Milwaukee where he started playing sandlot baseball as a kid.By the age of 14, Joe left school to work full time but continued to play ball regularly. He also started smoking his iconic “stogies” at this tender age. Ask anyone who knew Joe, and they’ll say that he always, always, smoked cigars.In 1918 at age 18, he was recommended to play for the Waupun minor league baseball team as a pitcher. As he became a star player with them, the Philadelphia A’s, a major league team, started to take notice and brought him to training camp a year later. Unfortunately, he lost his chance as a pitcher due to a bad case of nerves and was sent back down to the minors.For the next four seasons, he played for teams in Rhode Island and for the Milwaukee Brewers, which was a minor league team at the time. It was while playing for Milwaukee that he picked up his nick name of “Unser Choe” which mean “Our Joe” in German.Joe later explained that fans would really hound players if they played badly, but said,“when they got on me, my fans would yell, ‘Don’t get on him! Das ist Unser Choe!’, which was German for ‘That is our Joe!’ The German crowd was with me, and they made it tough for the people who heckled me.”Since he was playing for his hometown team, friends, family, and neighbors came out in droves to support him.Finally, in 1922 Joe was given another chance with the Philadelphia A’s, becoming their starting first baseman. Here he played with and against famous ballplayers like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth.In fact, by 1924 “Unser Choe” was second in home runs, coming in behind the “Great Bambino” himself, Babe Ruth! He would go on to be the only professional baseball player to hit more than 60 home runs two seasons in his career.During the off season, Joe worked for the Ziegler Candy Company in Milwaukee to supplement his baseball income, which wasn’t very much at the time. Here he met the love of his life, Irene Kaye, who worked in the front office.Irene was born March 3, 1900 in Milwaukee and grew up going to a Catholic church and school on what is now historic Mitchell Street. A small, evening wedding was performed on July 1, 1924 after Joe had finished playing a game earlier in the day. They never had any children because they felt it wasn’t fair to raise a child when Joe was on the road so much traveling with the team.A year after their marriage, Joe was set to become a superstar player, when he suddenly shattered his knee cap during training. He would never play the same.After 19 years playing the game he loved, Unser Choe officially retired in 1937. Irene and Joe moved to Sheboygan to live in the Enz Manor apartment building on N. 5th Street which still stands today.Although his career as a player had ended, Joe’s love for baseball never did. In fact, his life in baseball was still in full swing!He ushered in a new era of baseball in Sheboygan when he agreed to manage the Sheboygan Chairs in 1938. He helped bring up their class status, and started a campaign to rename them the Sheboygan Indians. Under the new name, they finished 1st in 1942, 1947, 1948, and 1951.Joe also shared his passion with the community when he opened his own sporting goods store on N. 8th Street called Joe Hauser’s Sporting Goods. Joe ran the store from 1938 until he sold the business in 1986 at the age of 87. The same year Irene died.For the next eight years he continued to live in the apartment he and Irene had shared for 62 years, and he’d light a candle in her memory each and every night.Joseph “Unser Choe” Hauser passed away July 11, 1997 at the age of 98, but until the very end, he continued to share his legendary stories of his time in the game, and give batting advice to any and all that would listen.

Joseph "Unser Choe" Hauser was a professional baseball player who played in both the majors and minors during the "Golden Era" of baseball. He met his wife, Irene, at the Ziegler Candy Company in Milwaukee, where she worked in the front office. Joseph was known in Sheboygan for managing the "Sheboygan Indians" baseball team. Both Joseph and Irene are buried here in the Calvary Cemetery.

Joseph and Irene Hauser

Believe it or not, Sheboygan is rich with sports history! NBA basketball actually has its roots here thanks to the Sheboygan Redskins, a team that was coached by Frank Zummach.Born Francis Zummach in Milwaukee January 28, 1911, he attended Marquette University High School and was a three-letter athlete in football, basketball and track. He went on to be an excellent student athlete at Marquette University, and continued on to Marquette Law School in 1932.At a height of 5’10”, Frank joined the Marquette basketball team in 1930 as a sophomore, and helped the team achieve their first winning season in nine years. By the next year, he was made co-captain of the team, and helped lead the team to another winning record. After exhausting his eligibility as a player, Frank became an assistant coach at Marquette and continued for four years after his graduation from law school in 1935. All while also practicing law in Milwaukee.The summer of 1939, Frank married Dorothy nee Cunningham. Dorothy was also born in Milwaukee, on April 1, 1911. They met at Marquette University while they both attended undergrad. After graduation, she became the girls Program Coordinator at the Christian Youth Organization in Milwaukee.  In the fall of 1939, Frank was offered the position of head coach for the Sheboygan Redskins, a team in the newly formed NBL, or National Basketball League. The NBL was a Midwest-based league founded in 1937, that was considered the premier professional basketball league in the nation at the time.The community-owned Redskins formed in 1938, but had a disappointing first season, causing them to search for a new head coach with a reputation for winning. On September 6, Frank signed as coach of the Redskins for $500, and an additional $100 to also serve as the team’s legal counsel. Frank and Dorothy moved to Sheboygan, where Frank not only coached, but opened a new law practice, and Dorothy became the president and chairman for the Sheboygan County Marquette Alumni Association. Frank coached the Redskins for 3 seasons – 1939 – 1942. He tried to rebuild the team by recruiting new players, including former Marquette alumni that he once coached. His efforts paid off when the once losing team, tied for first place in the Western Conference of the NBL during his first season. The team’s continued success was attributed to Frank’s skillful coaching. Before relocating later to the Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory, Redskins practice and games were hosted at the Eagles Club on the corner of N. 7th Street and New York Avenue. Capacity was 1,200 people and tickets for each game were .85 cents. The venue also hosted public dances which scuffed up the flooring, creating a more difficult playing surface. But this became a home court advantage for the Redskins as they adjusted, while visiting teams tripped from the stickiness.Before the start of the 1940 season, the Redskins hosted an exhibition game against the famous Harlem Globetrotters. Sadly, Sheboygan was heavily segregated at this time, and the players were not welcome to stay anywhere, until Frank stepped in and convinced a local hotel owner to provide rooms for the visiting players. The game proved to be a fun one for spectators as the Globetrotters played with their usual antics, but resulted in a disappointing loss for the Redskins.Frank Zummach stepped down as coach at the conclusion of the 1941 – 1942 season to focus on his law practice. The Redskins continued to be a dominant team in the NBL until 1949 when the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America to become the National Basketball Association. Sheboygan was a charter member of the NBA, but due to complications competing against teams from larger cities, they dropped out of the league after the 1949 – 1950 season. Frank Zummach continued to practice law until his retirement in 1996 at age 85. He was a member of the Sheboygan County and State of Wisconsin Bar Associations, and also served as Director of the Sheboygan Savings and Loan Association from 1949 – 1997. He was an active member of St. Clement’s Church for 72 years, and served on the board for Calvary Cemetery. Dorothy Zummach passed away January 23, 1990, and Frank on April 30, 2012 at the age of 101. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Marquette University basketball player and NBL coach, and he was inducted into the Marquette University High School Hall of Fame in February 2012. Dorothy and Frank had 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren.

Frank Zummach is best known for coaching the Sheboygan "Redskins," a National Basketball League (NBL) team based in Sheboygan. He was married to Dorothy Cunningham, who he met while attending school at Marquette University. At time time of Frank's death at age 101, he was the oldest living Marquette University basketball player and NBL coach. Not only are Frank and Dorothy buried here in Calvary Cemetery, but Frank served on the cemetery's board.

Frank and Dorothy Zummach

Thomas M. Blackstock was born January 12, 1834 in Ulster, Ireland. He came to America with his aunt and three sisters in 1848 to join his mother after his father had passed away. They first settled in St. Catharines, Canada but then came to Sheboygan a year later. Thomas and his mother were the only two to make the move. Thomas worked many jobs early on as a hotel and drug store clerk, until he became superintendent of construction of the Sheboygan and Fond du Lac Plank Road in 1856 at the age of 22.  In 1861 he bought the drug store he once worked for as a young man when the owner left to fight in the Civil War.That same year Thomas married his wife Bridget. Bridget Denn was born February 4, 1844 in Waterford, Ireland. She immigrated to America with her parents and two brothers, settling first in Lewiston, New York. A few years later, they moved to Sheboygan and settled in Pigeon River. Beginning in the 1860’s, Sheboygan began to experience an economic downturn and a lack of job opportunities. Thomas joined with other civic leaders who decided to take action. They founded the appropriately named Phoenix Chair Company. After establishing the company, he served as secretary for a year, and then became president and general manger. He would hold a controlling interest in the company the rest of his life. When the company started in May 1875, it employed 6 workers, but by 1888 it employed over 300. The Phoenix Chair Company would continue operation until it’s final closure in 1964. The success of the company inspired other chair companies to start in Sheboygan leading the area to become known as “Chair City” and “The City of Four C’s” – Churches, Chairs, Cheese, and Children. In 1885, Thomas Blackstock also became the president of the Sheboygan Mutual Loan, Saving and Building Association. He was dedicated to helping the city grow and improve. Through this organization, he was able to help many people in Sheboygan buy or build houses. A very busy man, Thomas also became the president and owner of the South Sheboygan Land Company, owned a 174-acre farm just outside the city, and was heavily involved in local and state government. He served four terms on the common council, three terms as mayor, and served as a member of the state legislature in the lower house.Thomas was instrumental in the installation of the Soldier’s Monument in Fountain Park, and was the only Wisconsin citizen to become an honorary member of the Grand Army of the Republic because of his support for Civil War veterans. His community engagement also led to the establishment of the very first hospital in Sheboygan. Thomas Blackstock passed away at his home on February 27, 1913, and was survived by his wife Bridget, and their three adopted children. Bridget Blackstock passed away on May 18, 1917, marking the end of an era. She was not only a devoted wife but, like her husband, took an active interest in the city and county. Constantly filled with joy and a willingness to serve others, it was said that her “very presence seemed to dispel the gloom.”The influence of Thomas and Bridget Blackstock would continue to be felt in the community for years to come after their passing.  The Blackstock Italianate Home still stands today at 507 Washington Court and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

Thomas and Bridget Blackstock were among the first settlers in the Sheboygan area, both immigrating to the United States from Ireland. The Blackstocks were influential in their community, both in business and civic spheres. Thomas was the founder of the Phoenix Chair Company, as well as president of Sheboygan Mutual Loan, Saving and Building Association. Both Bridget and Thomas are buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Thomas and Bridget Blackstock

Thomas and Katherine McNeill were heavily involved in the chair industry in Sheboygan, and can actually thank Thomas Blackstock (also featured in this tour) for giving them their start.Thomas McNeill was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 1, 1854. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Sheboygan where they owned a farm. Sadly, his father died in 1855 and his mother in 1857, leaving him and his sister orphans.Although adopted by their aunt, they grew up in poverty. One day, James H. Mead – whom the Mead Public Library is named after – found Thomas out on the street on a school day. When he discovered he couldn’t afford to go to school, he gave him books to study and learn from instead. This instilled a lifelong love of learning in Thomas. Much later when the Sheboygan Board of Education was established in 1887, the once poor, uneducated orphan who couldn’t afford to go to school became the board president.After working as a child on farms and with timber companies, he started working for the Sheboygan and Fond du Lac Railroad in 1867, where he quickly rose through the organization. He started by working odd jobs, but soon took favor with officials because of his willingness to work and learn, and for his natural sense of business. By 1874, Thomas was made the accountant for the Master Mechanic. The Northwestern railroad bought the Sheboygan and Fond du Lac in 1880 and although offered a position to stay with the new company, Thomas decided to leave.Marrying his wife Katherine Kane, a Sheboygan native and daughter of local pioneers, in 1877, they considered moving to Oshkosh, but changed their plans when Thomas Blackstock offered him a job as bill-clerk at the Phoenix Chair Company. Just as he did in the railroad business, Thomas impressed those higher up and continued to rise within the company.After learning the chair trade at the Phoenix, he left in 1888 to reorganize the Sheboygan Chair Company, which had previously been known as the Sheboygan Manufacturing Company. With a new direction and under new management, Thomas became the treasurer and purchasing agent.As his son Harry grew older, he too decided he wanted to join the chair business. Thomas helped his son organize the McNeill Chair Company in 1915, but he continued as the treasure for the Sheboygan Chair Company until his death on March 12, 1934.Harry McNeill became the president and treasurer of the McNeill Chair Company, and his mother Katherine actually served as the vice president. An unheard-of role for a woman at the time. Katherine died August 25, 1940, at the age of 87.In 1944, his late father’s company absorbed the McNeil Company and Harry became the president of the Sheboygan Chair Company until his retirement in 1951.They say like father like son, but Thomas McNeill’s grandson Don did not follow in the chair manufacturing business. Instead he became a voice heard coast to coast every morning at 8am. Don McNeil, born and raised in Sheboygan, hosted the longest running daily network radio show in history, Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club. Starting in 1933 when Don was 25 years old and continuing until 1968, the Breakfast Club was on the top of the ratings charts for 3 decades. It featured interviews with famous guests and celebrities such as Jimmy Stewart and Bob Hope, but also everyday people from the audience.The show included the famous “March Around the Breakfast Table” at 8:30am which invited listeners to literally get up and march around the kitchen table to help get the blood flowing in the morning.If you’re interested in hearing the show that continued to rule the airwaves even after the boom of television in the 1950s, you can find some shows on YouTube and Spotify. Visit the Sheboygan County Historical Museum to see some video clips included in our Harmonizing Heroines: Sheboygan’s Chordettes Exhibit which also features other famous Sheboygan natives.

Both Thomas and Katherine NcNeill were well known figures in the Sheboygan chair making industry. Thomas, originally from Boston, moved to Sheboygan when he was a child. He eventually became involved in the Phoenix Chair Company, ran by Thomas Blackstock. Later, Thomas and Katherine were instrumental in running the Sheboygan Chair Company. Both Thomas and Katherine are buried here in Calvary Cemetery.

Thomas and Katherine McNeill

Clemens Reiss was born November 7, 1835 in Croev, Germany. He immigrated to America at the age of 20, and settled directly in Wisconsin after staying in Chicago for a few months when he fell ill during the Cholera epidemic. He arrived in Sheboygan in 1856 and joined the growing population of German immigrants in the area. Clemens quickly began working for John Mallmann’s bakery, where he would meet his future bride, John’s niece Anna Marie Mallmann. Anna was born June 10, 1845 in Halsenbach, Germany near the Rhine River, in what was then Prussia. She immigrated with her parents and siblings to Sheboygan as a child. Her father’s siblings also immigrated to the area – including his brother Anton Mallmann, who in 1922, was one of the oldest living pioneers in Sheboygan at age 100. For a short period of time, Clemens lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but soon returned to Sheboygan in 1858. Upon his return, Clemens started working for the Beekman Cole Flour Mill on the Pigeon River, and two years later, he bought a share in the mill, officially beginning his business ventures in Sheboygan.In 1862, Clemens bought a local boarding house on Indiana Avenue and 8th Street, where he and Anna lived after their marriage on May 10, 1864. During this time, he also took a job as a purchaser of wheat and other grains for the Merchants Association, adding to his flour business resume.  Then in 1880, he changed directions by founding his own coal business. Starting out as the Clemens Reiss and Co., it was incorporated as the C. Reiss Coal Co. in April of 1888. Making it a family business, Clemens’ son Peter served as the Secretary. The coal business quickly took off and by 1902, the capital stock was valued at $800,000, which is $23.5 million in today’s value. The C. Reiss Coal Company was located where South Pier is today (Blue Harbor). Clemens Reiss died June 1, 1896, and he was remembered for his excellent sense for business and dedication to the coal company and its continued growth and success. He was prominent in local business circles, but focused most of his time on his own business.  What free time he did have, he devoted to Holy Name Church. Anna Marie Reiss outlived her husband by 20 years, passing away September 27, 1916. Together they had twelve children, many of which are buried in the Reiss family plot here in Calvary Cemetery. Anna was remembered as being devoted to her children and to church. She and her kids were involved with the church planting of St. Clement’s, which is one of the three churches that oversee this cemetery. The Reiss family provided funding for some of the incredible stained-glass windows in the church. Stop in to see sometime! At Anna’s funeral, Father Murphy spoke of how noble, honorable, thoughtful, kind and gentle she was. One of her pallbearers happened to be Harry McNeill, who is also discussed in this tour as he was the son of Thomas McNeill. Which provides evidence that the two families had a strong connection.  The Anna M. Reiss Home for the Aged was built in 1918 in honor of her memory. Located on Superior Avenue between 9th and 10th Street, it was part of the old St. Nicholas Hospital campus. Her uncle, Anton Mallmann who lived to be 100, was one of the first residents to stay at the home. The home continued to serve the elderly until the early 1970s when it was closed after construction began for the current St. Nicholas Hospital.

Clemens and Anna Reiss were influential immigrants to the Sheboygan area. Both leaders of their family, Clemens and Anna were both highly involved in their community. Clemens is known for establishing the C. Reiss Coal Co., and Anna was involved in the planning of the St. Clement's Church. Both are buried in Calvary Cemetery, along with several of their children.

Clemens and Anna Reiss

This chapel was built to honor the memory of Father Michael Haider who served Holy Name Church for 22 years. It also includes two School Sisters of Notre Dame who served with him. Father Haider was born approximately October 8, 1820 in Absem Tyrol, Austria and was ordained in Brixon Tyrol in 1845. A few years after being ordained, he became an army chaplain during the Austrian Revolution of 1848. When the war ended, Father Haider came to America in 1850 and served as pastor to parishes in the Diocese of Milwaukee. Then in 1857 he was appointed the first ever resident pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in Madison. In 1862, Father Haider arrived in Sheboygan at what was then known as St. Mary Magdalene parish, now Holy Name Catholic Church. He became the 7th leader at the church and quickly saw that there was a need for a larger facility. A man of action, he bought an entire block of land across from the rectory, south of Superior Avenue and 8th Street. He had a deep love for European architecture and wanted to build a Gothic style church that would be surrounded by nature and built to last for centuries. There was not a lot of funding available to build such a grand building though. A man named Jacob Jung stepped in to help, and offered to purchase the Pigeon River Limestone Quarry and turn it over to the church for building materials. He paid $50 for it, and the church later reimbursed him when they sold the quarry for profit. This provided all of the stone needed to build the beautiful church that still stands today. Father Haider drew up the plans himself, and supervised all of the construction which started in 1867. He was so involved in the details that he even handpicked which trees to use for the superstructure supporting the roof. At first, he found strong opposition from the congregation, so much so, that he had to find financial backing from a non-Catholic! When the construction began, there was little help, but as soon as he proved his dedication to the project and the congregation, support began to grow. The cornerstone of the building was laid on June 21, 1868, and the building was completed in 1871. The church was dedicated November 10, 1872 as Holy Name of Jesus, which is what it is still known as today. The steeples of the church reach 170 feet in height, and sailors on Lake Michigan used them as a landmark when they navigated to the port of Sheboygan. Father Haider always dreamed of hearing bells chime from the towers of Holy Name. He lived to see his dream come true when they were installed and rang out for the first time in December 1883. Father Haider passed away February 19, 1885. Known as a hardworking and talented man, he befriended all those around him and was beloved by the parishioners and those who knew and worked with him. His death was mourned by the city, and a few months after his burial in Calvary Cemetery, his parishioners erected this chapel over his body in memory of the great work he had done for them. It has been deemed a landmark project and will be restored when funding becomes available.  Sister Mary Aloysia, her given name being Frances Grossmann, and the Venerable Maria Solana were both School Sisters of Notre Dame. The School Sisters of Notre Dame were some of the first religious women from Germany to begin teaching in America. In 1859, just before Father Haider’s arrival, the St. Mary Magdalene Educational Mission was established and the work of the sisters led to the Seton Catholic School that continues today. Although there is not much information known about them, it is clear that they had enough of a significant impact to have such beautiful stone markers and to be buried near Father Michael Haider in the chapel.  Sister Solana served as a principle and superior at the school, and was given the title of “Venerable” after her death, which means “heroic in virtue.” A German script has been left with Sister Aloysia which describes her beauty and virtue, and her work in advancing education at the school.

Father Michael Haider was born and ordained in Austria before moving to the United States. He swiftly became involved with St. Mary Magdalene parish, now Holy Name Catholic Church. Father Haider was involved in building the new, beautiful church. The two women also buried at this chapel were School Sisters of Notre Dame, involved in education through the church. There is little known about them beyond their names and their involvement with teaching.

Father Michael Haider and the School Sisters of Notre Dame

Born in Sheboygan on September 12, 1879, he was the youngest of eight children. His parents Jacob and Mary were considered Sheboygan pioneers. One of his brothers, John, was a cabinetmaker and undertaker, owning Gerend Funeral Home, where the Brandl couple (also featured on this tour) had their memorial service.Dr. Gerend had a deep interest in Native American history from a young age. This love and appreciation would lead to many research and archeology expeditions. He became a member of the Wisconsin Archeological Society and contributed many articles to their publications. Dr. Gerend’s archeology excavations included the Native American burial mounds in Black River at Sheboygan Indian Mound Park. When more archaeologists came to study the mounds in 1927, they discovered an old soda bottle with a piece a paper inside that had his name and 1896 written on it. Proving he had already beaten them to the discovery!As a side, fun fact: Thomas McNeill, who is featured on this tour, was also a member of the Wisconsin Archeological Society, and was a regular visitor to the burial mound digs happening in 1927.Starting as a child, Dr. Gerend became known as an expert in Native American history. This was mainly due to his study and research of the tribes that once lived in the Sheboygan County area. He also spent his vacations living on Native American reservations, including the Potawatomi and Winnebago, and becoming close with tribal leaders to learn about their history and culture. Dr. Gerend is also known for his photography collection of Native Americans, many of which were taken during his time on reservations. The collection is now with the Wisconsin Historical Society. Besides donating his collection of artifacts to the Sheboygan County Historical Museum, he also contributed to the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Native American collection.Although known for his Native American expertise, Dr. Alphonse Gerend was not a PhD, he was a medical doctor. Dr. Gerend graduated from Holy Name School, Sheboygan High School, and then Marquette University School of Medicine. Upon the completion of his medical degree, he practiced in St. Cloud, Cato and Milladore, Wisconsin. When World War I broke out, Dr. Gerend was commissioned as a first lieutenant with the 86th medical detachment in Texas. He continued to practice after the war, and by 1929, he moved to the tiny Atlantic seaboard island of Deer Isle, Maine to become their town physician. Known for caring deeply about his patients, Dr. Gerend never charged those he knew were poor or in lesser circumstances. His practice was so highly regarded and popular in Deer Isle, that residents begged him to stay when he was forced to relinquish his duties because of his declining health.When his brother-in-law discovered how sick he had become, he went to Maine and brought Dr. Gerend back to Sheboygan to live with his family in July 1940. He was hospitalized that following February. At that time, a petition arrived from Deer Isle asking him to return. Although unable to, he still managed to send prescriptions back to some of his patients, which is a testament to his never ending dedication, and love for the community.On July 17, 1941 Dr. Gerend passed away at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Wood, Wisconsin. His love for sharing Native American history continued until the very end. He was in the process of writing a book on the history of the Red Painted People of Maine during the months he spent in the hospital. Parts of his collection of Native American History is currently on display at the Sheboygan County Historical Museum.

Dr. Alphonse Gerend was an influential archeologist and medical doctor. His interest in indigenous life and history led him to become a member of the Wisconsin Archeological Society. Several of the indigenous artifacts uncovered by Dr. Gerend are now on display at the Sheboygan County Historical Museum. Dr. Gerend is buried here at Calvary Cemetery, although his reputation lives on.

6 Feet Under: Stories of the Dead

Anna and Joseph Brandl II

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources