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e Smits Family History f
John J. Smits (1878-1933)
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Parents:
Christina Baeten (1856-1893)
Siblings:
Peter Jacob Smits (1885-1978)
Theodore Smits (1893-1893)
Spouse: Allegonda M. Mathey (1883-1942)
Children: Lillian Smits (1906-1919) Edna F. Smits (1908-1976) Howard Victor Smits (1914-1959) John Edwin Smits (1923-1975) |
John J. Smits was born on December 3, 1878 in De Pere, Wisconsin, the second child of Jacob Smits & Christina Baeten. In June 1880 the family (then composed of Jacob, Christina, and children Dora & John) were living with Christina's father, Godfried on Eleventh Street in West DePere along with Godfried's wife, Petronella, and their other children: Leonard, Nellie, & Peter along with many other borders who were working in Godfried's brick yard.
In October 1888 John's father purchased land which would become the Smits farm in Ashwaubenon and moved the family there. When John was 14 years old, Christina, his mother, died from complications from childbirth leaving the family to be raised by Jacob and probably John's elder sister, Dora, & younger sister, Hattie. By 1900 the family was living on the Smits' farm including Peter Mathey, the husband of John's oldest sister, Dora.
In about 1903 the 24 year old John married 19 year old Allegonda (Helen) M. Mathey, the daugher of Leonard Mathey & Petronella Willems. Helen was also the younger sister of Peter Mathey, who married John's older sister Dora in 1898. John & Helen moved to Michigan where they had their first child, Lillian, in 1906, followed by Edna in 1908. In April 1910 the family was living in Limestone, Alger County, Michigan where John was the foreman at a wood (lumberjack) camp. John's sister Dora and her family were also living in Alger County, Michigan at that time. They were in Mathais township.
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Smits Hotel, Lena, Wisconsin |
In 1914 the family, with Helen pregnant, moved to Lena, Oconto County, Wisconsin to take over the Maple Valley Hotel, which was later renamed the Smits Hotel. On June 11, 1914 while in Lena, Helen gave birth to a boy, Howard Victor Smits.
On December 10, 1919 tragedy struck the family as their eldest child, 14 year old Lillian died at St. Vincent's Hospital in Green Bay. Her funeral was held from St. Charles Catholic Church in Lena and she was laid to rest in St. Charles Cemetery, Lena.
In August 1923 John & Helen had another child in Lena who they named John Edwin.
In April 1930 the family of five were living on Main Street in Lena in a home valued at $8,000 with one servant. John was the manager of the hotel & Helen was the cook. |
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In July 1930 John & Helen's 22 year old daughter, Edna, married Otto Jansky and they moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
John got seriously ill in about June 1933 and passed away at his home in Lena on August 15, 1933 at the age of 54. The funeral was held from St. Charles Catholic Church in Lena and he was buried next to his daughter, Lillian, in St. Charles Catholic Cemetery, Lena.
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John, Edna, Howard, Lillian & Helen Smits |
DePere Journal-Democrat August 17, 1933
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St Charles Cemetery, Lena, Wisconsin |
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