The last update to this memorial was made in May 2023.

The following is a detailed "Walser Family" biographical sketch chronicling not only William Walser Sr. but also his immediate family, their birthplace, migrations, life events, and their surname; contrasted against some events and people of their era.

To access all digital artifacts discovered thus far about the life of William Walser Sr., click on the "Photos Tab."

William Walser Sr. was baptized on Tuesday, April 29, 1834, in the present-day southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, within the district of "Breisgau-Hochschwarzwalder," specifically in the village of Schelingen. Schelingen is situated just outside the western boundary of the Black Forest, known as the "Schwarzwald," along the eastern bank of the Rhine River, adjacent to the border of France, and approximately 40 miles north of the Swiss border.

William Walser Sr. passed away on May 25, 1887, near the village of Layton Corners in Maple Grove Township, Saginaw County, Michigan, USA.

Documents infer William Walser Sr. immigrated to America between 1852 and April 16, 1853, when he was approximately 18 years old. He made the journey with his parents, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer as well as his three younger siblings: his sister, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser and his two brothers, Max Walser & Louis Walser.

The bloodlines of each of our four Walser siblings who immigrated more than 170 years ago remain active in the United States today. Numerous documents confirm that our Walser family that immigrated was Roman Catholic, were farmers, became naturalized, spoke German, most likely Swiss-German called Schweizerdeutsch, and later most learned to speak American English and some even became a bit entrepreneurial.

Records also show that our ancestral family emigrated from The Grand Duchy of Baden. At the time of their emigration, Baden had been its own sovereign country or "Duchy" since 1803, albeit a Duchy beset by prodigious turmoil between the years 1848 to 1854. Grand Duke Leopold I, ruled Baden until his death at age 61 in April 1852. Baden did not become a unified German state until early 1871, following the successful second attempt at German unification. Subsequently, Baden merged with the German state of Württemberg in 1952 to form what is now known as Baden-Württemberg, the most southwestern federal state in Germany, still sharing Rhine River borders with Switzerland and France.

More than five centuries have passed since Johann Gutenberg's printing press initiated an "information revolution" by facilitating the rapid and widespread sharing of knowledge. In the 21st century, the swift progression of technology has given rise to a global initiative often referred to as the "Digital Gutenberg Project." This development is a source of great joy for genealogists as it involves the digital scanning, indexing, translation, and aggregation of millions of historical documents from various corners of the world, spanning centuries. These treasure troves includes old church records, civil registers, censuses, property maps, entire newspaper collections, military records, obituaries, phone directories, gazetteers, and more, all accessible through digital searches. Genealogists now have unprecedented opportunities to meticulously piece together family histories and become "Master Digital Sextons."

Fortunately, our immigrating ancestral family and their spouses demonstrated diligence in their faith, and their respective churches recorded their sacraments. Notably, Roman Catholic sacrament records for these family members have come to light, encompassing baptisms, marriages, godparent witnesses, and death records. Additionally, a trove of newspaper clippings and ephemera about this family has been found. When all these digital artifacts are woven together, they form a simple yet profound immigrant narrative for our ancestral family, offering considerable and truthful insights into our heritage. These discoveries have been added as photos to each respective Find-A-Grave memorial website dedicated to most of the ancestors associated with this family.

Of particular significance to our immigrating ancestral family, original sacrament records from the old Roman Catholic Church Books have been located and translated. These records originate from the still-active St. Gangolf Catholic Church in Baden-Württemberg, situated in the center of the small village of Schelingen. Each of these records represents one of the seven ancestral family members, with their names, sacrament dates, and birth order in these early Baden church books aligning perfectly with their respective records in the United States. This alignment carries particular importance as the last name in the church book records was consistently recorded as "Walliser," as opposed to "Walser," in the two Schweizerdeutsch church books for each family member. There are half a dozen plausible reasons of both German and American origin, for the transformation of this surname:
1. Walliser is not a true surname; rather, it's a territorial or toponym surname. Walliser is derived from the location of Valais, which is a valley-filled Switzerland canton with the German name Wallis. As was typical in the German tradition, adding the postfix of "-er" to a surname signified origin. Akin to a "southernER" being southern from the south is a Walliser being Walser from the Wallis. Valais translates as Wallis from English to German.
2. In German-to-English translations, letter pairs such as S/Z and W/V, as well as C/K, were often interchanged due to phonetic or handwriting similarities. Consequently, "WalZer" is frequently heard as [Valza] in German.
3. Given names underwent Latinization in Catholic Church records, both in Europe and the United States.
4. Historical church records in Germany and the USA reveal instances of individuals adopting pious namesakes, particularly for given names. This practice resembles the contemporary tradition of selecting a patron saint's name during confirmation sacraments, serving as a protector and guide.
5. The "Americanization" of surnames, which involved shortening lengthy or challenging-to-pronounce surnames during the naturalization process, was a common practice.
6. Deliberate name changes served as a convenient method to obscure the ability to trace the lives of those who had left Germany to the United States, ensuring that their pasts remained less traceable.

Refer to the "Photos Tab" for an early map of Walliser and Walser Migrations. The etymology of the Walser and Walliser names are well documented to the highest Swiss-Alps as far back as the medieval Ages. Many centuries ago, the Alemanni, also referred to as Swabians, are recorded as a substantial alliance of Germanic tribes who conquered and integrated native Celts. They extended their dominion southwestward into what are now the regions of Baden-Württemberg, Alsace-Lorraine France, and Switzerland. This expansion led to the emergence of the Old High German languages in these areas. The Walliser and Walser languages, which persist to this day, belong to the subset of Highest Alemannic dialects. In the contemporary context, surnames like Walliser, Walser, and Wallißer can still be found in Switzerland and its neighboring countries. Historical records reveal that over centuries, the Swiss Cantons of Graubünden, St. Gallen, and primarily Valais were home to a surname derived from the term "Valaisan." This surname evolved into "Wallis" in German and subsequently "Walser." In Latin, "Vallis" translates to "valley." The Swiss Canton of Valais encompasses the renowned Matterhorn Mountain, a location where the Walser surname has been traced back to many centuries ago. Presently, 28% of the population in this region speaks "Walser German."

The awe-inspiring and deeply Catholic village of Zermatt in Switzerland is a more than 500-700-year-old Walser settlement nestled in the foothills of the Matterhorn. Zermatt has "Walser houses" dating back more than 500 years. Situated near Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais, Zermatt is representative of the Walser heritage. Sion boasts the distinction of being the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in Switzerland. St. Theodul, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Sion, is also the patron saint of Valais and the Walser people. Valais eventually became renowned as the birthplace of the St. Bernard dog breed and currently holds the status of the largest wine-producing region in Switzerland.

Historical documents indicate that the Swiss village of Juf holds the distinction of being the highest year-round settlement in Europe. Its origins can be traced back to a Walser village that emerged around 1292, a time when Switzerland was taking shape as a nation (1291). The region that we now recognize as Switzerland was introduced to Christianity in the 300s and experienced widespread conversion by the 600s.

Existing at such elevated altitudes for many centuries, the early Alpine Walser people were often pioneers in seeking liberation from serfdom, feudalism, or subjugation. Their way of life above the snowlines could be seen as a form of resistance or allergy to the authority associated with lower altitudes. Thanks to the seclusion of their high Alpine settlements, the Walser managed to preserve their language and numerous customs up to the present era. Presently, individuals have the opportunity to engage in hiking along numerous Walser trails that wind through several ancient Walser villages nestled within the Swiss Alps. This provides an avenue to acquaint oneself with various aspects of the Walser heritage: encompassing museums, cultural practices, traditions, language, anthem, churches, and the historical narrative of their initial regional migrations.

In Austria, there are currently two valleys, Großwalsertal and Kleinwalsertal, denoting larger and smaller respectively, which owe their names to ethnic enclaves of the Walsers who relocated to these areas circa 1270. Notably, the Großes Walsertal Valley has attained the esteemed status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve since November 2000. Additionally, a serene and secluded Walser settlement named "Saint Martin" exists within the distinctive landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage site known as the "Tectonic Arena Sardona." This settlement is situated in the canton of Saint Gallen, Switzerland. Historically, it was inhabited by the Free Walser from around 1300 to 1652 and houses the "St. Martin" Walser church. Within the confines of this church, one will encounter a sculpture of the "Madonna with child" and a crucifix, both originating from the epoch of Walser immigration. Adjacent to the church stands a traditional two-story 'Walser house,' constructed from logs, bearing a legible inscription from the year 1588.

A short journey upstream along the Rhine River from Schelingen leads to Wiesbaden, a town of great antiquity and beauty in Germany. At present, Wiesbaden boasts several cafes that carry the moniker "Walser Bröt." In these establishments, visitors have the pleasure of indulging in delectable and timeless offerings of bread, pastries, and coffee.

Per a German historian from the southwestern Baden-Württemberg region in 2015, "Although waves of German & Swiss emigration to the USA have occurred over the centuries, it is highly likely that the diaspora of our surname's lineage moved north, descending from the greater Swiss Alps, at some point to southwest Baden, just across the Rhine River border. This likely occurred after the devastating Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. The Thirty Years' War, primarily fought between European Catholic and Protestant groups on German soil, stands out as one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in Europe and, in particular, pre-German history. It left much of southwestern pre-Germany severely depopulated, with nearly 40% of the pre-German male population perishing during this brutal war, especially in Baden. Remarkably, more pre-Germans lost their lives in the Thirty Years' War than Germans in both World War I and World War II combined.

The availability of inexpensive land and reduced conflict eventually attracted many Swiss neighbors to migrate to the Baden area and the beautiful Alsace region of southeastern France. During that time, the King of France had promised the Swiss people, whom he had conquered, freedom of religion and offered land if they chose to settle in the Alsace region near Baden and the Rhine River. Consequently, many of the new settlers in Alsace were Roman Catholic.

The later French Revolution of 1789–1799 compelled numerous refugees to flee the Alsace region, crossing the Rhine into pre-German territories, primarily Baden. Nearly 10% of Alsace's population headed east and north to escape the "Reign of Terror" associated with the French Revolution. Many churches and church records from the Alsace region were razed during this tumultuous period as part of an effort to de-Christianize France and eliminate foreign "invaders."

The French Revolution, characterized by the grim role played by the guillotine in the fate of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, led to significant political changes. In 1793, King Louis XVI was tried and found guilty of treason by the National Convention, resulting in his public execution by guillotine on January 21, 1793, marking the first time in European history that a reigning monarch faced such a fate. Queen Marie Antoinette, who had endured harsh imprisonment, met a similar end on October 16, 1793, following her trial and conviction. These executions symbolized the Reign of Terror, an era of intense political upheaval and mass executions in revolutionary France, where the guillotine became a foreboding symbol of radical justice. This period stands out as one of the darkest and bloodiest times in European history, with an estimated 15,000 to 17,000 individuals executed by guillotine across France during the Reign of Terror. France underwent a dramatic transformation from a monarchy ruled by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to a republic ruled by the people, followed by a period of dictatorship under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Alsace-Lorraine-Moselle region, once annexed by Germany after the 1871 Franco-Prussian War, has since changed hands multiple times, including after World War I, and World War II, and it is now a part of France.

The origins of the Walliser or Walser surname can be traced through various stages. Looking back in history, it's highly probable that this specific lineage initially emerged as Germanic-Alemanni. Over time, it transitioned to Swiss origins, particularly in the region of Valais. Subsequently, it moved to southwest Baden before eventually reaching the United States, with a migration from Ohio to Michigan and beyond. When exploring older genealogical records, the trail will likely lead back to the Valais region in Switzerland.

The village of Schelingen, Germany, is a quaint and ancient settlement, currently home to fewer than 350 residents. It is situated in the rural district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in southwestern Germany. Schelingen is a bit secluded as it is nestled atop the Kaiserstuhl, or Emperor's Chair, a quaint and rural region characterized by gentle hills and valleys with a temperate microclimate. Rising 556 meters above a flat Rhine River plain covering approximately 50 square miles, the Kaiserstuhl is often likened to the "Tuscany of Germany" due to its beautifully terraced volcanic vineyards.

Schelingen is located about five miles east of the Rhine River, adjacent to the renowned Black Forest region, known for its iconic Cuckoo Clocks. Positioned atop the undulating Kaiserstuhl massif, Schelingen holds the distinction of being the highest village in this area. The Kaiserstuhl encompasses nearly twenty neighboring villages, each boasting centuries-old Catholic and Protestant churches. A noteworthy feature is that many of these Kaiserstuhl villages have names ending in "-Ingen," indicative of their early settlement by the Alemanni people. Some of these picturesque wine-growing villages are adorned with intricately carved vineyard plateaus, meticulously etched into the hillsides of their valleys.

Today, the Kaiserstuhl region is celebrated for its cherry blossoms, known as "Kirschblüte," in spring, the delectable "Zwiebelkuchen" or onion cake, and the "Neuer Süsser" or new sweet wine in the fall. A visit to the Schätzle winery in Schelingen is a must for any bucket list! Collectively, these neighboring villages constitute the third-largest wine-producing region in Germany, boasting some of the oldest vines in Europe. Local lore even suggests that their vineyards trace their origins back to plants brought from Mesopotamia across the Mediterranean in post-biblical times. The Romans, who settled in the Kaiserstuhl region between 100 and 400 AD, likely introduced viticulture to the area. Historical records indicate that viticulture has thrived here for a millennium and has long been a prominent cash crop.

The Kaiserstuhl area has witnessed its fair share of conflicts over the centuries due to its strategic location near neighboring countries and the Rhine River. Its proximity to France made southwestern Baden a target for French influence and invasion.

At the heart of Schelingen, you'll find the small yet stunning St. Gangolf Catholic Church, constructed in the Friedrich Weinbrenner style between 1829 and 1834, replacing the previous Baroque-style St. Gangolf church built from 1660 to 1833. The village of Schelingen was formerly known as Scaleia around the year 990 and was known as a horse pasture. The Christianization of the Kaiserstuhl region took place between 600 and 720 AD. The original Romanesque church, was located outside the village centere of Schelingen and is dated from around 1050 to 1660, and was dedicated to the protection of St. Gangulphus, who, among other roles, was the patron saint of husbands and horses.

Two Catholic Church Books spanning the years 1810-1839 and 1840-1870, written in High German and Latin, are housed in this church. These records not only contain the marriage sacrament of Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer but also the baptismal sacraments of their five children and other relations. While older Walliser relatives are also documented in these books, the records tend to become unclear or cease before 1755. It is undoubtedly the case that older records can be found in other state archives in Germany and Switzerland, particularly in Swiss regions that are yet to be digitally indexed and aggregated. Historically, Swiss index records have been challenging to navigate, with Swiss surname records typically stored in Swiss cities or villages of known surname enclaves verses German State Archives per German State.

William Walser Sr.'s parents, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer exchanged vows on Thursday, July 15, 1830, at the St. Gangolf Roman Catholic Church in Schelingen, Baden. Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer is quilled as being from nearby Rust, Baden. Joseph Walser III is quilled as being from Schelingen and the legitimate son of a Master Weaver or Weber named Joseph Walser II. Within these Church Books from Schelingen, Germany, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer are both documented as having the following five kids baptized:

1. Viktoria Walliser was baptized on Thursday, February 23, 1832. Sadly, she passed away in Schelingen, Baden, at the age of 13 on May 15, 1845. Baptismal and death records are available in these church books. Find-A-Grave ID: 182791337.
2. Wilhelm Walliser passed away in Layton Corners, Maple Grove Township, Michigan, on May 25, 1887, at the age of 53. Find-A-Grave ID: 150110886. In the United States, he went by the name William, while his Baptismal Latin name was Guglielmus.
3. Maria-Anna Walliser was baptized on Thursday, November 19, 1835. She passed away in Miriam or Smyrna, Michigan, on August 21, 1915, at the age of 79. Find-A-Grave ID: 73991434. Her USA name was Mary and her Baptismal Latin name was Mariam. Later, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser wed John Baptist Fisher Sr. in Ohio in 1855.
4. Maxamillian Walliser was baptized on Monday, May 28, 1838, and he passed away in Belding, Michigan, on January 8, 1925, at the age of 86. Find-A-Grave ID: 43055636. His USA name was Max. In 1862, at the Sacred Heart Church, Max Walser married Mary Walser née Rittersdorf, who was born in Alsace, France.
5. Ludwig Walliser was baptized on Monday, August 16, 1841, and he passed away in Chesaning, Michigan, on October 16, 1917, at the age of 76. Find-A-Grave ID: 24312570. In the USA, he was known as Louis or Lewis, and his Baptismal Latin name was Ludovicus. In 1867, Louis Walser married Mary Walser née Krupp in Miriam, Michigan.

It is likely that this family, like hundreds of thousands of families from the SW pre-Germany area of this particular period, emigrated from a European port, most likely Le Havre, France, to an eastern port in America, likely New York or Baltimore, and then headed due west. This would have been pre-Statue of Liberty, pre-Ellis Island, and pre-Castle Garden immigration centers periods. Le Havre was "The thoroughfare of emigration from Switzerland and the South of Pre-Germany" to the United States, in the years surrounding 1854.

Definitive "Packet Service" or steamboat passenger immigration records for this family have not yet been located, despite extensive wildcard variation and manual searching. More records are digitally indexed daily so perhaps their immigration records may show up. Secret emigration was also very common, especially near the French border. In pre-German States, emigrants with enough cash at hand were issued ship entry on the spot, thus supporting the ship companies operating out of French harbors; namely Le Havre. A legal 1852 emigration application record and two subsequent 1853 Freiburg newspaper clippings against Joseph Walser III's family from Schelingen emigrating for North America "secretly" have been found and posted. Joseph Walser III's legal 1852 emigration application was denied by the Baden Duchy likely causing Joseph Walser III and his family to "secretly" emigrate from Baden and this was not uncommon. Our ancestral Walser family then settled in or near the largely German rural settlement of Bethlehem located SW of Shelby, Sharon Township Richland County, Ohio for over a decade or so. During the period spanning from the 1860s to the early 1870s, all the remaining members of this migrating family made their way to Mid-Michigan. However, they dispersed geographically, with each branch of their burgeoning families. Some settled in the rural and densely wooded regions of Maple Grove Township, situated in Saginaw County, Michigan. This locale was marked by a prevalent German-Catholic lineage during that era. Others found their homes in the vicinity of the small village of Miriam, located in Ionia County, Michigan. Like Maple Grove Township, Miriam also had a substantial German-Catholic community at the time.

The rural area of Miriam, Michigan, is presently home to the still active and beautifully maintained St. Mary's Catholic Church & Cemetery. Miriam is located near the outskirts of Belding, within Ionia County, Michigan. It's situated in near Otisco and Keene Townships near Smyrna.

From 1847 to 1877, railroads experienced rapid growth on a global scale. Many individuals who emigrated from Baden utilized trains and the Rhine River to reach their designated points of departure. During the mid-1800s, the expansion of railroads across Europe significantly reduced travel time to embarkation ports. Additionally, the switch from sails to steam shortened ocean voyage durations from weeks to mere days for many maritime routes.

During the period when the Walser families resided near Shelby Junction, Richland County, Ohio, the region was home to the "Big Four" railroads. Notably, the CCC&I (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, Railroad) passed very close to their farm properties in Sharon Township. The landscape saw the emergence of an expanding network of connecting railroads in the mid-1800s, linking Ohio cities such as Shelby and Mansfield with Michigan cities like Monroe, Flint, Owosso, Ionia, and eventually Oakley and Chesaning. This connectivity made future migrations feasible, provided the means were available. Some pioneers are chronicled in centennial church records as having uprooted their farmsteads and journeyed from Ohio to Michigan using horse-drawn carriages or oxen teams. The old plank road was completed in 1853, went from Flint to Saginaw, Michigan, and could have likely been used by William Walser Sr. and Max Walser families.

More than five million people left pre-Germany and Switzerland during the nineteenth century and a large wave of them left during this mid-nineteenth century period. In southwest pre-Germany, a stunning mass exodus occurred mainly due to the impacts of the failed yet violent 1848-1849 European revolutions. The revolutions of 1848 were a series of republican revolts against European monarchies, beginning in Sicily and spreading to France, Germany, Italy, and the Austrian Empire; a continental uprising, as it were. They all ended in failure and repression and were followed by widespread disillusionment among remaining entitled liberals. Revolutionists held the view that the rights of freedom of the press, separation of church and state, freedom of trade, the establishment of one militia, the protection of habeas corpus, and the security provided by a constitution were among the rights to which every earthly God honored soul was truly entitled. The Revolutions of 1848 took place largely in response to social and economic pressures brought on by the eighteenth-century Enlightenment and the EU Industrial Revolution. Literacy rates in pre-Germany in the 1840s, as well as the spread of news, increased exponentially. Many pre-German states were ready to unify as a country for the first time, but the ruling princes and aristocracies did not want to relinquish their respective powers. Revolutionaries had hoped that overthrowing Grand Duke Leopold I would inaugurate a German republic that safeguarded its citizens' right to free speech, jury trials, and political representation. Unification into an Imperial Germany was simply an unsolvable political enigma. The romance and idealism of unification in 1848 also live on in a rich legacy of songs and poems such as:

"-Who shall our German Kaiser be? A prince from Elbe or Rhine maybe?
-Perhaps a prince from Leuchtenberg, Munich, Hanover, Württemberg?
-O no! O no!
-We all agree, Not one of these shall Kaiser be!
-Now tell us truly, who shall it be?
-Whose hand shall establish Germany?
-Whose brow deserves the dignity?
-Perchance the People's sovereignty?
-Ah, there again we all agree, the people shall our Kaiser be!"

After this initial pre-German unification attempt, the royalties made some concessions, but these were perceived as mere attempts to placate the growing opposition and the general population. In Europe, by the mid-1800s, industrialization brought about numerous new job opportunities but also led to the rapid decline of cottage industries that had previously sustained many families. One of the hardest-hit groups was the linen weavers who operated looms within their homes. The emergence of industrial looms and competition from foreign markets prompted numerous German weavers, also known as Webbers, to abandon their work and seek opportunities elsewhere.

Monarchs across Europe faced threats as middle and working-class individuals sought to establish new governments that would grant ordinary citizens a voice in governance through suffrage. A saying that still resonates in Germany today is, "When France catches a cold, Germany sneezes." This saying was true during the 1848 revolution as discontent and unrest in France naturally spread to neighboring Baden and then swept across Europe. In Baden, the revolutionaries were primarily striving to establish a Baden republic, which would be subordinate to a larger Germany governed by the people and would stand in opposition to the ruling princes and monarchs.

Grand Duke Leopold I of Baden appeared interested in some of the opposition ideas and granted some concessions to his subjects in 1848. In the spring of 1849, he declined to oppose the uprising but was forced to flee Baden, causing Baden to be a brief republic. Soon thereafter, Grand Duke Leopold I was reinstated by mainly hired Prussian and pre-German Confederation troops i.e., Monarchist forces, thus Baden was a Duchy again. The 1848-1849 revolution in Baden was primarily quelled by Prussian troops, who entered the state of Baden, especially Karlsruhe, which was a core nucleus of revolutionary activity. The opposition's endeavor to unify Germany, rather than maintain the fragmented landscape of mostly Kingdom states or Duchies ruled by oppressive monarchs and aristocratic regimes as they had been for centuries, ultimately met with failure. The Prussian and monarchist armies, with their compulsory military conscription, were both despised and feared, leading many families to flee Baden clandestinely, without official approval, to evade the military mandate. Citizens were required to seek the Duchy's approval to leave.

Those found supporting the revolutionary uprisings were often referred to as "1848-1849ers," not to be confused with the California Gold Rush "1848-1849'ers." The presence of the hired Prussian army left a lasting impact on Baden and its populace. Prussia's "services" were long remembered in Baden, and the Badensian Cradle Song endured as was later published by the University of Freiburg Professor Dr. Veit Valentin:

"-Sleep, my child, don't cry, the Prussian's going by.
-He killed your father at his door, he made your wretched mother poor.
-Keep very still, if you'd be wise, or he'll find ways to shut your eyes.
- We must be quiet and behave, lie still as your father in his grave.
-God only knows how long he'll reign before our freedoms rise again.
-But where your father lies, my dear, there's room for many a Prussian bier.
-Sleep, my child, don't cry, the Prussian's going by."

Among the numerous under-appreciated pre-German immigrants to the USA were 1848'ers and political rabble-rousers named Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker. These three Republican Baden agitators were leading protagonists and were exiled from Baden due to their revolutionist roles in the failed Baden revolution. During the failed yet violent putsches known as the 1848/49 European revolution, Carl Schurz became Commandant of revolutionary Troops in the Upper Rhine district of Baden. As the revolutionary troops retreated south from the Baden government capital, Karlsruhe, towards Switzerland, troop movements would've passed the Kaisersthul area so there's no doubt that the Upper Rhine District was at war. Several thousand pre-German revolutionaries sought refuge in nearby Switzerland or France and were subsequently exiled to the USA. Carl Schurz was later captured in Baden at the Rastatt Fortress but during the night preceding the final fortress surrender, Carl Schurz made a cunning escape through sewers and ditches and crossed the Rhine to safety. Rastatt was the last bastion of the revolutionaries. Carl Schurz narrowly escaped to France and also escaped certain Prussian execution by firing squad. The Rastatt Fortress, located only 60 miles from Schelingen, succumbed to federal troops led by Prussia on July 23, 1849. The hired Prussian forces brutally executed several dozen of the rebellious revolutionaries at Rastatt and Freiburg. Hundreds of others were disarmed and imprisoned in the casemates of Rastatt fortress. In the years following Rastatt's fall, arrest, trials, prison sentences, or forced exile became the norm for those found participating in the short-lived attempt to establish a Baden republic. Many individuals were compelled to pay fines instead of imprisonment, a measure that left them and their families destitute.

Prussia retaliated fiercely through the Baden government under the returning Grand Duke Leopold I, holding fourteen thousand mutineers hostage to deter further disturbances. This led to military trials, resulting in fifty-one death sentences and eight hundred forty-six sentences of ten to fifteen years of imprisonment. Prussian troops continued to occupy Baden until 1851, and martial law was not lifted until September 9, 1852, nearly six months after Grand Duke Leopold I's death.

Prussia disbanded the Baden army, restructured it, and provided training before withdrawing from the state. Given the circumstances, it's no wonder that many people chose to escape Baden "illegally." Despite the terror, many defiant "Badeners" who remained continued to display Hecker hats and other symbols of revolution.

After the death of Grand Duke Leopold I in 1852, his son, Ludwig II of Baden, assumed the role of Grand Duke but suffered from mental illness and passed away in 1858. The Baden Government and representatives of the Catholic Church, long at odds, entered into a public dispute known as the Baden Church Dispute from 1852 to 1854, further contributing to unrest.

Despite the turmoil, individuals like Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker managed to immigrate to the USA before 1852, along with thousands of other exiled 1848 revolutionaries. Their egalitarian and pro-republican beliefs aligned closely with the political struggles that would soon erupt in the United States.

Carl Schurz settled in Wisconsin, joined the Republican Party, became a German liaison to Abraham Lincoln, and held high-ranking positions in the US Government, making him the highest-ranking non-native-born citizen at the time. All three men became colonels in the Union Army during the US Civil War, with German troops coining the famous slogan: "I'm going to fight mit Sigel." Carl Schurz was promoted to Major-General and served as a Division Leader of the XI Corps during the American Civil War, participating in battles such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

Carl Schurz's wife, Margarethe "Molly" Meyer Schurz, is credited with founding Kindergarten in the USA in 1856. These individuals, along with other 1848 revolutionaries, played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of the United States during this period. Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker are notable bilingual leaders who played pivotal roles in the failed German revolution of 1848–1849. Following their exile from Baden, they found refuge in the United States. The towns where many of the 1848 revolutionaries settled saw a significant increase in Union soldier enlistments, with some even contending that immigrant armies played a decisive role in the outcome of the American Civil War.

It is worth noting that the impact of this mass European immigration to the United States is often underestimated in American history. Perhaps the earlier California gold rush boom or the later American Civil War overshadowed its impact. During the peak of this immigration wave, nearly 100 passenger ships arrived in the United States every week. In 1851 alone, over 1,700 ships docked at the port of New York, underscoring the magnitude of this historical immigration surge.

In Switzerland, the 1840s witnessed a growing tide of political and religious turmoil. As early as 1841, these tensions erupted into a significant conflict in Aargau and Lucerne. The emergence of the Swiss Radical Party led to anti-Roman Catholic measures, such as the closure of all convents in the Canton of Aargau in 1841. In 1845, Roman Catholic cantons formed the "Sonderbund," a defensive league of seven Swiss cantons aimed at safeguarding Roman Catholic interests and preventing the establishment of a more centralized Swiss government.

In 1847, a Civil War broke out between the Sonderbund alliance and the Protestant cantons, before the German 1848-1849 revolution. However, this Sonderbund Civil War was on a smaller scale. After several skirmishes, the Sonderbund was decisively defeated by the Protestant cantons, which had a larger population. This conflict was, in many ways, a rather civil "civil war." In 1848, a new Swiss constitution was adopted, establishing a robust central government while preserving local cantonal governments—a system that endures in Switzerland to this day. This period also marked the beginning of the separation of Church and State. The Mary Walser née Angst family, hailing from the Swiss Canton of Aargau, likely endured more than a decade of Roman Catholic and political persecution, as well as civil unrest during this tumultuous period.

Citizens in both Baden and Switzerland shared a common quest for reforms driven by similar motivations. Their demands included equal rights and opportunities, freedom of the press, and liberation from centralized authority. Overpopulation compounded these issues, as Europe's population nearly doubled from 1750 to 1850. The unrest stemmed from various factors, including escalating taxes, poor crop yields, fluctuating crop prices, religious persecution, political pressures, rising land costs, and diminishing farm sizes. Additionally, by 1850, two fungal diseases, oidium and phylloxera, afflicted grapevines and ravaged vineyards across Europe, causing grape yields to plummet by 60-80% and wine prices to double by 1854. Enhanced and affordable transportation, such as new railway routes to seaports, the elimination of tolls on the Rhine River, and the allure of a brighter future, added to the many push factors prompting this massive migration from various European countries. Thus, our Walliser family decided to sever any remaining fidelity to their native Baden and its nobility and voyage west on a nearly 4,500-mile odyssey and in doing so partook in one of history's largest human migrations on the planet. We are very glad our Walliser family waited to brazenly emigrate from Schelingen when they did because in 1843, the year Joseph Walser II, died in Schelingen, some 391 people from the villages within the small Kaiserstuhl area contracted to emigrate to the Venezuelan coast and colonized to found the new and uniquely famed German town of Tovar, aka "The German Kaiserstuhl of the Caribbean", which is now located in the later named state of Aragua, Venezuela! Aka "Colonia Tovar"; liken to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Born on December 15, 1857, in Cúa, Venezuela, Cristóbal Rojas Poleo, an acclaimed Venezuelan impressionist painter, hailed from a town located merely ten miles away from Tovar. Before his untimely passing in 1890, Cristóbal Rojas Poleo created remarkable artworks. In approximately 1886, while battling tuberculosis, a condition he likely shared at the same time with William Walser Sr., he produced a notable piece entitled The Misery, portraying a deceased woman afflicted by TB, with a man sitting at her bedside.

The United States owes a significant debt of gratitude to the failed 1848-1849 revolutions that occurred in many European countries. Nearly 10% of all Union Army Soldiers during the Civil War were of German descent, and approximately 25% of all Union troops hailed from greater Europe. While most German troops fought for the Union, not all did; there was also a substantial contingent of nearly 9% Irish-born soldiers. Additionally, more Swiss and Irish immigrants participated in the American Civil War than in almost any other foreign conflict. The Civil War featured entire regiments or brigades composed of exclusively German, Irish, or African-American troops. Some examples include The 32nd Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, The Irish Brigades, The 54th Massachusetts Infantry, and the Native American 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Co. K - whose captain, Edwin-Vonshultz-Andress, resided in Chesaning Michigan. The losses experienced by immigrant army groups often led to the rise of negative sentiments and belittlement, even though they frequently were given the grim "honor" to take the lead in high-risk battles, resulting in a disproportionately high number of casualties. Today, notables of nearly every facet of American life, including business, sports, arts, music, architecture, and food, proudly acknowledge their German-American heritage. Over time, German and Swiss immigrants are attributed with integrating a plethora of traditions into the tapestry of German-American heritage. These include the introduction of Kindergarten education, the popularization of Christmas trees, the incorporation of Easter Eggs and the Bunny into American culture, the establishment of the American weekend, the integration of the tuba and labor unions, the unmistakable presence of light and fizzy beers, the formation of numerous social groups, the familiar sight of nutcrackers, the Amish community, the creation of Gingerbread Houses, the influence of lebküchen, Beef Rouladen, Pork Schnitzel, the ubiquitous hot dog and hamburger, bratwurst and sauerkraut, pretzels, the iconic Cinderella Castle from Disney, the presence of Aldi supermarkets, the implementation of tax-based education systems, the popularity of Denim clothing, Conestoga covered wagons, the common expression "Gesundheit," the long rifle, and the contributions to science, arts, finance, and much more. Collectively, these elements have left an indelible mark on German-American culture. Additionally, Irish Americans have influenced many American facets over the last 150 years including actors, singers, athletes, writers, dancers, clergy, Henry Ford, March 17th, "America's favorite son, JFK", and more. Let us not exclude the Swiss who claim fame for things such as the St Bernard dog, zipper, Velcro, World Wide Web, clocks, bobsledding, banking, Matterhorn Mtn., Cheeses, Milk Chocolates, Swiss Rösti, Fondue, The Swiss Family Robinson, Steve Jobs, Heidi, The Swiss Guard, William Tell, CERN, and more. In addition, the Swiss have the famed Lion of Luzern Monument of 1821 that was described by American writer Mark Twain as "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.". Up until now, solely unmarried Swiss males of the Catholic faith, primarily hailing from four out of the 26 Swiss cantons, notably Valais, are considered qualified candidates for the Swiss Guard. This elite group's exclusive mission is to ensure the safety of the pope under any circumstances. Presently, the most prominent ethnic demographic in the United States remains German-American, followed closely by Irish-Americans according to their self-identified ancestral heritage. In 1983, US Republican President Ronald W. Reagan proclaimed October 6th as German-American Day to celebrate and honor the 300th anniversary of German-American immigration and culture to the USA.

Two intriguing records found for a Wilhelm Walliser of tiny Schelingen, Baden with his same birth year are found in the lists of "WANTED MEN FROM BADEN", 1854-1855. Although many from Baden did not actively participate in the 1848-1849 revolutions, there were still many Baden unification sympathizers who after the revolution was quashed, wanted to escape Baden and not be forced to serve under the disdained hired Prussian Army so they emigrated secretly. Decades before 1871, boys were forced to register at age 16 for possible military service in Baden. Potential recruits were drawn by lot. They had to report or muster in December or January before their 21st birthday for a medical. In the early 1850s, if a recruit did not turn up for his muster, it was common for the authorities to later publish ominous admonishments titled "Most Wanted Notices" in regional newspapers known as "Großherzoglich Badische." In the 1840s-1850s, if the conscript did not report to the officials within a stipulated period, he was stripped of his Baden nationality, and any local rights and fined 800 Gulden. This fine was about the cost of two normal houses at the time! The conscript had usually disappeared out of Baden before this age milestone, so the authorities then took the money from his future inheritance from his father, causing him likely bankruptcy! These "Most Wanted" records were published for decades and collected into annual volumes and can aid researchers today who are looking for the exact Baden villages of their ancestral origin. The following is translated from the 1855 lists of "Most Wanted" from Baden: Großherzoglich Badische Anzeige-Blatt für den Oberrhein Kreis 1855: "Display Sheet for the Upper Rhine district 1855 excerpt: Walliser, Wilhelm-from the village of Schelingen, The above should have been born in 1834 and did not attend their muster in nearby Breisach". January 12, 1855, and again on March 13, 1855. They were given four weeks to report or lose their Baden rights and be fined.
This Wilhelm Walliser Sr., having been the oldest son born in 1834, would have turned 20 yrs. old April 29, 1854, ergo creating a likely motive for our ancestral family to emigrate from Baden before 1854. Note, there is no similar force-registered record for Max Walser as he wouldn't have turned 16 until May 25, 1854. Audaciously avoiding conscription may have been a motive for the subtle surname change from Walliser to Walser. These documents affirm our ancestral family as emigrating between 1852 to 1853 and align with the earliest found USA record thus far which is March 19, 1854, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Sharon Township, Ohio Baptismal record of Otelia Metzger where William Walser Sr. is listed as Godparent. This also aligns with the Baden emigration artifacts posted to Joseph Walser III's Find-A-Grave memorial page. Louis Walser is later documented in his golden wedding anniversary write-up in the Chesaning Argus Press from 1917 as coming to the USA from Baden when he was about age eight, thus 1850-51. Note Louis Walser's headstone year of birth is one year off vs. baptism record and this is surprisingly not uncommon to find. Looking back, it appears that William Walser Sr. may have unknowingly been per se a "Draft-Dodger", and rightfully so given the Confederation/Prussian Army of this time who demanded that conscripts join their hired army; one which was documented as shooting or sabering its "fellow Baden citizens".

Baden notes: There was a German state of Baden. However, there is a city in the northern Swiss Canton of Aargau named Baden, which is near Lengnau, Switzerland. Baden Switzerland, sometimes unofficially, to distinguish it from other Badens, is called Baden bei Zürich or Baden im Aargau. There is also a city within the German state of Baden which is named "Baden-Baden"; an old Roman spa town. Baden means "to bathe" in German. Baden, Germany is separated from the Swiss Canton of Aargau by the Rhine River. Baden-Switzerland before 1803 was a Canton but was later absorbed into the Swiss Canton of Aargau. Also, there is a Kaiserstuhl village on the Rhine in Aargau, Switzerland.

Although initially thought of as supposition, it's now firmly believed that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer is buried at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Cemetery located in Bethlehem, Sharon Township, Richland County, Ohio. A June 21, 1861, Catholic Church book death record from that church includes her somewhat unique given name, and her matching 52 years, but believed that her surname was miss-quilled as Metzger in the church book. Metzger was a popular name of that German settlement and still is in that rural area today but no other Maria-Kleophea Metzger records or headstones are found. An important revelation was made while evaluating the Rust, and Baden church books which adds irrefutable reasoning to this supposition and translates it into reality. Call it a blessing, serendipity, or just plain luck, but later research found that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer had two sisters. First, a younger sister, Regina Metzgar née Holzer and she married Simon in Ettenheim, Baden on April 14, 1836. Their original Marriage record has been found, translated, and posted. As newlyweds, they migrated to the US and their first child, Teresa was born in Crestline, OH 9 months after their wedding. Simon and Regina Metzger have numerous records found in the Sacred Heart of Bethlehem church records and both are interred in its cemetery. Maps reveal this couple as owning property across the road from this church. This is where the incorrectly quilled last name on Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer Church's book death record is suspected. Unless Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer were divorced at the time of her death but divorces were very rare and considered taboo. From 1860 to 1880 the divorce rate was merely 0.3 persons per 1,000 Americans whereas, in 2020, the divorce rate ballooned to 2.3 persons per 1,000 Americans except for those couples who pray together-whom have a less than one percent rate of divorce. Simon, Find-A-Grave18683147, and Regina Metzgar née Holzer are both recorded from Baden. They are recorded in the decennial censuses taken years: 1840, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 1890 in the Vernon & Sharon Township, Crawford & Richland counties in Ohio. The Metzgar surname spelling varies from Mutskar, Metsacar, Medscar, Metzgar, etc. in these early records due to census spelling variations. Second, it was later found that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer had an older sister Otilia Metzger née Holzer who was born and married in Rust, Baden, and who is also interred at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Richland County, Ohio. Ohio's Indian tribes were virtually gone by 1833. The Richland County, Ohio Library in Mansfield contains a historical book by John B. Meredith, published circa 1870, which contains a county directory and a period-detailed Richland County plat map, which shows Sharon Township plots and owners. Joseph Walser III is listed as still owning a plot with neighboring ones owned by Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser, John Baptist Fisher Sr., Simon Metscar, Anton Metscar, and Conrad Fry. Joseph Walser III in December 1865 and later Max Walser in January 1870 are listed in the "Richland Shield and Banner" newspaper, along with others in the county, as just slightly delinquent on their prior year's land taxes (Range 20, Township 21, Section 26). John Baptist Fisher Sr. lived 1.2 Miles NE of the Bethlehem, Sacred Heart Church off today's OH-61 Rd. Both Simon and Regina Metzgar née Holzer have nice readable headstones at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Cemetery; both containing German inscriptions. An earlier 1856 plat property map of Sharon Township, Ohio shows the Simon, J. Fisher, and Conrad Fry properties all near sections 23-26. Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer and Joseph Walser III are recorded in the 1860 census in Sharon Township, Ohio near the Metzger farm but listed under the surname Fisher, living with their daughter Mary and older son-in-law John Baptist Fisher Sr. and their two non-married sons Max Walser & Lewis "Fisher." The Household surname listed for all residents was among the many common census takers errors over the decades. Again, perhaps some families did not want to be found so they used other household surnames. One can imagine numerous languages and dialects being spoken in a given county during this period, yet sending in a census taker to do the job. Even if a German census taker filled out a census form, Schweizerdeutsch is considered by many to be among the dialects of "German which Germans don't understand". In July 1867, it finally became law in Ohio to record deaths at the probate court of the county where the death occurred. Church records and the 1860 census list variants of her name such as Laofa. Son Louis Walser's death cert later lists her name as Cleophia. Son Max Walser later named one of his eight daughters Cleo who namesakes Cleopha and Josephine namesakes Joseph. Mary-Cleophea is an old Greek, German Catholic, pious namesake form of Saint Mary of Saint Cleophas-Cleopas -(sometimes identified with Mary of Jacob), who is documented in John 19:25 as among the three Marys of the women present at The Crucifixion of Jesus, and among those who discovered His empty tomb, as well as the mother of Apostle-St Jude. Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer most certainly brought their four kids to Sharon Township because of her younger sister, Regina Metzgar née Holzer, who had a homestead there before 1840 and whose family had built a fairly prosperous farm per census records. Simon was later listed as a "wealthy farmer" in his obituary and he has numerous real estate transactions over his years listed in the local newspaper. Sisters Regina Metzgar née Holzer or Otilia Metzger née Holzer likely sent positive reports back to the Holzer-Walser family in Baden encouraging others to follow. After all, who could go wrong with moving to a predominantly German settlement, (later named Bethlehem), that had a newly erected Roman Catholic church? Regina Metzgar née Holzer's husband, Simon, was the first of three Simon Metzgers from this Shelby, Sharon Township, Ohio area lineage. Simon Metzger the first is listed as "Cashier" on the committee to build the Sacred Heart Church (1853-1895).

Family Notes: It was speculated that there may have been another brother or relative named "Conrad", who immigrated as well but promptly went back to pre-Germany from Ohio seeking money. No records are found yet for Conrad or Conradius, despite extensive variation searching. Also, the Simon Metzger family had a fairly prosperous farm so why not borrow any needed funds and not send anyone back to Baden?

Richland County, Ohio marriage records show that William Walser Sr. & Mary Walser née Angst a.k.a. Franny, Fanny, Verena, were married on February 7, 1858. Mary Walser née Angst's family was from the northern Swiss, mainly German-speaking Canton of Aargau, District of Bezirk Zurzach, the village of Lengnau which is just outside of Zürich, only a few miles from Baden and the Rhine River. Note, Mary Walser née Angst's brother John's obituary lists Lengnau, Switzerland as his birthplace. Records show that all of Mary-F.'s siblings immigrated to Ohio and some later to Michigan but at different times. A passenger ship entry has been found and posted which does exactly match a Mary Angst from Switzerland. Passenger ship entry date August 28, 1857, ship name "The Globe", departed from Le-Havre. Mary Walser née Angst immigrated to Sharon Township, Ohio, and likely stayed with her older sister Regina Reiber née Angst Find-A-Grave 126460311, or her older brother Joseph Angst. Mary Walser née Angst married William Walser Sr. six months after her arrival to this Ohio area, and their first child Catherine Walser was born about 10 months later.

Located in Bethlehem/Shelby, Sharon Township, Richland County, Ohio, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church remains active to this day and was officially included in the USA National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This Catholic Church holds significance as it is situated near the properties that belonged to the Metzger, Fisher, Walser, and Fry families during the 1860s. These families, in their phases of growth, are frequently encountered in various sacramental records of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, spanning the years from 1854 to 1873. This period aligns with the existence of the second of the three replacement churches consecrated under the name Sacred Heart, with the second iteration being constructed in 1852. Many sacrament records from this second church are now digitized and available online.

Presently operating under the Toledo, Ohio Catholic Parish, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Cemetery was originally referred to as the Bethlehem Settlement. Later on, it came to be known as the "German Settlement," while certain records dubbed it the "Irish-Shelby Settlement." The influence of Irish immigrants also became prominent during this era. A notable surge in Irish immigration was triggered primarily by the catastrophic potato famine of 1845-1849, which stands as one of the most devastating famines in nineteenth-century Europe. Nearly one million Irish individuals migrated to the United States during this period, with many heading westward. The famine led to a population decline in Ireland of 15-20%, which translates to the loss of nearly one million lives, as documented in various records.

It's documented that some Irish inhabitants departed from the Sharon Township area after the 1850s due to disagreements within the community. Notably, they were denied a church of their own and experienced recorded conflicts with German parishioners. Many Irish individuals who hailed from the Shelby area later found success as farmers in states like Iowa and Missouri.

William Walser Sr. was the first of his siblings to migrate to Michigan and the first sibling to pass away. Full credit here is given to the St. Michael's Centennial Church Book. In February of 1863, the family of William Walser Sr. and Mary Walser née Angst, along with the families of Joseph and Mary "Fanny" Beyer Angst and George M. Henige and Anna Maria Voith Henige, also all from upper-central Ohio via Northern Switzerland & SW pre-Germany, arrived in rural Maple Grove, Michigan, as early pioneering/settling Catholic farmers. These three families have sacrament records listed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church record books in Ohio and then later in St. Michael's Catholic Church in Maple Grove, Michigan. In early 1863, after arriving from Ohio, all three families lived in a small house that Joseph Voith had at the time which was located southeast of the present St. Michael's church on what is now Lincoln Road. Joseph Angst and Mary Walser née Angst were siblings thus making William Walser Sr. and Joseph Angst brothers-in-law. George M. Henige was a brother-in-law to a Maple Grove Township founding pioneer and devout Catholic and Civil War vet, Joseph Voith. George M. Henige and Anna Henige resided in Vernon Township, Crawford County, Ohio, and were married at the nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on May 8, 1855, one week before Mary-Anna Walser and John Baptist Fisher Sr. were married at this same church. Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser & John Baptist Fisher Sr. never lived in Maple Grove Township like her brothers but her growing Fisher family later moved from Ohio to Otisco-Miriam-Ionia County Michigan, in 1872, near her brothers Max Walser & Louis Walser families. Although, Louis Walser and his family moved to Maple Grove Township in 1872 from Otisco Township to restart life again on a new farm, only a couple of miles away from his eldest brother William. It has been found that a good number of pioneering settlers followed this same immigration path from pre-Germany to Le Havre to NY or Baltimore, Ohio to Michigan. The George M. Henige family immigration record from 1846 and his family baptismal records have been recently found and posted. Also occurring in 1863, the great Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30th, and President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address speech on November 19th at the official dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Also occurring in early 1863, the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass was paid $10 per week by the Massachusetts Legislature to recruit African American men for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first Black military unit raised by the North during the Civil War.

Collectively, these families from Maple Grove Township, along with others, persevered in their early pioneer and settler lives, undertaking the establishment of their homesteads and the initiation, construction, and support of their inaugural Catholic Parish in Maple Grove, Michigan. Historical newspapers depict this area as densely wooded and teeming with abundant wildlife, including bears, wolves, and wild cats—a sharp contrast to its present developed condition. The offspring of these families were among the first individuals to receive baptism in Maple Grove Township, Michigan. Notable among those baptized in 1865 were infants John Walser and George M. Henige, alongside others. The inaugural mass documented in the annals of St. Michael's Parish was solemnized within the pioneering timber dwelling of George M. Henige and among the Catholic families present was William Walser Sr. This event occurred on Easter Monday, April 17, 1865. St. Michael's celebrates this date as its anniversary date. This would have been eight days after Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 Confederate troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, in the Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. Many consider the end of America's Civil War on April 15, 1865, to be the day that the last Civil War Soldier, President, Mr. Abraham Lincoln died by his assassin's bullet. Nearly 618k-880k souls perished, while 475,000 were wounded in the USA Civil War. All were costly sacrifices laid upon the altar of freedom to preserve the union and abolish slavery via the 13th Amendment and therefore grant freedom to nearly 4 million African Americans. US Senator Carl Schurz, later famously spoke "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

Today, a two-sided Michigan Historical Marker plaque is located on the grounds of the present St. Michael's church in Maple Grove, Michigan, and on one side, bears the names and the persevering story of these founding church families, including that of William Walser Sr. In some regards, the plaque compliments William Walser Sr. as being Bavarian. It has always been rather notable or affluent to signify that you are from the great German state of Bavaria. However, Baden was separated geographically from Bavaria, by the large pre-German state of Württemberg. Ergo, unfortunately, our ancestral Walser family would not have been per se "Bavarian." With all reverent intentions, close enough, though. It appears that only the Voith family has hailed from Bavaria. Often Germans are generalized as Bavarians but Bavarians would most certainly make this distinction as true and proud Bavarians see themselves as Bavarian's first and foremost and as German's second given that Bavaria existed centuries earlier than Germany. However, it's not surprising to note that the popular first names of the kids of this family: Wilhelm, Maximilian, Maria Anna Victoria, and Ludwig were all given names of prior-born Catholic-Bavarian royalty; including Konrad too.

Likely, it wasn't wanderlust alone or Michigan's water-winter wonderland which was the driving urge for these young and growing Walser families, and others, to migrate north on a wayward wind from upper-central Ohio starting in early 1863. Restarting their lives in the areas of Maple Grove Township or Miriam-Otisco/Keene Townships, after residing in Ohio for over a decade was likely driven by multiple pull factors. Perchance it was President Abraham Lincoln's Homestead Act that sparked their migration. That act became law 1862-1863 and gave existing and future citizens up to 160 acres of public undeveloped land provided they dwell on it for about 5 years, improve it, and pay a small registration fee. Likely, it was the word of mouth of a better place to live, from family or friends who were already living in Michigan such as Joseph Voith who was in Maple Grove, Michigan with his father Anton, or the Rittersdorf or Krupp families who were living near the village of Miriam, Michigan. Even more likely, credence from previous scouting trips by George M. Henige in 1862 to the Maple Grove, Michigan, area also confirmed their ambitions to migrate. In 1862, the United States was embroiled in its Civil War. It is conceivable that the battles and skirmishes of the Civil War, which had already taken place in states bordering Ohio, though not yet in the free state of Michigan, served as influencing factors prompting migration. The presence of abundant wild game, minimal game regulations, more affordable farmland, and extensive virgin woodlands also likely played a role in motivating these individuals to relocate to Michigan.

The latter part of 1862 witnessed a resurgence of morale for the Confederate States Army, as they achieved a series of victories on their northward campaign, including the Seven Days Battle, Bull Run #2, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Adding to the turmoil of the ongoing Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation was introduced in late 1862 and officially enacted on January 1, 1863.

During this period, the areas encompassing Shelby, Crestline, Mansfield, and Bucyrus, Ohio, were known routes for Underground Railroad activities, all leading northward to Sandusky, Ohio, and ultimately to Canadian freedom, involving a crossing of Lake Erie. Given the legal implications of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850-1864, individuals were cautious not to become inadvertently entangled in the harboring or aiding of slaves. Migrating north, accompanied by their young families, offered a means of distancing themselves from the ongoing Civil War conflicts.

The poor Swiss and German farming immigrants of this era were largely united in their opposition to slavery in America. Many of these immigrants drew parallels between certain forms of oppression within the institution of slavery and the conditions of servitude under aristocracy in their respective homelands. A significant majority of German immigrants, approximately 90%, settled in the Free States during the 1840s and 1850s. It's noteworthy that until 1910, more than 90% of the African-American population resided in the American South, which stands in contrast to the present statistic of nearly 55%.

William Walser Sr.'s, youngest sibling, Louis Walser, was the remaining unmarried sibling during the crux of the USA Civil War time frame. Louis Walser didn't migrate to Michigan at the same time as his two older brothers. Louis Walser proved he was no Civil War "Copperhead" by enrolling in the 107th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry -Company C, O.V.I.-CoC, in the Union Army, one year after his mother passed and a couple of months after standing up at his brother Max Walser's wedding. He enlisted on August 22, 1862, until July 2, 1865, and thus became a USA Civil War Vet; combat-wounded in two different battles. The 107th was also called the "5th German Regiment." They departed Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio September 25, 1862, with their mostly Austrian-made guns to assist in the fortification of the regions around Cincinnati. From Cincinnati, the ~890 enlistees comprising the young 107th took the rail to the town of Camp Delaware, Ohio, where they bivouacked for eleven days and performed drill exercises. On October 11, 1862, the 107th boarded a train east to change cars in Pittsburg and other towns towards Washington DC. The 107th marched past the United States Capitol building and into Virginia to join the Army of the Potomac and brigade with the Eleventh Corps under the command of General Franz Sigel. This aligns with the clip posted to Louis Walser Find-A-Grave of the October 11, 1862 "Mansfield Semi-Weekly Herald" newspaper stating that the 107th passed through on October 10, 1862. Imagine how Louis Walser must have felt as a young immigrant citizen passing near his family farm via train as a young Civil War soldier en route to Washington to fight for his country and his cause.
The official 107th Ohio Infantry Regiment roster lists Lewis Walzer as age 20 and that he was wounded May 2, 1863, in the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA, appointed Corporal May 29, 1863; wounded July 1, 1863, in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was wounded and thus transferred to Company K, 8th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, November 1, 1863. With only 111 men left , the 107th Regiment joined in the pursuit of Robert E. Lee's retreating Confederates, back across the Potomac, marching via Hagerstown, Maryland to Catlett's Station. In August 1863, the 107th sailed in transports to South Carolina and in February, 1864, went to Florida; returned to South Carolina in December and remained in active service until the close of the war. After Gettysburg, the 107th went on to encounter ten primary engagements, mainly in South Carolina.

CPL Louis Walser , serving in the XI Corps, was wounded twice while under the higher command of Major General Carl Schurz. Records also show, that at the time of enrollment, at age 20, stood five feet, six inches tall, had brown hair, and blue eyes, and served as a Shoemaker during his enrollment, taking up the same trade as his grandpa Holzer as a shoemaker in Baden. The average height of a Civil War soldier was 5'8" tall and the average weight was 143 pounds. His chance of dying in battle was one in 65 and his chance of being wounded was one in ten. One in 13 Civil War soldiers died of disease. An amazingly detailed diary-turned-book titled "Camps and Campaigns of the 107th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry 1862-1865" by PVT Jacob Smith CoD, a native of Canton, Ohio lists Lewis Walzer on the roster as wounded in these two same battles. The diary is not authored by fellow Chesaning resident and 107th vet PVT Jacob Smith CoC, who also resided in Sharon, Richland County Ohio, Find-A-Grave 25762436. Jacob Smith CoC later moved to and died in Chesaning, Michigan. He and Louis Walser enrolled and were discharged on the same dates. The diary presents extensive detail about the 107th's involvement in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and after, and even details their earlier participation in the great 1863 "mud-march." PVT Jacob Smith CoD, even served as an ambulance driver for the 107th. The 107th engaged on May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville and suffered devastating losses; 245 of its men were either lost, killed, or wounded on that southern soil, including Friedrich Hecker. Chancellorsville would become the fourth deadliest battle of that war. Louis Walser's friend, PVT Jacob Smith CoC, was captured in this battle but released months later to his regiment, thus avoiding Gettysburg. Another notable story of the dreaded defeat at Chancellorsville is that of a patriotic German 1848er, Dr. Charles August Hartmann of Cleveland, who served as the only regimental physician. Dr. Charles August Hartmann drew his sword and helped to contain the enemy and reorganize the demoralized regiment. He was mortally wounded by a bullet to the abdomen.

"The 107th at the Battle of Chancellorsville; the John Allen Hatch-Talley House-aka The Talley House Farm Ridge."
According to Leona Hatch Herring, in a paper she wrote, Union cavalry had crossed the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford and were on a foraging expedition for food and horses. The Hatch and Talley families, hearing of their coming, hid as many horses and provisions as they could. This was probably an early scouting expedition for Union Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard and his 11th Corps, who took that route in late April 1863 at the beginning of the Battle of Chancellorsville.
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac had gone into winter quarters in December 1862, after the Battle of Fredericksburg. In April 1863, newly appointed Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, commander of the Northern army, sent Howard with his corps to the west of Chancellorsville, crossing the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford, then crossing the Rapidan at Germanna Ford to get in the rear of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army. Howard distributed his corps parallel to the Orange Turnpike, facing south. In the center of his disposition was the Hatch-Talley house and farm, where Union Brig. Gen. Charles Devens Jr. set up his headquarters. As can be seen on multiple battle maps of the Battle of Chancellorsville, on the afternoon May 2nd, 1863, the 107th were deployed to the immediate left of the Talley House, entrenched in the rifle pits. Talley's farm was the site of most of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous flank attack. Union Brigadier General Charles Devens Jr, who used the Talley House as his headquarters as the Union commandeered it from John Hatch and his son-n-law James M. Talley. The 107th OVI was the only "German" regiment have been given the "honor" of defending the Talley House likely knowing all too well that it would be a major target. Interesting Karma surrounds James M. Talley as he mustered in to the local Confederacy 05/01/1863 and on 05/02/1863, helped "Stonewall" Jackson's scouts find his Talley home. Was this repayment for the Union commandeering his property?
On May 2, 1863, Charles Devens Jr told the family to leave the Tally house and find shelter because a battle was shaping up. Hatch, a widower, and his unmarried daughter Leona took refuge in the root cellar of the house. Hatch's daughter-n-law Lucy went with her children to nearby Dowell's Tavern, the home of their minister, the
Rev. Melzi Chancellor. Union Brigadier General Devens and his superior, Major General Oliver Otis Howard ignored reports of a Confederate build-up on their flank. On May 2, 1863, approximately three miles west of a crossroads called Chancellorsville, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson launched a daring attack against Federal troops of the Union XI Corps. Confederate "Stonewall" Jackson's first objective in his May 2nd, 1863 flank attack at Chancellorsville was to seize the Talley house plateau. From there his artillery could sweep the nearby Orange Plank Road, overcoming any remaining Union resistance. In addition to unwisely ignoring those reports, Devens was suffering from a bruised leg that was injured when his horse ran into a tree the day before. Fittingly, perhaps, one of the first artillery rounds fired by Jackson's men landed in the Talley yard quite near where Devens was lying down. On the afternoon of May 2nd, 1863. The Union XI Corps, the far right of the Union army, held a line running along the near Orange Turnpike. The Federal command's inattention, however, left these formations inadequately deployed and unsupported. These deficiencies became all too apparent when the Confederates struck. In the late afternoon, a howling mass of Confederates broke out of the woods to the west. The sudden afternoon/evening attack caught most of the Federal troops unprepared, including the ones occupying this property. The 107th was among the first units to come under attack. McLean's brigade rallied briefly at the Talley House. One soldier, PVT Christian Reiker of Company I of the 107th OVI later wrote: "The bullets just whistled by my head like a hailstorm". The Confederate onslaught was too powerful however, and what was left of the XI Corps infantry soon fled northeast. What was left of the 107th OVI and parts of the XI Corps returned to Brookes Station where they had prior held winter camp. Charles Mueller, Lieut. Col., Cmdg. One hundred and seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the commanding officer of the 107th OVI later issued the following report: "Many of the men on the retreat filled their cartridge-boxes out of the boxes of the dead, and many fired as often as twenty times. For several minutes the regiment could not see the enemy, and consequently had to reserve its fire, while at the same time a heavy enfilading fire of bomb shells, grape, and canister, and a brisk musketry fire from the woods in front". The fighting at the Talley House was fast but very intense and devastating to the 107th OVI. As the Southerners passed through, they left the dead, the dying, and the wounded in their wake. Within hours Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson" himself, the victorious commander of the Confederate flanking force, would join the wounded and the dying. One of histories mysteries surrounds a large quartz stone placed at the location where Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson" was mortally wounded and said to be placed there by James M. Talley's sister-n-law Leona Hatch Herring and a few others. It is written that Leona Hatch Herring gathered soil from this hallowed spot and made five embroidered Victorian sachets for the five who helped moved the stone. These sachets were later placed in each of the coffins of those who moved the stone. Many historians state that Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson's surprise onslaught at Chancellorsville was the most dramatic Confederate moment of the war in Virginia and the result has been called Lee's greatest victory. Both flags of the 107th Ohio were lost in this battle. After the battle, Confederate surgeons took over Talley's place, tearing up the fences and the outbuildings to build crude beds for their patients, and to construct coffins for those who died. Later that year, James Talley filed a claim for damages to his property, including the use of fencing and lumber from outbuildings to build coffins and to make rough beds for the wounded. He received $1,233 from the Confederate States Army. Many of the armies' dead were buried on his land, including his garden, until re-interred after the war in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery and Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The dwelling house survived until about 1925, and another house built on its foundations burned about 1975. Huge old oak trees that marked the houses' yard still stand.

The 107th OVI was decimated in 1863 and lost more men in the Chancellorsville battle than in Gettysburg but no monument exists for them at Chancellorsville. The northern newspapers used the 107th OVI and other predominantly foreign units as a scapegoat for the loss at Chancellorsville. A good month after the Union leadership failure at the battle of Chancellorsville, the 107th OVI marched north for a couple of weeks to trek 135 miles, back across the Mason-Dixon line, and then fought all three days valiantly, to the end, at the bull's eye of the Battle of Gettysburg. Of the 480 men of the 107th OVI that fought at Gettysburg, 211 men were killed, wounded, or missing. The 107th OVI captured the colors of the 8th Legendary Louisiana Tigers during the Gettysburg battle.

"The 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the Battle of Gettysburg:"
John M Lutz, Capt., Comdg. 107th Ohio Volunteers later issued the following report: "The 107th arrived at Gettysburg on July 1–one of the first Union infantry regiments to engage the Confederates in this battle. On the engagement's first day, Southern forces drove the regiment through Gettysburg, with the 107th losing heavily, the 107th establishing a new line on Cemetery Hill formed in front of Wiedrich's Battery. A part of the Union right, the regiment repulsed a Confederate charge by Harry Thompson Hays' Louisiana Tigers Brigade late on the battle's second day and only participated in light skirmishes the final day. Over the course of this three day battle, the 107th had approximately four hundred of its 550 members available for duty killed, wounded, or captured.

Influential Virginian and Pulitzer Prize author Dr. Douglas Southhall Freeman later wrote, 'The price of victory at Chancellorsville was the cost of defeat at Gettysburg.'

PVT Louis Walser was wounded on his first day at Chancellorsville, then promoted, and then wounded again on his first day at Gettysburg. Similar to his questionably incompetent colonel, Seraphim Meyer. The first day of Gettysburg ranks as the twelfth bloodiest Battle of the Civil War. Was PVT Louis Walser wounded in the rows of rifle pits at the Talley House or retreat from it on day one of Chancellorsville? Was PVT Louis Walser wounded on day one of Gettysburg as the 107th OVI fell back — first through the campus of the old Adams County Alms House, and then through the borough's confused streets and environs? Fewer than 200 of the 107th OVI formed up that first evening behind a low, stone fence atop East Cemetery Hill.
Among the many honorable and beautiful monuments dedicated at Gettysburg is a large blue westerly granite memorial, inscribed on four sides, dedicated to the
107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry as "Ohio's Token of Gratitude", erected in 1887, located at Barlow's Knoll.

CPL Louis Walser mustered out July 2, 1865, at Camp Douglas-Chicago, IL by order of the War Department. Camp Douglas would later come to be known as "The North's Andersonville," due to its dismal living conditions. Camp Douglas was one of the largest POW camps for the Union Army. While Andersonville was a horrendous muddy hell of a southern Georgia POW camp, Camp Douglas was a bitter winter hell of a northern POW camp. In February 1863, 387 of the 3,884 Confederate prisoners died during the month at Camp Douglas. That was the highest mortality rate in any Civil War prison camp for any month of the four-year-long war, earning the camp the nickname "80 acres of hell." Camp Douglas is said to be the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere. Many wounded Union soldiers were sent to Camp Douglas to finish their service. The 8th Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, formerly titled the Invalid Corps, was formed by consolidating many companies of soldiers who were wounded in battle. Those able to handle a musket were assigned to companies of the First Battalion and used for noncombat garrison and guard duty. An ordinance report from the camp dated February 11, 1864, stated the weapons carried by the 8th regiment were "old unserviceable and positively dangerous to the men using them and they were probably never good arms even when new." The majority of the 8th Regiments were armed with caliber 0.69 Prussian smoothbore muskets, some caliber 0.69 old Springfield smoothbores, and caliber 0.71 Belgian muskets. Ammunition consisted of buck-and-ball cartridges. The 8th regiment served Camp Douglas until they mustered out by detachments between June and November 1865.

CPL Louis Walser went home to Sharon Township, Ohio to likely be with his widowed father and near his sister, until at least December 22, 1866, per a church book entry as Godparent to his niece Mary-Amelia "Amy" Welsh née Fisher. Louis Walser later settled in Miriam, Keene Township, Michigan likely with his Father and brother Max Walser. Louis Walser soon after married Mary Walser née Krupp at the St. Mary's Catholic Church of Miriam, Michigan, on February 11, 1867, just before Joseph Walser III passed on April 11, 1867. Their first son Henry was born nine months later. Louis Walser and Mary had eight children. Louis Walser engaged in the mercantile business as a boot and shoemaker proprietor in Smyrna, Michigan. An 1875 village plat map of Smyrna depicts his village store. Louis Walser lived and farmed eventually in both the Keene Township, Smyrna, sec. f-26, Michigan, and then later in Chesaning, Michigan in 1881, near Bishop Rd. & M-57 before later retiring in the village of Chesaning. Most of Louis Walser's sons later became store entrepreneurs, proprietors, or haberdashers.

Multiple news articles have been found and posted showing that these Walser siblings and their kids traveled between the villages of Miriam, Maple Grove, and Chesaning to visit; some siblings later traveled via auto. Many marriages from these "sister villages" occurred over the years. Numerous Find A Grave memorials have been established for gravestones situated in the Catholic cemeteries of these interconnected communities. These memorials often trace their origins back to the villages where the individuals were born and raised.

The St. Michael's centennial church book mentions the families of "Matt" Walser coming with Valentine Gewirtz on September 5, 1865. This is likely a translation error and should signify "Max" Walser as Max Walser and Valentine Gewirtz are recorded in Sacred Heart Church records in Shelby, Ohio, until late 1864 and not after. No Matt or Mathius Walser exists in this period. Max Walser and William Walser Sr. were in Maple Grove together briefly ~1865 but Max Walser later settled in nearby Otisco Township, Michigan, where many of his wife's Rittersdorf family were growing nearby in 1864-66. Did Max Walser assist with the first St. Michael's Parrish? Max Walser's daughter Maggie is recorded as born on February 24, 1866, in Otisco Township. Max Walser is later mentioned in the Chesaning Argus and Belding Banner papers as visiting his siblings in the Chesaning, MI area over his years. Max Walser was later involved in sureties and the entrepreneurial development of Belding, as did Louis Walser a bit in Chesaning as alderman support for their respective Common City Councils. Sister, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser, and her family were the last to migrate to Michigan. They moved to Keene Township, Ionia County, Michigan, from Sharon Township, Ohio in 1872. John Baptist Fisher Sr. and Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser had six children, all of whom were born in Ohio and migrated to Michigan.
The Centennial Church Book of St. Mary's Miriam Church, Belding, Michigan, also enumerates Louis Walser & Max Walser and J. Fisher families in the 1876 Parish Register records. Max and Mary Walser's family moved from Otisco Twp to the Belding City limits near the St Joseph Catholic Church around 1896. Max Walser and Mary Walser née Rittersdorf, John Baptist Fisher Sr. & Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser & Joseph Walser III, & many descendants are all interred at the St Mary's Miriam Cemetery. The St. Mary's Church of Miriam also holds sacrament records for many Walser & Fisher descendants. Louis Walser & wife Mary Walser née Krupp are buried at the Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Chesaning, Michigan. Mt. Cavalry is also home to many Walser descendants of Louis Walser & William Walser Sr. Louis Walser & Jacob Smith CoC became members of the Chesaning G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic)-"Pap Thomas" Chapter Post 121, after Geroge-Henry "PaP" Thomas. The GAR was a very popular and respected fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who served in the American Civil War. In 1890, the GAR reached its highest enrollment of 410,000 members belonging to many thousands of posts nation-wide. A remarkable photo from 1913 taken in Chesaning, Michigan, has been uncovered and is posted on Louis Walser's Find-A-Grave page showing Louis Walser & Jacob Smith & two other Civil War Vets of the local "PaP" Thomas 121 GAR Post on their way to the 50th reunion of the Battle of Gettysburg. Louis Walser's left-hand index finger appears to be missing in this photo and one wonders if this could have been a result of his Civil War battles. Additionally, three more GAR group photos containing Louis Walser have been uncovered and posted. In 1898, the PAP Thomas GAR Post dedicated an eight-foot tall obelisk/Monument on Memorial Day in Wildwood Cemetery of Chesaning as a Soldiers' Monument. It is recognized that all GAR posts recorded members who died through the years. Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day, was observed all over the United States. Towns held parades and locals would decorate veterans' graves. The first Decoration Day was held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. Chesaning, Michigan held many such Decoration Day parades. Louis Walser, Jacob Smith, and other Chesaning veterans returned to visit the Gettysburg battlefield in 1913, for the great 50th-anniversary reunion. More than 50,000 veterans from both North and South attended this great encampment! Louis Walser and Jacob most certainly would've viewed the 107th OVI monument while in Gettysburg. Max Walser's brother-in-law, Lucas Peter Rittersdorf, enrolled in the 107th OVI, while his family resided in Ohio, at age 18 even though he was only age 14, but deserted per records. One wonders if his desertion led the Rittersdorf to Miriam/Otisco Twp/Keene Twp, Michigan from Ohio before the Walser families moved there. Lucas-Peter re-joined the war in his 18th year by joining the 3rd Michigan Cavalry, Company A, in the last year of the Civil War. Lucas-Peter's older brother George Rittersdorf, who served 3 years in the 107th OVI, later moved to Ionia County as well. There were more than 100,000 Civil War Union soldiers who were not 15 years old at sign-up.

A 2008 publication titled "175 Years of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church Shelby Richland County Ohio," authored by Steven Metzger, states that the Sacred Heart Church in Shelby/Bethlehem, situated within Sharon Township, experienced a closure between 1857 and 1858 lasting for 18 months. This closure was attributed to an undisclosed reason, but it is believed to have been instigated by a documented conflict between the pastor and disputes among parishioners of German and Irish descent.

Most of the neighboring churches in Ohio do not possess records about these months of closure. A nearby church, St. Peter's of Mansfield, has suffered the loss of a significant number of its early records due to multiple fires that occurred over the years. During the 1800s to 1900s, various contagious diseases including cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, and fever epidemics wreaked havoc on cities and settlements in Ohio and its surrounding states. These outbreaks sometimes led to the closure of public spaces, including places of worship. It is important to note that those who managed to survive these illnesses often faced enduring health complications throughout their lives. Max Walser and his sister Mary-Anna's marriages are both recorded in the Shelby Sacred Heart church book records but Wm & Mary-F Walser's 1858 marriage record is not, likely due to this church shutdown period. Their county marriage record has been found and posted.

William Walser Sr. and Mary Walser née Angst had the following 12 kids: six of whom died before the age of 26. Four before their father William Sr. died. Seven before their mother Mary-Fanny died. Truly enduring hardships bared by their pioneer lives.
Note, Mary Walser née Angst's Shiawassee County death certificate lists her bearing 12 kids.

1. Catherine Walser was born on December 18, 1858, and passed away before the 1860 Ohio census. Although a Sacred Heart of Jesus baptismal record exists, there is no further information, suggesting that she likely died as an infant. Unfortunately, no headstone marks her resting place. Max Walser and Regina Angst née Reiber are listed as her godparents. Catherine Walser is likely interred at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery.

2. Fredericka Regina Walser was born in Ohio in 1859 and died on June 27, 1879. Her passing occurred in Maple Grove Township or at the Pontiac Asylum, Oakland County, Michigan. House #138 from the 1880 census matches the death record. Her cause of death is listed as "insanity". Regina appeared as a one-year-old on the 1860 Sharon Township, Ohio census. No Sacred Heart baptismal record or headstone exists. She may have been named Regina after her great aunt, Regina Metzgar née Holzer who lived nearby in Sharon Township, Ohio, or her other nearby aunt, Regina Reiber née Angst . Regina is Latin for the word Queen.

3. William Walser Jr. was born on March 4, 1860, in Ohio and passed away in Chesaning, Michigan, on August 13, 1941. His final resting place is St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Maple Grove Township, Michigan. William spent 53 years as a farmer, not including his agrarian upbringing. He married Susan Josephine Walser née Kammers of Miriam on July 4, 1882, at Miriam-St Mary's. Maria-Anna Walliser was the Godparent to William Walser Jr. .

4. Carolina, aka Carrie, M. Blasen née Walser, was born in Ohio on October 16, 1861, and passed away in Maple Grove, Michigan, on September 9, 1946. She rests at St. Michael's Cemetery. She married Nicholas Blasen, a veterinary surgeon, in Miriam in January 1882.

5. John Walser, was born in Maple Grove, Michigan July 10, 1865, and died in Maple Grove, Michigan June 23, 1887. Unfortunately, no headstone exists. He was among the first to be baptized in Maple Grove, Michigan, even before the first parish was built. He succumbed to dropsy just one month after his father's passing.

6. Joseph Walser was born in Michigan and died in Maple Grove Township or at the Pontiac Asylum, Oakland County, Michigan. House #138 from the 1880 census matches the death record. No headstone exists. Joseph is likely buried with Fredericka, as they both passed away in the same month with both having a cause of death listed as "insanity". The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain a mystery. The Michigan Legislature authorized the establishment of the state mental institution, "The Eastern Michigan Asylum," in Pontiac, MI, in 1873, which opened in August 1878. Both Fredericka and Joseph have Oakland County, Michigan death certificates.

7. Mary Walser-1 was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on May 29, 1867, and passed away on September 6, 1874. Her burial place is St. Michael's Cemetery. No readable headstones exist. Mary died of dropsy, as recorded in a handwritten Walker-Martin funeral home death ledger entry.

8. August Walser was born in May 1869 in Maple Grove, Michigan, and passed away on April 27, 1924. His headstone spells his name as "WalZer." He rests at St. Michael's Cemetery. August succumbed to a long stomach illness, and he is not known to have had any offspring.

9. Anna or Annie Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, 1872 and passed away in Maple Grove, Michigan, on September 20, 1898. She is buried in Saint Michael Catholic Cemetery, although no headstone exists. Her cause of death was epilepsy, spasms, and pneumonia. She was born the year the first National Park was established by Congress; that being Yellowstone.

10. Jacob C. Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on August 6, 1874, and passed away on April 9, 1956, in Niagara Falls, NY. He rests at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston, Niagara County, NY, near his younger sister, Rosa. After 1906, he lived in Owosso, Michigan, with his mother, and in 1910, he resided with his brother, William Walser Jr. He briefly married in 1910 and divorced in 1911. Later, around 1917, he lived in Niagara Falls, NY, near his sister. Jacob worked as a janitor in Niagara Falls.

11. Mary L. Blasen née Walser was born in July 1876 and passed away on January 13, 1948. She was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, and is buried at St. Mary's, Otisco Township, Ionia County, Michigan. Mary L. married Peter Blasen of Miriam on November 1, 1893. Not much information has been discovered about Mary Blasen née Walser.

12. Rosa Regina Hoffman née Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on August 26, 1879, and passed away in Niagara Falls City, NY, on January 18, 1961. She is buried at Find-A-Grave185513469. Rosa was born in the same year as Albert Einstein of Württemberg. She married Philip John Hoffman in 1900. They lived as farmers in Maple Grove, Michigan, later in Owosso, Michigan, in 1910, and eventually migrated to Niagara Falls, NY.

Farming was the occupation of William Walser Sr. Two Agriculture Censuses, USA Censuses, and multiple Plat Map records from 1870 and 1880 indicate he farmed in the Maple Grove, Michigan, area and owned a 60-acre plot of land on which there was a residence. For example, agriculture schedules from 1870 grant us a glimpse of William Walser Sr.'s farm as having two Oxen, one cow, two swine, and farming 25 acres of Indian corn, and 10 acres of buckwheat. By 1880, this same William Walser Sr. family farm had grown and diversified. The 1880s are recorded as a growing and prosperous time for this community despite the national economic downturns between 1873 and 1885. The USA 1880 Agricultural Census Schedule document shows this William Walser Sr. family farm as having two "milch" cows, seven cattle, two dropped calves, three cattle sold, one slaughtered cow, two sheep, ten swine, and 28 chickens yielding 140 dozen eggs in 1879. Also, 225 pounds of butter were made on the farm in 1879. Six acres of corn, 12 acres of wheat, four acres of oats, one acre of spuds, one acre of apples, and 20 cords of wood were all harvested in 1879. In 1882, William Sr. & Mary's 13-year-old nephew, Henry Joseph Walser, worked as a young clerk at the nearby "Kasper Keelers General Country Store" at Layton Corners. Layton Corners is an intersection located in the center of Maple Grove Township and was a half-mile north of where the William Walser Sr. farm was. A personal letter from Henry dated December 15, 1947, has been posted to his memorial and states that Henry was still working in New York at age 79, where he recalled his role as a clerk at this country store back in 1882 and the next four years after. Henry saw farmers' wives and their kids throughout his days coming in to barter butter and eggs in exchange for groceries and dry goods that could not be raised on the farms. Henry later became a successful window-dresser, electrical inventor, and business entrepreneur.

The William Walser Sr. farmstead consisted of a residence, likely a timber house, situated on the east side of Lincoln Rd, and half a mile north of St. Michael's church, as it stands today. He worked on this 60-acre plot for nearly 25 years until his passing in 1887, which was attributed to consumption. Tuberculosis, often referred to as consumption, was the deadliest human disease in the 1800s. It wasn't until 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch, a German physician and microbiologist who later became a Nobel Laureate for his work on tuberculosis, discovered its cause. Dr. Robert Koch lectured that one in seven human beings succumbed to TB, a fact that sadly held for the four siblings who emigrated. Each of them raised families, with each family comprising at least seven members, and tragically, each emigrating sibling experienced the loss of a child or spouse due to TB symptoms. These hardships were endured by pioneer settlers in an era before the availability of most vaccines or antibiotics. It's worth noting that in 1855, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to enact a law mandating smallpox vaccination for schoolchildren.

The 1900 Maple Grove Atlas map still shows Mary Walser née Angst as the owner of this plot, albeit with a reduction in size by 10 acres. In 1896, a portion of this homestead was in the possession of the neighboring Peter Andres family. Originally from Miriam, Michigan, Peter Andres married Mary-Louisa Henige, a Maple Grove Township resident who was baptized at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Bethlehem, Ohio, in 1859. A diary authored by Mary-Louisa Henige's daughter, Gertrude Baker, provides insights into life in Maple Grove. You can find this story on Mary-Louisa Henige's Find-A-Grave memorial, which likely mirrors the daily life experiences of William and Mary Fanny's children. Furthermore, there exists a diary, written in German, authored by Anna Maria Voith Henige and her daughter Mary-Louisa Henige, offering valuable insights into the early pioneer life of the region.

The popular autobiographical children's novels that were later turned into one of the most successful TV shows in American history, "Little House on the Prairie", written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, had content that was very true to reality for years 1870-1894, and was based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest. This series would have closely aligned with the lives of the children of our immigrating Walser families.

William Walser Jr. later owned a different plot with residence at 14571 Bishop Rd, Chesaning, Michigan. William Walser Jr. raised his family here for decades and the home was later owned by his eldest son William III, aka "Earl" Walser after 1965. A wonderful William Walser Jr. family picture in front of their home on Bishop Rd is posted under the William Walser Jr. Find A Grave memorial page.

William Walser Sr. is described by his daughter Caroline Blasen née Walser's obituary as her being the "daughter of Mr. Softball, baseball, horseshoe pitching, and soccer complete with a grandstand and landscaped terrace." Following this sentence in the obit is "concluded by the com-" which likely means concluded by the City Common-Council? William Walser Sr. is buried in the St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Maple Grove Township, Michigan, per family records. The west side of Lincoln Rd's old section is where William Walser Sr. is buried and where the original St. Michael's Parish was located. No headstone exists today for William Walser Sr. nor half of his children. Sadly, but necessary, many original headstones, iron crosses, metal signs, and makeshift tomb markers of their day, which became untraceable then, were consolidated in the early 1920s and again in 1954 and buried in the St. Michael's Cemetery under a large boulder. A beautiful brick monument was built after 1954 and wonderfully serves in memory of these early pioneering-settling ancestors of St. Michael's Parish. Unfortunately, written cemetery records were not tracked until after the start of the 20th century around 1906. Michigan started to record more detailed individual death certificates in approximately 1897 instead of a basic death ledger by the county.

A well-written book titled "The Centennial History of St. Michael's Parish of Maple Grove Township, Michigan" was published in 1965. This book lists a picture of William Walser Sr. and lists him among a handful of founding and persevering families who helped to establish the first, and likely second of now three St. Michael's churches. This first parish was started in October 1865 and completed in 1867 and was a 26'x36'x20' wooden frame. This parish was consecrated to St. Michael, the archangel and warrior angel. The parish also served as a schoolhouse ~ in 1876, as did the 2nd church. This original parish was torn down in 1910, making it possible to extend the land set aside for more Christian burials. One has to ponder, if the Civil War never occurred, would St. Michael's exist today?

William Walser Sr.'s family was not the only Walser family who were founding members and contributors to a Michigan Roman Catholic Parish Church. It turned out that the families of his brothers Max Walser and Louis Walser were as well. The church book titled "Centennial Church Book of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Miriam, Michigan 1871-1971" lists on pp. 12-13 that on May 24, 1871, the cornerstone for the present St. Mary's church was laid replacing the old frame church they used. Men who volunteered labor for the new church included, among eight other families, that of Walser. The book also lists Max Walser, Louis Walser, and Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser as the only Walser parish family members. Perhaps William Walser's family could have come from Maple Grove and assisted as well. The same book also lists pictures of the Max Walser and Mary Walser née Rittersdorf family and that of Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser and some descendants as well as lists them all in the 1876 St. Mary's parish census. Lumber for this still active church was hand-hewn and much of the original framework still stands beautifully today, despite damage from lightning strikes over the years. Some of that lumber was floated down the Flat River from nearby Lakeview to Miriam. Several original wooden pews from the time the church was built are now up in the choir loft, numbered to match up with the families who paid to rent them. Across the road from the St Mary's church are the original buggy sheds, with a plaque noting which family each belongs to — still belongs to? Additionally, near these buggy sheds was a store and post office building which lasted from 1878-1905 when it burned and was never rebuilt.

In mid-2021, Joseph Breimayer and his relations made a remarkable discovery of a trove of nearly two dozen antique portrait photographs in the multi-generational farmhouse of Mary Magdalene "Mamie" Breimayer née Kopp, located in Otisco TWP, Michigan. Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser was grandmother to Mary Magdalene "Mamie" Breimayer née Kopp. While we've successfully identified some of these photographs, others remain enigmatic, relying solely on speculation for their identification. Among the confirmed subjects captured in these vintage photographs are Louis Walser and Mary Walser née Krupp, and some of their children. The assortment encompasses a variety of early portrait photography formats, including CDV (Cartes-de-Visite) mounts, cabinet cards, vignette portrait. and plain photographs from bygone eras. Notably, the names of photographers inscribed on the photo borders denote locations such as Shelby, Ohio, Belding, and Chesaning, Michigan, confirming the migratory patterns of these ancestors throughout the years.

The story of these photographs found in the Otisco TWP farmhouse takes an intriguing turn with the Shelby, Ohio History Museum's involvement. Upon examining these photographs, the museum staff uncovered a copy of one of these images, albeit with a different seated pose, in their extensive donated collection! Furthermore, a revealing detail emerges from the 1880 Ionia county census: two widowed matriarchs, one from the Rittersdorf family and the other from the Krupp family, both of whom enjoyed long lives, shared a residence near the Breimayer homestead with their son and daughter Lucas Peter Rittersdorf and Jospephine-Krupp-Rittersdorf. These two long-time widows were Anna Maria Rederstorf née Stoecklin, who died in 1884, and Catharine Krupp née Albert, who died in 1881. It is plausible to believe that some of their family photographs were passed down and intermingled over generations, resulting in such a collection that includes images of Rittersdorf, Fisher, Walser, Breimayer, and Krupp descendants.

William Walser Sr.'s death in 1887 left his wife a widowed mother with kids and a good-sized farm to continue caring for and providing for. Less than one month after his death, their 23-year-old son John Walser died. A world away, in this mid-1887 timeframe, the foundations for the Eiffel Tower were being erected. Mary Walser née Angst remarried later that same year of William Walser Sr. and son John's death to a younger Frank Kremer. Understandably, this was cause for later consternation with the youngest child Rose as can be read in the attached newspaper clip. Mary Walser née Angst's sister, Kunigunda Amman née Angst is listed as present in this second marriage. Frank Cramer left the Maple Grove area in 1897. The 1900 census lists just Mary Walser née Angst and her son Jacob Walser in Maple Grove, Michigan. Mary Walser-Cramer née Angst lived out her remaining years with her youngest son Jacob Walser at 617 Corunna Ave, Owosso, Michigan. Mary Walser née Angst died in 1906, the same year as Carl Schurz and the same year as the great San Francisco fire. Mary Walser née Angst's death certificate lists St. Michael's Cemetery as her burial location. Since the original St. Michael's Parish was not torn down until 1910, she is likely buried on the same southwest side of the old St. Michael's Cemetery. There is no current headstone for Mary Walser née Angst's.

The Walser "Mary-ology": William Walser Sr.'s mother, aunt, mother-in-law, grandmothers, and wife were each named Mary. Both of his brothers married Mary and his sister was named Mary. William Walser Sr. and each of his USA siblings had a daughter named some form of Mary. William Walser Sr.'s, first daughter Mary died in 1874 and William Walser Sr. had a second daughter named Mary in 1876! Each of these four siblings used both of their parents' given names, Joseph and Mary-Cleophia, as some form of namesake when naming some of their broods.

Different Marys from Switzerland were found to be referred to as "Verena" in church books. This is likely another pious namesake taking after the nurse saint of Zürich, Switzerland, St. Verena.

In Aramaic, which was the primary language spoken by Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, Mary is referred to as Maryam. The Greek translation of the Old Testament also uses the name Mariam for Mary.
Within the New Testament and in Latin, the name Mary is translated as Maria.

In some respects, we can see our ancestral Walser families and their descendants as a reflection of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.

Records for William Walser Sr. include:
• A baptismal record from St. Gangolf Church of Schelingen, Baden, dated 1834.
• An entry in the Grand Ducal Baden Add Sheet for the Upper Rhine District on April 16, 1853, related to a matter involving Joseph Walser III's family from Schelingen.
• Multiple entries in the "WANTED MEN FROM BADEN" section of the "Großherzoglich Badische Anzeige-Blatt für den Oberrhein Krei" in 1855.
• Multiple sacrament records in Ohio between 1854 and 1860, where William is mentioned as a parent and godparent to multiple children.
• A marriage record in Richland County, Ohio, in 1858, indicating his marriage to Mary Walser née Angst.
• The 1860 Census, which shows him as married in Sharon Township, Shelby, Ohio, at the age of 26, with his surname recorded as "Waltson," and with his wife Frana and infants Regina & Wm-II.
• The 1870 Census, indicates his marital status as married, living in Maple Grove, Michigan, with his children. His surname is recorded as "Waltser."
• Agriculture records from 1870 and 1880 in the USA, showing his ownership of 60 acres in Maple Grove Township.
• A plat map from 1877 indicating 60 acres and an 1896 plat map showing 40 acres of land in Maple Grove.
• The 1880 Census, records him as married at the age of 46, with nine children.
• Saginaw News articles from 1887, which highlight property transfers to his wife shortly before and after his death.
• The 1887 Michigan Death record, including the many death records of his children, lists William as their father.
• Owosso Times newspaper articles from 1906-1908, documenting the probate resolution of his wife Mary-F. Kramer's remaining will, which amounted to $700.
• A mention in the 1965 St. Michael's Maple Grove Township, Michigan, Centennial Book and on the church history website.
•Note, most regional Newspapers such as the Chesaning Argus, Belding Banner and Owosso Times shut down in years surrounding the great depression 1928ish-1935ish.

Just before the death of William Walser Sr., a fellow German, Mr. Marshall J. Becker delivered a rather fitting and parting adieu in an address before the Monday Club of Columbus in Ohio, March 14, 1887, titled:
"The Germans of 1849 in America." Mr. Marshall J. Becker delivered the following excerpt:

"A few years more, and the last exile of '49 will have found refuge in that great asylum where extradition laws are unknown, and where, as I hope, he will not be compelled to serve a probationary term before his full admission to citizenship. But his children and his children's children will live on, assimilated, absorbed, and Americanized; unmindful of their origin and indifferent to their descent."

One year after William Walser Sr.'s death, the Chesaning Semi-Weekly Argus newspaper published an article about Carl Schurz detailing a recent trip he took to Berlin where a banquet was given in his honor. In response to a toast to him, Mr. Carl Schurz spoke the following words:

"I stand here as a simple American Citizen of German birth. We of German birth in America entertain for our extensive common-wealth love as a bride, which, however, does not diminish our affection for the old mother."

Numerous records and pieces of information mentioned above are exempt from copyright protection as they were published before 1923, rendering them part of the public domain. Additional information or corrections can be emailed to [email protected].

The above narrative is intended to serve as an accurate biographical capsule, void of hubris, compiled through a combination of obtainable records, historical events, and family notes with heartfelt intentions of better getting to know, those we owe.

Sincere appreciation and thanks are extended to numerous individuals, notably Mrs. Helen Gengler née Prieur, and Mr. Joseph Breimayer. Gratitude is also owed to the files maintained by Lavern Walser, Janet Ruddy, Don Beaudoin, the Catholic Church and familysearch.org. Additionally, acknowledgment is extended to Jochen Rees of the Landesarchiv-Staatsarchiv, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg.

Author: Douglas P. Walser

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Link to Bethlehem/Shelby Ohio "Sacred Heart, of Jesus" church books: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-66Y3-SDH?owc=M6KB-7Z3%3A60807301%2C61064601%3Fcc%3D1494476&wc=M6KB-ZZQ%3A60807301%2C61064601%2C60884502%2C61125501&cc=1494476

Link to Schelingen-Baden Church book 1810-139: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-475877-1
Link to Schelingen -Baden Church book 1840-1870: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-475878-1

The last update to this memorial was made in May 2023.

The following is a detailed "Walser Family" biographical sketch chronicling not only William Walser Sr. but also his immediate family, their birthplace, migrations, life events, and their surname; contrasted against some events and people of their era.

To access all digital artifacts discovered thus far about the life of William Walser Sr., click on the "Photos Tab."

William Walser Sr. was baptized on Tuesday, April 29, 1834, in the present-day southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, within the district of "Breisgau-Hochschwarzwalder," specifically in the village of Schelingen. Schelingen is situated just outside the western boundary of the Black Forest, known as the "Schwarzwald," along the eastern bank of the Rhine River, adjacent to the border of France, and approximately 40 miles north of the Swiss border.

William Walser Sr. passed away on May 25, 1887, near the village of Layton Corners in Maple Grove Township, Saginaw County, Michigan, USA.

Documents infer William Walser Sr. immigrated to America between 1852 and April 16, 1853, when he was approximately 18 years old. He made the journey with his parents, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer as well as his three younger siblings: his sister, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser and his two brothers, Max Walser & Louis Walser.

The bloodlines of each of our four Walser siblings who immigrated more than 170 years ago remain active in the United States today. Numerous documents confirm that our Walser family that immigrated was Roman Catholic, were farmers, became naturalized, spoke German, most likely Swiss-German called Schweizerdeutsch, and later most learned to speak American English and some even became a bit entrepreneurial.

Records also show that our ancestral family emigrated from The Grand Duchy of Baden. At the time of their emigration, Baden had been its own sovereign country or "Duchy" since 1803, albeit a Duchy beset by prodigious turmoil between the years 1848 to 1854. Grand Duke Leopold I, ruled Baden until his death at age 61 in April 1852. Baden did not become a unified German state until early 1871, following the successful second attempt at German unification. Subsequently, Baden merged with the German state of Württemberg in 1952 to form what is now known as Baden-Württemberg, the most southwestern federal state in Germany, still sharing Rhine River borders with Switzerland and France.

More than five centuries have passed since Johann Gutenberg's printing press initiated an "information revolution" by facilitating the rapid and widespread sharing of knowledge. In the 21st century, the swift progression of technology has given rise to a global initiative often referred to as the "Digital Gutenberg Project." This development is a source of great joy for genealogists as it involves the digital scanning, indexing, translation, and aggregation of millions of historical documents from various corners of the world, spanning centuries. These treasure troves includes old church records, civil registers, censuses, property maps, entire newspaper collections, military records, obituaries, phone directories, gazetteers, and more, all accessible through digital searches. Genealogists now have unprecedented opportunities to meticulously piece together family histories and become "Master Digital Sextons."

Fortunately, our immigrating ancestral family and their spouses demonstrated diligence in their faith, and their respective churches recorded their sacraments. Notably, Roman Catholic sacrament records for these family members have come to light, encompassing baptisms, marriages, godparent witnesses, and death records. Additionally, a trove of newspaper clippings and ephemera about this family has been found. When all these digital artifacts are woven together, they form a simple yet profound immigrant narrative for our ancestral family, offering considerable and truthful insights into our heritage. These discoveries have been added as photos to each respective Find-A-Grave memorial website dedicated to most of the ancestors associated with this family.

Of particular significance to our immigrating ancestral family, original sacrament records from the old Roman Catholic Church Books have been located and translated. These records originate from the still-active St. Gangolf Catholic Church in Baden-Württemberg, situated in the center of the small village of Schelingen. Each of these records represents one of the seven ancestral family members, with their names, sacrament dates, and birth order in these early Baden church books aligning perfectly with their respective records in the United States. This alignment carries particular importance as the last name in the church book records was consistently recorded as "Walliser," as opposed to "Walser," in the two Schweizerdeutsch church books for each family member. There are half a dozen plausible reasons of both German and American origin, for the transformation of this surname:
1. Walliser is not a true surname; rather, it's a territorial or toponym surname. Walliser is derived from the location of Valais, which is a valley-filled Switzerland canton with the German name Wallis. As was typical in the German tradition, adding the postfix of "-er" to a surname signified origin. Akin to a "southernER" being southern from the south is a Walliser being Walser from the Wallis. Valais translates as Wallis from English to German.
2. In German-to-English translations, letter pairs such as S/Z and W/V, as well as C/K, were often interchanged due to phonetic or handwriting similarities. Consequently, "WalZer" is frequently heard as [Valza] in German.
3. Given names underwent Latinization in Catholic Church records, both in Europe and the United States.
4. Historical church records in Germany and the USA reveal instances of individuals adopting pious namesakes, particularly for given names. This practice resembles the contemporary tradition of selecting a patron saint's name during confirmation sacraments, serving as a protector and guide.
5. The "Americanization" of surnames, which involved shortening lengthy or challenging-to-pronounce surnames during the naturalization process, was a common practice.
6. Deliberate name changes served as a convenient method to obscure the ability to trace the lives of those who had left Germany to the United States, ensuring that their pasts remained less traceable.

Refer to the "Photos Tab" for an early map of Walliser and Walser Migrations. The etymology of the Walser and Walliser names are well documented to the highest Swiss-Alps as far back as the medieval Ages. Many centuries ago, the Alemanni, also referred to as Swabians, are recorded as a substantial alliance of Germanic tribes who conquered and integrated native Celts. They extended their dominion southwestward into what are now the regions of Baden-Württemberg, Alsace-Lorraine France, and Switzerland. This expansion led to the emergence of the Old High German languages in these areas. The Walliser and Walser languages, which persist to this day, belong to the subset of Highest Alemannic dialects. In the contemporary context, surnames like Walliser, Walser, and Wallißer can still be found in Switzerland and its neighboring countries. Historical records reveal that over centuries, the Swiss Cantons of Graubünden, St. Gallen, and primarily Valais were home to a surname derived from the term "Valaisan." This surname evolved into "Wallis" in German and subsequently "Walser." In Latin, "Vallis" translates to "valley." The Swiss Canton of Valais encompasses the renowned Matterhorn Mountain, a location where the Walser surname has been traced back to many centuries ago. Presently, 28% of the population in this region speaks "Walser German."

The awe-inspiring and deeply Catholic village of Zermatt in Switzerland is a more than 500-700-year-old Walser settlement nestled in the foothills of the Matterhorn. Zermatt has "Walser houses" dating back more than 500 years. Situated near Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais, Zermatt is representative of the Walser heritage. Sion boasts the distinction of being the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in Switzerland. St. Theodul, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Sion, is also the patron saint of Valais and the Walser people. Valais eventually became renowned as the birthplace of the St. Bernard dog breed and currently holds the status of the largest wine-producing region in Switzerland.

Historical documents indicate that the Swiss village of Juf holds the distinction of being the highest year-round settlement in Europe. Its origins can be traced back to a Walser village that emerged around 1292, a time when Switzerland was taking shape as a nation (1291). The region that we now recognize as Switzerland was introduced to Christianity in the 300s and experienced widespread conversion by the 600s.

Existing at such elevated altitudes for many centuries, the early Alpine Walser people were often pioneers in seeking liberation from serfdom, feudalism, or subjugation. Their way of life above the snowlines could be seen as a form of resistance or allergy to the authority associated with lower altitudes. Thanks to the seclusion of their high Alpine settlements, the Walser managed to preserve their language and numerous customs up to the present era. Presently, individuals have the opportunity to engage in hiking along numerous Walser trails that wind through several ancient Walser villages nestled within the Swiss Alps. This provides an avenue to acquaint oneself with various aspects of the Walser heritage: encompassing museums, cultural practices, traditions, language, anthem, churches, and the historical narrative of their initial regional migrations.

In Austria, there are currently two valleys, Großwalsertal and Kleinwalsertal, denoting larger and smaller respectively, which owe their names to ethnic enclaves of the Walsers who relocated to these areas circa 1270. Notably, the Großes Walsertal Valley has attained the esteemed status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve since November 2000. Additionally, a serene and secluded Walser settlement named "Saint Martin" exists within the distinctive landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage site known as the "Tectonic Arena Sardona." This settlement is situated in the canton of Saint Gallen, Switzerland. Historically, it was inhabited by the Free Walser from around 1300 to 1652 and houses the "St. Martin" Walser church. Within the confines of this church, one will encounter a sculpture of the "Madonna with child" and a crucifix, both originating from the epoch of Walser immigration. Adjacent to the church stands a traditional two-story 'Walser house,' constructed from logs, bearing a legible inscription from the year 1588.

A short journey upstream along the Rhine River from Schelingen leads to Wiesbaden, a town of great antiquity and beauty in Germany. At present, Wiesbaden boasts several cafes that carry the moniker "Walser Bröt." In these establishments, visitors have the pleasure of indulging in delectable and timeless offerings of bread, pastries, and coffee.

Per a German historian from the southwestern Baden-Württemberg region in 2015, "Although waves of German & Swiss emigration to the USA have occurred over the centuries, it is highly likely that the diaspora of our surname's lineage moved north, descending from the greater Swiss Alps, at some point to southwest Baden, just across the Rhine River border. This likely occurred after the devastating Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. The Thirty Years' War, primarily fought between European Catholic and Protestant groups on German soil, stands out as one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in Europe and, in particular, pre-German history. It left much of southwestern pre-Germany severely depopulated, with nearly 40% of the pre-German male population perishing during this brutal war, especially in Baden. Remarkably, more pre-Germans lost their lives in the Thirty Years' War than Germans in both World War I and World War II combined.

The availability of inexpensive land and reduced conflict eventually attracted many Swiss neighbors to migrate to the Baden area and the beautiful Alsace region of southeastern France. During that time, the King of France had promised the Swiss people, whom he had conquered, freedom of religion and offered land if they chose to settle in the Alsace region near Baden and the Rhine River. Consequently, many of the new settlers in Alsace were Roman Catholic.

The later French Revolution of 1789–1799 compelled numerous refugees to flee the Alsace region, crossing the Rhine into pre-German territories, primarily Baden. Nearly 10% of Alsace's population headed east and north to escape the "Reign of Terror" associated with the French Revolution. Many churches and church records from the Alsace region were razed during this tumultuous period as part of an effort to de-Christianize France and eliminate foreign "invaders."

The French Revolution, characterized by the grim role played by the guillotine in the fate of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, led to significant political changes. In 1793, King Louis XVI was tried and found guilty of treason by the National Convention, resulting in his public execution by guillotine on January 21, 1793, marking the first time in European history that a reigning monarch faced such a fate. Queen Marie Antoinette, who had endured harsh imprisonment, met a similar end on October 16, 1793, following her trial and conviction. These executions symbolized the Reign of Terror, an era of intense political upheaval and mass executions in revolutionary France, where the guillotine became a foreboding symbol of radical justice. This period stands out as one of the darkest and bloodiest times in European history, with an estimated 15,000 to 17,000 individuals executed by guillotine across France during the Reign of Terror. France underwent a dramatic transformation from a monarchy ruled by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to a republic ruled by the people, followed by a period of dictatorship under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Alsace-Lorraine-Moselle region, once annexed by Germany after the 1871 Franco-Prussian War, has since changed hands multiple times, including after World War I, and World War II, and it is now a part of France.

The origins of the Walliser or Walser surname can be traced through various stages. Looking back in history, it's highly probable that this specific lineage initially emerged as Germanic-Alemanni. Over time, it transitioned to Swiss origins, particularly in the region of Valais. Subsequently, it moved to southwest Baden before eventually reaching the United States, with a migration from Ohio to Michigan and beyond. When exploring older genealogical records, the trail will likely lead back to the Valais region in Switzerland.

The village of Schelingen, Germany, is a quaint and ancient settlement, currently home to fewer than 350 residents. It is situated in the rural district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in southwestern Germany. Schelingen is a bit secluded as it is nestled atop the Kaiserstuhl, or Emperor's Chair, a quaint and rural region characterized by gentle hills and valleys with a temperate microclimate. Rising 556 meters above a flat Rhine River plain covering approximately 50 square miles, the Kaiserstuhl is often likened to the "Tuscany of Germany" due to its beautifully terraced volcanic vineyards.

Schelingen is located about five miles east of the Rhine River, adjacent to the renowned Black Forest region, known for its iconic Cuckoo Clocks. Positioned atop the undulating Kaiserstuhl massif, Schelingen holds the distinction of being the highest village in this area. The Kaiserstuhl encompasses nearly twenty neighboring villages, each boasting centuries-old Catholic and Protestant churches. A noteworthy feature is that many of these Kaiserstuhl villages have names ending in "-Ingen," indicative of their early settlement by the Alemanni people. Some of these picturesque wine-growing villages are adorned with intricately carved vineyard plateaus, meticulously etched into the hillsides of their valleys.

Today, the Kaiserstuhl region is celebrated for its cherry blossoms, known as "Kirschblüte," in spring, the delectable "Zwiebelkuchen" or onion cake, and the "Neuer Süsser" or new sweet wine in the fall. A visit to the Schätzle winery in Schelingen is a must for any bucket list! Collectively, these neighboring villages constitute the third-largest wine-producing region in Germany, boasting some of the oldest vines in Europe. Local lore even suggests that their vineyards trace their origins back to plants brought from Mesopotamia across the Mediterranean in post-biblical times. The Romans, who settled in the Kaiserstuhl region between 100 and 400 AD, likely introduced viticulture to the area. Historical records indicate that viticulture has thrived here for a millennium and has long been a prominent cash crop.

The Kaiserstuhl area has witnessed its fair share of conflicts over the centuries due to its strategic location near neighboring countries and the Rhine River. Its proximity to France made southwestern Baden a target for French influence and invasion.

At the heart of Schelingen, you'll find the small yet stunning St. Gangolf Catholic Church, constructed in the Friedrich Weinbrenner style between 1829 and 1834, replacing the previous Baroque-style St. Gangolf church built from 1660 to 1833. The village of Schelingen was formerly known as Scaleia around the year 990 and was known as a horse pasture. The Christianization of the Kaiserstuhl region took place between 600 and 720 AD. The original Romanesque church, was located outside the village centere of Schelingen and is dated from around 1050 to 1660, and was dedicated to the protection of St. Gangulphus, who, among other roles, was the patron saint of husbands and horses.

Two Catholic Church Books spanning the years 1810-1839 and 1840-1870, written in High German and Latin, are housed in this church. These records not only contain the marriage sacrament of Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer but also the baptismal sacraments of their five children and other relations. While older Walliser relatives are also documented in these books, the records tend to become unclear or cease before 1755. It is undoubtedly the case that older records can be found in other state archives in Germany and Switzerland, particularly in Swiss regions that are yet to be digitally indexed and aggregated. Historically, Swiss index records have been challenging to navigate, with Swiss surname records typically stored in Swiss cities or villages of known surname enclaves verses German State Archives per German State.

William Walser Sr.'s parents, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer exchanged vows on Thursday, July 15, 1830, at the St. Gangolf Roman Catholic Church in Schelingen, Baden. Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer is quilled as being from nearby Rust, Baden. Joseph Walser III is quilled as being from Schelingen and the legitimate son of a Master Weaver or Weber named Joseph Walser II. Within these Church Books from Schelingen, Germany, Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer are both documented as having the following five kids baptized:

1. Viktoria Walliser was baptized on Thursday, February 23, 1832. Sadly, she passed away in Schelingen, Baden, at the age of 13 on May 15, 1845. Baptismal and death records are available in these church books. Find-A-Grave ID: 182791337.
2. Wilhelm Walliser passed away in Layton Corners, Maple Grove Township, Michigan, on May 25, 1887, at the age of 53. Find-A-Grave ID: 150110886. In the United States, he went by the name William, while his Baptismal Latin name was Guglielmus.
3. Maria-Anna Walliser was baptized on Thursday, November 19, 1835. She passed away in Miriam or Smyrna, Michigan, on August 21, 1915, at the age of 79. Find-A-Grave ID: 73991434. Her USA name was Mary and her Baptismal Latin name was Mariam. Later, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser wed John Baptist Fisher Sr. in Ohio in 1855.
4. Maxamillian Walliser was baptized on Monday, May 28, 1838, and he passed away in Belding, Michigan, on January 8, 1925, at the age of 86. Find-A-Grave ID: 43055636. His USA name was Max. In 1862, at the Sacred Heart Church, Max Walser married Mary Walser née Rittersdorf, who was born in Alsace, France.
5. Ludwig Walliser was baptized on Monday, August 16, 1841, and he passed away in Chesaning, Michigan, on October 16, 1917, at the age of 76. Find-A-Grave ID: 24312570. In the USA, he was known as Louis or Lewis, and his Baptismal Latin name was Ludovicus. In 1867, Louis Walser married Mary Walser née Krupp in Miriam, Michigan.

It is likely that this family, like hundreds of thousands of families from the SW pre-Germany area of this particular period, emigrated from a European port, most likely Le Havre, France, to an eastern port in America, likely New York or Baltimore, and then headed due west. This would have been pre-Statue of Liberty, pre-Ellis Island, and pre-Castle Garden immigration centers periods. Le Havre was "The thoroughfare of emigration from Switzerland and the South of Pre-Germany" to the United States, in the years surrounding 1854.

Definitive "Packet Service" or steamboat passenger immigration records for this family have not yet been located, despite extensive wildcard variation and manual searching. More records are digitally indexed daily so perhaps their immigration records may show up. Secret emigration was also very common, especially near the French border. In pre-German States, emigrants with enough cash at hand were issued ship entry on the spot, thus supporting the ship companies operating out of French harbors; namely Le Havre. A legal 1852 emigration application record and two subsequent 1853 Freiburg newspaper clippings against Joseph Walser III's family from Schelingen emigrating for North America "secretly" have been found and posted. Joseph Walser III's legal 1852 emigration application was denied by the Baden Duchy likely causing Joseph Walser III and his family to "secretly" emigrate from Baden and this was not uncommon. Our ancestral Walser family then settled in or near the largely German rural settlement of Bethlehem located SW of Shelby, Sharon Township Richland County, Ohio for over a decade or so. During the period spanning from the 1860s to the early 1870s, all the remaining members of this migrating family made their way to Mid-Michigan. However, they dispersed geographically, with each branch of their burgeoning families. Some settled in the rural and densely wooded regions of Maple Grove Township, situated in Saginaw County, Michigan. This locale was marked by a prevalent German-Catholic lineage during that era. Others found their homes in the vicinity of the small village of Miriam, located in Ionia County, Michigan. Like Maple Grove Township, Miriam also had a substantial German-Catholic community at the time.

The rural area of Miriam, Michigan, is presently home to the still active and beautifully maintained St. Mary's Catholic Church & Cemetery. Miriam is located near the outskirts of Belding, within Ionia County, Michigan. It's situated in near Otisco and Keene Townships near Smyrna.

From 1847 to 1877, railroads experienced rapid growth on a global scale. Many individuals who emigrated from Baden utilized trains and the Rhine River to reach their designated points of departure. During the mid-1800s, the expansion of railroads across Europe significantly reduced travel time to embarkation ports. Additionally, the switch from sails to steam shortened ocean voyage durations from weeks to mere days for many maritime routes.

During the period when the Walser families resided near Shelby Junction, Richland County, Ohio, the region was home to the "Big Four" railroads. Notably, the CCC&I (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, Railroad) passed very close to their farm properties in Sharon Township. The landscape saw the emergence of an expanding network of connecting railroads in the mid-1800s, linking Ohio cities such as Shelby and Mansfield with Michigan cities like Monroe, Flint, Owosso, Ionia, and eventually Oakley and Chesaning. This connectivity made future migrations feasible, provided the means were available. Some pioneers are chronicled in centennial church records as having uprooted their farmsteads and journeyed from Ohio to Michigan using horse-drawn carriages or oxen teams. The old plank road was completed in 1853, went from Flint to Saginaw, Michigan, and could have likely been used by William Walser Sr. and Max Walser families.

More than five million people left pre-Germany and Switzerland during the nineteenth century and a large wave of them left during this mid-nineteenth century period. In southwest pre-Germany, a stunning mass exodus occurred mainly due to the impacts of the failed yet violent 1848-1849 European revolutions. The revolutions of 1848 were a series of republican revolts against European monarchies, beginning in Sicily and spreading to France, Germany, Italy, and the Austrian Empire; a continental uprising, as it were. They all ended in failure and repression and were followed by widespread disillusionment among remaining entitled liberals. Revolutionists held the view that the rights of freedom of the press, separation of church and state, freedom of trade, the establishment of one militia, the protection of habeas corpus, and the security provided by a constitution were among the rights to which every earthly God honored soul was truly entitled. The Revolutions of 1848 took place largely in response to social and economic pressures brought on by the eighteenth-century Enlightenment and the EU Industrial Revolution. Literacy rates in pre-Germany in the 1840s, as well as the spread of news, increased exponentially. Many pre-German states were ready to unify as a country for the first time, but the ruling princes and aristocracies did not want to relinquish their respective powers. Revolutionaries had hoped that overthrowing Grand Duke Leopold I would inaugurate a German republic that safeguarded its citizens' right to free speech, jury trials, and political representation. Unification into an Imperial Germany was simply an unsolvable political enigma. The romance and idealism of unification in 1848 also live on in a rich legacy of songs and poems such as:

"-Who shall our German Kaiser be? A prince from Elbe or Rhine maybe?
-Perhaps a prince from Leuchtenberg, Munich, Hanover, Württemberg?
-O no! O no!
-We all agree, Not one of these shall Kaiser be!
-Now tell us truly, who shall it be?
-Whose hand shall establish Germany?
-Whose brow deserves the dignity?
-Perchance the People's sovereignty?
-Ah, there again we all agree, the people shall our Kaiser be!"

After this initial pre-German unification attempt, the royalties made some concessions, but these were perceived as mere attempts to placate the growing opposition and the general population. In Europe, by the mid-1800s, industrialization brought about numerous new job opportunities but also led to the rapid decline of cottage industries that had previously sustained many families. One of the hardest-hit groups was the linen weavers who operated looms within their homes. The emergence of industrial looms and competition from foreign markets prompted numerous German weavers, also known as Webbers, to abandon their work and seek opportunities elsewhere.

Monarchs across Europe faced threats as middle and working-class individuals sought to establish new governments that would grant ordinary citizens a voice in governance through suffrage. A saying that still resonates in Germany today is, "When France catches a cold, Germany sneezes." This saying was true during the 1848 revolution as discontent and unrest in France naturally spread to neighboring Baden and then swept across Europe. In Baden, the revolutionaries were primarily striving to establish a Baden republic, which would be subordinate to a larger Germany governed by the people and would stand in opposition to the ruling princes and monarchs.

Grand Duke Leopold I of Baden appeared interested in some of the opposition ideas and granted some concessions to his subjects in 1848. In the spring of 1849, he declined to oppose the uprising but was forced to flee Baden, causing Baden to be a brief republic. Soon thereafter, Grand Duke Leopold I was reinstated by mainly hired Prussian and pre-German Confederation troops i.e., Monarchist forces, thus Baden was a Duchy again. The 1848-1849 revolution in Baden was primarily quelled by Prussian troops, who entered the state of Baden, especially Karlsruhe, which was a core nucleus of revolutionary activity. The opposition's endeavor to unify Germany, rather than maintain the fragmented landscape of mostly Kingdom states or Duchies ruled by oppressive monarchs and aristocratic regimes as they had been for centuries, ultimately met with failure. The Prussian and monarchist armies, with their compulsory military conscription, were both despised and feared, leading many families to flee Baden clandestinely, without official approval, to evade the military mandate. Citizens were required to seek the Duchy's approval to leave.

Those found supporting the revolutionary uprisings were often referred to as "1848-1849ers," not to be confused with the California Gold Rush "1848-1849'ers." The presence of the hired Prussian army left a lasting impact on Baden and its populace. Prussia's "services" were long remembered in Baden, and the Badensian Cradle Song endured as was later published by the University of Freiburg Professor Dr. Veit Valentin:

"-Sleep, my child, don't cry, the Prussian's going by.
-He killed your father at his door, he made your wretched mother poor.
-Keep very still, if you'd be wise, or he'll find ways to shut your eyes.
- We must be quiet and behave, lie still as your father in his grave.
-God only knows how long he'll reign before our freedoms rise again.
-But where your father lies, my dear, there's room for many a Prussian bier.
-Sleep, my child, don't cry, the Prussian's going by."

Among the numerous under-appreciated pre-German immigrants to the USA were 1848'ers and political rabble-rousers named Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker. These three Republican Baden agitators were leading protagonists and were exiled from Baden due to their revolutionist roles in the failed Baden revolution. During the failed yet violent putsches known as the 1848/49 European revolution, Carl Schurz became Commandant of revolutionary Troops in the Upper Rhine district of Baden. As the revolutionary troops retreated south from the Baden government capital, Karlsruhe, towards Switzerland, troop movements would've passed the Kaisersthul area so there's no doubt that the Upper Rhine District was at war. Several thousand pre-German revolutionaries sought refuge in nearby Switzerland or France and were subsequently exiled to the USA. Carl Schurz was later captured in Baden at the Rastatt Fortress but during the night preceding the final fortress surrender, Carl Schurz made a cunning escape through sewers and ditches and crossed the Rhine to safety. Rastatt was the last bastion of the revolutionaries. Carl Schurz narrowly escaped to France and also escaped certain Prussian execution by firing squad. The Rastatt Fortress, located only 60 miles from Schelingen, succumbed to federal troops led by Prussia on July 23, 1849. The hired Prussian forces brutally executed several dozen of the rebellious revolutionaries at Rastatt and Freiburg. Hundreds of others were disarmed and imprisoned in the casemates of Rastatt fortress. In the years following Rastatt's fall, arrest, trials, prison sentences, or forced exile became the norm for those found participating in the short-lived attempt to establish a Baden republic. Many individuals were compelled to pay fines instead of imprisonment, a measure that left them and their families destitute.

Prussia retaliated fiercely through the Baden government under the returning Grand Duke Leopold I, holding fourteen thousand mutineers hostage to deter further disturbances. This led to military trials, resulting in fifty-one death sentences and eight hundred forty-six sentences of ten to fifteen years of imprisonment. Prussian troops continued to occupy Baden until 1851, and martial law was not lifted until September 9, 1852, nearly six months after Grand Duke Leopold I's death.

Prussia disbanded the Baden army, restructured it, and provided training before withdrawing from the state. Given the circumstances, it's no wonder that many people chose to escape Baden "illegally." Despite the terror, many defiant "Badeners" who remained continued to display Hecker hats and other symbols of revolution.

After the death of Grand Duke Leopold I in 1852, his son, Ludwig II of Baden, assumed the role of Grand Duke but suffered from mental illness and passed away in 1858. The Baden Government and representatives of the Catholic Church, long at odds, entered into a public dispute known as the Baden Church Dispute from 1852 to 1854, further contributing to unrest.

Despite the turmoil, individuals like Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker managed to immigrate to the USA before 1852, along with thousands of other exiled 1848 revolutionaries. Their egalitarian and pro-republican beliefs aligned closely with the political struggles that would soon erupt in the United States.

Carl Schurz settled in Wisconsin, joined the Republican Party, became a German liaison to Abraham Lincoln, and held high-ranking positions in the US Government, making him the highest-ranking non-native-born citizen at the time. All three men became colonels in the Union Army during the US Civil War, with German troops coining the famous slogan: "I'm going to fight mit Sigel." Carl Schurz was promoted to Major-General and served as a Division Leader of the XI Corps during the American Civil War, participating in battles such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

Carl Schurz's wife, Margarethe "Molly" Meyer Schurz, is credited with founding Kindergarten in the USA in 1856. These individuals, along with other 1848 revolutionaries, played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of the United States during this period. Carl Schurz, Franz Sigel, and Friedrich Hecker are notable bilingual leaders who played pivotal roles in the failed German revolution of 1848–1849. Following their exile from Baden, they found refuge in the United States. The towns where many of the 1848 revolutionaries settled saw a significant increase in Union soldier enlistments, with some even contending that immigrant armies played a decisive role in the outcome of the American Civil War.

It is worth noting that the impact of this mass European immigration to the United States is often underestimated in American history. Perhaps the earlier California gold rush boom or the later American Civil War overshadowed its impact. During the peak of this immigration wave, nearly 100 passenger ships arrived in the United States every week. In 1851 alone, over 1,700 ships docked at the port of New York, underscoring the magnitude of this historical immigration surge.

In Switzerland, the 1840s witnessed a growing tide of political and religious turmoil. As early as 1841, these tensions erupted into a significant conflict in Aargau and Lucerne. The emergence of the Swiss Radical Party led to anti-Roman Catholic measures, such as the closure of all convents in the Canton of Aargau in 1841. In 1845, Roman Catholic cantons formed the "Sonderbund," a defensive league of seven Swiss cantons aimed at safeguarding Roman Catholic interests and preventing the establishment of a more centralized Swiss government.

In 1847, a Civil War broke out between the Sonderbund alliance and the Protestant cantons, before the German 1848-1849 revolution. However, this Sonderbund Civil War was on a smaller scale. After several skirmishes, the Sonderbund was decisively defeated by the Protestant cantons, which had a larger population. This conflict was, in many ways, a rather civil "civil war." In 1848, a new Swiss constitution was adopted, establishing a robust central government while preserving local cantonal governments—a system that endures in Switzerland to this day. This period also marked the beginning of the separation of Church and State. The Mary Walser née Angst family, hailing from the Swiss Canton of Aargau, likely endured more than a decade of Roman Catholic and political persecution, as well as civil unrest during this tumultuous period.

Citizens in both Baden and Switzerland shared a common quest for reforms driven by similar motivations. Their demands included equal rights and opportunities, freedom of the press, and liberation from centralized authority. Overpopulation compounded these issues, as Europe's population nearly doubled from 1750 to 1850. The unrest stemmed from various factors, including escalating taxes, poor crop yields, fluctuating crop prices, religious persecution, political pressures, rising land costs, and diminishing farm sizes. Additionally, by 1850, two fungal diseases, oidium and phylloxera, afflicted grapevines and ravaged vineyards across Europe, causing grape yields to plummet by 60-80% and wine prices to double by 1854. Enhanced and affordable transportation, such as new railway routes to seaports, the elimination of tolls on the Rhine River, and the allure of a brighter future, added to the many push factors prompting this massive migration from various European countries. Thus, our Walliser family decided to sever any remaining fidelity to their native Baden and its nobility and voyage west on a nearly 4,500-mile odyssey and in doing so partook in one of history's largest human migrations on the planet. We are very glad our Walliser family waited to brazenly emigrate from Schelingen when they did because in 1843, the year Joseph Walser II, died in Schelingen, some 391 people from the villages within the small Kaiserstuhl area contracted to emigrate to the Venezuelan coast and colonized to found the new and uniquely famed German town of Tovar, aka "The German Kaiserstuhl of the Caribbean", which is now located in the later named state of Aragua, Venezuela! Aka "Colonia Tovar"; liken to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Born on December 15, 1857, in Cúa, Venezuela, Cristóbal Rojas Poleo, an acclaimed Venezuelan impressionist painter, hailed from a town located merely ten miles away from Tovar. Before his untimely passing in 1890, Cristóbal Rojas Poleo created remarkable artworks. In approximately 1886, while battling tuberculosis, a condition he likely shared at the same time with William Walser Sr., he produced a notable piece entitled The Misery, portraying a deceased woman afflicted by TB, with a man sitting at her bedside.

The United States owes a significant debt of gratitude to the failed 1848-1849 revolutions that occurred in many European countries. Nearly 10% of all Union Army Soldiers during the Civil War were of German descent, and approximately 25% of all Union troops hailed from greater Europe. While most German troops fought for the Union, not all did; there was also a substantial contingent of nearly 9% Irish-born soldiers. Additionally, more Swiss and Irish immigrants participated in the American Civil War than in almost any other foreign conflict. The Civil War featured entire regiments or brigades composed of exclusively German, Irish, or African-American troops. Some examples include The 32nd Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, The Irish Brigades, The 54th Massachusetts Infantry, and the Native American 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Co. K - whose captain, Edwin-Vonshultz-Andress, resided in Chesaning Michigan. The losses experienced by immigrant army groups often led to the rise of negative sentiments and belittlement, even though they frequently were given the grim "honor" to take the lead in high-risk battles, resulting in a disproportionately high number of casualties. Today, notables of nearly every facet of American life, including business, sports, arts, music, architecture, and food, proudly acknowledge their German-American heritage. Over time, German and Swiss immigrants are attributed with integrating a plethora of traditions into the tapestry of German-American heritage. These include the introduction of Kindergarten education, the popularization of Christmas trees, the incorporation of Easter Eggs and the Bunny into American culture, the establishment of the American weekend, the integration of the tuba and labor unions, the unmistakable presence of light and fizzy beers, the formation of numerous social groups, the familiar sight of nutcrackers, the Amish community, the creation of Gingerbread Houses, the influence of lebküchen, Beef Rouladen, Pork Schnitzel, the ubiquitous hot dog and hamburger, bratwurst and sauerkraut, pretzels, the iconic Cinderella Castle from Disney, the presence of Aldi supermarkets, the implementation of tax-based education systems, the popularity of Denim clothing, Conestoga covered wagons, the common expression "Gesundheit," the long rifle, and the contributions to science, arts, finance, and much more. Collectively, these elements have left an indelible mark on German-American culture. Additionally, Irish Americans have influenced many American facets over the last 150 years including actors, singers, athletes, writers, dancers, clergy, Henry Ford, March 17th, "America's favorite son, JFK", and more. Let us not exclude the Swiss who claim fame for things such as the St Bernard dog, zipper, Velcro, World Wide Web, clocks, bobsledding, banking, Matterhorn Mtn., Cheeses, Milk Chocolates, Swiss Rösti, Fondue, The Swiss Family Robinson, Steve Jobs, Heidi, The Swiss Guard, William Tell, CERN, and more. In addition, the Swiss have the famed Lion of Luzern Monument of 1821 that was described by American writer Mark Twain as "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.". Up until now, solely unmarried Swiss males of the Catholic faith, primarily hailing from four out of the 26 Swiss cantons, notably Valais, are considered qualified candidates for the Swiss Guard. This elite group's exclusive mission is to ensure the safety of the pope under any circumstances. Presently, the most prominent ethnic demographic in the United States remains German-American, followed closely by Irish-Americans according to their self-identified ancestral heritage. In 1983, US Republican President Ronald W. Reagan proclaimed October 6th as German-American Day to celebrate and honor the 300th anniversary of German-American immigration and culture to the USA.

Two intriguing records found for a Wilhelm Walliser of tiny Schelingen, Baden with his same birth year are found in the lists of "WANTED MEN FROM BADEN", 1854-1855. Although many from Baden did not actively participate in the 1848-1849 revolutions, there were still many Baden unification sympathizers who after the revolution was quashed, wanted to escape Baden and not be forced to serve under the disdained hired Prussian Army so they emigrated secretly. Decades before 1871, boys were forced to register at age 16 for possible military service in Baden. Potential recruits were drawn by lot. They had to report or muster in December or January before their 21st birthday for a medical. In the early 1850s, if a recruit did not turn up for his muster, it was common for the authorities to later publish ominous admonishments titled "Most Wanted Notices" in regional newspapers known as "Großherzoglich Badische." In the 1840s-1850s, if the conscript did not report to the officials within a stipulated period, he was stripped of his Baden nationality, and any local rights and fined 800 Gulden. This fine was about the cost of two normal houses at the time! The conscript had usually disappeared out of Baden before this age milestone, so the authorities then took the money from his future inheritance from his father, causing him likely bankruptcy! These "Most Wanted" records were published for decades and collected into annual volumes and can aid researchers today who are looking for the exact Baden villages of their ancestral origin. The following is translated from the 1855 lists of "Most Wanted" from Baden: Großherzoglich Badische Anzeige-Blatt für den Oberrhein Kreis 1855: "Display Sheet for the Upper Rhine district 1855 excerpt: Walliser, Wilhelm-from the village of Schelingen, The above should have been born in 1834 and did not attend their muster in nearby Breisach". January 12, 1855, and again on March 13, 1855. They were given four weeks to report or lose their Baden rights and be fined.
This Wilhelm Walliser Sr., having been the oldest son born in 1834, would have turned 20 yrs. old April 29, 1854, ergo creating a likely motive for our ancestral family to emigrate from Baden before 1854. Note, there is no similar force-registered record for Max Walser as he wouldn't have turned 16 until May 25, 1854. Audaciously avoiding conscription may have been a motive for the subtle surname change from Walliser to Walser. These documents affirm our ancestral family as emigrating between 1852 to 1853 and align with the earliest found USA record thus far which is March 19, 1854, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Sharon Township, Ohio Baptismal record of Otelia Metzger where William Walser Sr. is listed as Godparent. This also aligns with the Baden emigration artifacts posted to Joseph Walser III's Find-A-Grave memorial page. Louis Walser is later documented in his golden wedding anniversary write-up in the Chesaning Argus Press from 1917 as coming to the USA from Baden when he was about age eight, thus 1850-51. Note Louis Walser's headstone year of birth is one year off vs. baptism record and this is surprisingly not uncommon to find. Looking back, it appears that William Walser Sr. may have unknowingly been per se a "Draft-Dodger", and rightfully so given the Confederation/Prussian Army of this time who demanded that conscripts join their hired army; one which was documented as shooting or sabering its "fellow Baden citizens".

Baden notes: There was a German state of Baden. However, there is a city in the northern Swiss Canton of Aargau named Baden, which is near Lengnau, Switzerland. Baden Switzerland, sometimes unofficially, to distinguish it from other Badens, is called Baden bei Zürich or Baden im Aargau. There is also a city within the German state of Baden which is named "Baden-Baden"; an old Roman spa town. Baden means "to bathe" in German. Baden, Germany is separated from the Swiss Canton of Aargau by the Rhine River. Baden-Switzerland before 1803 was a Canton but was later absorbed into the Swiss Canton of Aargau. Also, there is a Kaiserstuhl village on the Rhine in Aargau, Switzerland.

Although initially thought of as supposition, it's now firmly believed that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer is buried at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Cemetery located in Bethlehem, Sharon Township, Richland County, Ohio. A June 21, 1861, Catholic Church book death record from that church includes her somewhat unique given name, and her matching 52 years, but believed that her surname was miss-quilled as Metzger in the church book. Metzger was a popular name of that German settlement and still is in that rural area today but no other Maria-Kleophea Metzger records or headstones are found. An important revelation was made while evaluating the Rust, and Baden church books which adds irrefutable reasoning to this supposition and translates it into reality. Call it a blessing, serendipity, or just plain luck, but later research found that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer had two sisters. First, a younger sister, Regina Metzgar née Holzer and she married Simon in Ettenheim, Baden on April 14, 1836. Their original Marriage record has been found, translated, and posted. As newlyweds, they migrated to the US and their first child, Teresa was born in Crestline, OH 9 months after their wedding. Simon and Regina Metzger have numerous records found in the Sacred Heart of Bethlehem church records and both are interred in its cemetery. Maps reveal this couple as owning property across the road from this church. This is where the incorrectly quilled last name on Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer Church's book death record is suspected. Unless Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer were divorced at the time of her death but divorces were very rare and considered taboo. From 1860 to 1880 the divorce rate was merely 0.3 persons per 1,000 Americans whereas, in 2020, the divorce rate ballooned to 2.3 persons per 1,000 Americans except for those couples who pray together-whom have a less than one percent rate of divorce. Simon, Find-A-Grave18683147, and Regina Metzgar née Holzer are both recorded from Baden. They are recorded in the decennial censuses taken years: 1840, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 1890 in the Vernon & Sharon Township, Crawford & Richland counties in Ohio. The Metzgar surname spelling varies from Mutskar, Metsacar, Medscar, Metzgar, etc. in these early records due to census spelling variations. Second, it was later found that Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer had an older sister Otilia Metzger née Holzer who was born and married in Rust, Baden, and who is also interred at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Richland County, Ohio. Ohio's Indian tribes were virtually gone by 1833. The Richland County, Ohio Library in Mansfield contains a historical book by John B. Meredith, published circa 1870, which contains a county directory and a period-detailed Richland County plat map, which shows Sharon Township plots and owners. Joseph Walser III is listed as still owning a plot with neighboring ones owned by Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser, John Baptist Fisher Sr., Simon Metscar, Anton Metscar, and Conrad Fry. Joseph Walser III in December 1865 and later Max Walser in January 1870 are listed in the "Richland Shield and Banner" newspaper, along with others in the county, as just slightly delinquent on their prior year's land taxes (Range 20, Township 21, Section 26). John Baptist Fisher Sr. lived 1.2 Miles NE of the Bethlehem, Sacred Heart Church off today's OH-61 Rd. Both Simon and Regina Metzgar née Holzer have nice readable headstones at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Cemetery; both containing German inscriptions. An earlier 1856 plat property map of Sharon Township, Ohio shows the Simon, J. Fisher, and Conrad Fry properties all near sections 23-26. Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer and Joseph Walser III are recorded in the 1860 census in Sharon Township, Ohio near the Metzger farm but listed under the surname Fisher, living with their daughter Mary and older son-in-law John Baptist Fisher Sr. and their two non-married sons Max Walser & Lewis "Fisher." The Household surname listed for all residents was among the many common census takers errors over the decades. Again, perhaps some families did not want to be found so they used other household surnames. One can imagine numerous languages and dialects being spoken in a given county during this period, yet sending in a census taker to do the job. Even if a German census taker filled out a census form, Schweizerdeutsch is considered by many to be among the dialects of "German which Germans don't understand". In July 1867, it finally became law in Ohio to record deaths at the probate court of the county where the death occurred. Church records and the 1860 census list variants of her name such as Laofa. Son Louis Walser's death cert later lists her name as Cleophia. Son Max Walser later named one of his eight daughters Cleo who namesakes Cleopha and Josephine namesakes Joseph. Mary-Cleophea is an old Greek, German Catholic, pious namesake form of Saint Mary of Saint Cleophas-Cleopas -(sometimes identified with Mary of Jacob), who is documented in John 19:25 as among the three Marys of the women present at The Crucifixion of Jesus, and among those who discovered His empty tomb, as well as the mother of Apostle-St Jude. Joseph Walser III and Mrs. Mary-Kleophea Walser née Holzer most certainly brought their four kids to Sharon Township because of her younger sister, Regina Metzgar née Holzer, who had a homestead there before 1840 and whose family had built a fairly prosperous farm per census records. Simon was later listed as a "wealthy farmer" in his obituary and he has numerous real estate transactions over his years listed in the local newspaper. Sisters Regina Metzgar née Holzer or Otilia Metzger née Holzer likely sent positive reports back to the Holzer-Walser family in Baden encouraging others to follow. After all, who could go wrong with moving to a predominantly German settlement, (later named Bethlehem), that had a newly erected Roman Catholic church? Regina Metzgar née Holzer's husband, Simon, was the first of three Simon Metzgers from this Shelby, Sharon Township, Ohio area lineage. Simon Metzger the first is listed as "Cashier" on the committee to build the Sacred Heart Church (1853-1895).

Family Notes: It was speculated that there may have been another brother or relative named "Conrad", who immigrated as well but promptly went back to pre-Germany from Ohio seeking money. No records are found yet for Conrad or Conradius, despite extensive variation searching. Also, the Simon Metzger family had a fairly prosperous farm so why not borrow any needed funds and not send anyone back to Baden?

Richland County, Ohio marriage records show that William Walser Sr. & Mary Walser née Angst a.k.a. Franny, Fanny, Verena, were married on February 7, 1858. Mary Walser née Angst's family was from the northern Swiss, mainly German-speaking Canton of Aargau, District of Bezirk Zurzach, the village of Lengnau which is just outside of Zürich, only a few miles from Baden and the Rhine River. Note, Mary Walser née Angst's brother John's obituary lists Lengnau, Switzerland as his birthplace. Records show that all of Mary-F.'s siblings immigrated to Ohio and some later to Michigan but at different times. A passenger ship entry has been found and posted which does exactly match a Mary Angst from Switzerland. Passenger ship entry date August 28, 1857, ship name "The Globe", departed from Le-Havre. Mary Walser née Angst immigrated to Sharon Township, Ohio, and likely stayed with her older sister Regina Reiber née Angst Find-A-Grave 126460311, or her older brother Joseph Angst. Mary Walser née Angst married William Walser Sr. six months after her arrival to this Ohio area, and their first child Catherine Walser was born about 10 months later.

Located in Bethlehem/Shelby, Sharon Township, Richland County, Ohio, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church remains active to this day and was officially included in the USA National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This Catholic Church holds significance as it is situated near the properties that belonged to the Metzger, Fisher, Walser, and Fry families during the 1860s. These families, in their phases of growth, are frequently encountered in various sacramental records of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, spanning the years from 1854 to 1873. This period aligns with the existence of the second of the three replacement churches consecrated under the name Sacred Heart, with the second iteration being constructed in 1852. Many sacrament records from this second church are now digitized and available online.

Presently operating under the Toledo, Ohio Catholic Parish, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Cemetery was originally referred to as the Bethlehem Settlement. Later on, it came to be known as the "German Settlement," while certain records dubbed it the "Irish-Shelby Settlement." The influence of Irish immigrants also became prominent during this era. A notable surge in Irish immigration was triggered primarily by the catastrophic potato famine of 1845-1849, which stands as one of the most devastating famines in nineteenth-century Europe. Nearly one million Irish individuals migrated to the United States during this period, with many heading westward. The famine led to a population decline in Ireland of 15-20%, which translates to the loss of nearly one million lives, as documented in various records.

It's documented that some Irish inhabitants departed from the Sharon Township area after the 1850s due to disagreements within the community. Notably, they were denied a church of their own and experienced recorded conflicts with German parishioners. Many Irish individuals who hailed from the Shelby area later found success as farmers in states like Iowa and Missouri.

William Walser Sr. was the first of his siblings to migrate to Michigan and the first sibling to pass away. Full credit here is given to the St. Michael's Centennial Church Book. In February of 1863, the family of William Walser Sr. and Mary Walser née Angst, along with the families of Joseph and Mary "Fanny" Beyer Angst and George M. Henige and Anna Maria Voith Henige, also all from upper-central Ohio via Northern Switzerland & SW pre-Germany, arrived in rural Maple Grove, Michigan, as early pioneering/settling Catholic farmers. These three families have sacrament records listed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church record books in Ohio and then later in St. Michael's Catholic Church in Maple Grove, Michigan. In early 1863, after arriving from Ohio, all three families lived in a small house that Joseph Voith had at the time which was located southeast of the present St. Michael's church on what is now Lincoln Road. Joseph Angst and Mary Walser née Angst were siblings thus making William Walser Sr. and Joseph Angst brothers-in-law. George M. Henige was a brother-in-law to a Maple Grove Township founding pioneer and devout Catholic and Civil War vet, Joseph Voith. George M. Henige and Anna Henige resided in Vernon Township, Crawford County, Ohio, and were married at the nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on May 8, 1855, one week before Mary-Anna Walser and John Baptist Fisher Sr. were married at this same church. Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser & John Baptist Fisher Sr. never lived in Maple Grove Township like her brothers but her growing Fisher family later moved from Ohio to Otisco-Miriam-Ionia County Michigan, in 1872, near her brothers Max Walser & Louis Walser families. Although, Louis Walser and his family moved to Maple Grove Township in 1872 from Otisco Township to restart life again on a new farm, only a couple of miles away from his eldest brother William. It has been found that a good number of pioneering settlers followed this same immigration path from pre-Germany to Le Havre to NY or Baltimore, Ohio to Michigan. The George M. Henige family immigration record from 1846 and his family baptismal records have been recently found and posted. Also occurring in 1863, the great Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30th, and President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address speech on November 19th at the official dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Also occurring in early 1863, the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass was paid $10 per week by the Massachusetts Legislature to recruit African American men for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first Black military unit raised by the North during the Civil War.

Collectively, these families from Maple Grove Township, along with others, persevered in their early pioneer and settler lives, undertaking the establishment of their homesteads and the initiation, construction, and support of their inaugural Catholic Parish in Maple Grove, Michigan. Historical newspapers depict this area as densely wooded and teeming with abundant wildlife, including bears, wolves, and wild cats—a sharp contrast to its present developed condition. The offspring of these families were among the first individuals to receive baptism in Maple Grove Township, Michigan. Notable among those baptized in 1865 were infants John Walser and George M. Henige, alongside others. The inaugural mass documented in the annals of St. Michael's Parish was solemnized within the pioneering timber dwelling of George M. Henige and among the Catholic families present was William Walser Sr. This event occurred on Easter Monday, April 17, 1865. St. Michael's celebrates this date as its anniversary date. This would have been eight days after Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 Confederate troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, in the Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. Many consider the end of America's Civil War on April 15, 1865, to be the day that the last Civil War Soldier, President, Mr. Abraham Lincoln died by his assassin's bullet. Nearly 618k-880k souls perished, while 475,000 were wounded in the USA Civil War. All were costly sacrifices laid upon the altar of freedom to preserve the union and abolish slavery via the 13th Amendment and therefore grant freedom to nearly 4 million African Americans. US Senator Carl Schurz, later famously spoke "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

Today, a two-sided Michigan Historical Marker plaque is located on the grounds of the present St. Michael's church in Maple Grove, Michigan, and on one side, bears the names and the persevering story of these founding church families, including that of William Walser Sr. In some regards, the plaque compliments William Walser Sr. as being Bavarian. It has always been rather notable or affluent to signify that you are from the great German state of Bavaria. However, Baden was separated geographically from Bavaria, by the large pre-German state of Württemberg. Ergo, unfortunately, our ancestral Walser family would not have been per se "Bavarian." With all reverent intentions, close enough, though. It appears that only the Voith family has hailed from Bavaria. Often Germans are generalized as Bavarians but Bavarians would most certainly make this distinction as true and proud Bavarians see themselves as Bavarian's first and foremost and as German's second given that Bavaria existed centuries earlier than Germany. However, it's not surprising to note that the popular first names of the kids of this family: Wilhelm, Maximilian, Maria Anna Victoria, and Ludwig were all given names of prior-born Catholic-Bavarian royalty; including Konrad too.

Likely, it wasn't wanderlust alone or Michigan's water-winter wonderland which was the driving urge for these young and growing Walser families, and others, to migrate north on a wayward wind from upper-central Ohio starting in early 1863. Restarting their lives in the areas of Maple Grove Township or Miriam-Otisco/Keene Townships, after residing in Ohio for over a decade was likely driven by multiple pull factors. Perchance it was President Abraham Lincoln's Homestead Act that sparked their migration. That act became law 1862-1863 and gave existing and future citizens up to 160 acres of public undeveloped land provided they dwell on it for about 5 years, improve it, and pay a small registration fee. Likely, it was the word of mouth of a better place to live, from family or friends who were already living in Michigan such as Joseph Voith who was in Maple Grove, Michigan with his father Anton, or the Rittersdorf or Krupp families who were living near the village of Miriam, Michigan. Even more likely, credence from previous scouting trips by George M. Henige in 1862 to the Maple Grove, Michigan, area also confirmed their ambitions to migrate. In 1862, the United States was embroiled in its Civil War. It is conceivable that the battles and skirmishes of the Civil War, which had already taken place in states bordering Ohio, though not yet in the free state of Michigan, served as influencing factors prompting migration. The presence of abundant wild game, minimal game regulations, more affordable farmland, and extensive virgin woodlands also likely played a role in motivating these individuals to relocate to Michigan.

The latter part of 1862 witnessed a resurgence of morale for the Confederate States Army, as they achieved a series of victories on their northward campaign, including the Seven Days Battle, Bull Run #2, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Adding to the turmoil of the ongoing Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation was introduced in late 1862 and officially enacted on January 1, 1863.

During this period, the areas encompassing Shelby, Crestline, Mansfield, and Bucyrus, Ohio, were known routes for Underground Railroad activities, all leading northward to Sandusky, Ohio, and ultimately to Canadian freedom, involving a crossing of Lake Erie. Given the legal implications of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850-1864, individuals were cautious not to become inadvertently entangled in the harboring or aiding of slaves. Migrating north, accompanied by their young families, offered a means of distancing themselves from the ongoing Civil War conflicts.

The poor Swiss and German farming immigrants of this era were largely united in their opposition to slavery in America. Many of these immigrants drew parallels between certain forms of oppression within the institution of slavery and the conditions of servitude under aristocracy in their respective homelands. A significant majority of German immigrants, approximately 90%, settled in the Free States during the 1840s and 1850s. It's noteworthy that until 1910, more than 90% of the African-American population resided in the American South, which stands in contrast to the present statistic of nearly 55%.

William Walser Sr.'s, youngest sibling, Louis Walser, was the remaining unmarried sibling during the crux of the USA Civil War time frame. Louis Walser didn't migrate to Michigan at the same time as his two older brothers. Louis Walser proved he was no Civil War "Copperhead" by enrolling in the 107th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry -Company C, O.V.I.-CoC, in the Union Army, one year after his mother passed and a couple of months after standing up at his brother Max Walser's wedding. He enlisted on August 22, 1862, until July 2, 1865, and thus became a USA Civil War Vet; combat-wounded in two different battles. The 107th was also called the "5th German Regiment." They departed Camp Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio September 25, 1862, with their mostly Austrian-made guns to assist in the fortification of the regions around Cincinnati. From Cincinnati, the ~890 enlistees comprising the young 107th took the rail to the town of Camp Delaware, Ohio, where they bivouacked for eleven days and performed drill exercises. On October 11, 1862, the 107th boarded a train east to change cars in Pittsburg and other towns towards Washington DC. The 107th marched past the United States Capitol building and into Virginia to join the Army of the Potomac and brigade with the Eleventh Corps under the command of General Franz Sigel. This aligns with the clip posted to Louis Walser Find-A-Grave of the October 11, 1862 "Mansfield Semi-Weekly Herald" newspaper stating that the 107th passed through on October 10, 1862. Imagine how Louis Walser must have felt as a young immigrant citizen passing near his family farm via train as a young Civil War soldier en route to Washington to fight for his country and his cause.
The official 107th Ohio Infantry Regiment roster lists Lewis Walzer as age 20 and that he was wounded May 2, 1863, in the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA, appointed Corporal May 29, 1863; wounded July 1, 1863, in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was wounded and thus transferred to Company K, 8th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, November 1, 1863. With only 111 men left , the 107th Regiment joined in the pursuit of Robert E. Lee's retreating Confederates, back across the Potomac, marching via Hagerstown, Maryland to Catlett's Station. In August 1863, the 107th sailed in transports to South Carolina and in February, 1864, went to Florida; returned to South Carolina in December and remained in active service until the close of the war. After Gettysburg, the 107th went on to encounter ten primary engagements, mainly in South Carolina.

CPL Louis Walser , serving in the XI Corps, was wounded twice while under the higher command of Major General Carl Schurz. Records also show, that at the time of enrollment, at age 20, stood five feet, six inches tall, had brown hair, and blue eyes, and served as a Shoemaker during his enrollment, taking up the same trade as his grandpa Holzer as a shoemaker in Baden. The average height of a Civil War soldier was 5'8" tall and the average weight was 143 pounds. His chance of dying in battle was one in 65 and his chance of being wounded was one in ten. One in 13 Civil War soldiers died of disease. An amazingly detailed diary-turned-book titled "Camps and Campaigns of the 107th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry 1862-1865" by PVT Jacob Smith CoD, a native of Canton, Ohio lists Lewis Walzer on the roster as wounded in these two same battles. The diary is not authored by fellow Chesaning resident and 107th vet PVT Jacob Smith CoC, who also resided in Sharon, Richland County Ohio, Find-A-Grave 25762436. Jacob Smith CoC later moved to and died in Chesaning, Michigan. He and Louis Walser enrolled and were discharged on the same dates. The diary presents extensive detail about the 107th's involvement in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and after, and even details their earlier participation in the great 1863 "mud-march." PVT Jacob Smith CoD, even served as an ambulance driver for the 107th. The 107th engaged on May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville and suffered devastating losses; 245 of its men were either lost, killed, or wounded on that southern soil, including Friedrich Hecker. Chancellorsville would become the fourth deadliest battle of that war. Louis Walser's friend, PVT Jacob Smith CoC, was captured in this battle but released months later to his regiment, thus avoiding Gettysburg. Another notable story of the dreaded defeat at Chancellorsville is that of a patriotic German 1848er, Dr. Charles August Hartmann of Cleveland, who served as the only regimental physician. Dr. Charles August Hartmann drew his sword and helped to contain the enemy and reorganize the demoralized regiment. He was mortally wounded by a bullet to the abdomen.

"The 107th at the Battle of Chancellorsville; the John Allen Hatch-Talley House-aka The Talley House Farm Ridge."
According to Leona Hatch Herring, in a paper she wrote, Union cavalry had crossed the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford and were on a foraging expedition for food and horses. The Hatch and Talley families, hearing of their coming, hid as many horses and provisions as they could. This was probably an early scouting expedition for Union Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard and his 11th Corps, who took that route in late April 1863 at the beginning of the Battle of Chancellorsville.
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac had gone into winter quarters in December 1862, after the Battle of Fredericksburg. In April 1863, newly appointed Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, commander of the Northern army, sent Howard with his corps to the west of Chancellorsville, crossing the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford, then crossing the Rapidan at Germanna Ford to get in the rear of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army. Howard distributed his corps parallel to the Orange Turnpike, facing south. In the center of his disposition was the Hatch-Talley house and farm, where Union Brig. Gen. Charles Devens Jr. set up his headquarters. As can be seen on multiple battle maps of the Battle of Chancellorsville, on the afternoon May 2nd, 1863, the 107th were deployed to the immediate left of the Talley House, entrenched in the rifle pits. Talley's farm was the site of most of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous flank attack. Union Brigadier General Charles Devens Jr, who used the Talley House as his headquarters as the Union commandeered it from John Hatch and his son-n-law James M. Talley. The 107th OVI was the only "German" regiment have been given the "honor" of defending the Talley House likely knowing all too well that it would be a major target. Interesting Karma surrounds James M. Talley as he mustered in to the local Confederacy 05/01/1863 and on 05/02/1863, helped "Stonewall" Jackson's scouts find his Talley home. Was this repayment for the Union commandeering his property?
On May 2, 1863, Charles Devens Jr told the family to leave the Tally house and find shelter because a battle was shaping up. Hatch, a widower, and his unmarried daughter Leona took refuge in the root cellar of the house. Hatch's daughter-n-law Lucy went with her children to nearby Dowell's Tavern, the home of their minister, the
Rev. Melzi Chancellor. Union Brigadier General Devens and his superior, Major General Oliver Otis Howard ignored reports of a Confederate build-up on their flank. On May 2, 1863, approximately three miles west of a crossroads called Chancellorsville, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson launched a daring attack against Federal troops of the Union XI Corps. Confederate "Stonewall" Jackson's first objective in his May 2nd, 1863 flank attack at Chancellorsville was to seize the Talley house plateau. From there his artillery could sweep the nearby Orange Plank Road, overcoming any remaining Union resistance. In addition to unwisely ignoring those reports, Devens was suffering from a bruised leg that was injured when his horse ran into a tree the day before. Fittingly, perhaps, one of the first artillery rounds fired by Jackson's men landed in the Talley yard quite near where Devens was lying down. On the afternoon of May 2nd, 1863. The Union XI Corps, the far right of the Union army, held a line running along the near Orange Turnpike. The Federal command's inattention, however, left these formations inadequately deployed and unsupported. These deficiencies became all too apparent when the Confederates struck. In the late afternoon, a howling mass of Confederates broke out of the woods to the west. The sudden afternoon/evening attack caught most of the Federal troops unprepared, including the ones occupying this property. The 107th was among the first units to come under attack. McLean's brigade rallied briefly at the Talley House. One soldier, PVT Christian Reiker of Company I of the 107th OVI later wrote: "The bullets just whistled by my head like a hailstorm". The Confederate onslaught was too powerful however, and what was left of the XI Corps infantry soon fled northeast. What was left of the 107th OVI and parts of the XI Corps returned to Brookes Station where they had prior held winter camp. Charles Mueller, Lieut. Col., Cmdg. One hundred and seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the commanding officer of the 107th OVI later issued the following report: "Many of the men on the retreat filled their cartridge-boxes out of the boxes of the dead, and many fired as often as twenty times. For several minutes the regiment could not see the enemy, and consequently had to reserve its fire, while at the same time a heavy enfilading fire of bomb shells, grape, and canister, and a brisk musketry fire from the woods in front". The fighting at the Talley House was fast but very intense and devastating to the 107th OVI. As the Southerners passed through, they left the dead, the dying, and the wounded in their wake. Within hours Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson" himself, the victorious commander of the Confederate flanking force, would join the wounded and the dying. One of histories mysteries surrounds a large quartz stone placed at the location where Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson" was mortally wounded and said to be placed there by James M. Talley's sister-n-law Leona Hatch Herring and a few others. It is written that Leona Hatch Herring gathered soil from this hallowed spot and made five embroidered Victorian sachets for the five who helped moved the stone. These sachets were later placed in each of the coffins of those who moved the stone. Many historians state that Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson's surprise onslaught at Chancellorsville was the most dramatic Confederate moment of the war in Virginia and the result has been called Lee's greatest victory. Both flags of the 107th Ohio were lost in this battle. After the battle, Confederate surgeons took over Talley's place, tearing up the fences and the outbuildings to build crude beds for their patients, and to construct coffins for those who died. Later that year, James Talley filed a claim for damages to his property, including the use of fencing and lumber from outbuildings to build coffins and to make rough beds for the wounded. He received $1,233 from the Confederate States Army. Many of the armies' dead were buried on his land, including his garden, until re-interred after the war in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery and Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The dwelling house survived until about 1925, and another house built on its foundations burned about 1975. Huge old oak trees that marked the houses' yard still stand.

The 107th OVI was decimated in 1863 and lost more men in the Chancellorsville battle than in Gettysburg but no monument exists for them at Chancellorsville. The northern newspapers used the 107th OVI and other predominantly foreign units as a scapegoat for the loss at Chancellorsville. A good month after the Union leadership failure at the battle of Chancellorsville, the 107th OVI marched north for a couple of weeks to trek 135 miles, back across the Mason-Dixon line, and then fought all three days valiantly, to the end, at the bull's eye of the Battle of Gettysburg. Of the 480 men of the 107th OVI that fought at Gettysburg, 211 men were killed, wounded, or missing. The 107th OVI captured the colors of the 8th Legendary Louisiana Tigers during the Gettysburg battle.

"The 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the Battle of Gettysburg:"
John M Lutz, Capt., Comdg. 107th Ohio Volunteers later issued the following report: "The 107th arrived at Gettysburg on July 1–one of the first Union infantry regiments to engage the Confederates in this battle. On the engagement's first day, Southern forces drove the regiment through Gettysburg, with the 107th losing heavily, the 107th establishing a new line on Cemetery Hill formed in front of Wiedrich's Battery. A part of the Union right, the regiment repulsed a Confederate charge by Harry Thompson Hays' Louisiana Tigers Brigade late on the battle's second day and only participated in light skirmishes the final day. Over the course of this three day battle, the 107th had approximately four hundred of its 550 members available for duty killed, wounded, or captured.

Influential Virginian and Pulitzer Prize author Dr. Douglas Southhall Freeman later wrote, 'The price of victory at Chancellorsville was the cost of defeat at Gettysburg.'

PVT Louis Walser was wounded on his first day at Chancellorsville, then promoted, and then wounded again on his first day at Gettysburg. Similar to his questionably incompetent colonel, Seraphim Meyer. The first day of Gettysburg ranks as the twelfth bloodiest Battle of the Civil War. Was PVT Louis Walser wounded in the rows of rifle pits at the Talley House or retreat from it on day one of Chancellorsville? Was PVT Louis Walser wounded on day one of Gettysburg as the 107th OVI fell back — first through the campus of the old Adams County Alms House, and then through the borough's confused streets and environs? Fewer than 200 of the 107th OVI formed up that first evening behind a low, stone fence atop East Cemetery Hill.
Among the many honorable and beautiful monuments dedicated at Gettysburg is a large blue westerly granite memorial, inscribed on four sides, dedicated to the
107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry as "Ohio's Token of Gratitude", erected in 1887, located at Barlow's Knoll.

CPL Louis Walser mustered out July 2, 1865, at Camp Douglas-Chicago, IL by order of the War Department. Camp Douglas would later come to be known as "The North's Andersonville," due to its dismal living conditions. Camp Douglas was one of the largest POW camps for the Union Army. While Andersonville was a horrendous muddy hell of a southern Georgia POW camp, Camp Douglas was a bitter winter hell of a northern POW camp. In February 1863, 387 of the 3,884 Confederate prisoners died during the month at Camp Douglas. That was the highest mortality rate in any Civil War prison camp for any month of the four-year-long war, earning the camp the nickname "80 acres of hell." Camp Douglas is said to be the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere. Many wounded Union soldiers were sent to Camp Douglas to finish their service. The 8th Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, formerly titled the Invalid Corps, was formed by consolidating many companies of soldiers who were wounded in battle. Those able to handle a musket were assigned to companies of the First Battalion and used for noncombat garrison and guard duty. An ordinance report from the camp dated February 11, 1864, stated the weapons carried by the 8th regiment were "old unserviceable and positively dangerous to the men using them and they were probably never good arms even when new." The majority of the 8th Regiments were armed with caliber 0.69 Prussian smoothbore muskets, some caliber 0.69 old Springfield smoothbores, and caliber 0.71 Belgian muskets. Ammunition consisted of buck-and-ball cartridges. The 8th regiment served Camp Douglas until they mustered out by detachments between June and November 1865.

CPL Louis Walser went home to Sharon Township, Ohio to likely be with his widowed father and near his sister, until at least December 22, 1866, per a church book entry as Godparent to his niece Mary-Amelia "Amy" Welsh née Fisher. Louis Walser later settled in Miriam, Keene Township, Michigan likely with his Father and brother Max Walser. Louis Walser soon after married Mary Walser née Krupp at the St. Mary's Catholic Church of Miriam, Michigan, on February 11, 1867, just before Joseph Walser III passed on April 11, 1867. Their first son Henry was born nine months later. Louis Walser and Mary had eight children. Louis Walser engaged in the mercantile business as a boot and shoemaker proprietor in Smyrna, Michigan. An 1875 village plat map of Smyrna depicts his village store. Louis Walser lived and farmed eventually in both the Keene Township, Smyrna, sec. f-26, Michigan, and then later in Chesaning, Michigan in 1881, near Bishop Rd. & M-57 before later retiring in the village of Chesaning. Most of Louis Walser's sons later became store entrepreneurs, proprietors, or haberdashers.

Multiple news articles have been found and posted showing that these Walser siblings and their kids traveled between the villages of Miriam, Maple Grove, and Chesaning to visit; some siblings later traveled via auto. Many marriages from these "sister villages" occurred over the years. Numerous Find A Grave memorials have been established for gravestones situated in the Catholic cemeteries of these interconnected communities. These memorials often trace their origins back to the villages where the individuals were born and raised.

The St. Michael's centennial church book mentions the families of "Matt" Walser coming with Valentine Gewirtz on September 5, 1865. This is likely a translation error and should signify "Max" Walser as Max Walser and Valentine Gewirtz are recorded in Sacred Heart Church records in Shelby, Ohio, until late 1864 and not after. No Matt or Mathius Walser exists in this period. Max Walser and William Walser Sr. were in Maple Grove together briefly ~1865 but Max Walser later settled in nearby Otisco Township, Michigan, where many of his wife's Rittersdorf family were growing nearby in 1864-66. Did Max Walser assist with the first St. Michael's Parrish? Max Walser's daughter Maggie is recorded as born on February 24, 1866, in Otisco Township. Max Walser is later mentioned in the Chesaning Argus and Belding Banner papers as visiting his siblings in the Chesaning, MI area over his years. Max Walser was later involved in sureties and the entrepreneurial development of Belding, as did Louis Walser a bit in Chesaning as alderman support for their respective Common City Councils. Sister, Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser, and her family were the last to migrate to Michigan. They moved to Keene Township, Ionia County, Michigan, from Sharon Township, Ohio in 1872. John Baptist Fisher Sr. and Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser had six children, all of whom were born in Ohio and migrated to Michigan.
The Centennial Church Book of St. Mary's Miriam Church, Belding, Michigan, also enumerates Louis Walser & Max Walser and J. Fisher families in the 1876 Parish Register records. Max and Mary Walser's family moved from Otisco Twp to the Belding City limits near the St Joseph Catholic Church around 1896. Max Walser and Mary Walser née Rittersdorf, John Baptist Fisher Sr. & Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser & Joseph Walser III, & many descendants are all interred at the St Mary's Miriam Cemetery. The St. Mary's Church of Miriam also holds sacrament records for many Walser & Fisher descendants. Louis Walser & wife Mary Walser née Krupp are buried at the Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Chesaning, Michigan. Mt. Cavalry is also home to many Walser descendants of Louis Walser & William Walser Sr. Louis Walser & Jacob Smith CoC became members of the Chesaning G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic)-"Pap Thomas" Chapter Post 121, after Geroge-Henry "PaP" Thomas. The GAR was a very popular and respected fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who served in the American Civil War. In 1890, the GAR reached its highest enrollment of 410,000 members belonging to many thousands of posts nation-wide. A remarkable photo from 1913 taken in Chesaning, Michigan, has been uncovered and is posted on Louis Walser's Find-A-Grave page showing Louis Walser & Jacob Smith & two other Civil War Vets of the local "PaP" Thomas 121 GAR Post on their way to the 50th reunion of the Battle of Gettysburg. Louis Walser's left-hand index finger appears to be missing in this photo and one wonders if this could have been a result of his Civil War battles. Additionally, three more GAR group photos containing Louis Walser have been uncovered and posted. In 1898, the PAP Thomas GAR Post dedicated an eight-foot tall obelisk/Monument on Memorial Day in Wildwood Cemetery of Chesaning as a Soldiers' Monument. It is recognized that all GAR posts recorded members who died through the years. Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day, was observed all over the United States. Towns held parades and locals would decorate veterans' graves. The first Decoration Day was held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. Chesaning, Michigan held many such Decoration Day parades. Louis Walser, Jacob Smith, and other Chesaning veterans returned to visit the Gettysburg battlefield in 1913, for the great 50th-anniversary reunion. More than 50,000 veterans from both North and South attended this great encampment! Louis Walser and Jacob most certainly would've viewed the 107th OVI monument while in Gettysburg. Max Walser's brother-in-law, Lucas Peter Rittersdorf, enrolled in the 107th OVI, while his family resided in Ohio, at age 18 even though he was only age 14, but deserted per records. One wonders if his desertion led the Rittersdorf to Miriam/Otisco Twp/Keene Twp, Michigan from Ohio before the Walser families moved there. Lucas-Peter re-joined the war in his 18th year by joining the 3rd Michigan Cavalry, Company A, in the last year of the Civil War. Lucas-Peter's older brother George Rittersdorf, who served 3 years in the 107th OVI, later moved to Ionia County as well. There were more than 100,000 Civil War Union soldiers who were not 15 years old at sign-up.

A 2008 publication titled "175 Years of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church Shelby Richland County Ohio," authored by Steven Metzger, states that the Sacred Heart Church in Shelby/Bethlehem, situated within Sharon Township, experienced a closure between 1857 and 1858 lasting for 18 months. This closure was attributed to an undisclosed reason, but it is believed to have been instigated by a documented conflict between the pastor and disputes among parishioners of German and Irish descent.

Most of the neighboring churches in Ohio do not possess records about these months of closure. A nearby church, St. Peter's of Mansfield, has suffered the loss of a significant number of its early records due to multiple fires that occurred over the years. During the 1800s to 1900s, various contagious diseases including cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, and fever epidemics wreaked havoc on cities and settlements in Ohio and its surrounding states. These outbreaks sometimes led to the closure of public spaces, including places of worship. It is important to note that those who managed to survive these illnesses often faced enduring health complications throughout their lives. Max Walser and his sister Mary-Anna's marriages are both recorded in the Shelby Sacred Heart church book records but Wm & Mary-F Walser's 1858 marriage record is not, likely due to this church shutdown period. Their county marriage record has been found and posted.

William Walser Sr. and Mary Walser née Angst had the following 12 kids: six of whom died before the age of 26. Four before their father William Sr. died. Seven before their mother Mary-Fanny died. Truly enduring hardships bared by their pioneer lives.
Note, Mary Walser née Angst's Shiawassee County death certificate lists her bearing 12 kids.

1. Catherine Walser was born on December 18, 1858, and passed away before the 1860 Ohio census. Although a Sacred Heart of Jesus baptismal record exists, there is no further information, suggesting that she likely died as an infant. Unfortunately, no headstone marks her resting place. Max Walser and Regina Angst née Reiber are listed as her godparents. Catherine Walser is likely interred at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery.

2. Fredericka Regina Walser was born in Ohio in 1859 and died on June 27, 1879. Her passing occurred in Maple Grove Township or at the Pontiac Asylum, Oakland County, Michigan. House #138 from the 1880 census matches the death record. Her cause of death is listed as "insanity". Regina appeared as a one-year-old on the 1860 Sharon Township, Ohio census. No Sacred Heart baptismal record or headstone exists. She may have been named Regina after her great aunt, Regina Metzgar née Holzer who lived nearby in Sharon Township, Ohio, or her other nearby aunt, Regina Reiber née Angst . Regina is Latin for the word Queen.

3. William Walser Jr. was born on March 4, 1860, in Ohio and passed away in Chesaning, Michigan, on August 13, 1941. His final resting place is St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Maple Grove Township, Michigan. William spent 53 years as a farmer, not including his agrarian upbringing. He married Susan Josephine Walser née Kammers of Miriam on July 4, 1882, at Miriam-St Mary's. Maria-Anna Walliser was the Godparent to William Walser Jr. .

4. Carolina, aka Carrie, M. Blasen née Walser, was born in Ohio on October 16, 1861, and passed away in Maple Grove, Michigan, on September 9, 1946. She rests at St. Michael's Cemetery. She married Nicholas Blasen, a veterinary surgeon, in Miriam in January 1882.

5. John Walser, was born in Maple Grove, Michigan July 10, 1865, and died in Maple Grove, Michigan June 23, 1887. Unfortunately, no headstone exists. He was among the first to be baptized in Maple Grove, Michigan, even before the first parish was built. He succumbed to dropsy just one month after his father's passing.

6. Joseph Walser was born in Michigan and died in Maple Grove Township or at the Pontiac Asylum, Oakland County, Michigan. House #138 from the 1880 census matches the death record. No headstone exists. Joseph is likely buried with Fredericka, as they both passed away in the same month with both having a cause of death listed as "insanity". The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain a mystery. The Michigan Legislature authorized the establishment of the state mental institution, "The Eastern Michigan Asylum," in Pontiac, MI, in 1873, which opened in August 1878. Both Fredericka and Joseph have Oakland County, Michigan death certificates.

7. Mary Walser-1 was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on May 29, 1867, and passed away on September 6, 1874. Her burial place is St. Michael's Cemetery. No readable headstones exist. Mary died of dropsy, as recorded in a handwritten Walker-Martin funeral home death ledger entry.

8. August Walser was born in May 1869 in Maple Grove, Michigan, and passed away on April 27, 1924. His headstone spells his name as "WalZer." He rests at St. Michael's Cemetery. August succumbed to a long stomach illness, and he is not known to have had any offspring.

9. Anna or Annie Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, 1872 and passed away in Maple Grove, Michigan, on September 20, 1898. She is buried in Saint Michael Catholic Cemetery, although no headstone exists. Her cause of death was epilepsy, spasms, and pneumonia. She was born the year the first National Park was established by Congress; that being Yellowstone.

10. Jacob C. Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on August 6, 1874, and passed away on April 9, 1956, in Niagara Falls, NY. He rests at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lewiston, Niagara County, NY, near his younger sister, Rosa. After 1906, he lived in Owosso, Michigan, with his mother, and in 1910, he resided with his brother, William Walser Jr. He briefly married in 1910 and divorced in 1911. Later, around 1917, he lived in Niagara Falls, NY, near his sister. Jacob worked as a janitor in Niagara Falls.

11. Mary L. Blasen née Walser was born in July 1876 and passed away on January 13, 1948. She was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, and is buried at St. Mary's, Otisco Township, Ionia County, Michigan. Mary L. married Peter Blasen of Miriam on November 1, 1893. Not much information has been discovered about Mary Blasen née Walser.

12. Rosa Regina Hoffman née Walser was born in Maple Grove, Michigan, on August 26, 1879, and passed away in Niagara Falls City, NY, on January 18, 1961. She is buried at Find-A-Grave185513469. Rosa was born in the same year as Albert Einstein of Württemberg. She married Philip John Hoffman in 1900. They lived as farmers in Maple Grove, Michigan, later in Owosso, Michigan, in 1910, and eventually migrated to Niagara Falls, NY.

Farming was the occupation of William Walser Sr. Two Agriculture Censuses, USA Censuses, and multiple Plat Map records from 1870 and 1880 indicate he farmed in the Maple Grove, Michigan, area and owned a 60-acre plot of land on which there was a residence. For example, agriculture schedules from 1870 grant us a glimpse of William Walser Sr.'s farm as having two Oxen, one cow, two swine, and farming 25 acres of Indian corn, and 10 acres of buckwheat. By 1880, this same William Walser Sr. family farm had grown and diversified. The 1880s are recorded as a growing and prosperous time for this community despite the national economic downturns between 1873 and 1885. The USA 1880 Agricultural Census Schedule document shows this William Walser Sr. family farm as having two "milch" cows, seven cattle, two dropped calves, three cattle sold, one slaughtered cow, two sheep, ten swine, and 28 chickens yielding 140 dozen eggs in 1879. Also, 225 pounds of butter were made on the farm in 1879. Six acres of corn, 12 acres of wheat, four acres of oats, one acre of spuds, one acre of apples, and 20 cords of wood were all harvested in 1879. In 1882, William Sr. & Mary's 13-year-old nephew, Henry Joseph Walser, worked as a young clerk at the nearby "Kasper Keelers General Country Store" at Layton Corners. Layton Corners is an intersection located in the center of Maple Grove Township and was a half-mile north of where the William Walser Sr. farm was. A personal letter from Henry dated December 15, 1947, has been posted to his memorial and states that Henry was still working in New York at age 79, where he recalled his role as a clerk at this country store back in 1882 and the next four years after. Henry saw farmers' wives and their kids throughout his days coming in to barter butter and eggs in exchange for groceries and dry goods that could not be raised on the farms. Henry later became a successful window-dresser, electrical inventor, and business entrepreneur.

The William Walser Sr. farmstead consisted of a residence, likely a timber house, situated on the east side of Lincoln Rd, and half a mile north of St. Michael's church, as it stands today. He worked on this 60-acre plot for nearly 25 years until his passing in 1887, which was attributed to consumption. Tuberculosis, often referred to as consumption, was the deadliest human disease in the 1800s. It wasn't until 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch, a German physician and microbiologist who later became a Nobel Laureate for his work on tuberculosis, discovered its cause. Dr. Robert Koch lectured that one in seven human beings succumbed to TB, a fact that sadly held for the four siblings who emigrated. Each of them raised families, with each family comprising at least seven members, and tragically, each emigrating sibling experienced the loss of a child or spouse due to TB symptoms. These hardships were endured by pioneer settlers in an era before the availability of most vaccines or antibiotics. It's worth noting that in 1855, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to enact a law mandating smallpox vaccination for schoolchildren.

The 1900 Maple Grove Atlas map still shows Mary Walser née Angst as the owner of this plot, albeit with a reduction in size by 10 acres. In 1896, a portion of this homestead was in the possession of the neighboring Peter Andres family. Originally from Miriam, Michigan, Peter Andres married Mary-Louisa Henige, a Maple Grove Township resident who was baptized at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Bethlehem, Ohio, in 1859. A diary authored by Mary-Louisa Henige's daughter, Gertrude Baker, provides insights into life in Maple Grove. You can find this story on Mary-Louisa Henige's Find-A-Grave memorial, which likely mirrors the daily life experiences of William and Mary Fanny's children. Furthermore, there exists a diary, written in German, authored by Anna Maria Voith Henige and her daughter Mary-Louisa Henige, offering valuable insights into the early pioneer life of the region.

The popular autobiographical children's novels that were later turned into one of the most successful TV shows in American history, "Little House on the Prairie", written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, had content that was very true to reality for years 1870-1894, and was based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest. This series would have closely aligned with the lives of the children of our immigrating Walser families.

William Walser Jr. later owned a different plot with residence at 14571 Bishop Rd, Chesaning, Michigan. William Walser Jr. raised his family here for decades and the home was later owned by his eldest son William III, aka "Earl" Walser after 1965. A wonderful William Walser Jr. family picture in front of their home on Bishop Rd is posted under the William Walser Jr. Find A Grave memorial page.

William Walser Sr. is described by his daughter Caroline Blasen née Walser's obituary as her being the "daughter of Mr. Softball, baseball, horseshoe pitching, and soccer complete with a grandstand and landscaped terrace." Following this sentence in the obit is "concluded by the com-" which likely means concluded by the City Common-Council? William Walser Sr. is buried in the St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Maple Grove Township, Michigan, per family records. The west side of Lincoln Rd's old section is where William Walser Sr. is buried and where the original St. Michael's Parish was located. No headstone exists today for William Walser Sr. nor half of his children. Sadly, but necessary, many original headstones, iron crosses, metal signs, and makeshift tomb markers of their day, which became untraceable then, were consolidated in the early 1920s and again in 1954 and buried in the St. Michael's Cemetery under a large boulder. A beautiful brick monument was built after 1954 and wonderfully serves in memory of these early pioneering-settling ancestors of St. Michael's Parish. Unfortunately, written cemetery records were not tracked until after the start of the 20th century around 1906. Michigan started to record more detailed individual death certificates in approximately 1897 instead of a basic death ledger by the county.

A well-written book titled "The Centennial History of St. Michael's Parish of Maple Grove Township, Michigan" was published in 1965. This book lists a picture of William Walser Sr. and lists him among a handful of founding and persevering families who helped to establish the first, and likely second of now three St. Michael's churches. This first parish was started in October 1865 and completed in 1867 and was a 26'x36'x20' wooden frame. This parish was consecrated to St. Michael, the archangel and warrior angel. The parish also served as a schoolhouse ~ in 1876, as did the 2nd church. This original parish was torn down in 1910, making it possible to extend the land set aside for more Christian burials. One has to ponder, if the Civil War never occurred, would St. Michael's exist today?

William Walser Sr.'s family was not the only Walser family who were founding members and contributors to a Michigan Roman Catholic Parish Church. It turned out that the families of his brothers Max Walser and Louis Walser were as well. The church book titled "Centennial Church Book of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Miriam, Michigan 1871-1971" lists on pp. 12-13 that on May 24, 1871, the cornerstone for the present St. Mary's church was laid replacing the old frame church they used. Men who volunteered labor for the new church included, among eight other families, that of Walser. The book also lists Max Walser, Louis Walser, and Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser as the only Walser parish family members. Perhaps William Walser's family could have come from Maple Grove and assisted as well. The same book also lists pictures of the Max Walser and Mary Walser née Rittersdorf family and that of Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser and some descendants as well as lists them all in the 1876 St. Mary's parish census. Lumber for this still active church was hand-hewn and much of the original framework still stands beautifully today, despite damage from lightning strikes over the years. Some of that lumber was floated down the Flat River from nearby Lakeview to Miriam. Several original wooden pews from the time the church was built are now up in the choir loft, numbered to match up with the families who paid to rent them. Across the road from the St Mary's church are the original buggy sheds, with a plaque noting which family each belongs to — still belongs to? Additionally, near these buggy sheds was a store and post office building which lasted from 1878-1905 when it burned and was never rebuilt.

In mid-2021, Joseph Breimayer and his relations made a remarkable discovery of a trove of nearly two dozen antique portrait photographs in the multi-generational farmhouse of Mary Magdalene "Mamie" Breimayer née Kopp, located in Otisco TWP, Michigan. Mrs. Mary-Anna Fisher née Walser was grandmother to Mary Magdalene "Mamie" Breimayer née Kopp. While we've successfully identified some of these photographs, others remain enigmatic, relying solely on speculation for their identification. Among the confirmed subjects captured in these vintage photographs are Louis Walser and Mary Walser née Krupp, and some of their children. The assortment encompasses a variety of early portrait photography formats, including CDV (Cartes-de-Visite) mounts, cabinet cards, vignette portrait. and plain photographs from bygone eras. Notably, the names of photographers inscribed on the photo borders denote locations such as Shelby, Ohio, Belding, and Chesaning, Michigan, confirming the migratory patterns of these ancestors throughout the years.

The story of these photographs found in the Otisco TWP farmhouse takes an intriguing turn with the Shelby, Ohio History Museum's involvement. Upon examining these photographs, the museum staff uncovered a copy of one of these images, albeit with a different seated pose, in their extensive donated collection! Furthermore, a revealing detail emerges from the 1880 Ionia county census: two widowed matriarchs, one from the Rittersdorf family and the other from the Krupp family, both of whom enjoyed long lives, shared a residence near the Breimayer homestead with their son and daughter Lucas Peter Rittersdorf and Jospephine-Krupp-Rittersdorf. These two long-time widows were Anna Maria Rederstorf née Stoecklin, who died in 1884, and Catharine Krupp née Albert, who died in 1881. It is plausible to believe that some of their family photographs were passed down and intermingled over generations, resulting in such a collection that includes images of Rittersdorf, Fisher, Walser, Breimayer, and Krupp descendants.

William Walser Sr.'s death in 1887 left his wife a widowed mother with kids and a good-sized farm to continue caring for and providing for. Less than one month after his death, their 23-year-old son John Walser died. A world away, in this mid-1887 timeframe, the foundations for the Eiffel Tower were being erected. Mary Walser née Angst remarried later that same year of William Walser Sr. and son John's death to a younger Frank Kremer. Understandably, this was cause for later consternation with the youngest child Rose as can be read in the attached newspaper clip. Mary Walser née Angst's sister, Kunigunda Amman née Angst is listed as present in this second marriage. Frank Cramer left the Maple Grove area in 1897. The 1900 census lists just Mary Walser née Angst and her son Jacob Walser in Maple Grove, Michigan. Mary Walser-Cramer née Angst lived out her remaining years with her youngest son Jacob Walser at 617 Corunna Ave, Owosso, Michigan. Mary Walser née Angst died in 1906, the same year as Carl Schurz and the same year as the great San Francisco fire. Mary Walser née Angst's death certificate lists St. Michael's Cemetery as her burial location. Since the original St. Michael's Parish was not torn down until 1910, she is likely buried on the same southwest side of the old St. Michael's Cemetery. There is no current headstone for Mary Walser née Angst's.

The Walser "Mary-ology": William Walser Sr.'s mother, aunt, mother-in-law, grandmothers, and wife were each named Mary. Both of his brothers married Mary and his sister was named Mary. William Walser Sr. and each of his USA siblings had a daughter named some form of Mary. William Walser Sr.'s, first daughter Mary died in 1874 and William Walser Sr. had a second daughter named Mary in 1876! Each of these four siblings used both of their parents' given names, Joseph and Mary-Cleophia, as some form of namesake when naming some of their broods.

Different Marys from Switzerland were found to be referred to as "Verena" in church books. This is likely another pious namesake taking after the nurse saint of Zürich, Switzerland, St. Verena.

In Aramaic, which was the primary language spoken by Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, Mary is referred to as Maryam. The Greek translation of the Old Testament also uses the name Mariam for Mary.
Within the New Testament and in Latin, the name Mary is translated as Maria.

In some respects, we can see our ancestral Walser families and their descendants as a reflection of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.

Records for William Walser Sr. include:
• A baptismal record from St. Gangolf Church of Schelingen, Baden, dated 1834.
• An entry in the Grand Ducal Baden Add Sheet for the Upper Rhine District on April 16, 1853, related to a matter involving Joseph Walser III's family from Schelingen.
• Multiple entries in the "WANTED MEN FROM BADEN" section of the "Großherzoglich Badische Anzeige-Blatt für den Oberrhein Krei" in 1855.
• Multiple sacrament records in Ohio between 1854 and 1860, where William is mentioned as a parent and godparent to multiple children.
• A marriage record in Richland County, Ohio, in 1858, indicating his marriage to Mary Walser née Angst.
• The 1860 Census, which shows him as married in Sharon Township, Shelby, Ohio, at the age of 26, with his surname recorded as "Waltson," and with his wife Frana and infants Regina & Wm-II.
• The 1870 Census, indicates his marital status as married, living in Maple Grove, Michigan, with his children. His surname is recorded as "Waltser."
• Agriculture records from 1870 and 1880 in the USA, showing his ownership of 60 acres in Maple Grove Township.
• A plat map from 1877 indicating 60 acres and an 1896 plat map showing 40 acres of land in Maple Grove.
• The 1880 Census, records him as married at the age of 46, with nine children.
• Saginaw News articles from 1887, which highlight property transfers to his wife shortly before and after his death.
• The 1887 Michigan Death record, including the many death records of his children, lists William as their father.
• Owosso Times newspaper articles from 1906-1908, documenting the probate resolution of his wife Mary-F. Kramer's remaining will, which amounted to $700.
• A mention in the 1965 St. Michael's Maple Grove Township, Michigan, Centennial Book and on the church history website.
•Note, most regional Newspapers such as the Chesaning Argus, Belding Banner and Owosso Times shut down in years surrounding the great depression 1928ish-1935ish.

Just before the death of William Walser Sr., a fellow German, Mr. Marshall J. Becker delivered a rather fitting and parting adieu in an address before the Monday Club of Columbus in Ohio, March 14, 1887, titled:
"The Germans of 1849 in America." Mr. Marshall J. Becker delivered the following excerpt:

"A few years more, and the last exile of '49 will have found refuge in that great asylum where extradition laws are unknown, and where, as I hope, he will not be compelled to serve a probationary term before his full admission to citizenship. But his children and his children's children will live on, assimilated, absorbed, and Americanized; unmindful of their origin and indifferent to their descent."

One year after William Walser Sr.'s death, the Chesaning Semi-Weekly Argus newspaper published an article about Carl Schurz detailing a recent trip he took to Berlin where a banquet was given in his honor. In response to a toast to him, Mr. Carl Schurz spoke the following words:

"I stand here as a simple American Citizen of German birth. We of German birth in America entertain for our extensive common-wealth love as a bride, which, however, does not diminish our affection for the old mother."

Numerous records and pieces of information mentioned above are exempt from copyright protection as they were published before 1923, rendering them part of the public domain. Additional information or corrections can be emailed to [email protected].

The above narrative is intended to serve as an accurate biographical capsule, void of hubris, compiled through a combination of obtainable records, historical events, and family notes with heartfelt intentions of better getting to know, those we owe.

Sincere appreciation and thanks are extended to numerous individuals, notably Mrs. Helen Gengler née Prieur, and Mr. Joseph Breimayer. Gratitude is also owed to the files maintained by Lavern Walser, Janet Ruddy, Don Beaudoin, the Catholic Church and familysearch.org. Additionally, acknowledgment is extended to Jochen Rees of the Landesarchiv-Staatsarchiv, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg.

Author: Douglas P. Walser

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Link to Bethlehem/Shelby Ohio "Sacred Heart, of Jesus" church books: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-66Y3-SDH?owc=M6KB-7Z3%3A60807301%2C61064601%3Fcc%3D1494476&wc=M6KB-ZZQ%3A60807301%2C61064601%2C60884502%2C61125501&cc=1494476

Link to Schelingen-Baden Church book 1810-139: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-475877-1
Link to Schelingen -Baden Church book 1840-1870: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-475878-1