HESCH HISTORY: Weddings and Shiverees Reported

This branch of the Austrian Hesch family is descended from Johann Hesch and his wife Marya (Schlinz) Hesch, who came to America from Oberschlagles, Bohemia with three sons: Paul, Mathias, and Anton. +++Johann & Marya settled in Buffalo County, Wisconsin but moved to Pierz, Mn in about 1885. .+++Mathias settled in Waumandee, Wisconsin and moved to Pierz in 1911. +++Anton never married but farmed with his dad in Agram Township, where he died in 1911.+++And Paul, my great grandfather, settled five miles away, in Buckman, Minnesota. He died there in 1900.

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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Weddings and Shiverees Reported

with a "moderate tightening of the grain belt"

I witnessed a Shiveree when I was about 14, while I visited the sister of one of our neighbors, out in Melrose. I didn't think it was near as funny as the family did, but then, I did learn how to "short-sheet" a bed (after the older kids carefully set the thing together with vaseline so it'd fall apart with only a bit of movement). It seemed to me people could get hurt, and I figured a first night together would be awkward enough without anyone's help. But, they didn't ask me...☺

Here are some accounts from the Pierz Journal that seem to involve noise more than anything, but they'll make you laugh, too.

January 27, 1910

As far as I know, these couples weren't related (except for the Kippley/Otremba couple--they were Janice Janson's grandparents, I assume).
Too bad this charming custom's been lost, huh? ☺