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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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Fr. Fridolin Huessle's first mass

 Today, Sue (our second cousin, once removed) drove up from the cities to visit--YAY, Sue!  Since we share an obsession with Hesch lore, she brought along a few mementos from her mom's collection of stuff, which mostly came from Sue's grandma Aggie Suess and great grandma Ket Hesch, wife of our great uncle John.

Looking at this "holy card", there were no obvious German words that either of us knew, so our only resort was typing each word into Google Translate...and look!  It was in memory of the first high mass, in 1912, of a slightly cross-eyed priest named Fridolin ____.  Sue's grandmother Agnes was the "bride" at that mass (see pic below, and the post we did about it in 2009)

Andenken an das Erste hl. Messopfer des hoch herrn,
Fridolin ____ gefeiert in der St Michaels Kirche Buckman, Minnesota 
am herz = Jesu Sonntag  16 juni 1912

In memory of the first hl. Sacrifice of the high lord, 
Fridolin ____ celebrated in the St. Michael's Church Buckman, Minnesota 
at the heart of Jesus = Sunday 16 June 1912

(A month later: Sue has a friend who's a German professor at the U of M.  They talked about the card, and thanks to Ginny (and Sue ☺), 
we now have a more accurate translation:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior.”
Luke 1.46
A memento of / or: in memory of the first holy sacrifice of the Mass
 Of the most holy Mr. Fridolin Hüssle

Celebrated in the St. Michael’s Church
Buckman, Minn.
On Sacred Heart Sunday
16. June 1912
“Through the Grace of God and the intercession of Mary I am, what I am”.




Next morning:  It occurred to me that a first mass would be written up in the paper, for sure, so I searched "Fridolin" in the Little Falls Herald, with no results.  Hmm.  
HOWEVER, the Pierz Journal explains everything, on the front page on June 6, 1912.  The new priest, Fridolin HUESSLE, wasn't from the Buckman area, but had spent vacations with the John Schmolke family while he was a student.  Putting on a First Mass Celebration was a generous and kind thing for the Schmolkes, and Buckman, to do.


Whew! Another mystery, solved.

THANKS Sue!  Today was really fun ☺

1 comment:

  1. I just love visiting with you! Thanks for another mystery solved!!!

    ReplyDelete