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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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

I'll miss you, Louise...

The death of Louise Desautel is a sad event for her family, but also for me and the blog.  Louise Hesch grew up in Buckman and was dad's cousin and contemporary. She knew the "old" stories, and filled me in on what really happened when I'd mention a story I'd heard, or an odd news article.  She enjoyed our interest in her memories, and loved being the conduit to our understanding how it was then.  She let me take her dad's 1914 notebook to copy, which gave Larry and me so much to research.  She was delighted to hear about the connections we made, too, between what he wrote and the people and places he saw there in Europe.  We laughed together about her dad's sense of humor and that he was ever a starry-eyed youth.
She knew her aunt, Sr Laura, so much better than I did, too, and she was delighted that Sr Owen Lindblad let her read the rough draft of the book she wrote about Sr Laura this spring.
Louise was fun and funny and kind, so willing to share advice, enthusiasms, jokes and stories.  Just look at her picture--there's mischief in those eyes.  We'll miss that especially.
Louise E. Desautel   1926-2015

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Louise E. Desautel, age 89, of Albany, will be at 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2015, at Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Albany. Fr. Brad Jenniges, OSB will officiate and burial will take place in parish cemetery. Louise died April 6, 2015, surrounded by her loved ones. There will be a visitation from 4 p.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, April 9, at the Miller-Carlin Funeral Home in Albany and again after 3 p.m. Friday at the church. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m. followed by Christian Mothers praying the rosary at 6 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.


Louise Desautel was born in Buckman to Matthew E. and Mary (Tetvia) Hesch March 8, 1926. She attended St. Michael elementary school in Buckman, St. Francis high school in Little Falls and went on to earn her registered nurse degree at St. Francis hospital in Breckenridge. With a strong love for travel she pursued her career at numerous hospitals including: Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii. In these earlier days it was her lifelong friend and co-worker who joined her on many of these travels, Helen Schmolke of Houston, Texas.


 Returning from Hawaii Louise found herself working at a hospital in Crookston and it was there she met the love of her life and would go on to start her family. Louise married James George Desautel (from Crookston) Aug. 27, 1955, at St. Michaels church in Buckman. Louise and James settled in Albany, to raise their family. Louise retired from her nursing career and pursued other business ventures including “Big J” citizen band radio sales (a joint venture with her husband) and a distributorship in New Era cookware through which Louise’s entrepreneurial talents would find her door to door selling her products.


 Louise’s husband died suddenly, June 27, 1978, (age 48). Louise spent her remaining years in Albany, with a strong dedication to her children, community, and church. She was actively involved as a member in the Mother of Mercy Campus of Care auxiliary (Albany), the VFW auxiliary (Melrose), and the Boy Scout board of directors (Albany) and she was past president of the Christian Mothers, American Legion auxiliary (Albany). Louise maintained close relationships with many of the Franciscan nuns who would frequently join in at these gatherings.



Louise is survived by her six children, Denise (Michael “Rocco” Theisen) Desautel, St. Cloud, Paul Desautel, Baudette, Peter (Janet Demarais) Desautel, Albany, Jane (Michael “Monk”) Montgomery, St. Cloud, Laurie Desautel, Lake Forest, Calif. and Harold (Angie) Desautel, Albany; sisters, Irene Kulig, Superior, Wis.; Laura Alkofer, Park River, N.D.; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.



She is preceded in death by her husband; parents; sisters and brothers-in-law, Adeline (Bob) Dion, Mary (Ralph) Linville, Helen Hesch and Dolores (Art) Eben; brothers-in-law, Gene Kulig and Ray Alkofer; and sisters-in-law, Harriet (Verne) Anderson and Jan Lee (Jim) DeLage.



Louise was remembered by many for her hats and earings. Louise asked to be remembered as a woman of faith. A woman who loved and cared for her family’s well-being.

At Louises request, donations are preferred in lieu of flowers to the Poor Claire Nuns.

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