Antone Lorenz / Francis (Francee) Bly

INDEX

[40] Click here for photo of Antone and Frances Loren
Click here for photo of the daughters of Antone and Frances Lorenz
Click here for photo of Anton Lorenz graveskte kn St Marxy's cemetery
Pictured (clockwise from upper right) Agnes (Mrs Jacob Wolf),
Anne (Mrs Joseph Matern, Barbara (Mrs Frank Wolf) and
Elizabeth (Mrs Michael Matern)

[41] Antone and Francis Lorenz had no sons so they left descendents only through
their four daughters Elizabeth, Agnes, Barbara and Anne. The information
about Antone and Francis is very limited and there is some confusion about
what is available.
There has been confusion about their name. The 1870 Census lists them as
Lawrence but the family says the name was Lorenz and that is the way it is
listed on Antone Lorenz's tombstone in St Mary's Cemetery in Mt Palatine.
There has also been question about their European place of origin. The
1870 Census lists their country of origin as Prussia but the information
within the family has always said it was Alsace-Lorraine. This is an area of
Europe that was swapped back and forth between France and Germany several
times in the past.
It is known that Antone and Francis Lorenz came to America in early 1866
when Agnes was about 6 months old. In the 1870 Census of Putnam County, IL,
they were living in Magnolia Twp with a Magnolia, IL address. Anne Lorenz
had not yet been born when the census was taken on August 11, 1870.
The Lorenz household does not appear in the 1880 Census but Barbara Lorenz
is listed in that census as living in the household of Michael Matern (Michael
Matern's wife Elizabeth and Barbara Lorenz were sisters) Where information
about the Lorenz's is questionable I have so indicated.

[42] The children of Antone and Francis Lorenz are listed below. There is this
additional information about their four daughters:
Elizabeth Lorenz married Michael Matern (1855-1928)
Agnes Lorenz married Jacob C Wolf. (see Jacob C Wolf elsewhere)
Barbara Lorenz married Frank Wolf (1867-1954)
Anne Lorenz married Joseph Matern and remained in Illinois.
Francis Lorenz (also recorded as Franceska) Lorenz got to Iowa to visit her
daughters Agnes and Barbara on at least one occasion. On February 22, 1903,
she is listed as baptismal sponsor for Raymond Wolf, son of Jacob and Agnes
Wolf. Since the record does not indicate she was sponsor by proxy it can be
assumed that she was present in person on that occasion. Barbara and Agnes
were both living in the Wesley, IA, vicinity at the tiome

[31] After their marriage in Mt Palatine, ILL, the Jacob Wolfs moved to Nebraska
south of Grand Island Near the town of Doniphan. Charles, George, Clara
Edward, Frank and Virgil were born in Nebraska. Jacob Wolf and family moved
moved to Kossuth County, Iowa sometime after 1900. The family was listed in
in the 1900 Nebraska census for Hamilton County, Phillips Twp. Even though
living in the adjoining County, their mailing address could well have been
Doniphan, NB. Raymond Wolf was born in IA in 1903 and Edward received First
Holy Communion in Wesley, IA in 1904.
Conditions in Nebraska must have seemed pioneer and primitive by comparison
with conditions in prosperous Putnam County, IL. At first they lived in a
sod house. George Wolf was born in a sod house.
Jacob Wolf once related how on a certain day he was returning home from
town with his team and wagon and in the distance noticed smoke billowing up
from a prairie fire which the wind was blowing toward him. With a bit of
good thinking he got off the wagon, took a match and lighted a fire in the
grass down wind from himself and his team. After the fire had burned on away
from him and after the embers in the turf had gone out he drove his team and
wagon onto the burned-off area and thus escaped the flames and heat of the
prairie fire that might very well have killed him.
Edward Wolf recalled that, when he and his parents moved to Iowa, he rode
in a box car with the livestock and farm tools to avoid buying a train ticket.
Jacob Wolf once owned a farm near Bancroft, IA, but lost it in the post WW I
crash.

[32] The family name of the spouse of Jacob Wolf was always thought to be Agnes
LORENZ. However, the 1870 Census records of Magnolia Twp, Putnam County, IL
shows her family name as Lawrence and she was also listed therein as having
been born in Prussia, Germany
The family name was appaently changed to Lawrence by the census taker both
in 1870 and in 1880 when Barbara Lorenz, the sister of Agnes Lorenz was
listed as residing with Elizabeth and Michal Matern and was listed as Barbara
Lawrence.
This spelling of the family name was never used by the family. The name
Lorenz is on the tombstone of Antone Lorenz, the father of Agnes and Barbara
Lorenz, and that is the name used in all accounts concerning the family. It
seems well established that LORENZ is the correct and proper spelling of the
family name.
The census record also states that the Lorenz family came from Prussia and
that may also be in error. Information within the family says it was Alsace
Lorraine, a territory between France and Germany, which, at times, has been
a part of both France and Germany

[43] Barbara loved flowers and kept a caged canary. She was a member & past
Regent of the Court Fidelis of the Catholic Daughters of America at Wesley &
was also a charter member of the St Cecelia Court at Algona, IA and a member
of the Royal Neighb ors and the American Legion as well. She died at home.
The Wesley News-World stated she was ill 5 years with rheumatism & Arthritis.
Her daughter, Esther said she had cancer and was bedridden 14 months before
her death. In spite of her pain she was cheerful & uncomplaining to the end.

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