Lorbetske Family Tree

                                                 Emelia Mathilde Klawitter (1850-1928)

Emelia was born to Karl and Wilhelmine Klawitter in Konitz, Germany.  Konitz was a small town located about halfway between Berlin and Frankfurt.

On her trips into the market district of Konitz she met the son of a local shopkeeper - Vincent Dallman.  Sometime during the late 1870's Vincent and Emelia were married and they had their first two children - William and Marianne.

Europe, especially Germany and France were entangled in war - does anything ever change.  Two of Emelia's brothers fought for the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War.  After their service they both decided to leave for the United States arriving in 1873.  In addition, two of Vincent's brothers also decided to emigrate to the United States in the early 1870's.  It was easy then for both Emelia and Vincent to want to also leave for the USA.

What was happening in the USA after the Civil War helped motivate many Europeans to come to America.  The Homestead Act of 1863 promised virtually free land - 160 acres!!! - to anyone who wanted to farm the land.  160 acres must have sounded like a Kingdom to those living in Europe. And so, with the dream of the promised land many - including the Dallman's and Klawitter's set sail for America.

It was on this ship that Emelia and Vincent and their two young children sailed from Hamburg to New York City.  Upon arrival in New York they made their way to Wisconsin - settling in Marathon County.

There they build their lives farming.  Vincent's two brothers lived nearby and they would help each other when the need arose.  Emelia and Vincent had three more children - Theophilus (Charles) Francis and Amelia.

Vincent died in April of 1888 - Amelia was born in October of that year, sadly she never knew her father.  As an aside her husband to be - Frank Lorbetske's mother died shortly after he was born.  I often wonder if the fact that they each lost a parent at such an early age isn't what drew them together.

Emelia relied heavily on her two brother-in-laws to help with the farm - William her eldest was only 10 when Vincent died - and he could only do so much.  Helped by her family and the entire community - that is what folks did back then - the farm continued.  A young man who lived nearby also worked on the farm - a guy named Frank - we all know how that turned out.

Emelia was quite resourceful, it seems a businessman had moved into the area and was trying to start convince the local population that they needed to start using his product to build their homes - brick. Emelia apparently talked this man into GIVING her the bricks to build her new home - he then could show anyone interested what a grand house he had built - quite the lady.

Her sons now old enough to work the farm life went on in Bevent.  Each of her children married in the early 1900's and went on to work their own farms - only Frank did not farm he moved to Seattle Washington and became a police officer.

Emelia did all she could to stay connected to her family - both her children and her brothers - making trips visit them when she could afford.

In 1928 Emelia died - she is buried in St Ladislaus Cemetery in Bevent Wisconsin

Note:  There are two books written by family members - Aunt Emmy wrote a short historical account of the Dallman/Lorbetske's and Yvonne Delonay Madden wrote a novel entitled Emelia.  Check with your parents/grandparents to see if they have a copy of Aunt Emmy's book that you might be able to borrow....as to Yvonne's book, if you are interested let me know and I can get you in touch with her daughter.