August and Rose Kade Stenzel

August Karl Friedrich Stenzel was born on 2 August 1880 in Wollschow, Deutschland, Germany and came to the United States with his parents in 1889.

 

August was confirmed on 22 April 1894 at St. Peter's Evangical Lutheran Church in Richland Township, Hemlock, Saginaw County, Michigan.  He chose for his bible verse Jer. 54, 10.

 

August married Rosaline "Rose" Kade on 1 March 1905 at Zion Lutheran Church, Iva, Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan by Carl Mueller a Lutheran Minister. Rose was born on 30 November 1882 in Utica, Macomb County, Michigan.  Rose's parents were Bernhard and Anna Trost Kade. 

 

"In a newspaper article dated 9 March 1905 from the Saginaw Weekly Courier Herald page 7 state the following:

"On Wednesday occured a wedding of August Stenzil and Rosa Kade at the Lutheran church at Iva.  Rev. Carl Mueller performed the ceremony in the presence of a company of relatives and friends that nearly filled the church.  The groom is a prosperous young farmer. The bride was born and raised in this vicinity and very popular in the circle."

The photo is of August, Rose, Martin and Marie Stenzel

 

August and Rose had two children, Martin and Marie Stenzel

 

According to the 1916 Richland Township plat map, August owned and operated 140 acres located on Dice Road in Richland Township.  One hundred of those acres were across the road from Zion Lutheran Church in Section 5 of Richland Township. The other forty acres were just to the east of Zion Lutheran Church in Section 8 of Richland Township. By 1920, August had sold his forty acres in Section 8 to W. Kreger but still owned the 100 acre parcel in Section 5.

 

August had resided on his farm for 54 years and he was also a member of Zion Lutheran Church at Iva and served as Elder of the church for 45 years. 

 

 

 

 

August and Rose Kade Stenzel

 

August died on 1 April 1966 at his home at 17912 Dice Rd., Hemlock, Michigan.  Rose died on 18 August 1963 at her home in Richland Township.  August and Rose are buried in the Richland Lutheran Cemetery, Hemlock, Saginaw County, Michigan.<

Martin and Lily Neitzke Stenzel

Martin B. Stenzel was born on 3 April 1908 Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.  He was baptized in 1908 at Zion Lutheran Church at Iva, Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.  Martin was in Zion Lutheran Church confirmation class of 1921. 

 

He married Lily Ida Neitzke 12 April 1931 at Zion Lutheran Church by O.C.U. Richert, Lutheran Minister; in Iva, Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan. Their sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Neitzke. Lily was born on 26 October 1910 in Porter, Midland County, Michigan.  Lily's parents were Herman and Hannah Heinrich Neitzke.  Lily was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in 1924.

 

Martin and Lily had one daughter, Gertrude "Gertie" who married Don Schomaker.  They had four children; Randy, Lynette, Scott and Matthew.

 

Martin died on 23 June 1973 and Lily died on 15 July 2000,  They are both buried in the Richland Lutheran Cemetery, Hemlock, Saginaw, County, Michigan

Joe and Marie Stenzel Neitzke

Marie Augusta Stenzel was born 8 October 1912 and was baptized the same year at Zion Lutheran Church, Iva, Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.  She was in the Zion Lutheran Church confirmation class of 1926. 

 

Marie  married Joseph Neitzke on the 29th June 1920 by G.W. Richert, Lutheran Minister at Zion Lutheran Church in Iva, Richland Township, Saginaw County, Michigan. Their witnesses were Martin Stenzel and Lily Neitzke. Joseph's parents were Herman and Hannah Heinrich Neitzke.

 

Marie and Joe had four children; Lucille, Donna, Janet, and John Joseph Neitzke                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

Marie also married Carl Rohn on 24 June 1995.  Carl died on 5 January 1997.

Lucille Marie Neitzke was born 4 July 1931 in Flint, Genessee County, Michigan.  She married Arthur R. Sawvel on 29 July 1951 at Iva, Zion Lutheran Church, Saginaw County, Michigan.  They had one daughter.  Arthur died on 5 November 1958. 

 

Lucille also married Robert (Bob) D. Shaver and had two sons.

 

Shortly after Lucille's birth, the family moved to the family farm in rural Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan. Lucille was in the Zion Lutheran Church Confirmation class of 1946 and attended Breckenridge High School, Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan and was in the class of 1950,   She faithfully attended Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wheeler, Gratiot County, Michigan. Lucille and her husband, Bob, were lifelong farmers and farmed together many years. She had a love of learning and nature, gardening, cooking, sewing, and photography.  She loved serving her family, friends, and church.

 

Lucille died on 3 February 2015 in Wheeler, Gratiot County, Michigan. Bob died on 23 May 2019.  They are buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan.

 

 

Donna Mae Neitzke was born on 19 May 1938. She married Larry K.Shimer and had two daughters.

 

Donna was a graduate of Breckenridge High School, Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan.  Donna also attended and graduated from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana in 1960,  Donna worked for the State of Indiana as a social worker, retiring in 2000.  She worked for the State IMPACT office as well in the Indiana Welfare Department.  Donna was a member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church.  She was active in Girl Scouts, serving as a leader of two different troops.

 

Donna died on 28 March 2014 and is buried in the Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, Fishers, Hamilton County, Indiana.

 

John Joseph Neitzke was born the 8 July 1953 in Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan.  He married Virginia Davis and had one son.

John was a graduate of Breckenridge High School, Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan.  John attended Michigan State University and Indiana University Bloomington, earning a Bachelor of Science with High Honor in Mathematics from Michigan State in 1973, a Master of Arts in Mathematics in 1975 from Indiana University Bloomington, and a Master of Science in Statistics and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics in 1980 from Michigan State.  He further attended the Institute for Retraining in Computer Science (IFRICS) at Clarkston University in 1985, and later the University of Idaho and University of Missouri.

John taught Mathematics at Easter Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois from 1980 to 1984, and taught Computer Science and Mathematics at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas from 1984 to 1987.  John was a Professor of Computer Science at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missour, for 33 years before retiring in August of 2020.  He belonged to Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Mu Epsilon.

Growing up on a farm near Breckenridge, Gratiot County, Michigan, John always considered himself a farmer, and liked to grow things.  He enjoyed deer and turkey hunting, building woodworking, antique tractors (red ones), classical music, reading, baking and cooking, and making elaborate birthday cakes for colleagues, church members, friends and family.  He was a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

 

John died on 10 February 2021 at this home in Kirksville, Adair County, Missouri.

 

August and Rose's obituary from Delbert Pretzer, emigration papers - Gertie Stenzel Schomaker and pictures. 

Zion Lutheran Church Records, find a grave, marriage record, US Michigan census, pictures from Zion Lutheran Church pictorial book 

St. Peter's Evangical Lutheran Church Records,  US Michigan, WWI and WWII draft registrations, marriage record, Rose's birth record, 1916 Richland Township Plat Map,  pictures from Elenor Stenzel McDonald and Mildred Stenzel Parker, A Tribute and memorable photos of Donna Mae Shimer; and obituaries.