Bio: Riehle, Joseph (1858 - 1947)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: Riehle, Schwartzback, Albrecht, Blecha, Wagner, Framke, Platta, Berres, Gauerke, Handrick, Woellner, Wisniewski, Hopperdietzel, Klimpke, Soufflenheim, Voegele

----Soruces: Rietbrock, Wisconsin Centennial (1880 - 1980)

Joseph Riehle (17 Nov 1858 - 3 Feb 1947)

Joseph Riehle was born on November 17, 1858, in Morris, Adams Twp., Ripley Co., Indiana. At the age of 21, he came to Wisconsin with his four brothers-William, Andres, John and Felix.

John Riehle bought land Northeast of Stratford. On December 1, 1888, Joseph, William and Andrew Riehle each bought 104 acres of woodland in the Town of Rietbrock, three miles East of the Village of Athens-Section 3 of Township 29, Range 4, East, lying North of the Black Creek. Andrew Riehle sold his farm and moved to Menominee Falls, Wisconsin. In 1880 (21 Apr), Joseph Riehle married Mary Wagner, daughter of Joseph and Catherine Wagner. Mary Wagner was born in Schwartzback, Austria (Nov 1866 - 20 Mar 1928). When 11 years old, she came to America with Mrs. Frank Blecha and parents. Her parents came to America two years later. They settled in Corinth, Wisconsin, Mary worked in Hartford and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On May 10, 1909, Joseph and Mary Riehle bought 17 acres of land-EY2 of SW4 of Section 3, Township 29 North Range-4, East, lying North of the Black Creek. Joseph and Mary had 11 children--Frank, Peter, Anton, Conrad, Emma, Leonard, Catherine and Joseph. Three children died in infancy.

Frank married Emma Framke; Peter married Elizabeth Albrecht; Anton married Frances Platta; Conrad married Anna Berres; Emma married Harry Gauerke; Leonard married Elizabeth Handrick and Catherine married William Woellner. Joseph never married. On December 3, 1924, Joseph and Mary Riehle sold their farm to Anton Riehle.

Mary Riehle died March 20, 1928, at the age of 61. Joseph Riehle died February 3, 1947, at the age of 88.

Frances Platta is the daughter of Leo and Josephine Platta. Leo Platta was born on April 9, 1882, in Germany. He served in the German Army for two years. Later he came to America and settled in Wisconsin. On November 5, 1907, he married Josephine Wisniewski in the Town of Rietbrock. He moved to Athens, Wisconsin, and worked for the Rietbrock Lumber Company, before moving to a farm.

Josephine Platta was born in Carniz, Poland, April 15, 1884, the daughter of Anton and Mary Wisniewski. When six years old, she came to America with parents and settled in Poniatowski. She had seven brothers-Ted, John, Frank, Leo, Joseph, Alex and Tom and three sisters--Julia, Frances and Caroline. Leo and Josephine Platta had four children-- Frances, Leonard, Anna and Mary.

Leo Platta died April 25, 1957, at the age of 75. Josephine Platta died February 4, 1958, at the age of 73.

Second Generation

Anton Riehle was born on October 27, 1894, in the Town of Rietbrock. During World War I, he served with the U.S. Army in France. Afterward, he returned to Rietbrock to farm the homestead, which he purchased, in 1924, from his parents. On November 5, 1931, Anton Riehle married Frances J. Platta in Chicago, Illinois, and Frances was back in the Town of Rietbrock again.

Frances J. Platta, daughter of Leo and Josephine Platta, was born on October 30, 1908, in the town of Rietbrock. She attended the Parochial Grade School in Poniatowski and later went to work in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. After her marriage to Anton, she moved to the farm in the Town of Rietbrock.

Anton and Frances Riehle had six children- Germaine, Marlene, Roger, Nancy Ann and Patricia Marie, twins, and adopted James F. Riehle. Patricia Marie died in infancy.

Germaine Ann Riemer resides in Germantown, Wisconsin; Marlene Otto, California; James Frank Riehle is employed with Johnson Services in Milwaukee; Nancy Hopperdietzel resides in the Town of Halsey, Athens; and Roger resides on the homestead, Town of Rietbrock.

On June 1, 1960, Anton and Frances Riehle sold their farm to son Roger. Roger had been employed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in California before buying his father's farm.

In 1975, Roger purchased the adjoining neighbor's farm (originally the Arnold Riske's) from Ernest and Betty Klimpke. This fifty-two-acre farm is located in Section 3-Township 29, North, Range-4. Roger was married to Judy Jacobi in 1976. At this time, Anton and Frances moved into the home "next- door" and Roger and Judy lived on the homestead. Anton retired at the age of sixty-five, and this gave him time to pursue his favorite hobby, fishing. It now became his full-time occupation, as he could be seen fishing on almost any stream in the area each day. And Frances, who had a yearning to become an artist, also had time for her hobby. She enrolled in the Joe O'Bryan Art School, at Westboro, Wisconsin, to study oil painting.  She has to date completed many interesting and lovely works of art.

Anton died on April 20, 1977, at the age of eighty- two, but Frances still lives in the Town of Rietbrock, on Town Line Road, on Roger's farm.

*Joseph Riehle was the son of Leonhard Riehle (6 Nov 1831, Waghurst, Baden, Germany - 17 Feb 1904) and Magdelena Voegele (b. 1831, Soufflenheim, Alsace, France)

1900 Federal Census, ED 94 Rietbrock town, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 2, family 26

Joseph Riehle, white, married male
years married: 10
estimated marriage year: 1890
father's birthplace: Germany
mother's birthplace: Germany

Household Members
head Joseph Riehle M 42 (Nov 1858) Indiana
wife Mary Riehle F 34 (Nov 1866) Germany
son Frank Riehle M 8 (Jan 1892) Wisconsin
son Peter Riehle M 7 (May 1893) Wisconsin
son Anton Riehle M 6 (Oct 1894) Wisconsin
son Conrad Riehle M 4 (Jul 1896) Wisconsin
daughter Emma Riehle F 2 (Oct 1898) Wisconsin

Wisconsin Birth Records

Peter W. Reihle
gender: Male
birth date: 04 May 1893
birthplace: Rietbrock, Marathon, Wisconsin
race: White
father's name: Jos. Reihle
father's birthplace: Indiana
mother's name: Mary Wagner
mother's birthplace: Germany

Antonius Richle
gender: Male
birth date: 27 Oct 1894
birthplace: Reitbrock, Marathon, Wisconsin
race: White
father's name: Jos. Riehle
father's birthplace: Indiana
mother's name: Mary Wagner
mother's birthplace: Germany

Joseph Riehle
gender: Male
birth date: 07 Apr 1906
birthplace: Rietbrock, Marathon Co.
race: White
father's name: Joseph Riehle
father's birthplace: Morris, Indiana
mother's name: Mary Wagner
mother's birthplace: Germany