Bio: Kraft / Kreft / Krefta, Albert Peter (1832 - 1897)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: Kraft, Kraeft, Kreft, Krefta, Rauen, Benkowski, Myszka, Krause, Buch, Klawinski, Nowicki, Janz, Albrecht, Dublin, Kurtzweil, Chesak, Rietbrock, Halsey, Cousora, Nowicka, Socka, Bisolovska, Burkovski, Kerowcyska, Krefter, Norwak

----Source: Rietbrock Centennial (1880 - 1980)

Albert Peter Kreft (1832 - 15 Jul 1897)

Kraft Century Farm

Albert Kraft and wife Josephine (*Wesolowski) arrived in Milwaukee between 1877-1878. To them as pioneers of Wisconsin, those days surely must have been a high adventure.

The stories sounded more and more interesting as they kept hearing and reading about the "good cheap land" and "huge trees in the North". With the Klawinski family already here and settled in Section 22 in the Town of Rietbrock, Albert and Josephine Kraft decided to head in that same direction.

They came in summer with their six children, namely: Anton, August, Albert, Julia (Benkowski), Elizabeth (Krause), and Margaret (Myszka). As the means of transportation way by foot to their destination, August and Anton usually swam across the river to make it possible for others to get across-the trees were blazed as markers. Upon their arrival they made their home with the Klawinski's for a short while until Albert and Josephine purchased a tract of land in Section 23, Township 29-N Range 4-E from Rietbrock & Halsey for $800.00, in 1878. The first land deed was started in 1857 by James Buch.

They then built a log house near a spring. Those days they used mostly pine logs for building, as it was the easiest to split. The rough boards were laid on the ground, a few at a time, at first, and then later the entire floor. The shorter logs were split in a shingle effect for laying across rafters in a shingle-like fashion, in order for the roof to shed water. The source of water was obtained from the spring. They dug a hole, planked in aiqd then tied a bucket on one end and a stone weight on the other end, in order to pull it up. During the winter months many a fish came along.

Deer, wolves and bears were plentiful. The gardens were around the stumps. Many-a-time when the pioneers planted the buckwheat around the stumps the bear made sure he had fertilized it. The most urgent provisions were brought home by foot from Wausau.

Later Albert and Josephine handed down the farm to their son Anton and wife Anna (Nowicki). Albert died in 1897 and his wife Josephine in 1914. To Anton and Anna were born the following children: Allie (dec.), Lucy (Myszka) (dec.), John, Sylvester, Mary (Janz), Albert (dec.) and Margaret (Dublin). The present home was built by Anton's brother-in- law Frank Benkowski, and the barn by Frank Myszka. Besides clearing the lands, Anton was a head sawyer at the Chesak Sawmill for many, many years. He died in 1915 leaving his wife Anna to take over the farm with the children.

Later, in 1939, their son Albert purchased the homestead and, in 1940, he married Marcella Rauen. They continued farming the 160 acres, purchasing in 1955 the eighty acre Jakubowski farm. Mother Anna died in the year of 1943. In 1954, they built a machine Machine shed being built on the Kraft farm shed. They had a family of the following: Kenneth, Ronald, Judith (Albrecht), Randall, Allen, Carla and Gerald.

After the death of Albert in July, 1969, Kenneth purchased the farm and he and his wife Mary Jane (Kurtzweil) are now farming the 240 acres. In 1977, they had remodeled the barn. They have three children: Brian, Paul and Kevin. Present farmers on Kraft Century Kraft children Kevin, Paul and Brian and wife Mary Jane (Kurtzweil)

Family Notes

* Josephine Wesolowski's grandfather was a General in the 4th Polish Army. 

Albert Peter Kreft was the son of Michael Krefta and Eva Schlaikowski.

Many of the Krefta/ Kreft family members had changed their name to Kraft.  Albert Ferdinand Kreft changed his last name to Kraft and moved from Wisconsin to Washington state.

 The family Gravestone in Poniatowski, WI in the Town of Rietbrock Section # 14 and the top is missing.  It is marked as Krefta, but without dates.  They may have been on the missing portion.

Albert had donated a glass window to the church in Poniatowski, it has Krefta written on the glass.

1880 Federal Census, Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 6

Albert Kreft (Kraft), married American male laborer
father's birthplace : Germany
mother's birthplace : Germany

Household Members
self Albert Kreft (Kraft) M 47 (1833) Germany
wife Josephine Kreft (Kraft) F 35 (1845) Germany
son Anton Kreft (Kraft) M 16 Germany
son August Kreft (Kraft) M 14 Germany
daughter Julia Kreft (Kraft) F 10 Germany
daughter Margarethe Kreft (Kraft) F 6 Wisconsin, United States
son Albert Kreft (Kraft) M 5 Wisconsin, United States
daughter Elizabetha Kreft (Kraft) F 3 Wisconsin, United States
brother August Kreft (Kraft) M 35 Wisconsin, United States

Wisconsin Marriage Records

Frank Burkovski
bride's name: Juliana Kreft
marriage date: 26 May 1886
marriage place: Marathon, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Jos Burkovski
groom's mother's name: Franziska Cousora
bride's father's name: Albert Kreft
bride's mother's name: Josephina Bisolovska

Anthony Krefta
bride's name: Anna Nowicka
marriage date: 17 Apr 1891
marriage place: Marathon, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Adelbert Krefta
groom's mother's name: Josephine Wesotowska
bride's father's name: Martin Nowicka
bride's mother's name: Catharine Socka

John Myszka
bride's name: Margaret Krefta
marriage date: 27 May 1897
marriage place: Marathon, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Simon Myszka
groom's mother's name: Mary Kerowcyska
bride's father's name: Albt. Krefta
bride's mother's name: Josephine Wisotaoski

Albert Krefter
bride's name: Julia Nowak
marriage date: 12 Sep 1899
marriage place: Marathon, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Adalbert Krefter
groom's mother's name: Josephine Wesotowska
bride's father's name: Joseph Nowak
bride's mother's name: Okruseynski

Wisconsin Death Records

Robert Kraeft (Kraft)
gender: Male
death date: 28 Mar 1878
death place: Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
age: 5
birth date: 22 Jun 1873
birthplace: Milw.
occupation:
race: White
father's name: Albert Kraeft (Kraft)
mother's name: Johanne Kraeft (Kraft)