Bio: Gertz Family

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Gertz, Gonzalez, Lieczak, Dain

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Father Anton Gertz came from Poznan, Poland and mother Gertz was from Krakowa, Poland. They met in America in Gary, Indiana the Town of Toleston. They settled there where Genevieve, Marie and Louis were born. In 1914 the Gertz family moved to Willard where John, Edward, Helen, Harry and Virginia were born.

Father Gertz was a very wonderful bread and pastry baker. Mother Gertz was a very good cook and housekeeper. She was also a dressmaker. She used to write and answer letters for their friends and neighbors who couldn't read or write.

The real estate people from Milwaukee sold them the land, tricking them into thinking there was a house on it. There was no house on the land when they got there and they lived in a camp cabin until they built a house themselves. This happened to quite a few people but nothing could be done about it.

Winter came and the family moved into the two by four house. It was freezing cold so next winter they went back to Indiana for two years, returning to Willard in 1917 to start farming. It was a struggle.

In 1921, when Helen was born, there was a bad forest fire that made a big change near Willard. Everything grew pretty.

Mother Gertz died in 1930. Genevieve went back to Willard only once to visit her father and younger brothers and sisters.

Genevieve is now Genevieve Gonzalez, Marie is now Marie Lieczak, and Helen is now Helen Dain. Louis died April 22, 1979.

Submitted by Genevieve Gonzalez