Third Generation

6. Wilhelm Friedrich August "William" WIRTH Jr. was born on 12 October 1847 in Schoenfeld, Kreis Arnswalde, Pommern (Pomerania) Province, Preussen (Prussia).^{1,2,7,8,9,21,31,32,33} He was listed as age 12 in the 1860 Census and as 21 in 1870, indicating a birth year of about 1848 or 1849.

(His birth date is listed as 15 May 1847 in family records, but it is listed as 12 October 1847 in the Sassenhagen birth records; his baptism was on 31 October 1847.)

(According to Barbara Rinard, he may have had a brother named "William Frederick (Fritz) Boening," who emigrated in about 1863; Fritz was married in Germany to (Unknown) Kruger and in America to another woman. That is possible, because the 1900 Census record for his mother indicates that she had 5 children, of whom 3 were living at the time. Fritz may have been the fifth child. Because he was born in Germany from Louisa's first husband, however, his surname would have been Wirth, not "Boening." This information must be confirmed.) He was baptized on 31 October 1847 in Sassenhagen, Kreis Saatzig, Regierungsbezirk Stettin, Pommern (Pomerania) Province, Preussen (Prussia).^1,2 One of the witnesses at his baptism was Dorothea "Periander" (Pergande) from Uchtenhagen, who was a sister of his mother. He emigrated in 1857 from Preussen (Prussia).^33,34 (According to the 1900 Census, "Charles Benning" emigrated in 1850 and had been in America for 50 years. The 1910 Census indicates that "William Wirth" emigrated in 1853. The 1900 Census record for William's mother lists her emigration year as 1857, and it is believed that he emigrated with her.) William appeared in the census in 1860 in Brookfield, Waukesha County, WI.⁹ He appeared in the census in 1870 in Brookfield, Waukesha County, WI.²¹ He was living with his mother and step-father, his age was listed as 21, birthplace Prussia, and his occupation was listed as "Farm Hand." He appeared in the census in 1880 in Gardner Township, Door County, WI.³⁵ He was listed as "Charles Benning" and his occupation was "Farmer." His household consisted of William, Mary, their children, Josephine, Theophilus and Frank, and a "Servant," Joseph Keller, age 43, born in Austria, occupaton "Laborer."

("Charles Benning" or "Boening" or "Boehning" could not be found anywhere in the U.S. in the 1870 Census.) William appeared in the census in 1900 in Green Bay, Brown County, WI.^18,33,36 His name was listed as "Charles Benning" and his household was at 1105 Main Street. His family consisted of William, Mary and their children, Theophilus, Frank, William, Emma, Chester, Benjamin, Lucy and Flora. His occupation was listed as "Saloon Keeper" and his tavern was located at 113 Main Street.

According to Barbara (Bening) Rinard's research of the family (as told to her by her father), "Charles got a bar maid pregnant and left his family and went off with her. This (abandoning his family) outraged the oldest boys and they disowned their father and changed their names by dropping one of the 'n's,' thereby taking the last name of 'Bening.'

After a period of time, Charles returned to Green Bay to Mary with a baby daughter. He then packed them all up and moved to Tomah, where the family went by the name of Wirth. Four of the oldest boys went by the name of Bening and the rest of the children went by the name of Wirth. Why a man would change the whole family's name is beyond me, unless he was wanted by someone. Also, why did he pick that certain name? All of the children were born Benning's. It must have been very hard as young children to keep a secret and assume a different name." (Gary Griggs note: William had used the name "Charles Benning" when he married Mary in 1873.) He appeared in the census in 1910 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁴ His household consisted of William Wirth, age 62; his wife, Mary, age 56; and their children, Benjamin, age 18; and Flora, age 13. His occupation was "Farmer, General Farm." He died on 16 June 1919 at the age of 71 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³¹ Obituary Notes: "Wm. Wirth Sr., who has resided on a farm southwest of this city for the past seventeen years, died at his home Monday, June 16, after an illness of several months from anemia. He was 73 years of age and is survived by his widow and ten children. The funeral was held in St. Mary's Catholic church of this city on Thursday, The Rev. L. Wurst officiating and the burial was in St. Mary's cemetery." William was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^31,37 in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

Wilhelm Friedrich August "William" WIRTH Jr. and Marie Therese "Mary" DE DECKER were married on 10 May 1873 in Green Bay, Brown County, WI.^{7,18,32,33,34,36,38,39} Their marriage certificate lists his name as "Charles Benning, " and his parents are listed as William Benning and Louise Benning. Those are the correct given names of the people believed to be his parents, Wilhelm and Louisa Wirth, but the the reason for the Benning surname is not known.

At the time of their marriage, his occupation was listed as "Stave Maker" and his residence was in Union, Door County, WI. They were married in a civil ceremony and their witnesses were Patrick Plunkett and James Smith.

(Sarah Defnet's research indicates that "Marie 'Mary' Therese De Decker" married "Charles Benning," and they had one daughter, 'Marique." Her research also indicates that they changed their surname to "Wirth.")

The 1900 Census indicated that they had been married for 27 years, while the 1910 Census indicated that they had been married 32 years; the latter was an error. The 1900 Census indicated they had 12 children, of which 10 were living at the time; the 1910 Census indicated that they had 10 children, of which all 10 were living at the time; the 1900 is believed to have been correct.

(He may also have had an illegitimate daughter named Monique, who Barb Rinard said was listed in the 1910 Census and was 8 years old. Gary Griggs is unable to locate Monique in the census.)
Marie Therese "Mary" DE DECKER, daughter of Oliver DE DECKER and Josephine PIETTE, was born on 5 May 1853 in Thorembais-Les-Beguines, Belgium.^{7,32,33,34,35,38} (Her surname, and that of her parents, was listed as "Ducade" in her marriage registration record, but is was listed as "De Deker" in her obituary and as "Dedicair" in the 1880 Census for her parents. Her parents eventually "Americanized" their family name to "DeDecker.")

(In the 1900 Census, her birth date was listed as June 1852.) She emigrated in 1855 from Belgium.^33,34,38 (The 1900 Census listed her emigration year as 1855, and the 1910 listed it as 1856.) She appeared in the census in 1870 in Brussels Township, Door County, WI.⁴⁰ She was living with her parents. Mary appeared in the census in 1880 in Gardner Township, Door County, WI.³⁵ She appeared in the census in 1900 in Green Bay, Brown County, WI.³³ She was listed as "Mary D. Benning." She appeared in the census in 1910 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁴ Mary appeared in the census in 1920 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴¹ She was living with her son Benjamin. She appeared in the census in 1930 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.⁴² She was living with her son Ben in his household on County Trunk M. She died on 12 March 1940 at the age of 86 in Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.³⁸ Obituary Notes: "Mrs. Mary Wirth passed away Tuesday morning, March 12, at her home in the town of Tomah. Mary Threse De Deker was born in Thorembais, Belgium, May 5, 1853. Her parents came to America when she was three years old and settled in Door county, Wisconsin, on a farm near Brussels. At that time the country was entirely woods and wilderness and their only neighbors were a few scattered settlers and friendly Indians.

She was 18 years old when the section of the state was swept by the Peshtigo fire, which destroyed thousands of acres of timber and the loss of 1,000 lives.

She was married to Wm. Wirth on May 10, 1873, and they settled on a farm near Green Bay. The log buildings that they built are still standing and occupied. In 1885 they moved to the city of Green Bay, where they lived until they moved to Tomah in 1902.

She leaves to mourn her loss eight children: Mrs. Josephine Duquaine, Coleman, Wis.; Frank and William of Grangemont, Idaho; Mrs. O. M. Hoel, Hartford, Wis.; and Mrs. Dennis Donahue, Mrs. Emma J. Wier, Chester and Ben, all of Tomah. She was preceded in death by her husband and four children. She was a life-long member of the Catholic church and she will be missed by all who knew her as a kind friend and good neighbor.

The funeral was held Thursday morning, March 14, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Father J. B. Brudermanns officiating. Burial was in St. Mary's cemetery, Tomah, Wis." Mary was buried on 14 March 1940 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^37,38 in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

Wilhelm Friedrich August "William" WIRTH Jr. and Marie Therese "Mary" DE DECKER had the following children: