Anton Weis and Theresa Weis

(as told by Elizabeth Perkins Buchheit)

My great-grandfather Anton Weis came from the city of Cologne and the Rhineland. He was one of the kindest people that ever set foot on the earth. He left home with a gold piece. His family gave him ein stuck geld and he was set off to make his living. You can read all about it in Grimm’s Fairy Tales or some other jolly tale.

In 1842 and 1881, a lot of immigrants arrived from Germany and Central Europe. Over a million people were tenting in Central Park. Can you imagine that many people? To solve the population problem, the government gave ‘em free passage on trains. You could get on a train but you had to get out in Chicago or Milwaukee and so that’s why they’re all there.

My great-grandfather had a little loom that he brought on the ship. He wove clothes for people like sweaters and mittens and gloves and socks and underwear. He would weave all winter and then go out in a horse and buggy and sell it all around the Wisconsin countryside. He had a little book where he’d record all of his transactions. If somebody couldn’t pay he would write, “will pay in heaven” or “had a new baby and doesn’t have any money.” Or “the crops didn’t do well this year.” He always was just very kind and loving.

We have Anton’s creed which is called Mein Glaube. It’s wonderful because he believed in brotherhood of all people. He was far ahead of his time. They really haven’t caught on in the United Nations yet. But anyway, he was a remarkable fellow.

My great-grandfather died when he was 75 of a heart attack at a birthday party. They did big birthdays and they celebrated all the name days, baptismal days and all of this in the European way. He was sitting in the garden with all the children and he had a heart attack and died just like that.

[Maria Theresa Kill]

His wife [Maria] Theresa Hill [or Kill] lived to be 93 or 94 by herself in her little house. She lived a remarkably long time considering people in those days had absolutely no medicine.

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