The Hyphen Family Lineage

Charles F. Schoen Sr. Family History

The obituary for Carl Friedrich Schön (anglicized as "Schoen") in the Oconomowoc Enterprise reported his birthplace as "Oackendorf, Germany," and his parents were known to be Prussian. It is believed that this city name was mis-typed, and that he was born on 4th Aug 1841 in the Lackendorf district of the city of Elbing, East Prussia - a city now known as Elbląg on the northern coast of modern-day Poland. Sometime in late 1843 or early 1844, the toddler Carl boarded the ship Mary Phillips in Hamburg and departed with his two older sisters Wilhelmina (age 10) and Augusta (age 8), his father Carl Friedrich, and his pregnant mother Charlotte Louise. They arrived in the Port of New York on 9th Sep 1844 with one more addition to their family - his younger brother Johann (later called "John") was born on the ship during the voyage.

The family settled in the Buffalo, Erie Cty, New York area for a handful of years, surrounded by many other immigrant families, including other Prussians. By 1849, the family had relocated to Ixonia, Jefferson Cty, Wisconsin, where father Carl purchased land for a farm that would pass down through youngest son John's family line for four generations and 140 years.

Charles, as he came to be called, was quite clearly the most "Americanized" of his siblings; he adopted and used English names sooner and more consistently than the rest of his family. As a young man, he traveled to La Porte, La Porte Cty, Indiana to enlist in the 5th Indiana Infantry and serve with the Union Army during the course of the Civil War. Upon his return, he was married in 1864 to another Prussian-born child of an immigrant family, Louise Backhaus, and they proceeded to raise a very large family on the land that Charles purchased for his farm. Twelve children were born to them, all but one surviving to adulthood:

William (b. 1865)
Louie (b. 1866, d. 1871)
Charles Jr. (b. 1868)
Gustav (b. 1869)
Edward (b. 1871)
Amanda (b. 1872)
Louis Phillip (b. 1874)
Laura (b. 1875)
Otto (b. 1877)
Leonard (b. 1878)
Emma (b. 1882)
George Joseph (b. 1890)

Like the rest of his family, Charles Sr. was Lutheran, and the family associated first with Saint Matthew's German Lutheran Church in Dodge Cty, prior to the founding of the church and school that came to be called Cross Lutheran in Ixonia in the summer of 1877. His parents Carl and Charlotte Schoen were amongst the founders of Cross Lutheran, and Charles' sons William and Charles Jr. were each confirmed there (in 1879 and 1881, respectively).

At some point, Charles Sr. and his family relocated from the rural area around the small town of Ixonia to the nearby city of Oconomowoc, Waukesha Cty, Wisconsin; when this occurred has been somewhat challenging to determine, as the most accurate reports of when the family moved are in the obituaries for daughters Laura and Emma. Emma's obituary reports that she had lived in Oconomowoc for sixty-five years, putting the move about 1893, while Laura's obituary puts the move in 1883. It would seem that Emma's is more likely correct, as youngest brother George Joseph was born in Ixonia in 1890. Daughter Amanda's wedding was held in the spring of 1894 at the "German Lutheran Church" in Oconomowoc, which refers to St. Paul's Lutheran Church situated on Fowler Lake in downtown Oconomowoc; the family almost must have moved to the city prior to that event.

The move was made primarily because of the environment offered by the city for the business enterprises of both Charles Sr. and some of his adult children. Charles Sr. had transitioned from farming to selling farm implements, equipment, and supplies, and over the years his business shifted further toward a car dealership and service garage. His son Louis Phillip owned a barbershop for over twenty years, and afterwards owned a Nash car dealership, while his son Leonard joined him in the farm equipment and car dealership business, forming Chas. Schoen & Son. Otto became a master tradesman, doing business as a plumber in Oconomowoc before relocating to Illinois.

All of the family came to be quite well-known in Oconomowoc, with several of them prominent in local business and all of them active in the local Lutheran churches (including some as founding members of local churches that splintered from St. Paul's, including St. Matthew's Lutheran and Dr. Martin Luther churches.) Most of the children married, and the family was associated either socially or by marriage to many other families prominent in local business and society, including several of Prussian or German descent.

Young child Louie's death was the first to come to Charles Sr.'s household, and the family saw mostly peace and growth for the next few decades. The elder children began marrying, some prior to the family's move to Oconomowoc, and the grandchildren began to arrive. Several of the siblings began to go their own way, moving elsewhere within Wisconsin or occasionally out-of-state. Some of them had less than idyllic family lives - notably Charles Jr. and George Joseph - while others settled down to married life just fine and a few - Laura, Emma, and Gustav - never married.

The next death was twenty-nine-year-old Gustav, who died of typhoid in 1898, not many years after the family's move to the city. In 1923, in the space of less than three months, Charles Sr. lost both his son Leonard and his wife Louise. In 1926 the family lost son Charles Jr., and in 1927 son Edward passed away.

Charles Sr. continued to live with his two unmarried daughters Laura and Emma at the family home on east Wisconsin Avenue in Oconomowoc for nearly another nine years after the death of his wife. At the time of his death in 1932, Charles Sr. was survived by seven of his twelve children. His obituary stated he was survived by fourteen grandchildren; my count, as of the same date, is sixteen, but the two born to son George Joseph and his ex-wife Julia (Stern) may have been estranged from the rest of the family at that time. Additionally, his obituary also gave six great-grandchildren as survivors - three of them grandchildren of daughter Amanda (Schoen) Hoeft, and the other three grandsons of Edward Schoen.

Charles Sr. and his wife are buried in La Belle Cemetery in Oconomowoc, Waukesha Cty, Wisconsin, under a tree in a large section of family plots likely purchased by Charles. Surrounding him are some of his children and some of their spouses, and a few grandchildren who died young.

Of his surviving children, eldest son William moved to Milwaukee sometime after the death of his first wife, and had remarried, living later with his youngest daughter and her family. Amanda lived down the street from the family home on Wisconsin Avenue until her death in 1943, a grandmother of five. Daughters Laura and Emma would continue to live in the family home until their deaths many years later (Emma in 1958, Laura in 1964). Louis owned the Nash Auto dealership and garage, and died in 1940 at his home on Lake Street in Oconomowoc; he and his wife had raised her niece Gertrude Notbohm, but had no children of their own. Otto died in 1935 in Rockford, Illinois, where he had a plumbing business and was survived by at least one of his two children. Youngest son George Joseph died in 1963 in California, survived only by his second wife, at least one of his two children, and his older sister Laura.

[Obituary for Charles Schoen, from the Oconomowoc Enterprise, 15 Jul 1932.]

The death of Charles Schoen, veteran of the Civil War, one of the city's well known and respected citizens, and former business men, occurred shortly before midnight Monday night at his home on Wisconsin avenue east, his demise following a long period of declining health. Had he lived until Aug. 4 of this year, he would have reached the age of 91 years and in spite of this advanced age his mental faculties were as keen as in earlier years.

Charles Schoen was born August 4, 1841, at Oackendorf, Germany, and came to this country with his parents when he was about a year and a half old, the family locating at Buffalo, N.Y., and when he was nine years of age they came to Wisconsin to reside, the town of Ixonia being the family home for many years.

Charles Schoen enlisted at La Porte, Ind., with Co. G, 15th Indiana regiment this company being organized in Indianapolis, and served throughout the Civil War.

He was married on July 16, 68 years ago, to Miss Louise Backus, member of a pioneer family of this community.

Mr. and Mrs. Schoen resided on a farm in the town of Ixonia for a number of years, later coming to this city to make their home, he being in the implement business here for 40 years and retired from active business cares and duties seven years ago. Mrs. Schoen's death occurred in this city on Oct. 6, 1923, and he is survived by four sons and three daughters: William of Milwaukee; Otto of Rockford; Joseph of Kansas City; Louis Schoen, Mrs. Frank Hoeft, and the Misses Laura and Emma Schoen of Oconomowoc.

He also leaves 14 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the residence on Wisconsin avenue east, thence to St. Matthew's chapel, Prof. John Meyer of Thiensville, formerly of this city, officiating. Burial will be in La Belle cemetery and Rev. Mr. Lorenz of Watertown will conduct the service