Genea Post: Franz “Frank Sr” Pilsner

I recently posted about Martiti Pilsner, and today I am taking a look at his son, Franz.  In April of 1888, Franz, along with his wife Philomena (aka Emilie and aka Minnie) and two young children, Frank Jr. and Anna sailed on the Hermann from Bremen, Germany to New York and then on to Baltimore. Anna was destined to become my own mother's grandmother.

Frank Sr and Minnie Pilsner

As mentioned in the Martiti post, the geographic origin of this family line remains in question, although it seems most likely they came from the Bavarian Forest region of eastern Europe. The only thing that is for certain is  they were practicing Catholics; after settling in Wisconsin they joined the growing congregation of St. Mary’s in Mayville.


The family first documented appearance on the 1895 census confirms the arrival of their third child, Alma, in Mayville.  Mary, Richard and Cecilia followed.

In 1908 the Mayville papers noted that, “Frank Pilsner went to Iron Ridge yesterday morning to meet his wife who returned from Hustisford.”

But two years later he was later admitted the state mental hospital, and later transferred to a the county asylum. When he died there on March 12, 1929, his brief obituary attributed his mental condition to “a sunstroke from which he never recovered," but the actual mental illness remains a mystery.  His patient record documents that Legal Evidence of Insanity was furnished by Wisconsin State Hospital/Northern Hospital and that he was a ‘county charge,’ but otherwise merely documents his arrival, death, and the disposition of his remains for burial in Mayville.

This link to mental hospital photographs was in my Facebook stream recently, and it made me stop and ponder the reality of what my great-great grandfather may have experienced the last nineteen or so years of his life. It's rather sad to contemplate, actually...

Mayville Times 1929

Frank Pilsner, 73 years old, died on Tuesday morning at the county asylum in Juneau, after being ill a short time from influenza.

Undated photo of Frank.
Hope it's not a death photo
'cause that would be creepy.

The deceased was born on Dec. 3, 1855, in Bohemia, and came to this city in April 1885[sic]. In 1881 he was married to Miss Minnie Weber, who survives, as do six children.

In October, 1910, Mr. Pilsner was taken to Mendota hospital for treatment, having suffered a sun stroke from which he never recovered. He was removed to the Juneau asylum 17 years ago, and passed away at the home there.

Surviving are the widow and the following children: Anna, Mrs. William Porter, Alabama; Mary, Mrs. Frank Kunz, Alma, Mrs. Thos. Quinlin, Richard, and Cecelia, Mrs. Jack Wood, of this city. One brother, Jacob, of Farmersville, and 19 grandchildren also remain.

The funeral will be held Friday morning at 9 o’clock, a St. Mary’s Catholic church, the Rev. Fr. R.A. Kramer officiating. Burial will be held in the new parish cemetery.