Fondenberger, Dr. Jacob (Jacob was born at Kleinerdingungen in the Alsace-Lorraine of what today is a part of France –the Alsace-Lorraine region has gone back and forth between Germany and France a number of times –when Jacob was born in 1823 it was then a part of France and, thus, he has a claim to being French –after the Franco-Prussian War, the Alsace-Lorraine (at least the dominantly German speaking part of that region) was annexed to the German Empire –after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, ending World War One, it was given back to France and remains there today –it seems that though Jacob likely came from German heritage, he preferred to consider himself French, even going so far as to have his name pronounced “Fon den ber shay”) (Sept. 26, 1823-Dec. 6, 1890 –husband of Katherine Gerber [married in New Orleans, Louisiana –Katherine had come over from Europe with Jacob in the 1850’s] –Katherine and a son George died from yellow fever in New Orleans –it seems a son named Louis survived from this first marriage –he was born in New Orleans and on the 1870 census from St. Louis is shown as living with his father and stepmother –after the death of Katherine, Jacob re-married to Elizabeth Kessel [married Oct. 14, 1853 in New Orleans, Louisiana] –Elizabeth Kessel was born in 1832, came from Baden and was familiar with Fr. Ambrose Oschwald and his colony in St. Nazianz –her parents were Wendelin Kessel and Gertrude Busch –after 1858 Jacob and Elizabeth moved to St. Louis, where Elizabeth died from cholera on July 31, 1873 –she was buried at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis –just before this she had lost her nearly 16 year old daughter, Anna Mary Fondenberger, to cholera on July 30, 1873] –born in Pepitreddercheng [also shown at times as “Petitritterking”], Alsace-Lorraine –son of Jacob Fondenberger with mother unknown –medical doctor and dentist [one of Jacob’s patients in St. Louis was Peter Mutz, who was diagnosed with cancer –Jacob recommended Peter Mutz seek treatment from Fr. Oschwald in St. Nazianz –Peter Mutz went on to become the successor of Fr. Oschwald at the St. Nazianz Colony] –“Dr. Jacques Fondenberger later received a letter asking him to come to St. Nazianz because they had no doctor or dentist. He traveled there with his two remaining children, Elizabeth and Magdalena and gave a considerable amount of money to the nuns at the orphanage to take care of his girls. While the girls were being cared for in the orphanage in St. Nazianz, Jacques lived in the priest house [the lower level of the original St. Gregory Church, which had been the living quarter of Fr. Oschwald] in St. Nazianz and practiced his profession.” –this was in 1873, shortly after the death of Fr. Oschwald –born Klemerdinginger, Baden –died from “paralysis”) –buried at St. Gregory Catholic Cemetery in St. Nazianz, Town of Eaton [likely buried in Section 1, Row 9, Lot 18 –no stone –in 2019 the St. Nazianz Area Historical Society placed a marker on this grave –there is a marker for Jacob in Old Section 1, Row 9, Lot 6] [first marriage record Louisiana] [second marriage record Louisiana] [death record Manitowoc 4-126]
Contributor: Rose Mohnsam (47105797) •