US Lighthouse Keeper

Joseph, a US lighthouse keeper, was born on 18 March 1876 in Utica, Oneida Co., New York; died on 15 or 23 May 1966 at Manitowoc, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin; was buried there at Evergreen Cemetery, Two Rivers.

He married Lucy LAFOND on 14 June 1898 at St. Luke's Catholic Church, Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin.

Joseph was 77 years old at the time this photograph was taken in 1952.

He was second assistant keeper at Twin River Point Lighthouse in 1893 when he was transferred to Chambers Island Lighthouse in Green Bay that same year. In 1900 he was Head Keeper at Twin River Point until 1911 when he was transferred to Manitowoc where he served until his retirement in 1941 [A brief history of the Rawley Point (Twin River Point) Lighthouse].

Joseph and Lucy, and children Dorothy (b. ca. 1903), Vivian (b. ca. 1906), Ruth (b. ca. 1908), and Gerald J. (b. ca. Jan. 1910; d. 23 Oct. 1988; buried in Evergreen Cem.) were enumerated at Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisc. in 1910.

Joseph and Lucy resided in Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin in 1930 with Sylvia (b. ca. 1905), Gerald (b. 10 Dec. 1909; d. 23 Oct. 1988, res. Manitowoc, Wisc. [SSDI]), Salome (b. ca. 1912), John (b. ca. 1914), Grace (b. ca. 1916).

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Joseph Napiezinski, 90, of 2210 Waldo Blvd., Manitowoc, died Monday afternoon at Manitowoc County Hospital. Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Mittnacht Funeral Home and at 10 a.m. at Holy Innocents Catholic Church. The Rev. E.A. Radey will officiate and burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Mr. Napiezinski was born March 18, 1876, at Utica, N.Y., son of the late Anton and Anna Poienski Napiezinski. He came to Two Rivers as a boy with his parents and at the age of 17 entered the U.S. Lighthouse Service. He had been a light- house keeper at Twin River Point Lighthouse and Chambers Island Station before coming to Manitowoc in 1911. At Manitowoc he served as keeper of the Manitowoc light until retiring in 1941. He married Lucy LaFond at St. Luke Catholic Church, Two Rivers, June 14, 1898, and the couple celebrated the 60th anniversary of the wedding in 1958. Mrs. Napiezinski died in 1963.

Mr. Napiezinski served many years as a harbor commissioner, was a member of the Holy Name Society, Knights of Columbus, Retired Federal Employees Assn. and Joe's Club.

Surviving are two sons, Gerald of Manitowoc and John of Two Rivers; six daughters, Mrs. Clarence (Dorothy ) Teitgen and Mrs. Christian (Salome) Christensen of Manitowoc, Mrs. Henry (Sylvia) Brocher of Avon Lake, Iowa, Mrs. Earl (Vivian) Harmes of Fox Point, Wis., Mrs. Robert (Ruth) Taugher of Milwaukee and Mrs. Jerome (Grace) Harlow of Ashtabula, Ohio; five sisters, Mrs. Margaret Hess and Mrs. Rose Kafka of Two Rivers, Mrs. Jennie Haguewood of Port Angeles, Wash., Mrs. Lucy Griffin of Milwaukee and Mrs. Al Loeser of Oakland, Calif., 13 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 3 p.m. Wednesday where the Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. by members of the Holy Name Society and Knights of Columbus.

Published in The Manitowoc Herald Times, May 24, 1966, page 9.

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Link to father provided by Find-A-Grave contributor gapwork90.

Biography by Tom Brocher, last updated on 8 May 2024.