Michigan Burgstahler's
GOTTLIEB BURGSTAHLER II Born in Spock, Germany on 4 Oct 1834 and died in Grand Rapids, MI on 22 Sep 1917. Married EMMA MANNAL on 28 Jun 1863 in Spock, Germany. Emma was born in Spock Germany on 22 Aug 1838 and died of diabetes in Grand Rapids on 28 May 1920. She was the daughter of Eva Maria Mannal. Gottlieb and Emma are buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI. Spock church records say that Emma's mother was the daughter of Eva Maria Kopp and Christoph Mannal. That makes her half French because Christoph was one of Napoleon's soldiers who "stayed behind in 1796" to marry Eva Maria Kopp; a local girl.Gottlieb left Germany for the U.S. on 9 Feb 1881. In March of 1881 Gottlieb and his family had settled in Grand Rapids, MI. Gottlieb began working as a brick mason, and the Burgstahlers were involved in the construction industry in Grand Rapids for many years.
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Children of Gottlieb Burgstahler and Emma Mannal
A. Frederick Wilhelm Burgstahler 9 Sep 1862 to 25 Sep 1942
B. Ernst Burgstahler 9 Apr 1865 to ?
C. Emma Burgstahler 9 Dec 1869 to 23 Nov 1871
D. Ernestine (Burgstahler) Van Bysterwald 24 Jun 1871 to Nov 1942
E. Emma (Burgstahler) Dillberg 14 Mar 1873 to ?
F. Helena G. (Burgstahler) Rogers 8 Jun 1877 to 9 Jun 1929
G. Karl Burgstahler 7 Dec 1881 to Nov 1962
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My great Grandfather was Frederick Wilhelm
Burgstahler.
A. FREDERICK
WILHELM BURGSTAHLER (a.k.a.
F. W. Burgstahler)Born in Spock, Germany on 9 Sep 1862 and died in Grand
Rapids , MI on 25 Sep 1942. Married (1) HELENA G. STEIMLE in the early
1880's then (2) MARIE GEYER on 17 Jul 1930. Helena was born in 1866 and
died on 9 Jun 1929. Marie was born in Germany on 8 Mar 1877 and died in
Grand Rapids on 16 Jun 1954. Frederick and Helena are buried in
Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
Frederick was a mason by trade. He and a partner Heileman started a construction firm in Grand Rapids known as "Burgstahler and Heileman". In 1913 the name was changed to "F. W. Burgstahler & Sons". Frederick remained in the construction business for more then 50 years prior to his retirement. Among the structures he built were the additions to St. John's orphanage, Coit school and Buchanan school. His granddaughter Mary Wingerd said he built the only two Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Grand Rapids. "The Meyer May home on Madison avenue was typical of his residence construction." Eventually Frederick's firm was taken over by his sons Albert E. and E. Charles Burgstahler. Frederick's second wife, Marie, lived in Heidelburg for 22 years before leaving for the U.S. on 12 December 1928 and arriving here on the 23rd of that month. She had a son, Rudi, by a previous marriage. Rudi's wife's name was Verda.
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My Grandfather was E. Charles Burgstahler
3. ERNST CHARLES BURGSTAHLER (Went by E. Charles
Burgstahler). Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 12 May 1889 and died There on
14 Jul 1955. Married (1) FLORENCEADDELL BRIGGS by whom he had a son Karl
Frederick then (2) NETTIE P. TURNER on 2 Feb 1924. (Both marriages took
place in Grand Rapids). Florence was born in 1886 and was buried in
Fairplains Cemetery on 11 Jan 1923. Nettie was born in 1888 and died on
6 Feb 1974. E. Charles and both of his wifes are buried in Fairplains
Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
E. Charles lived at 1809 Madison Avenue in Grand Rapids. He was a brick mason and contractor like his father and was part of the Burgstahler & Sons firm from 1913 until 1952. One of the buildings he constructed was Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. He also was a long time member of the Fraternal Order of Elks. His second wife Nettie had two daughters from a previous marriage. Margaret, the older, was born in Grand Rapids in 1912 and Janet, the younger, was born in 1918 and died 20 Feb 1981. She is buried in the family plot in Fairplains Cemetery under the name Janet (Turner ) Thompson. Another space in the plot is reserved for Arthur A. Thompson Janet's husband.
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My father was Karl Frederick Burgstahler
a.KARL FREDERICK BURGSTAHLER Born in Grand
Rapids, MI on 17 Apr 1915 and died in Decatur, IL on 5 September 2002.
Married (1) ELIZABETH ALTA PAUL in Michigan City, IN on 2 Jan 1937 by
whom he had two sons then, after their divorce in Grand Rapids on 9 Jun
1945 he moved to Decatur, Illinois and remarried (2) NORMA HELEN SCHMIDT
by whom he had two more sons. His second marriage also ended in divorce. Elizabeth was born in Kalamazoo, MI on 18 Apr 1916. Norma was
born in Peru, IL on 18 Aug 1921 and died in Decatur, IL Sep of 1986.
Karl owned a job printing firm in Decatur, IL before his retirement. After Karl and Elizabeth divorce Elizabeth remarried and had a son named Donald Frantz. Karl's name appeared in the "Scrapbook of Thoughts" section of Forbes magazine on 15 Aug 1969 where he said his favorite passage from the Bible was Colossians 4:1 which reads: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
______________________________________________________________________Here is my personal history
CHARLES FREDERICK BURGSTAHLER
(Charlie Burgstahler) Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 23 Oct 1940. Married RUBY MAY WITHERALL in Grand Rapids, MI in Oct 1960 (divorced in Grand Rapids in 1964). Charles remarried several times but only had two sons.Charles worked for General Motors for over twenty five years in Kalamazoo, MI. He is a Ham Radio operator, enjoys playing music and working with wood.
A. ROBERT ALLEN BURGSTAHLER Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 1 Jan 1962. Married ROXANNE LYNN BERGSTROM in Grand Rapids MI. On 21 Oct 1994. Roxanne was born in Duluth, MN on 1 Aug 1963.
Robert was the first baby born in Grand Rapids in 1962. He is a carpet layer and has his own business "Floor Mart".
1.
MILEA RENEE BERGSTROM Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 12 July 1992.Milea's last name was changed to Burgstahler in the spring of 1996.
2. ALEX JACOB BURGSTAHLER Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 27 May 1994.
B. MICHAEL SCOTT BURGSTAHLER Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 15 Oct 1963. Married LETTY JEAN BOWLING in Grand Rapids, MI on 27 May 2006.
Letty was born in Traverse City on 15 Oct. 1977.
1. BRIAN SCOTT BURGSTAHLER Born in Grand Rapids, MI on 27 Feb 2007.