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Peter Mares

Born: Circa 1837. Peter noted his place of birth on 3 different censuses as Holland, Prussia and Germany. His brother John reports his place of birth as Holland in 3 censuses. The entire eastern side of Holland borders Germany, and there may not have been a great deal of distinction in those those days for those that lived near the border. Prussia was one of the largest German states, occupying the entire northern half of Germany, bordering Holland. Hitler declared the end of specific states within Germany in Jan 1934, so technically Prussia no longer existed after that.

 

Parents: Dedrick Mares and Mary unknown

 

Siblings: John and Doras

 

Immigration: Found in ship transcribers guild: Peter Mares, age 20 (? not clear), ship Mariana Notbohn, arrived NY April 1858, place of origin - Germany,  Port of Departure:    Antwerp, Belgium. Both Peter and John recorded their year of immigration as 1853, however.

 

Marriage: #1 Barbara Gietzen, #2 Mary Ryan (Peter and his brother John married sisters Barbara and Plunney or Appelonia Gietzen)

 

Death: 14 Apr 1904, Waupaca Co, WI. Death certificate filed in Waupace Co lists Peter as being born in Stockton, Holland, March 23, 1837, age at death, 67 years, 21 days (note: cannnot locate a town or province in either Germany or Holland by the name of Stockton).

 

Children: With wife #1: John (7/1862-4/14/1918) married Inez Vedner;  Joseph (1864-1943) married Minnie Russ; Mary (1866-6/8/1877) diptheria ?;   Peter (circa 1868-6/21/1888 fell off scaffold while building barn, unmarried), Barbara (1869-6/20/1877) diptheria?;   Henry (6/9/1873-3/8/1881) died of diptheria;   Henry (1874-5/18/1881) diptheria?;   Christian (1/12/1875-2/19/1945) married Mary Fleischman;   Nicholas (circa 1877-6/11/1880), Frank (5/2/1879-5/18/1881);  Katherine Mares (1882-3/8/1937) married James Campbell;

 

Notes:

From Phil Mares (grandson): Peter Mares was known to have at least two brothers, John and Doras. John and Doras both came to America with Peter. I understand from uncle Joe (one of Peter’s son’s), that they landed in Northport. That was the predominate landing place. I went right down to the spot where they were supposed to have landed years ago. That’s where all the Irish came through, too. Northport has a history pertaining to that. They came up the Wolf river. Uncle Joe used to tell me that New London was started before Bear Creek was here, and they use to walk to New London and carry flour back eleven miles, on their shoulders. For a short period of time, all three brothers settled at Cedarburg, WI. Later, John and Peter moved from Cedarburg to a settlement named Lebanon, WI (an Irish settlement), southwest of Bear Creek Wi, where both worked for a large landowner. After both recouped their fortunes, they homesteaded land in Waupaca county, about 3 miles southwest of Bear Creek.  The first Catholic pioneers in the Town of Bear Creek traveled to Lebanon for religious services. Most often, these trips were made on foot and usually in groups starting out from some appointed place. Construction began on a new church in the village of Welcome, now known as Bear Creek in 1885.

Note from Harold Mares, 10/77: Charles and Lawrence (cousins?) both claimed that the origin of the family was Prussia where Peter, John and Doras’ father was some kind of high ranking military officer, army, I believe. Either during a revolution, etc. they moved to Holland. They mentioned that their father always walked with a military step and used almost a military form of discipline in raising his family. This could also have been the army in Holland.

From granddaughter Barbara Mares 7/1977: “I don’t remember Peter Mares, but I can remember my mother saying that when she came down to Bear Creek with Pa and met his folks, they still wore - you know they were Hollanders - those stiff white aprons and those caps and wooden shoes. That’s what she used to tell me about when she first went there.”

Note from Genevieve Mares July 1977:
Peter and John Mares first landed in Cedarburg. They married two sisters apparently in Cedarburg. John Mares came up first and built a log house. Peter built a log cabin on the next road.
The Peter later built on the farm still stands (1977)

 

Census:

1900 Bear Creek, Waupaca Co, WI
Peter “Maers” age 64, born March 1837 Germany, married 6 years, farmer, emigrated 1853, 47 years in US, can read and write english, owns farm free of mortgage
Mary, wife, age 45  born Nov. 1855 (second wife)
John, son, born July 1862, age 37, born WI, carpenter
Katrina, daughter, born July 1882, born WI

 

Census, June 1895 Bear Creek, Waupaca Co WI
3 white males, 3 white females, 5 born US, 1 born Germany,

1880  Census, Bear Creek, Waupaca Co WI:  Peter Meres, age 43, born Prussia, farmer, mother and father born Prussia
Barbery Meres, wife, age 38 born Prussia
John Meres, son age 17 born WI
Joseph, son age 16 born WI
Peter age 12, born WI
Henry age 8, born WI
Christian age 5, born WI
Nickolas asge 3 born WI
Frank age 1, born WI

 

1870 WI, Bear Creek, Waupaca Co:
Peter Marez, age 30, farmer, born Holland (note - these ages don’t match previous census) value of real estate $900, personal estate $300, cannot write
Barbara age 30, keeping house, born Prussia
John 9 born WI (all children)
Joseph 7
Peter 3
Mary 4
Sarah 1

 

1860 WI (unable to definately find) Have found the following: Waupaca county, town of Lebanon: Peter Murst, age 22, farm laborer, born Holland, living on farm of Mikel Gorman

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