We started our 4th day with a Starbucks run and then a wild journey up one of Dubuque’s bluffs and through some alleys (thanks to the excellent navigation skills of the GPS) to the massive Mount Calvary Cemetery.  The three of us split up to take on the cemetery and we still didn’t come near finishing the cemetery – or even a quarter of it – before we had to leave!

We found Vincent Hansen (grandson of Angela Susanna Konzen Hansen) and his wife Helen Breitbach, Francis Hansen (Grandson of Angela Susanna Konzen Hansen) and his wife Margareta Schroeder, Lucille Link (Vernon’s mom and Angela Susanna Konzen Hansen’s great granddaughter) and her husband Arnold Auderer, John Louis Breitbach (Great grandson of Johann Ries [1794-1867]) and his sister Velma Breitbach Hentges Curran, Wilfred J. Konzen (Great grandson of Theodore Konzen [1823-1905]) and his wife Goldie.

Vincent Hansen (Angela Susanna Konzen Hansen’s grandson) and his wife Helen Breitbach

Wilfred Konzen (Great grandson of Theodore Konzen) and his wife Goldie

Then the three of us journeyed back down the bluff and up the next to Vernon’s house.  We had lunch together and discussed family history and connections.  Vernon showed us the many genealogy books he’s written on different branches of his family.  His dedication to family research was amazing along with his organization.  He had notebooks full of research and binders of obituaries organized.

After our time with Vernon; Michelle, Sandy, and I traveled down some winding roads to five more cemeteries.  We went to Holy Cross in Holy Cross, Holy Trinity in Luxemburg, St. Boniface in New Vienna, Sts. Peter and Paul in Petersburg, and St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville.  A few Konzen extended family members that we found in Holy Cross were: Anthony Konzen (Theodore & Marie DeMuth Konzen’s son) and his wife Josephine Blankenheim; Anthony Clemens (Son of Kathryn Konzen and grandson of Theodore & Marie DeMuth Konzen) and his wife Laverne Tobin; Elizabeth Clemens Ungs (Daughter of Kathryn Konzen) and her husband Henry Ungs; Joseph Konzen (Anthony & Josephine Blankenheim Konzen’s son) and his wife Lorraine Schmitt; Mathias Konzen (Son of Theodore & Marie DeMuth Konzen) and his wife Katherine Schmitt; Mathias (John & Margaretha Conrad Jaeger’s son, grandson of Anton & Catherine Konzen Meyer) and his wife Marcella Habel; Michael and Catherine Thielen Schmitt (Parents of Katherine Schmitt who married Mathias Konzen); Victor Konzen (Anthony & Josephine Blankenheim Konzen’s son); and Peter Konzen (1789-abt 1863) and his wife Theresa Wolff (1795-1871), their son Theodore Konzen (1823-1905) and his wife Marie DeMuth (1830-1895), and their children Elisabetha Konzen (1852-1864), Charles Konzen (1859-1864), Maria Konzen (1855-1866), and Theodore Konzen (born abt 1862).

Peter Konzen and his wife Theresa Wolff, my great great great grandparents.

Children of Theodore Konzen & Marie DeMuth: Elisabeth, Charles, Maria, & Theodore Konzen.

In Holy Cross, I realized how incredible it really was to be visiting my great great great grandparents’ graves (Peter & Theresa Konzen) and being somewhere my 3x great grandparents actually lived.  Holy Cross is a cute little town in the rolling countryside outside of Dubuque.  Inside the Holy Cross Church, there’s a stained glass window that Theodore and Marie Konzen donated money for to the church – which even increased my feelings about visiting Holy Cross.

Mr & Mrs Theodore Konzen’s window inside the Holy Cross Catholic Church

We made the quick trip from Holy Cross to Luxemburg’s Holy Trinity Cemetery, where we found many gravestones of people who were born in Mettendorf, Luxembourg.  Mettendorf is now in Germany (the result of over 100 years of border changes) and it is only four and a half miles away from Kruchten, Germany, where Peter Konzen & Theresa Wolff were married and had their children (Johan Mathias, Margaretha, Theodore, Joannes, Anton, and Maria).  Judging from the cemetery, Luxemburg, Iowa, was aptly named, such a large number of Luxembourg immigrants are buried there! One of the Luxembourgers buried there was Michael Kohnen (maybe some relation?), his gravestone says he was born in Niederfeulen, Luxembourg, which is about 29.7 kilometers from Kruchten, Germany.

Some Konzen relatives that we found in Luxemburg were: Johann & Susanna Greiner Maiers (Grandparents of Mathias Maiers, Theresa Konzen’s husband), John & Susanna Lacafe Ries (Grandparents of Anna Gilbert who married Peter Kout, son of Margaretha Konzen Kout), John H & Mary Maiers, John N & Marie Ries Maiers (She is the daughter of Johann & Susanna Lacafe Ries.  They are the parents of Mathias Maiers, husband of Theresa Konzen), Johann & Katherine Heiderscheit Ries (He is the son of Johann & Susanna Lacafe Ries.  They are the parents of Josephine Cecelia Ries who married Theodore John Konzen) and their daughter Kathryn Ries, Theresa Konzen Duster (Daughter of Theodore Konzen and wife of Anton Duster).

Theresa Konzen Duster’s headstone. It says she was born in Kruchten – if only we’d seen that a long time ago!

At St. Boniface Cemetery in New Vienna, we found Elmer Ries (Son of Katherine Konzen & Thomas John Ries), Jacob Aloysius Elenz (Son of Matthias Elenz & Paulina Orth), Louis Kronlage (Mabel M Ries’s husband), Clemens Bockenstedt (Grandfather of Rose Henrietta Klostermann who married Anthony Leopold Konzen) & his wife Mary Ann Wiegmann, Paul Pitz (Grandson of John Pitz & Mary Kirkas) & his wife Leonetta K Ries (Daughter of Thomas John Ries & Katherine Theresa Konzen), Thomas John Ries (Grandson of Johann Ries & Susanna Lacafe) & his wife Katherine Theresa Konzen (Theodore Konzen & Marie DeMuth’s granddaughter).

Katherine Konzen & Thomas John Ries’s son Elmer.

Thomas John Ries & his wife Katherine Theresa Konzen. Katherine was the daughter of Mathias Konzen & Katherine Schmitt and Thomas was the son of Michael Ries & Josephine Conrad.

There weren’t many direct relatives of the Konzens in Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Petersburg, but we found some of Sandy’s relatives and a large Putz family. I found Pitz spelled as Putz in some records, so maybe these Putzes are Pitz relatives. Everett Klostermann (Son of John Joseph Klostermann & Catherine Nurre) & his wife Bernice and Nathan Maiers (John B Maiers & Mary Pasker’s son) & his wife Laurine were buried in the cemetery.

Nathan & Laurine Maiers

At St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Dyersville, we found the graves of Lloyd Konzen (Theodore Konzen & Marie DeMuth’s great grandson) & his wife Mary Smith; Kenneth Kramer (Grandson of Frank Henrich Kramer & Mary Hendricks), his wife Arlene Kennicker, and their son Paul Kramer; Anthony Konzen (Grandson of Theodore Konzen & Marie DeMuth), his wife Rose Klostermann, and their son Lester Konzen.

Lloyd Konzen’s wife Mary Smith was buried in St. Francis Xavier.