For My Cousins
Family photo
The Tagatz Family (left to right):
Front - Adaline, Laura, Hugo, Evaline, Arnold
Back - Fred, Frieda
Friedrich Wilhelm Tagatz
aka Fredrick "Fred" William


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Misc. Tagatz Records

For photos that include Fred Tagatz, go to: T6; T12; T19; T21; T50.
For a photo of his home in 1904, go to: his house

Info Category Details
Born:
Nov. 21, 1868
His Bible says Friedrich Wilhelm Tagatz was born Nov. 21, 1868 in the town of Crystal Lake, Marquette Co., WI. Unsubstantiated family notes say he was baptized Nov. 29, 1868.
Parents:
Michael Johann Tagatz and
Ottilie Emilie Siewert
The 1870 Wisconsin Census said Frederick Tagatz was the son of Michael Tagatz and Emilia, which match notes left by his daughter Evaline. After his mother died shortly after giving birth to her fourth child, Fred's new stepmother (his mother's sister Caroline) raised him.

For a photo of Michael Johann Tagatz and his family, go to: T21

Marriage:
Frieda Emma Schubert Nov. 18, 1895 at Richford, Waushara Co., WI
Fred Tagatz married Frieda on Nov. 18, 1895 at Richford, Waushara Co., WI; married in Richford Lutheran Church by Rev. G. Melchert; F.W. Knappe, Pastor; Witnesses - Adolph Tagatz and August Beutler. [SOURCE: I have a note that says this is from Vol. D, p. 112; I have not seen this record myself.]
Child 1:
Adelia Edith Tagatz
b. June 9, 1897;
d. Nov. 7, 1897
Family notes say she was born June 9, 1897 in the Village of Westfield, Marquette Co., WI, at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday [Book 2, p. 73]; baptized by Rev. Martin Mueller; died Nov. 7, 1897; buried in Westfield East Cemetery. [I did not confirm this information with independent sources.]

Adaline Tagatz's estate documents (drawn up after Adaline's death) said that Adaline had a sister named Lila as well as a sister named Adelia; Lila and Adelia could well have been the same person. My Great-Aunt Adaline wrote a letter to my grandmother Evaline Tagatz which said: "...The name Lilah is not the name of a culprit, murderer or anything like that. I have been acquainted with several girls whose name was Lilah, which name mother wanted." Adaline claimed that her sister was baptized with the name of Adelia Edith Tagatz at the insistence of her father and Pastor Martin Mueller, despite the objections of her mother.

Fred Tagatz's Bible confirms the date and place of birth and her date of death. Her tombstone says "Adelia E. Tagatz 897-1897."

Child 2:
Adaline Eleanora Tagatz
b. Oct. 11, 1898;
d. Jan. 24, 1992
Family notes say she was born Oct. 11, 1898 in the Village of Westfield at 7 p.m. Tuesday [Book 2, pg. 93]; baptized Nov. 6, 1898; confirmed June 30, 1912; died Jan. 24, 1992; buried at Eastside Cemetery in Westfield; never married and had no children; she was in the insurance business. She attended Teachers' Training Course, according to a 1917 Commencement Announcement in Westfield, Marquette Co., WI. She was very active in the Walther League.

Adaline sang in church. She also performed on WLBL radio and other venues as one of the students of Miss Anne Marie Russell (instructor of voice). [SOURCE: Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Pt., WI - Apr. 11, 1928; Apr. 18, 1928; June 21, 1928]


The 1920 Federal Census in Calumet, Fond du Lac, WI, says that Adaline was living with her Uncle Otto:
  • Otto Schubert (age 36, bank cashier, born in Wis., parents born in Germany)
  • wife Laura (age 33, born in Wis., parents born in Germany)
  • daughter Leona [? my best guess at spelling; hard to read] (age 3, born in Wis.)
  • son Harold (age six months, born in Wis.)
  • Adaline Tagatz (age 21, bank bookkeeper, born in Wis., parents born in Wis.).

A Stevens Point Daily Journal article on Feb. 24, 1922 describes an adventure that Adeline Tagatz [first name misspelled] had. It said she was a bookkeeper at the First National Bank. She and a friend, Miss Clark, took the Portage train from Stevens Point to her family's home in Westfield. The train stalled in Plainfield, WI, on its return trip in heavy snow. Several male passengers on the train made their way to Plainfield, hired a sleigh and 11 people (including Adaline), took the sleigh back to Stevens Point. They stopped twice to warm up indoors. The trip took from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"The sleigh had a canvas top covering, which protected its occupants from the cold wind but the men had to get out many times to assist the rig through frequent drifts which threatened to hold up the party. Probably the worst piece of highway encountered was that from the Moore barn, a well known landmark, to Plover, where the drifts were several feet high. The horses' feet were badly cut by breaking through the ice covered roads...The sleet has never before fallen in such quantities or for so long a time, according to many."


Fred Tagatz's Bible confirms the date and place of birth. Her tombstone reads: "Adaline E. Tagatz 1898-1992." She bequeathed property to Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Foundation and other charities. [SOURCE: letter from attorney handling her estate dated June 5, 1992.] A Social Security death entry in ancestry.com confirms Adaline E. Tagatz's date of death as Jan. 24, 1992 and her birth date as Oct. 11, 1898.

Adaline is on the 1900 and 1910 census records with his parents (see census details).

For photos of Adaline, go to: T2; T5; T10; T11; T12

Child 3:
Laura Bertha Tagatz
b. Feb. 2, 1901;
d. Feb. 10, 1921
Family notes say she was b. Feb. 2, 1901 in Village of Westfield [Book 2, p. 370]; baptized Feb. 20, 1901; confirmed June 7, 1914; died Feb. 10, 1921; buried in Westfield East Cemetery; never married and had no children. She was listed on a commencement announcement as a member of the class of 1920 in Westfield High School. She taught for several months in Marquette Co., WI.
She got peritonitis and died at age 20 in Montello. A letter written two weeks before her death (Feb. 7, 1921) by her brother Hugo to their sister Adaline said: "Laura is sick abed. Didn't go out to her school today and had to close it. She has been getting shaky spells for the last four days. She can't hold her hands still and her whole body is sore. Doctor says it's a nervous breakdown and that she had an acute attack last night." One family note said she died of appendicitis. Apparently the doctor misdiagnosed appendicitis as a nervous breakdown.
Laura was on the 1910 and 1920 census records with her parents (see census details). Fred Tagatz's Bible confirms the date and place of birth and her date of death. Her tombstone reads: "Laura B. Tagatz 1901-1921."

For photos of Laura, go to: T10; T11; T12; T14; T27; T33.


Obituary From The Central Union, Westfield, Wisconsin, Friday, February 18th, 1921

Laura B. Tagatz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Tagatz was born February 2nd, 1901 in the Village of Westfield, Marquette county, Wisconsin and departed out of this life in the living hope of Eternal life, February 10th, 1921, at the home of her parents in Montello, Marquette county, Wisconsin at the age of twenty years and eight days.

She was Christianed by Rev. Martin Mueller February 20th, 1901, at the home of her parents in Westfield and was confirmed by Rev. Carl Dietz June 17th, 1914 in the Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church of Westfield of which she has ever since been a faithful member.

Laura graduated from the Westfield High School including the Teachers Training Course in 1920 with high credits; this being a year later than she would have finished had she not been forced to miss school on account of illness during her Sophomore year. She remained in Westfield with her grand-parents to finish her school while her parents moved to Montello.

In September 1920 she took up her first school duties in District No. 2, Packwaukee (known as the Frink school). After starting to teach she was compelled to close her school for some time on account of taking ill with Catarrhal Jaundice. After recovering she had faithfully attended to her school duties until the 4th day of February. She attended the Teacher's Meeting on Saturday and attended church Sunday forenoon taking seriously ill that afternoon with Cholecystitis the same causing her untimely death.

Laura was a girl of cheerful disposition always smiling and making friends where ever she went which was shown by the many flowers sent; she was always striving to help others, never complaining about her own troubles. She leaves to mourn her departure her deeply bereaved parents, two brothers Hugo and Arnold, two sisters Adaline and Evaline, her grandparents and a great many other relatives and a host of friends.

The funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the house at 12:30 and at 2:30 in the Lutheran church of Westfield, Rev. O. Theobald of Montello conducted the services and at the house and Rev. T. Gohlke of Westfield spoke comforting words in the church, both in the German and English language.

The remains were laid to rest in the East Cemetery at Westfield where an older sister, Adelia who had died in infancy was already resting. [SOURCE: Obituary transcription from Nancy Arendsee Schaeffer]

Child 4:
Hugo Alvin Tagatz
[aka Hugo Alwin]
b. June 10, 1904;
d. May 13, 1985
Family notes say he was born June 10, 1904 [Book 2, p. 370] in the Village of Westfield, Marquette Co., WI; baptized June 26, 1904; confirmed Mar. 24, 1918 in Westfield; died in his home on May 13, 1985 in Chicago of cancer.

Hugo bought a farm in Dousmann, WI, and later turned most of it into a golf course called Kettle Moraine. He owned and operated H.A. Tagatz Plumbing & Heating in Elm Grove. He married Florence Barlass Williams in Dec. 27, 1935 in Chicago, IL [Florence was born May 17, 1897; d. Dec. 11, 1975 or 1976, buried in Janesville, Emerald Grove Cemetery]. They adopted a child in 1943 and had foster children for many years. [NOTE: Not all of these family notes were independently confirmed]

A Wisconsin Birth entry in ancestry.com confirms family notes about Hugo's wife's birthdate. It said that Florence Barlass was born on May 17, 1897 in Rock County, WI (reel #258, record #509). Florence B. Barlass appears as a widow, one of many lodgers living in a household in Chicago District 1803, Cook County, IL (age 32, age at first marriage - 26, born in Wis., parents born in Wis., waitress in a restaurant). A Social Security Death index record on ancestry.com says that Florence Tagatz was born May 17, 1897 and died Dec. 1975 (last residence was Dousman, Waukesha, WI).


The 1930 Federal Census in Milwaukee District 290, WI, shows Hugo living with his brother Arnold:
  • Hugo A. Tagatz (age 25, single, born in Wis., parents born in Wis., retail plumbing salesman)
  • brother Arnold F. Tagatz (age 20, salesman in the radio industry)

An article in the Waukesha Daily Freeman newspaper (in Waukesha, WI), Mar. 10, 1955, sad he had "just returned" from a European trip and was going to be the the guest speaker at a Father and Son banquet in the Ottawa church, showing photos of his trip. A commencement announcement named him as a member of the class of 1921 of Montello High School.
Fred Tagatz's Bible said the date of his marriage to Florence (Barlass) Williams was Dec. 28, 1935, which conflicts with other family notes by one day. His birth entry in his father's Bible spelled his middle name as Alwin. The Social Security death index on ancestry.com confirms his date of birth as June 10, 1904; it says his last residence was Dousman, Waukesha, WI.

Hugo appears on the 1905, 1910 and 1920 census records with his parents (see census details).

For photos of Hugo, go to: T8; T12; T15; T38.

Child 5:
Evaline Dorothea Tagatz
b. Mar. 5, 1906;
d. Oct. 30, 1990
For information about her life, go to Evaline Tagatz's web page.
Child 6:
Arnold Friedrich Tagatz
[aka Arnold Frederick]
b. Sept. 4, 1909;
d. July 29, 1984
Family notes say he was born Sept. 4, 1909 [Book 1A, p. 533] in the Town of Westfield, Marquette Co., WI; died July 29, 1984 in Milwaukee, WI; married Alice A. Nagel on Aug. 17, 1935 in Frieden's Evangelische Church in Milwaukee [Alice was b. Apr. 25, 1909; her father was Jack Nagel; her obit says she died at age 58 years, buried at Graceland Cemetery; Harder Funeral Home, Fond du Lac handled the arrangements]. Arnold and Alice had a child in 1939.

Arnold lived with his brother in Milwaukee in 1930 (see census information under Hugo's entry above) and with his parents in 1910 and 1920 (see census entries below).


The Family of Jacob's Wife - Alice Nagel:

The 1920 Federal Census in Milwaukee (District 93), Milwaukee, WI, shows Arnold's future wife Alice (on Wright Street):

  • Jacob Nagel (age given but hard to read - immigrated in 1889, naturalized in 1900, born in Germany, occupation too faded to read)
  • wife Anna (age 39, immigrated in 1890, place of birth given but hard to read [could be Pomer. or possibly Posen?], German language)
  • daughter Alice (age 10, born in Wis.)
The 1920 Federal Census in Milwaukee (District 93), Milwaukee, WI, shows Arnold's future parents-in-law living two households away from Jacob Nagel:
  • August Mueller (age 69, immigrated in 1890, place of birth given but written over [starts with "Po" - might be Posen or Pomm.] German langauge)
  • wife Johanna Mueller (age 68, immigrated in 1890, place of birth given but written over - German language)
The 1930 Federal Census in Milwaukee (District 252), Milwaukee, WI, shows Arnold's future wife Alice (on 29th Street):
  • Jacob Nagel (home value $8,000, owns a radio, age 53, first married at age 25, born in Germany, immigrated in 1887, houseman)
  • wife Anna Nagel (age 49, married at age 21, born in Germany, immigrated in 1890)
  • son Walter (age 26, single, born in Wis., salesman in a department store)
  • daughter Alice (age 20, single, born in Wis., telephone operator)
  • mother-in-law Johanna Mueller (age 79, widow, born in Germany, immigrated in 1890)

Fred Tagatz's Bible confirms the date of his marriage to Alice Nagel as well as his place and date of birth. This Bible gives his middle name as Friedrich. His Social Security death index record in ancestry.com confirms his date of birth and says his last residence was Milwaukee, WI. It said he died July 1984.

For photos of Arnold, go to: T4; T12; T17; T18; T29; T31; T40.

Census Record:
1870 Federal Census
Crystal Lake, Marquette Co., WI
The 1870 Federal Census in Crystal Lake, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Michael Taggets [last name misspelled on this census] (age 25, farmer, born in Prussia, real estate property value: $800, personal property value: $325)
  • wife Emilia (age 20, born in Prussia)
  • son Martin (age 3, born in Wisconsin)
  • son Frederick (age 1, born in Wisconsin).
Census Record:
1880 Federal Census
Crystal Lake, Marquette Co., WI
The 1880 Federal Census in Crystal Lake, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Michael Tagatz (age 36, farmer, born in Prussia)
  • wife Caroline (age 22, born in Wisconsin, both parents born in Prussia) [Michael's second wife was the sister of his first wife]
  • son Martin (age 13, born in Wisconsin, both parents born in Prussia)
  • son Friedrich (age 11, born in Wisconsin, both parents born in Prussia)
  • daughter Mina (age 9, born in Wisconsin, both parents born in Prussia)
  • daughter Sida (age 4, born in Wisconsin, father born in Prussia, mother born in Wisconsin)
  • daughter Hulda (age 5 months, born in Wisconsin, father born in Prussia, mother born in Wisconsin).
Census Record:
1900 Federal Census
Westfield, Marquette Co., WI
The 1900 Federal Census in Westfield, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Fred W. Tagatz (age 31, born Nov. 1868 in Wisconsin, parents born in Germany, occupation - carpenter, renting home, married four years)
  • wife Emma F. (age 26, born May 1874 in Wisconsin, parents born in Germany)
  • daughter Adeline E. Tagatz [first name misspelled in this record] (age 1, born Oct. 1898 in Wisconsin).
Census Record:
1905 Wisconsin Census
Westfield, Marquette Co., WI
The 1905 Wisconsin Census in Westfield, Marquette Co., WI shows:
  • Fred W. Tagatz (head of household, age 37, born in Wis., parents born in Germany and Wisconsin, farmer, owns his own farm with a mortgage)
  • Emma E. Tagatz (wife, age 30, born in Wis., parents born in Germany and Wisconsin)
  • Adeline E. Tagatz (daughter, age 6, born in Wis.)
  • Laura B. Tagatz (daughter, age 4, born in Wis.)
  • Hugo A. Tagatz (son, age 1, born in Wis.)
Census Record:
1910 Federal Census
Westfield, Marquette Co., WI
The 1910 Federal Census in Westfield, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Fred W. Tagatz (age 41, married 14 years, born in Wisconsin, parents born in Germany, occupation - proprietor saloon & bar)
  • wife Emma (age 36, had 6 children, 5 living, born in Wisconsin, parents born in Germany)
  • daughter Adeline (age 11, born in Wis.) [NOTE: Adeline spelled her name Adaline]
  • daughter Laura (age 9, born in Wis.)
  • son Hugo (age 5, born in Wis.)
  • daughter Evaline (age 4, born in Wis.)
  • son Arnold (age 9 months old, born in Wis.).

Census form said "Spring Street" on side margin.

Census Record:
1920 Federal Census
Montello, Marquette Co., WI
The 1920 Federal Census in Montello, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Fred W. Tagatz (age 51, mother born in Wisconsin, father born in Germany, occupation - county sheriff)
  • wife Emma [This is her middle name] (age 45, mother born in Wisconsin, father born in Germany)
  • daughter Laura B. (age 18, single, born in Wis.)
  • son Hugo A. (age 15, born in Wis.)
  • Evaline D. (age 13, born in Wis.)
  • Arnold F. (age 10, born in Wis.).

This page of the census was taken at the "Institution: Marquette County Jail," and the Tagatz family is the only listing there. Since he was the county sheriff, it's possible that the whole family lived there. The census also said that he was renting versus owned place of lodging.

Census Record:
1930 Federal Census
Westfield, Marquette Co., WI
The 1930 Federal Census in Westfield, Marquette Co., WI, shows:
  • head of household: Fred W. Tagatz (age 61, age when married - 26, born in Wisconsin, father born in Germany, mother born in Wisconsin, occupation - carpenter)
  • wife Emma F. (age 55, age when married - 21, born in Wisconsin, parents born in Germany).

"Thomas Street" was written on edge of this census page.

Misc Notes:
Fred is named in a few publications
A picture of Fred behind the counter in his saloon (the Tagatz Saloon) in Westfield appears in Centennial Memories - Celebrating the Village of Westfield 1902-2002 (p. 91).

Fran Sprain wrote in her book Places and Faces in Marquette County, Wis. - Vol. I that Fred had a saloon in a small store on the west side of Westfield and that he later became Marquette County Sheriff (p. 45; book published by Isabella Press in Westfield, WI).

Fred Tagatz bought land in Cochrane's addition platted west of the railroad track, southwest of the Central Hotel. Louis Schubert also bought land in this new plat. [SOURCE: Centennial Memories - Celebrating the Village of Westfield 1902-2002 (p. 17; this page quotes the Central Union on June 29, 1899)]. If this Louis was Ludwig Schubert, it would mean that Fred bought land in the same area as his father-in-law or possibly as Ludwig's son Christoph "Louis" Schubert.

Fred had an injury while doing carpenter work: "Fred Tagatz cut his finger and thumb quite severely in the electric saw while doing carpenter work in the G.A. Brakebush building, which is being remodeled for a grocery store." [SOURCE: This quote was from the Westfield section of the Jan. 9, 1933 Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, WI).]

Died:
Jan. 9, 1952
His Bible (which Adaline Tagatz had after his death) said Friedrich Wilhelm Tagatz died Jan. 9, 1952, and his daughter Adaline's diary made a reference to his death on that day. Family notes say he died Jan. 9, 1952 in Oxford Convalescent Home of a myocardial infarction with generalized arteriosclerosis. He was buried at Westfield East Cemetery, Marquette Co., WI.

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