Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021
Katherina Siebenaler was born on August 10, 1863, the daughter of Mathias and Maria Klassan Siebenaler, near Vermillion, Minnesota. She married Anton Marschall on October 23, 1883, in Hastings, and then Katherina gathered her belongings and traveled with her husband to his farm high on a hill in Eagle Creek Township in what is now Shakopee.
Anton Marschall was born on February 5, 1857, son of Henry Marschall II and Margaret Flemming Marschall on their farm in New Prague area. Along with his family, he moved to the Marschall Farm in Eagle Creek township, in 1862. Anton was the only boy in the family, with six sisters. He spent his childhood at his dad’s side, learning farming. Anton remembered in winter the industry in Eagle Creek in the early years was wood cutting. He helped his father cut cord wood each winter and hauled it to Shakopee. “We received $3.00 for maples; $2.25 for oak and $1.75 for softwood.”
In the spring, summer, and fall, Anton learned about the iron plow and ox team, replaced by the steel share and mould board drawn by horses.
According to Dorothy Klein Luers in A Marschall Family History 1784-1980, Anton cradled grain as a boy and later bound sheaves with a reaper. While he once cut his hay crown with a scythe and carried to the barn on poles, he later used modern haying devices like mowers, improved rakes, and loaders.
From a humble beginning, Anton watched his farm become a dairying and poultry-raising powerhouse.
The buildings stood high on the hill with a great view of the valley below and the bluffs beyond the Minnesota River to the north. Of course, much of the help was from Anton’s wife, Katherina.
During the next several years, Katherina, along with Anton, had nine children, five boys and four girls. In 1902, Katherina had five little ones under eight years old. She had help from her mother-in-law, Margaret, but in 1902 Margaret was getting tired. Luckily, Katherina hired a girl who helped.
On November 22, 1902, Minnie Buesgens, the hired girl, told Katherina that she should go to church. It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
The weather was good, and the chance to be away from the house for a few hours made Katherina smile. She decided to go to mass at St. Mark’s Catholic Church.
Anton, Katherina, and four of their children headed down to Shakopee on Spring Lake Road (later called Marschall Road).
They were driving on a two-seated platform wagon to attend the morning service.
Suddenly, the bolts that attached the tongue to the wagon dropped out.
Anton and one son jumped out. Just as they arrived at the train track, the horse turned and the wheel struck a tree.
Katherina struck a tree. She died from the concussion of the brain and cerebral hemorrhage.
She was 39 years old. Her oldest child was eighteen years old, and the youngest child was just thirteen months old.
Anton had help from his family, and on October 19, 1904, he married a second time, to Frances Wessling in Albany, Minnesota, and together they headed back to the Marschall farm in Eagle Creek Township in what was later Shakopee.
Bibliography
Klein Luers, Dorothy T. A Marschall Family History 1784-1980.