Like Peter, he had no second name. The initial B. used by Peter, too, represents their mother's family name, Braun. married in Kitchener.
Wagonmaker at Riversdale from about 1890 to 1903-4. The first Sunday of the month, the Peter Fischers used to drive the six miles to Mass at Riversdale and dinner at the George Fischers' with Father John Corcoran attending. He was parish priest there from July 1877 to 1910, when he retired and returned to Ireland. He was a great story-teller and was well- liked. The Protestants of the area put on a banquet and presented him with a gold-headed cane when he retired.
The opening of a wagon factory in London, with power machinery for fast production of wagons cut sharply into George's trade. It was perhaps 1904 when he quit the business and moved to Kitchener, where he became caretaker at St. Mary's church, probably at the suggestion of his brother, Rev. A.J. Fischer, C.R., who was at St. Mary's in those years. The wagonmaker's shop stood empty and unsold for two or three years. Then, fearing vandalism, George sold it at some bargain price to Peter, who dismantled it and moved it to serve as an implement shed on his newly purchased farm on the Town Line in 1906. Being timbered like Ontario barns, and with large doors hung on an overhead track at either end, the building made a fine drive-shed.
While removing the roof, Peter fell through, managed to grab a crosspiece with one hand and wrenched that shoulder out of joint before falling to the ground. He drove home in the cutter and had son, Andrew, drive him to Walkerton to the doctor. There had been a snowstorm with much drifting across the roads, which resulted in many pitch-holes in the road. As the front of the cutter dropped into these, sharp pains ran through Peter's shoulder. Peter marvelled how the doctor was able to put the arm back into the shoulder socket with a jerk and a snap.
With the shop, Peter also got some various items which had found no buyers at the auction sale, such as several solid oak wheel hubs. They lay in Peter's upper drive-shed for many years as souvenirs of George's craftsmanship. Finally they were discarded,- probably burned in a fire made to boil maple sap to make syrup. So the hubs missed becoming fine antiques of the 1980's.
Late in life George B Fischer married a Mrs. Dietrich of Guelph. She had three children from her first marriage'
Florence, Mrs. Rudolph Englert, Walter Dietrich, barber, and Gladys, Mrs. Walter Rosenberger
Anne lived at St. Agatha with the Schulers for some years as company for their only daughter, Mary. Anne was fond of reading, whether she was following her father's interest in reading and education or influenced by some teacher at St. Agatha. There was little available to read, so she probably read the very instructive little book several times which had belonged to Catherine Moser. This may be the reason why it remained in Anne's possession. (See Fischer Branch #5 for description and content of the book.) When Anne's elder brother,Joseph, was nearing the end of his training for lawyer, and his father said he could give Joseph no more help, Anne gave or lent Joe $100. which allowed him to finish the course.
Anne seems to have been the "nurse. of the family. It was she who tended her father's blood poisoning infection and she kept her mother after Ottilia suffered a stroke.
Many Chepstow boys were given the name Stephen at Baptism or chose it at Confirmation in honour of Rev. Stephen Wadel, the first resident Priest and long-time Pastor (1878-1900) at Chepstow.
Jacob d. Jan. 11, 1965 in a rest home at West Branch, Mich. some months after he had suffered a stroke at home.
As a young man, he had learned harnessmaking. Wages in Ontario were $10. a month, and $20. a month in Michigan. So he chose Michigan.
married
Jan. 8, 1907
Theresa Schmidt, b. Nov. 11, 1877, of Mildmay. Attendants at the Mildmay wedding were Frank X. Schmidt, the bride's brother, and Emma Fischer, niece of the groom.
Theresa d. Apr. 8, 1908 at 30-4-27 in hospital at Bay City, Mich. and was buried in Mildmay, Ont. Originally the monument must have read'In Memory of
THERESA Wife of
JACOB FISCHER
But due to a break in the monument along the middle line of the inscription, only the initial T and the tops of the H and R of her name can be seen. The rest of the line could likely be found in the shards.
Elizabeth's parents were Joseph Weber and Agatha Brohman, a sister of Magdalena Brohman who married Michael McNab I. (refer to Fischer Branch #3.) So the Michigan Fischers are doubly related to the McNabs of Chepstow. (See the Brohman Book for further information.)
Attendants at Theresa's Mildmay wedding were Frank X. Schmidt, the bride's brother, and Emma Fischer, niece of the groom.
Theresa d. Apr. 8, 1908 at 30-4-27 in hospital at Bay City, Mich. and was buried in Mildmay, Ont. Originally the monument must have read'In Memory of
THERESA Wife of
JACOB FISCHER
But due to a break in the monument along the middle line of the inecription, only the initial T and the tops of the H and R of her name can be seen. The rest of the line could likely be found in the shards.
Not married. They call him Pete.
He took over the home farm and so came into possession of some Fischer family heirlooms, the Oensbach Letter being the most significant. Also has a compass in a small box said to have been used by Fischers while buffalo hunting on the American western plains. This would have to refer to their grandfather, William Fischer and his brothers or brothers - in-law, since the buffalo herds ceased to exist about 1880. It's not known if they shot any buffalo. Several Fischers had buffalo robes, but these, being the fashion for driving, may have been purchased.
Edgar, especially, of the Michigan Fischers, likes fishing for sport in Michigan and Northern Ontario where he sometimes goes hunting in the fall.
The early generations of Fischer sons were baptized with just one name. When a second name or initial was required, they used the initial of their mother's family name, W. for Wilhelm, M. for Moser.
When Charles left home, he first worked in Blair. They lived on a farm on the Grand river flood plain. These pictures are from Blair and also their house around 1898 when the Grand river flooded in Febuary.
Next he bought a farm from Isaac Schantz in 1902, across the road from his father's farm, the road now called Fischer-Hallman Road. There was a frame house on the property. He built the red brick house in 1910 and is still occupied. It can be seen across the road from the Forest Heights Collegiate. The original frame house was used as a workshop untill the farm was sold and developed around 1955
Kitchener cousins sometimes used to walk out on a Sunday after Mass to Uncle Charlie's. They played ball or went to the bush for beechnuts. That was a pleasant excursion, though perhaps a busy day for Aunt Barbara and Georgina hustling to feed the group. Charlie must have been a happy sociable person. Even in Chepstow, Charlie Fischer's visits were mentioned in joyful tones. A photograph with some of the nieces and nephews
Barbara's brother John married Caroline Fischer (a sister of Charles M.)
and her sister Mary Ann married George B. Fischer a son of William Fischer
(oldest son of Philip Fischer)Barbara's Parents
George Riedl, b. Feb. 13, 1822' d. June 9, 1904 at 81 Mary Riedl, b. Oct. 30, 1826' d. Dec. 21, 1887 at 61
Karl Riedl, d. Mar. 5, 1933 in 68th year Brother of Barbara, Mary Ann and John who married Fischers.Barbara lived with her son Reinhold, his wife Rose and their son Charles and Barbara's daughter, Georgina on the Fischer homestead until her death in 1939.
Learned the blacksmith trade from Jacob Bricker, Berlin. Worked for Joe Massel, blacksmith in Chepstow for a year or two. Then William had his own shop first in Strasburg.
In the spring of 1909 he bought a shop at King and Scott Street and moved his family to Kitchener. The shop, consisting of a blacksmith shop, wagonmaker's and paint shop was bought from Peter Strub, a second cousin. (See Fischer Branch #1, STRUB)
Later Wm. built a house at 12 Elgin St., Kitchener where he lived till he died.
After the children had left home, William M. Fischer married (2) Nov. 6, 1928 Rebecca (Forwell) Kelly, d. Nov. 1, 1943 at 68-11, Kitchener Buried at St. Clements with her first husband, Peter J. Kelly, 1860-1918.
Apprenticed as blacksmith with brother, William. Set up shop in Blair. Later bought blacksmith shop in Preston and moved there in 1910. Farmed near Mount Carmel 1917-1918. Then bought a hardware store in Preston which he managed till 1944 when his son Boniface took it over.
Magdalenas' parents were Lawrence Dietrich (b. sept 25, 1842 St. Agatha d. Nov. 17, 1913 Dashwood) and Sidonia Buchheit (b. sep. 4, 1849 St. Agatha, d. Oct. 31, 1926 Dashwood). 11 Children.
Magdalen's great grandparents, Theobald Dietrich and Barbara, both born about 1783-4 were among the earliest settlers at St. Agatha. There's a monument for her grandparents, Theobald H. Dietrich and Mary Eva among the early gravestones near the chapel in St. Agatha Cemetery.
Charles or Charlie as he was known by the author of this note farmed the Moser homestead on what is now known as Highland Rd in Kitchener. The farm was across the road from the current Highland Hills shopping mall. As was customary in the 1940's local farmers would gather for a threshing 'Bee' or Silo filling 'Bee'. As I recall Charlie's wife had died and a house keeper would cook for the gang helping with the harvest.
One of Charlie's children, Sebastian (Seb), was a reqular helper at my fathers farm when pigs were to be slaughtered. I speculate that Seb. was working in a butcher shop at the time.