THE HALFMANN FAMILY OF ST JOE
BY Dan Dreifuerst

It was the beginning of March 1893. The Carl and Margaret Halfmann family lived on a 130 acre farm near Wolf Lake. Carl was 45 and Margaret was 41. They had 8 children living wit them at the time, Elizabeth 17, Susanna 16, Anna 15, Johann 13, Philipp 11, Carl 9, Carolina 7, and Maria 3 years old. They had lost 2 children earlier, Regina had died in 1888 at the age of 13 months and Regina Eva had died in April of 1892, only 2 weeks old.

One of the family members brought diptheria into the house in late February -- March of 1893, it was thought to be Susanna. Susanna died first on the 4th of March, Anna on the 7th, Carolina on the 9th, Johann on the 11th and Philipp on the 30th. No one could come into the quarantined house so they slipped coffins in through the front window, the family prepared the bodies for burial and then slipped the coffins back out through the window. It was said that the oldest daughter, Elizabeth was away from home when this started and that she should not come home until this was over or she would die also.

Carl was also staying with a neighbor at the time. If that was not tragic enough, Maria was kicked by a horse the following January and died of the injuries. The graves of the children are in the St. Joseph Cemetery marked by 4 stones.

Elizabeth survived and married Lambert Klasen and lived to the age of 72. Carl also lived and married Franziska Bertram, she died and then he married Theresa Rott. Carl lived to the age of 54,

Margaret was obviously suffering immensely when she lost most of her family. The doctor recommended having another baby as that helped some mothers deal with the grief. Catherine was conceived shortly after in July of 1894. Catherine married Matthew Mauer and lived to the age of 77.