The Hirschy Newsletter

for descendants of Philip and Julianne (Frey) Hirschy
October 1996, No. 12

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NEXT REUNION

   Another HIRSCHY GATHERING has been
planned for 1997. The Planning Committee
has been able to reserve Riverside Center,
the place of our previous gathering, in
Decatur, for Saturday, July 19. So begin
planning to be present on that date.
   Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m.
and we will have a carry-in potluck dinner
starting at 1:00 p.m.
   If you have ideas for this gathering,
phone or mail them to Kenneth Hirschy, 328
N. 16th, Decatur, IN 46733. Phone - 432-3643.

LETTERS
   Many of you added notes of appreciation
with your subscription renewals. Thank
you for your encouragement! Here is a
sample.
   Julia Beitler Liechty (3.11.1.3) Thanks
so much for all the time and efforts you
give and for all the help to the Berne
area residents concerning their
descendants to the church, library and
community. We are such a blest people.
Trusting our next generation will also
appreciate it and cherish it in humbleness
to our great God."

Velma Runyon (4.8.3.3) Thank you for
spending much time collecting and
publishing The Hirschy News Letter. My
family and I enjoy it very much. I am
enclosing your statement and remittance
for 1 year. At 84 the years become
uncertain.
   (New information about your family is
appreciated. See The Current Generation.

Pamela Hurst (3.2.3.3.2) You have a fine
networking system in place. Thank you for
keeping our family tree current. Hope all
is well with you and your family. (They
now live in Randolph, MA.)

Neva Basey (6.1.4.1.2) Thank you for the
interesting letters. Very hot here today,
in the upper 90's. (Written July 16, from
Lake Panasoffkee, FL)

Bob Hirschy (3.1.7.1) We received the
Hirschy history book and think you
wonderful job. I found one error under
3.1.7.1.1 Barbara Anna Hirschy,
particularly regarding her husband's
employment. (Here is tile correction for
Robert Matthew Baker: Retired Plastics
Engineer Coordinator, Phillips Petroleum
Co., 27 years. Currently Plastics
Marketing Representative, Taiwan Chemical
Company, Houston, Texas.)
Carolyn McCoy (4.8.1.5.2) The boys -
Scott and Bryan have been busy working oil
genealogy. They are interested in copies
of pictures of Louis Hirschy's (4)
children. Does anyone have copies that
they would be willing to share. We would
either copy the picture or they could send
us a copy and we would pay them.
We have copies of Solomon Hirschy (4.10)
who lived in Australia, Samuel Hirschy's
(4.5) family and Peter Hirschy (4-6) We
have a family picture of Jonathan
Hirschy's (4.8) wife and children, but
none of the family ever had a picture of
Jonathan. If anyone has such a picture of
Jonathan, we would love a copy. Jonathan
was my grandfather. If anyone wants
copies of any of these pictures, I will be
glad to share.
We have gained much information from"
your Lehman family book at the Fort Wayne
Library. We are looking forward to the
Hirschy Reunion next July. Thanks for all
of your help. Bryan just completed his
last year in 4-H. His genealogy book
received a blue ribbon at state fair. Now
we are doing genealogy for fun.

THE CURRENT GENERATION
Nancy and Eric Johnson, Nashville, TN.
On April 10, 1995 our daughter Hannah May
Johnson (3.8.3.1.2.2) arrived. Thank you
for the wonderful work you do to pass
along such important history to us.
To Mark and Connie Bullion of Decatur,
was born 1.11.2.3.2.3 Blake Michael on
Jan. 28, 1996.

To Stanley and Tammy (Bollenbacher) Becker
was born 1.10.1.2.1.5.3 Graham Forest
Becker on Nov. 15, 1995.

To Von Lee and Dawn (Neuenschwander)
Balsiger was born 1.10.1.2.2.3.1 Nichol
Lee Balsiger

Additions to the family of Gerald and
Velma Runyon (4.8.3.3)
4.8-3-3.3.3.2 Leah Marie Truckenbrod,
      b. Apr. 10, 1996.
4.8.3.3.3.4.2 Kaylah Ann Bond,
      b. Jan. 11, 1996.
4.8.3.3.6.1.1 Jake Lewis Kunin,
      b. May 1996
4.8.3.3.7.9.1 Tristan Joseph Menzies,
      b. Sept. 8, 1995.

A BIT OF HISTORY
by
Marden C. Habegger 4.5.5.1
   On the morning of July 30, 1994,
Marianna and I visited in the home of
Mildred Neuenschwander Stahley (4.5.2.1).
Herbert and Helen Fretz took us there for
a visit with Mildred. I took the occasion
to obtain some history from Mildred about
the time when Mildred's mother died and
the immediate time before.
   Mildred was born on April 13, 1912, to
Wesley and Helen Hirschy Neuenschwander.
They lived in the home on Baltimore
Street, [Berne, IN) a half block and
around the corner from Grandma Christine
Hirschy. Grandma and her daughter Pearl
lived on Water Street.
   Dora Hirschy [Helen's sister) married
Elmer Winteregg on October 2, 1917. They
proceeded to build a house in Berne on
north Baltimore Street. Since they needed
a place to live, they stayed with Wesley
and Helen Neuenschwander until their house
was ready. This turned out to be a long
stay.
   In the spring of 1918 Mildred's mother,
Helen, became very sick with rheumatism
and then double pneumonia, which took her
life on May 23, 1918. Mildred remembered
that my mother and father were in the room
where Helen was near death, and recalled
that my mother was sitting on my father's
knee in the room. Mildred also remembered
being called to her mother's bedside.
Helen seemed to be aware that she was
dying and asked Mildred to promise that

she would always be a good girl. Mildred
later felt that this was a heavy burden to
live with.
   Both my parents and I had been living
with Grandma Hirschy on Water Street
during the 1917-1918 school year, and that
was the year that Dad was principal of the
Linn Grove High School. My parents left
Berne a little over a week after Helen
died and took the train to Bushy, Montana,
where they were to,start their work as
missionaries to the Cheyenne Indians. 1
was almost a year and a half old when I
accompanied them to Montana.
   When Helen died there was the question
of who could take care of the children:
Mildred was six years old and Herman six
months old. At this point Dora opened her
home and invited Wesley and the children
to live with her and Elmer. Dora would be
taking care of them for the next several
years [7].
   The Wesley Neuenschwander house was sold
to Jesse L. Habegger and his wife Cora
(Beitler). Jesse and Cora were married oil
April 21, 1918, and it was shortly after
this that they took possession of the
house. They had one son, Lewis, born
October 18, 1919. Jesse was a jeweler.
He was not in good health and died on
February 24, 1922.
   Mildred stated that each day that she
walked to school she went from Dora's
house and past her old home where the
Jesse Habeggers now lived. How she wished
she could be back in her old home! Wesley
Neuenschwander had been a widower for over
four years, and now Cora was a widow. It
wasn't very long until Wesley and Cora
married, and Wesley and the children moved
back into their old home, but now with
Cora and her son Lewis. Here was a happy
family back in their old home again, and
Mildred was very pleased.
                  (Written August 6, 1994.)

   Wesley and Cora were married June 4,
1925. Mildred was age 13 and sang the
song, "When the Robins sing in the
Springtime." Herman, age 6, was the ring
bearer and remembers dropping the ring on
the hardwood floor during the prayer.
   Alfred Habegger told his son David that
when he was principal of the high school
in Linn Grove he one day left the building
for a short time. The older boys then
decided to lock him out of the school.
When he returned he told them to open the

door. Thinking they had the advantage,
they refused. When he realized they were
not going to respond to his request, to
the surprise of the boys, he lunged at the
door and broke it open. The action of tile
boys was reported to their parents and
there was never a reoccurrence of
rebellion. (DLH.)

AN EMBARRASSING EXPERIENCE
David L. Habegger
   Since both Hazen (9.1.5.1)and Marilyn
(Augsburger) (1.10.1.5) Roth have died, I
won't be embarrassing them by telling this
tale.
   In the fall of 1941 1 came from Montana
to Berne, IN to take my last two years of
high school. I lived with my grand-
parents, David and Mathilda Habegger.
Louise Kimmel also lived with them at this
time.
   My grandparents decided to go to Florida
for about three months that winter to be
with Jacob P. Habegger, Grandpa David's
brother. Hazen and Marilyn were married
on Nov. 9, 1941 and needed a place to live
until a more permanent place could be
arranged. So they rented part of the
house during the time my grandparents
would be gone. Louise and I continued to
live in the house and took our meals with
the Roths.
   When I came to live with my grand-
parents, my mother had suggested that I
could wash the kitchen floor, for I had
been doing this at home. My grandparents
were both in their 80s so agreed to let me
do it. So each Saturday I got down on my
hands and knees and gave the linoleum
floor a good shine.
   When Marilyn came into the house, she
felt that scrubbing the kitchen floor
should be something she should do. I gave
up the job without much argument.
   One Sunday Louise Kimmel and I did the
Sunday noon dishes when the Roths left
after the meal. I was washing the dishes.
As we talked I commented that the linoleum
must be wearing out as it did not have the
same appearance as before. It had begun
to look.a dingy gray. Louise said she did
not-think so because the rug had been laid
only a couple years before.
   On the spur of the moment I took a rag
and some Dutch Cleanser and scrubbed a
circle near the sink. Lo and behold, the
spot came out shiny bright! Now what was
I to do? Leaving the spot would be

embarrassing to Marilyn, but so would
scrubbing the whole floor. I was caught
either way. Louise did not have any good
alternative to suggest, so I decided to
scrub the whole floor even though it was
Sunday. In a short while it was shiny
once more.
In a couple hours the Roths returned.
Before long the sound of crying came from
the Roth's bedroom. Louise went to
Marilyn and tried to ameliorate the
situation. But it took several days
before Marilyn could look me in the face.
She continued to scrub the floor after
this and it was always shiny bright!

OBITUARIES
Maver O. Roth, (9.1.5.2) died Oct.
25,1995 in Anchorage, Alaska. Born
in Geneva, IN he was a Berne
resident prior to moving to
Anchorage. He went as a missionary
and general contractor under the
Grace Brethren Church. Surviving
are his wife, Carmen (Lehman), a
daughter Jennifer Biederman and
three grandchildren.

Marilyn Ruth (Augsburger) Roth
(9.1.5.1)died Feb. 1, 1996 at Swiss
Village, Berne, IN. Born in Adams
Co., she retired as a cafeteria
cook after 10 years with South
Adams schools. She also worked at
CTS Corp. Surviving are four
daughters, Karen Lucas, Rita Coston
and Rhonda Sprunger, all of Tucson,
AZ, and Evelyn Hawbaker of Geneva;
three sons, Calvin and Sheldon,
both of Bluffton and James of
Berne. She and her husband, Hazen
who died in 1991, had 16 grand-
children, two step-grandchildren;
and six great-grandchildren.

Harold H. Hirschy (3.1.2.1) died
Friday, Sept. 6, 1996 at Lutheran
Hospital, Fort Wayne. Born in
Huntington, he worked at General
Electric Co. for 32 years, retiring
in 1975. Surviving are his wife,
Eula Mae, a step-daughter, Jan
Vorndran of Huntertown, eight step-
grandchildren; and seven step-
great-great grandchildren. He was
buried in Lindenwood Cemetery.

Correction: In the last issue the
father of Jacob Musser was wrongly
given as Jacob. It is Peter. His
grandfather was Jacob.

HIRSCHYS IN MONTANA
   We have third cousins living in
Montana with whom I have been in
contact. The ancestor we have in
common is Hans and Anna Marie
(Liechti.) Hirschy. This couple had
twelve children. We are descended
from No. 5, Johannes Ulrich
Hirschi, bap. 25 Feb. 1741. These
3rd cousins are descended from No.
   3, Johannes Ludwig Hirschi, bap. 29
June 1738. Their line follows thus:
      3. Johannes Ludwig Hirschi, 1738
      3.5. Abraham Ludwig Hirschi
bap. 5 May 1773 La Chaux-de-Fonds
         3.5.7 Fredrich Ludwig Hirschi,
bap. 11 Oct 1817 La Chaux-de-Fonds
         3.5.7.? Friedrich Louis Hirschy,
b. 2 June 1859 La Chaux-de-Fonds
   This last named person married
Cecile Wenger of Bienne,
Switzerland, b. 8 Sept. 1860. He
came to America on a cattle boat
with a cousin, working in the
galley for their passage. Cecile
had come with her parents. They met
in Allen Co., Ohio and were married
Feb 5, 1880. By 1884 they moved to
near Vera Cruz, Indiana. Seven
children were born to them in Ohio
and Indiana: August, Lena, Fred,
Ida, Estella, David, and Emma.
   In 1882, Cecile's brother, August
(Gus)Wenger, went to Montana to
find land. He found a pleasant
place in the Big Hole Basin, west
of Dillon between Jackson and
Wisdom. He urged the Hirschys to
come too. In 1893 Fred and his
oldest son August went to see the
country for themselves. Not far
from his brother-in-law's place he
found good land on a large creek
with a fine spring. He then
returned home to get his family.
   The trip to Montana was made by
train in an emigrant car which held
their household goods, livestock
and the family. Here they cooked
and slept during the five days it
took to go from Fort Wayne to
Dillon.
   When they arrived in Dillon on

May 10, 1894, Gus Wenger met them
with teams and wagons to take them
to his ranch near Fox. Another
Swiss family, the John Hans)
Walchli's, had traveled with them.
He had been a cheese maker in
Indiana and their plans were to
work with the Hirschy and Wangers
to operate a cheese factory for
their living.

The Hirschy family a few years
after they arrived in Montana.
Top: Fred, Lena, Ida. Middle:
Cecile Wenger Hirschy, David
Emma, Frederick Hirschy. Bottom:
Bessie, Esta, and Charles. Absent
is the oldest son August who died
in 1900.

The trip from Dillon to the
valley took three days to travel
the 45 miles because of the spring
road conditions. They had two
mountain passes to cross, the
highest being 7,360 ft. Upon
arrival the men and boys started
felling logs and building a new

house and sheds on the homestead.
Another son, Charles, was born in
June. Before long a school was
started and held during the summer
months for the children of the
area.
After getting settled in their
house, the cheese factory was the
next project. Gus Wenger furnished
the cows and at the beginning they
milked about fifty. They built up
the herd until they were milking
almost a hundred.
   The Walchli family homesteaded on
a piece of land that adjoined the
Wenger place. The three families
all worked together to make cheese.
Fred Hirschy built an underground
cellar for the aging and storing of
the cheese and butter. They had a
large corral and a long shed for
the cows. The milking was mostly
done by the older Hirschy children
and their parents. Lena and her
brother Fred, had 20 cows to milk
before going to school in the
morning and again in the evening.
   Fred Hirschy, Sr., took wagon
loads of cheese and butter to
Butte, Anaconda, Dillon and other
surrounding towns several times a
year. He returned with the wagons
filled with supplies for the family
and ranch.
   After about five years, the
families decided that it would be
more profitable to raise cattle
than make cheese. Hay could be
made by putting up the wild grass
that was abundant in the mountain
meadows. So they turned to cattle
ranching and confined cheese making
to the needs of the family.
   Cecile Hirschy became a well-
known midwife for women in the
area. She was also called upon to
minister to the sick and to help
out when there was a death. She
took her daughter Ida with her to
help the new mothers get on their
feet, and assist with the other
children and household chores.
   Five more children were born to
the Hirschy family in Montana:
Charles, Bessie, William, Mabel and
Ellen. More land and cattle were
accumulated as the family grew.
The oldest son, August, drowned in

1900 while working in southern
Idaho.
   Lena Married Soren Nelson and
they ranched near Jackson until
their retirement to Dillon. Two of
their grandsons are living in the
Big Hole valley.
   The second son, Fred, married ill
June 1914 Flora Shaw who had come
to the valley to teach. In 1910 he
borrowed approximately $200 from a
bank to buy land and begin his own
ranching operation raising beef
cattle. Of their four children
their two sons, Jack and Dick, are
ranching in the area. Their oldest
son has the original Hirschy family
homestead.
   Daughter Ida Fanny married Henry
Olsen, another neighbor. After a
number of moves they settled in
Dillon with their six daughters.
She died recently at the age of
107.
   Estella became the wife of Jack
Husted, who ranched close by. Two
of their sons are operating the
family ranch.
   David Hirschy also married a
school "marm" and ranched north of
Wisdom for a time. Later he came a
skilled builder of the Beaver Slide
Derricks which are used extensively
in putting up hay in western
Montana and Idaho. He made over 500
of these hay stackers.
   Emma married Jack Childers and
they lived in the area for a time
before moving to eastern Oregon to
raise their family of two boys and
two girls.
   The last five children, attended
schools in Spokane, Washington and
southern California. They married
and raised their families, some in
Montana and others in California.
   Fred and Cecile Hirschy sold
their ranch to son Fred and retired
to LaMesa, California. He died in
1933 and Cecile in 1950. They are
buried in Chula Vista, CA.
   (From information written by Mrs.
Jack Hirschy for the Beaverhead
[County) History in 1988.)
   Information provided by Mrs.
Darlene (Raymond) Hildreth, 110
Fern Lane, Dillon, MT 59725.
Phone: 406-683-5398.

HIRSCHY ARMSTRONG REUNION
by Grace Wilson (4.6.13.8)
   The family of Etta Lucinda
Hirschy Armstrong (4.6.13) gathered
at Saskatchewan Landing,
Saskatchewan over the weekend of
July 26, 1996. Originally the
weekend was planned to celebrate
the 70th birthday of Jack Beattie
(Dorothy 4.6.13.9) and as a house
warming for their new home over
looking the beautiful South
Saskatchewan River/Lake Diefenbaker
Valley. Unfortunately, Jack passed
away suddenly May 27, 1996.
Dorothy with the support of her son
Alex, determinedly carried on with
the House Warming. The event
hosted about 50 of the family
including 6 sisters and 1 brother.
It was a warm sunny weekend filled
with fun, food and catching up on
family news.
   Missing in addition to Jack was
Laura (Armstrong) Belter
(4.6.13.10) due to ill health. Bob
Armstrong is now a proud great
grandfather.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION    The Hirschy Newsletter is
publish6d four times a year. Cost
is $5.00 for four issues.
   The editor is David L. Habegger,
6929 Hillsboro Ct., Fort Wayne, IN
46835-1818.
   If you have material you would
like to submit for publication,
send it to the editor.
   In correspondence please use the
number behind your name to identify
yourself.

WISE COUNSEL
Write down for the coming
generation
   what the Lord has done
so that people not yet born
   will praise him. Psa. 102:18 TEV

In his love and mercy
   he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
   all the days of old
      Isaiah 63:9 NIV

THREE PRETTY HIRSCHY DESCENDANTS

Amber Leguee (4.6.13.5.3.3
Claire Waters (4.6.13.8.2.3)
Katherine Fraser (4.6.13.8.4.1.1)

In 1938 Barbara (Hirschy) Habegger
(4.5.5) and her daughter Jeanne had
their picture taken with the
Armstrong girls and their mother,
Etta Lucinda. Jeanne is on the
left and Barbara is second from the
right, with Etta on the far right.

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