2023 LEISZ FAMILY REUNION IN TURTLE LAKE, WISCONSIN—A BIG SUCCESS!
Winners of the NEW Hank Leisz Bowling Trophy
Minnichsoffer Branch grabs top honors!
Blasting their way to top place in the FIRST OFFICIAL HANK LEISZ BOWLING TOURNAMENT on Friday, Sep. 28th was Team Minnichsoffer! These descendants of Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer (1862-1903) are (from left) BACK ROW: Sandra Reuter of Reno, NV, and Ryan and Rick Reuter of Sherwood, OR. FRONT ROW: Jan Rondeau of Forest Lake, MN and Teri Reuter Magyar of Painesville, OH. WAY TO GO, TEAM!
Video from Leisz Family Reunion
CHECK OUT KAT HAMMANG WAGNER'S VIDEO MONTAGE FROM THE REUNION
Thanks Kat for putting together a great video from the 2018 "Homeward Bound" Leisz Family Reunion!
Some stories from the reunion
Traveled the furthest
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Sandra Carelius, granddaughter of Leisz Brother Frank (1875-1949), shown above with her first cousin Stuart Leisz, traveled the furthest to attend the 2018 Leisz Family Reunion. The photo at lower right is of their Grandpa Frank. Sandra. who lives in British Columbia, Canada, figured out the number of miles she travelled to get to Turtle Lake and it works out to 2,122.7 miles – that is with flying to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and then driving to Turtle Lake. "Sorry Bob Leisz (see photo at right)," Sandra says. " I beat you!!!!!!"
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Bob Leisz poses with a life-size cutout of his Grandpa Joseph Leisz (1868-1942). Bob and his wife Josie DROVE 3,980 MILES round trip from their home in Hemet, CA to come to the reunion! Bob was honored at the Saturday night supper party as the eldest grandchild of Leisz Brother Joseph to attend the reunion. Bob is the eldest son of Joseph Francis Leisz (1910-1994), who is the eldest son of Leisz Brother Joseph. Got all that??!
Leisz StoryLore project
Traveled 2nd furthest—but DROVE!
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Coming soon! Stay tuned for audio stories told by attendees at the 2018 Leisz Family Reunion Oral History Workshop—similar to NPR's Story Corps. They'll include stories from Tony Minnichsoffer (shown here), from Lindstrom, Minnesota. Tony is the great-grandson of Leisz Sister Mary (1862-1903), and grandson of Mary's eldest boy Joseph Frank Minnichsoffer. Tony is the "keeper" of genealogy information about his branch of our very large family. Want to reach him? Email us at leiszreunion@gmail.com for Tony's contact info.
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Moon Lake Resort in the Village of Clayton, nearby Turtle Lake, is a Leisz hangout year-round. So it was only fitting that reunion attendees drop in on the lake's tavern, often staffed by members of the Leisz family who reside in the area. On Reunion Sunday afternoon, local yokel Al Leisz, grandson of Leisz Brother Frank, took his two Canadian first cousins, Sandra Carelius and sister Gail Brubacher, to the Moon Lake Tavern. And what did they encounter in the parking lot? A woman in a pickup truck with a harvested black bear in the truck's bed! Sandra and Gail sure did a double-take. They live in more populous areas of Canada—and now they have a story about the Wisconsin Northwoods to bring home to their friends!
6th Generation attendees
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Impromptu Sunday sing-along
SIXTH GENERATION descendants of the Leisz Brothers participated in our reunion events. They are:
CORBYN LEISZ, age 5, great-great-great-grandson of Leisz Brother John. Corbyn's dad is Chantz Leisz (b. 1987) whose father is Tim Leisz (b. 1964), whose father is Vernon Leisz (1926-1982), whose father is John Franklin Leisz (1895-1977) whose father is John Leisz (1861-1939).
OLIVIA SNYDER, age 2, great-great-great-granddaughter of Leisz Brother Frank. Olivia's mother is Melissa Michel, whose mother is Dawn Marie Welch Michel (b. 1963), whose mother is Roberta Baltozer Welch (b. 1939), whose mother is Louise Katherine Leisz Baltozer (1912-1998), whose father is Frank Leisz (1875-1949).
Impromptu Sunday sing-along
Surprise at Moon Lake Tavern
Impromptu Sunday sing-along
Reunion attendees who stayed over Sunday night (departing on Monday) gathered at the Hotel Bar & Grill in Turtle Lake for an evening meal, and an utterly impromptu hour-plus sing-along—led by Leopold Leisz's grandson Don Fritch—erupted out of this gathering. Attending were Don and Marty Fritch from Key Largo, Al Leisz (shown above) from Turtle Lake, Sandra Carelius (shown above) from British Columbia and sis Gail Brubacher from Ontario, Michael Hammang and sis Kat Hammang Wagner from California, Anne Leisz Mann and hubby Kenny from Katy, Texas, and Geri Reuter Colgrove and spouse John from Ohio. The set list included Hey, Good Lookin', I Can't Stop Lovin' You, the Beatles A Hard Day's Night, Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel...and a WHOLE LOT more!
Why this very special reunion?
"On the final day of the (2002 Leisz "Homeward Bound" Family) reunion at the cemetery, which was also my grandmother Sophia Donaker Leisz's birthday, I was standing between my grandparents' graves and I had an overwhelming sense of finally knowing who my grandparents were. I was taken over with tears of gladness and finally being able to touch them spiritually. I felt their presence and I could not control the feelings and tears that were flowing outward. That is a day I will never forget! The following day, I went and bought flowers and placed them on my grandparents' graves. I said my good-byes and told them I will see them again in heaven!"
— KAT HAMMANG WAGNER, GRANDDAUGHTER OF LEISZ BROTHER ANTON (SHOWN AT LEFT)
The above is an excerpt of a message written by Kat Hammang Wagner back in 2002 after attending that year's Leisz Family Reunion.
The LIVING MATRIARCH of our entire family
She's the only living child of the 6 Leisz Brothers or sister Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer!
Mary Magdalena "Marian" Leisz Hammang is truly one of a kind! Shown in this photo with her daughter Kat Hammang Wagner, Marian is the only living member of her generation of our family, that is, a child of the 6 Leisz Brothers or their sister Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer. Marian is 90 and lives in California with her daughter Kat. Marian is the youngest child of Leisz Brother Anton. She was born in 1928.
Marian and her three then-surviving siblings had attended our 2002 Leisz Family Reunion. But in the ensuing 16 years, her sisters Helen Leisz McCoy (1919-2006), Millie Leisz O'Malley (1922-2006) and Gladys Leisz Wick (1924-2010) have passed away.
Marian's son Michael Hammang joined her daughter Kat Wagner in attending this year's family reunion. Marian, we wish you could be with us as well! Love and hugs to you from all the Leisz's.
Thanks to those who participated in the Leisz Family Reunion Golf Outing at Cumberland Golf Club
It was a cold and blustery day, but these four stalwart golfers braved the elements to hit the links:
MICHAEL HAMMANG, grandson of Leisz Brother Anton. Mike traveled from Citrus Heights, California to attend the reunion. Plus he's staying in Turtle Lake and surrounding areas for an extra week to learn more about Leisz family history.
KENNY MANN, spouse of Anne Leisz Mann, granddaughter of Leisz Brother Anton. Kenny and Anne are from Katy, Texas.
MIKE LEISZ, grandson of Leisz Brother Michael, from Chippewa Falls.
PATRICK WICK, grandson of Leisz Brother Anton, from Turtle Lake.
Many thanks to Mike Leisz and Pat Wick for organizing the outing.
Why 2018?
A VERY special anniversary
The year 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Anna Maria Schmidt Leisz, the ONE COMMON ANCESTOR for what is now more than a thousand of us! Anna Maria was born in June 1840 in Schonau, Austria (just north of Vienna), to Theresia Werner and Simon Schmied.
Anna Maria married Leopold Leisz (b. 1835), and had 12 children with him before he died tragically in a fire on Feb. 13, 1893. Some of their children died as infants or in early childhood.
Anna Maria immigrated with her children from Peregu Mare, Romania (then known as Nemetpereg) in 1893. The family stayed in Chicago for a time, then bought land in northern Wisconsin, in the town of Turtle Lake.
Anna Maria died on July 31, 1918 in Turtle Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin, at the age of 78. She is buried in St. Ann's Cemetery in Turtle Lake.
MORE ABOUT THE FIRE THAT KILLED HER HUSBAND
Leisz Health Alert
A note from Jennie Leisz Nitchey, R.N.
Registered Nurse Jennie Leisz Nitchey (great-great-granddaughter of Leisz Brother John) shares these health issues that appear to run in our family:
1) FACTOR V LEIDEN: An inherited blood-clotting disorder due to a mutation of the blood's factor V protein. It places the carrier at risk for blood clots, DVT's (deep venous thrombosis), pulmonary embolisms, strokes and miscarriages. For more, see the National Institutes of Health HERE.
Factor V Leiden is known on the John Leisz branch. It's important to be aware and be healthy. And it's good to know if you're facing major surgery.
2) LIPOPROTEIN: Also know on the John Leisz branch is newly-discovered LipoProtein (a), an inherited genetic risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease and stroke. One of our cousins was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic Rochester last year.
Interestingly, I learned at the reunion supper party that a Leisz cousin descended from Leisz Brother John also has Lipoprotein, and receives weekly injections to lower his cholesterol. This cousin is slim, fit and active all is life. Definitely another Leisz inherited disease. There is significant heart disease including atherosclerotic heart disease and strokes in the DNA.
Both Factor V and LipoProtein (a) can be diagnosed with simple genetic blood test.