2023 LEISZ FAMILY REUNION IN TURTLE LAKE, WISCONSIN—A BIG SUCCESS!
"A life-changing experience"
Our 2023 Leisz Family Reunion in June broke attendance records and was a HUGE success!
Our Patriarch has passed
Truly the end of an era
Billy Waters, the eldest male of our entire extended Leisz Family, passed away at age 91 on Monday, December 12th at his home in Cleveland. Billy is the eldest grandchild of Leisz Brother Joseph (1868-1942). Billy and wife Cathie have 11 children, 59 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. See below for more.
Don't miss these fun stories from Billly
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
Billy's maternal grandfather, Leisz Brother Joseph, moved his wife and six children from Turtle Lake, Wisconsin to Cleveland, Ohio. Here's the backstory.
Childhood shenanigans
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
Billy tells the story of how he got in trouble as a child over a flag his Uncle Jack Leisz sent him during World War II.
Uking it up
1919: Grandpa leaves WI
Uking it up
Billy sang and played the ukulele for more than 70 years, often entertaining family members...and himself!
Eldest living descendant of each family branch
MICHAEL BRANCH: Gladys Wagner Broker, 90
MICHAEL BRANCH: Gladys Wagner Broker, 90
MICHAEL BRANCH: Gladys Wagner Broker, 90
GLADYS WAGNER BROKER (b. May 29, 1932) is the granddaughter of Leisz Brother Michael (1882-1944), the youngest of the six Leisz Brothers. She is the MATRIARCH OF OUR ENTIRE EXTENDED LEISZ FAMILY, as Marian is the eldest female of all living Leisz descendants. Gladys was born in Turtle Lake to Michael's oldest daughter Elizabeth Rosalia Leisz Wagner (1911-2006), and has four siblings, all brothers, three deceased. Gladys is shown here with granddaughter Alicia Broker Cooksey, daughter of Gladys' youngest child Michael. Visit Gladys on Facebook. She's a big fan of the Minnesota Twins and Green Bay Packers, and lives in Circle Pines, Minnesota.
JOSEPH BRANCH: Joan Davis Kleinhenz, 90
MICHAEL BRANCH: Gladys Wagner Broker, 90
MICHAEL BRANCH: Gladys Wagner Broker, 90
JOAN DAVIS KLEINHENZ (b. Oct. 4, 1932) is the second-born grandchild of Leisz Brother Joseph (1868-1942). Joan's mom was our noteworthy ancestor Barbara Leisz Davis (1905-1966) who purchased the house next door with money she inherited from her mother—and without telling her husband Charlie until the deal was done! Joan was the first of her generation to marry, in 1950 when she was 17 years old. She wed Henry Kleinhenz (1928-2020), and remembers the local Catholic bishop telling her and her folks that the marriage would never last. Joan and Hank proved him wrong, married for 70 years and enjoying five children together. She is shown here with 1st cousin Denise Leisz Pazur.
FRANK BRANCH: Stuart Leisz, 91
FRANK BRANCH: Stuart Leisz, 91
FRANK BRANCH: Stuart Leisz, 91
STUART JOSEPH LEISZ (b. Aug. 5, 1931) is the only son of Joseph Frank Leisz (1906-1962), one of six children of Leisz Brother Frank. Stuart's father was the baby of the Frank Leisz family. Stuart is shown here with three of his six children (from left) Mary Jo Leisz Hensel, Robert Charles Leisz, and Barbara Leisz. History repeats itself: just like his grandpa Frank (1875-1949), Stuart had six children - four sons and two daughters! Stuart is retired from a career at Cargill, and lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
ANTON BRANCH: Tom Leisz, 82
FRANK BRANCH: Stuart Leisz, 91
FRANK BRANCH: Stuart Leisz, 91
THOMAS A. LEISZ (b. Oct 5, 1939) is the grandson of Leisz Brother Anton (1880-1942), and the first-born child of Anton's son August Jacob Leisz (1914-1998). Tom was born in Almena, Barron County, Wisconsin to Augie and wife Verena (1918-2014). Tom's siblings are Patricia Leisz Kennedy, Carol Jean Leisz Weber, Diane Leisz Bussewitz, Gene Leisz, and David Leisz. This photo shows Tom with sister Pat (left) and Diane.
LEOPOLD BRANCH: Don Fritch, 83
JOHN BRANCH: Sharon Donatelle Droege, 79
JOHN BRANCH: Sharon Donatelle Droege, 79
DONALD ALLEN FRITCH (b. July 29, 1939) is the only living grandchild of Leisz Brother Leopold (1863-1925). Don's mom Mary Ethel Leisz Fritch (1907-1998) is one of four daughters of Leopold who lived to adulthood. Don is a retired commercial airline pilot and lives in Key Largo with wife Marty. Check them out on Facebook. Above, Don and a cutout of his maternal grandpa Leopold Leisz at the 2018 "Homeward Bound" Leisz Family Reunion. There sure is a family resemblance!
JOHN BRANCH: Sharon Donatelle Droege, 79
JOHN BRANCH: Sharon Donatelle Droege, 79
JOHN BRANCH: Sharon Donatelle Droege, 79
SHARON DONATELLE DROEGE (b. Nov. 25, 1943) is the great-granddaughter of Leisz Brother John (1861-1939). Her maternal grandpa is John Franklin Leisz (1895-1977), one of two sons of Leisz Brother John. John Franklin and his wife Stella had two sons and two daughters; one of them, Agnes Leisz Donatelle (1923-1994), is Sharon's mom. Sharon lives in Barron County, Wisconsin, and winters in Arizona.
MARY MINNICHSOFFER BRANCH: James Martin Donaker, 85
JAMES MARTIN DONAKER (b. June 26, 1937) is one of three sons of Jacob Donaker (1909-1987), who is the grandson of Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer, and son of Mary's eldest child Julia Minnichsoffer Donaker (1886-1960); Julia was the firstborn grandchild of her generation, that is, the first grandchild of Leopold Leisz (1835-1893) and his wife Anna Maria "Mary" Schmidt Leisz (1840-1918), parents of the six Leisz Brothers and their sister Mary.
Recent content
June is the month of weddings
June is the month of weddings
June is the month of weddings
AnnaMaria Leisz married Edward Meyer on June 15, 1927. She is the eldest daughter of Leisz Brother Leopold, born in 1902 and coming to America with her family when she was a two-month-old infant.
Happy birthday, Gladys!
June is the month of weddings
June is the month of weddings
Gladys Wagner Broker turned 88 years young on May 29th. She is the member of the Michael Branch of our family. Gladys is shown above with her granddaughter Alicia Cooksey.
Mother's Day memento
June is the month of weddings
Mother's Day memento
New mother Kayla Crawford Hoyt is preserving a Leisz family tradition among four generations: This cousin and her Aunt Leslie Kay Crawford have a story to share.
60 years of marriage
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
Mother's Day memento
Marianne Leisz Kasarda and husband Bob celebrated 60 years of marriage on April 23rd, 2020. Marianne is the granddaughter of Leisz Brother Joseph. She and Bob created the wonderful Leisz Family Immigration video HERE.
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
The month of May marked 75 years since the end of World War II. Key to victory were millions of women who went to work in wartime factories. One of them was Kay Leisz Rudd, daughter of Leisz Brother Leopold.
June is Dairy Month
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
Our very own "Rosie the Riveter"
Gladys Leisz Wick grew up on a Turtle Lake dairy farm, as did many of our ancestors. Gladys (1924-2010) is one of six girls born to Anton Leisz and wife Sophia Donaker. It was tough work...click the button below to hear Gladys' sister Marian talk about it in 2019.
Even more recent content
Outnumbered 6 to 1!
Two sisters, divergent lives
Two sisters, divergent lives
What's it like to grow up in a house as one girl with SIX BROTHERS?! Find out from Leisz cousins Barbara Davis Miller (shown above), great-granddaughter of Leisz Brother Joseph; and Kat Hammang Hawkins, granddaughter of Leisz Brother Anton.
Two sisters, divergent lives
Two sisters, divergent lives
Two sisters, divergent lives
Sisters Julia (left) and Sophie, circa 1930, granddaughters of Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer. Born on the farm of their mother Julia Minnichsoffer Donaker, their lives took different paths.
NEW! Our audio stories
Two sisters, divergent lives
A "Jewell" of a big sister
Our very first Leisz Story Lore was just launched in Feb. 2020. Here in a brief video, our cousin Tony Minnichsoffer tells the story of how his grandma and grandpa met at the turn of the 20th Century. Watch for more...coming soon!
A "Jewell" of a big sister
Military Minnichsoffer family
A "Jewell" of a big sister
Julia was 20 years old when her mother had a baby at age 44. The baby would be the youngest of 11 children—and go on to be the matriarch of our extended Leisz family.
Military Minnichsoffer family
Military Minnichsoffer family
Military Minnichsoffer family
During the 1960s, great-grandchildren of Mary Leisz Minnichsoffer spent some of their teen years in Europe with their enlisted father.
John & Stella's love story
Military Minnichsoffer family
Military Minnichsoffer family
John Franklin Leisz, son of Leisz Brother John, became enamored with a local school teacher named Estella Paul. Read the story of their courting, marriage, and more.