| Joseph
Poncelet ...........(1817 - 1901) Magdalena Steinbach (18__ - 19__) Susan ______? ______ ....(18__ - 19__) Joseph2 Poncelet (___________1) was born 19 October 1817 at, probably, Battincourt (then Bettem) in Commune Aubange of the Province of Luxembourg, Belgium. His parents' names are unknown. He died 31 March 1901, age 84, of _____________, at _____________, ______________ County, __________. The funeral was held _____________________, at _________________ church, __________, and he is buried in ___________ cemetery at ____________. His death is recorded in _____ County death records, v. ____, p. ____. He married, first, Magdalena Steinbach, prior to 1840, at, probably the Roman Catholic church at Battincourt. Reverend _________________ presided. Witnesses were ______________ and _____________. The marriage is recorded in the marriage register of the church. See also Battincourt civil marriage records, v. ___, no. ____. She was born _____________, at, probably Battincourt, the daughter of _____________ and _____________ (___________) Steinbach. Her birth is recorded in ___________ birth records. She died _____________________, age __ of _____________, at _____________, ______________ County, __________. The funeral was held _____________________, at _________________ church, __________, and she is buried in ___________ cemetery at __________. Her death is recorded in _____ County death records, v. ____, p. ____. He married, second, Susan ______ _____________, at ________________ Roman Catholic church, ___________, Town of ___________, ___________ County. Reverend _________________ presided. Witnesses were ______________ and _____________. The marriage is recorded in the marriage register of the church. See also __________ County marriage records, v. ___, no. ____. She was born _____________, at _____________, ___________ County, ___________, the daughter of _____________ and _____________ (___________) ______________. Her birth is recorded in ___________ County birth records. She died _____________________, age __ of _____________, at _____________, ______________ County, __________. The funeral was held _____________________, at _________________ Church, __________, and she is buried in ___________ Cemetery at ____________. Her death is recorded in _____ County death records, v. ____, p. ____. Joseph and his brother Nicholas were among a group of families which migrated from Luxembourg and Belgium’s Province of Luxembourg to Wisconsin in the summer of 1845 and settled near Holy Cross (Helleg Kräiz" in Luxembourgish) in the Town of Belgium, six miles from Port Washington on the road to Fredonia. At that time, the Holy Cross area was a wilderness, an endless forest. Indians still roamed the area and their presence stirred fear among the white settlers. Their first homes were log huts and transformation of the dark, silent virgin forest into green, fertile fields and pasture required hard work. The group lost no time, however, in constructing a parish church of logs. In the early days, there was no money for a church bell; the Ave Maria was sounded with a shepherd's horn. On 31 March 1847, Joseph Puncele declared his intention to become a United States citizen. He said that he had arrived at the Port of New York in July 1845. He said that he was a native of Germany and had been a subject of the King of Belgium. He was naturalized on 9 May 1855 in the Circuit Court of Ozaukee County. This certificate is recorded in v 14, p 136 of Ozaukee County Naturalizations. On 1 March 1848, the general land office of the United States issued a patent for 80 acres to Joseph Ponsel, described as follows:
The patent deed recites that Joseph Ponsel had deposited in the General Land office of the United States a Certificate (No. 18129) of the Register of the Land office at Milwaukee, and it appears that full payment has been made according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April 1820 entitled an Act making further provision for the sale of the Public Lands. The certificate is recorded in v 37, p 33 of the General Land Office and the deed was recorded 28 June 1855 in Ozaukee County deed book 4, pp. 395-6. This site is at the corner of County highway A and a dirt road called "Lovers Lane". Of this 80 acres, the north half has been subdivided into small lots in the community of Holy Cross and the lower half is part of a larger tract owned by Aetna Finance Company. On 22 January 1849, Joseph Possele and Madilina his wife sold 80 acres in the Town of Fredonia near Dacada to Francis Thies for $100, described as follows:
The deed was witnessed by Samuel Reynolds and John Weyker and recorded 20 August 1856 in deed book 6, pp. 558-59. We do not know when this land was bought by Joseph Possele. The 1850 Census of the Town of Belgium was taken in September. On 25 September, Allen E. Daniels enumerated six persons in the household of Joseph Pousely: Joseph Pousely ....38
...M ....Farmer .....Germany His real estate was valued at $700. According to this census, he and his wife and three oldest children were born in Germany, and their son Nicholas was born in Wisconsin. See 1850 Census of Town of Belgium, Washington County, Wisconsin, dwelling unit 1377. On 19 January 1855, Joseph Ponsley and his wife, Magdalena Ponsley, sold the north 20 acres of the 80-acre tract which they had purchased from the United States land office on 1 March 1848 to John Schaefer and, his wife, Margareth for $1,000. The portion sold is described as:
Joseph Ponsley's signature and the mark of Magdalena Ponsley were witnessed by J. W. Lutfring and Jean ___?___ C _ _ _ s. It was recorded 20 January 1855 in deed book 3, pp. 474-475. On 13 March 1899, Peter Jones gave a deposition in which he said that he was a resident of Town of Belgium and that for three years before January 19, 1855, and for 40 years thereafter, he was well acquainted with Joseph Ponsel and that he is the same person named as grantor in a certain deed of conveyance from Joseph Ponsley and Magdalena Ponsley, his wife, to John Schaefer and Margareth Schaefer, his wife, dated January 19, 1855, and recorded in the office of the Register of deed for Ozaukee County on January 20, 1855 in v 3, pp. 474-475. Peter Jones said that Joseph Ponsley used "Ponsel" and "Ponsley" interchangeably. This deposition was recorded 28 March 1899 in deed book 45, p 35. On 19 June 1856, Joseph Pously, Jakob Seer and Nicolaus Holz paid Carl Bourton and his wife, Anna, $6 for a strip of land to be used as a road. The strip was described as:
The deed was witnessed by Moritz Martini and Charles E. Deall (?) and recorded on 19 June 1856 in deed book 6, pp. 422-23. The 1860 Census of the Town of Belgium was taken in June. On 22 June, Herman J. Schulteis enumerated five persons in the household of Joseph Pousley:
12 Attended school
within the past year His real estate was valued at $2,000 and his personal property at $500. According to this census, he was born in Luxembourg, and his wife and two oldest children were born in Holland. Their youngest son was born in Wisconsin. He and his wife could not read or write. The two youngest children had attended school within the year. See 1850 Census of Town of Belgium, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, dwelling unit 1377, family 1377. According to the 1860 Census of Agricultural Production, Joseph Pousley owned 50 improved acres of land and 10 unimproved acres. The cash value of his farm was $1,200, the cash value of his farm implements and machinery was $100. The amount of livestock Joseph Pousley owned on 1 June 1860 are as follows: 4 horses, 3 Milch cows, 2 working oxen, 4 other cattle, 2 sheep, and 12 swine. His livestock was valued at $280. Joseph Pousley's grain production for the year ending on 1 June 1860 was as follows: He owned 100 bushels of rye, 30 bushels of Indian corn and 300 bushels of oats. He owned 12 bushels of peas and beans and 30 bushels of Irish potatoes. He had no barley, buckwheat, or grass seed. He owned 80 pounds of butter, no cheese and 6 tons of hay. The value of animals slaughtered was $30. On 18 September 1865 Joseph Pusle paid Albert Westhoff and Aetelheida, his wife, $720 for twenty acres described as:
The deed was witnessed by John C. Schroeling and Jacob Cigrand and recorded 18 September 1865 in Ozaukee County deed book 16, p 426. On 19 February 1867, Joseph Poncle and Magdalena, his wife, sold three parcels of land totaling 80. 25 acres to their son Nicolaus Puncel Junior for $1,000, described as follows:
Both Joseph and Magdalena signed with their mark. Their signatures were witnessed by A. Heidkamp and Wm. H. Ramsey. The deed was recorded, 20 February 1867 in Ozaukee County deed book 21, p 80. This property abuts the southern boundary of the Village of Holy Cross. This land was acquired in three transaction:
On 10 May 1877, Nicholas Possely and Anna Possely, his wife, of Town of Belgium sold 80.25 acres to Frank Becker of the Town of Fredonia for $4,600, described as:
The deed was signed by Nicolas Possely and Anna Possely and their signatures were witnessed by Peter Jones and Theodor Becker. The deed was recorded 22 May 1877 in Ozaukee County deed book 31, p 35. This property abuts the southern boundary of the Village of Holy Cross. It is the same property which Nicolaus Puncle Junior, son of Joseph and Magdalena Poncle, bought from his parents for $1,000 on 19 February 1867. See DB 21, p 80. On 6 November 1867, Joseph Ponele paid Christoph Becker and Margaretha, his wife, $500 for a home and four acres described as follows:
The deed was witnessed by A. Heidkamp and M. Booez(?) and recorded 6 November 1867 in deed book 21, p 503. This property is in the Village of Holy Cross, on the southwest corner of the intersection of county Highways A and a dirt road known as "Lovers Lane". It is cater-corner from the Roman Catholic Church at Holy Cross. On 30 October 1890, Joseph Possely and Susan Possely, his wife, sold their home and four acres in the Village of Holy Cross to Peter Paulus and Josephine Paulus, his wife, for $300. This is the property which Joseph "Poncle" bought in 1867 for $500. It is described as:
Both Joseph and his wife Susan signed with their marks and these signatures were witnessed by Jno P. Ney and Henry Wester. The deed was recorded in Ozaukee County deed book 38, p 311 on 17 November 1890. On 17 November 1933, Nic. L. Possley signed an affidavit saying that he "is now and for a period upwards of fifty years last past has been a continuous resident in and of the Town of Belgium...that he knew and is a grandson of the Joseph Poncle who is described as grantee in that certain deed executed by Christoph Becker and Margareta Becker, his wife, dated November 6th, 1867 and recorded... in Volume 21 of Deeds, on page 503, personally and that he personally knew the Joseph Possely and Susan Possely, his wife, who are described as grantors in that certain deed...to Peter Paulus and wife, dated October 30, 1890, and recorded...in Volume 38 of Deeds, on page 311, and that he knows of his own personal knowledge that the said Joseph Poncle aforenamed as grantee and Joseph Possely aforementioned as a grantor, are one and the same identical person…." The affidavit was witnessed by Arman Lecher and Albert W. Grady and recorded 8 December 1933 in Miscellaneous Book 8, p 406. Joseph and Magdalena (Steinbach) Possley had at least four children:
Joseph and Susan (_________) Possley probably did not have any children. |