Browns, Sugar Creek and Riggs
Browns, Sugar Creek and Riggs, Waterford Township, Clinton County, Iowa
Compiled by Lorraine Houghton and Marilu Thurman, updated August 2006.
Thank you so much to Lorraine and Marilu for sending this information to
us.
History of the Early Settlers in Browns
We have gathered information about the area near Browns and New Browns, Iowa
in Waterford Township, Clinton County, and Fairfield Township, Jackson County,
and the families who settled in this area between 1850 and 1925.
The LDS Library has microfilms of Tschernembl Parish in Gottschee, Austria,
which was later part of Yugoslavia, and now is part of Slovenia. Several of
the Sugar Creek families came from this area. The microfilms for this area are
numbered 1416538 through 1416563. Marilu Thurman is continually researching
these records. We have also searched census records, plat maps, cemetery records,
marriage records, and other historical documents.
The cemetery tombstone records for St. Joseph’s Church at Sugar Creek,
through 1972, are available at the Central Community Historical Society and
Museum, 628 6th Ave., DeWitt, Iowa 52742. They have very limited hours, which
usually include Monday morning and Sunday afternoons through the summer. If
there are questions, you may call Ann Soenksen at 563 659 3686, or email her
at asoenk@gmtel.net.
Marilu is a descendant of the Peschel and Underberg families. Lorraine is a
descendant of the Banowetz, Boehmer, Burken, Franzen, and Reuter families. We
would like to thank everyone who has helped in any way to make this possible.
We have tried to be accurate, but if you find something incorrect, contact Lorraine
at lahoughton@aol.com, 563 386 1932 or Marilu at Marilu1030@aol.com, 719 275
7815. If you are a descendant of any of these families and would like to add
more information to your family histories, we encourage you to get in contact
with either Marilu or Lorraine. We want to preserve all of the family history
we can. Copies of this complete history with pictures and plat maps is available
in booklet form or on CD. It can be ordered from Marilu for $10.00 each, including
postage. Please put Browns History File in the subject line so she does not
accidentally delete your email.
Many family members contributed information and are shown in the byline. In
some cases, these family members wrote the entire story. This "History
of the Early Settlers in Browns" and the entire history of "Browns,
Sugar Creek and Riggs" would not be possible without the help of many people.
Contributors are: Art Banowetz, Della Banowetz, Dolores Banowetz, Glen Banowetz,
Ray Banowetz, Rita Banowetz, Robert Banowetz, Virgil Banowetz, Kate Baum, Marie
Bormann, Elizabeth Burger, Lucy Chapman, ArleneConsidine, Jean Determan, Joe
Determan, Veronica Determan, Duane Fuegen, Lorraine Houghton, Rex Houghton,
Kermit Ketelsen, Catherine Kilburg, Jean Kilburg, John Krauland, Margaret Light,
Donna McAleer, Ambrose Roling, Adrian Roling, Donna Roling (St. Joseph’s
Church, Sugar Creek, 1855 - 1980 - 125th Anniversary), Dorothy Roling, Irene
Rose, Marie Salutz-Conery, Lucille Schoel, Bev Skoff, Bob Skoff, Karen Skoff,
Ed Skoff, Alice Srackangast, Marilu Thurman, Donna Timmer, Jim Timmer, Bernard
Trenkamp, Betty Weinschenk, Sister Bertha Zeiser and many more friends and relatives
who were willing to share their family information and pictures with us.
Table of Contents
Reasons for Emigrating
Gottschee (The old country)
Gottscheers come to Browns
Old Browns
New Browns
Understanding the Language in Browns
The Railroad in Browns
Sugar Creek Industries
Riggs, Iowa
Directions to Browns, Riggs and Sugar Creek
Photographs and Plat Maps
St. Joseph's Parish in Sugar Creek, Iowa