Brien "History"
(Or what is known about it)

WITH A LITTLE KEBSCHULL THROWN IN

Much of the "Brien" history is conjecture but only at this time.  The Brien who "came first" in my family to America was a KARL BRIEN.  He came in the late 1800's from Germany (Prussia) and it is believed he came with his first wife, GRETA (unknown).  He worked as a janitor and bought some farm land (5 acres) in Fennville, Michigan early in the 1930s.  .

On 25 Oct 1907, Karl and Greta had CARL BRIEN probably in Chicago.  At some point, Greta died. Karl later married a woman named CHRISTINA but her last name is unknown.

Karl had two brothers, AUGUST BRIEN, and ERNST BRIEN.  August had come to America in the late 1800's also.  I did "find" an August F. Brien having land in DeKalb County, Illinois but I do not know if this is Karl's brother. What is known is that he died in a "tenement" apartment on Clark Street in Chicago. He had never married. 

Brother ERNST BRIEN came to America in the 1924. He and the family landed in New York and he was in the German Army in 1914. He farmed the land in Michigan for 3 years and then he  would work the janitorial job when Karl farmed and then trade to farming when Karl worked the other job.  Ernst married JOHANNA KORPUNE in Germany.  They had four children:  ELLI BRIEN, CHRISTAL BRIEN, EDWIN BRIEN, and WILLIAM BRIEN. 

Karl MAY be the man on the Naturalization paper on the web page of the same name.  (Naturalizations)  It was witnessed by both a Joseph HASS and Charles A. TREBIEN and it states his birthday is on 27 April 1879.  They all lived in Morton Grove, Illinois at the time. The paper states that Karl came to American on 30 Oct 1904.  

When Carl was born in 1907, the family lived in Niles Center, Illinois. He went on to marry MILDRED OWENS on 23 Aug 1909.  She was from Clintonville, Wisconsin.  Carl had a number of restaurants that specialized in making pizza.  The recipe for the sauce is a closely guarded family secret. The last store they had was in Clearwater, Florida where Carl died on 19 July 1973. 


  

KEBSCHULL

It is unknown exactly when the first KEBSCHULL in my family came to America.  It is known he came with his wife EMILY KOLBERG probably from Czechoslovakia.  They had 13 children most of who were born in Illinois. A few were born in Wisconsin and there is a very large contingent of the family in and around Suring, Wisconsin. They lived at 2641 W. 20th in Chicago, Illinois when LILLIAN KEBSCHULL was born.  She married CHARLES VISTINE in Chicago.  His father was EMIL VISTINE, his mother was MARI HEINDL both from Czechoslovakia.  He and his mother were living at 18th Racine in Chicago when Charles was born on 13 Feb 1896.  Charles died on 4 Oct 1953. He and Lillian had three daughters.

There is much to learn about these people. If anyone has ANY information about anyone mentioned here, please let me know. E-mail me at:  mailto:alxnme@hotmail.com

 

 

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