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Gutwein/Heckel Home Page

Philip Gutwein Sr. family


GUTWEIN

 Family History

  Judy (Gutwein) Mumford

      As a child I went with my parents to the home of my great grandfather Gutwein.  I remember him lying in a hospital bed, attended by his nurse. Somehow his helpless state belied the strength and leadership he exhibited for so many years.

But his failing health did not diminish the love and respect we had for the patriarch of our family. His influence was far-reaching and profound. As descendents of Phillip Gutwein, Sr. we all share a rich heritage, blessed of God.

One cannot learn much of the Gutwein family history without sensing that it is much more than a story of humans left to their own decisions and devices. My great uncle Adam summed it up beautifully with these words: "It was not human forethought. It was God-directed, the whole thing."

It is my prayer that we as a family will continue to follow the God of our fathers.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

        An attempt to write a family history can only be successful when many persons give of themselves.

Both relatives and friend in the community of Francesville, Indiana, have assisted greatly in my efforts to write the Gutwein family history. In spite of my endless questions, I was received warmly and this endeavor was supported enthusiastically.

 My great Uncle Adam, the only living child of Phillip, Sr., graciously provided both details and insight as no one else could.   (Note: Adam Gutwein passed away 5/3/1990 and his wife Lydia passed away 1/6/1996.)

Lenny Kupfer of Visalia, California, researched family history during visits to Europe. She happily shared her findings regarding the Gutwein family.

The family records compiled by Jerry J. Gutwein were most helpful.

Jolene Hackman’s patient deciphering brought my scribbles into printed form.

My parents, Lewis and Edith, and my Aunt Helen spent long hours sharing their recollections.

As always, my husband Eric has been tremendously helpful and supportive.

My sincere thanks to each one who has made the completion of this project possible.

      All information on this page is as researched and compiled by Judy (Gutwein) Mumford. I took the liberty to add information as noted by the italics and font color.  I offer my thanks to Judy and all who have given of their time and effort in gathering this information. Marvin Gutwein - webmaster.

Judy (Gutwein) Mumford

October 1, 1985 

As a father and mother and their six youngsters stood on a dock at Haveray, France, waiting to board a ship, there must have been feelings of both anticipation and uncertainty. It was 1906, and Phillip Gutwein, his wife Louisa, and their children had just left Cservenka and were headed for America. 

      Cservenka, Austria Hungary had been the home of the Gutweins for several generations - since 1784, in fact. It was then that a group of Germans, including the Johann Ludwig Gutwein family, first arrived there. 

On August 28, 1731, in Iggelheim. Germany, Johann Ludwig was born to Johann Christian and Anna Barbara (Lutzel) Gutwein. He ‘married a 19-year-old woman, Maria Barbara Weiss, on February 10, 1756. She was the daughter of Johann Adam Weiss, a shoemaker, and Anna Christian (Wallich). 

Ludwig and Maria had nine children born in Niederkirchen, Germany, between 1756 and 1780. Their names were Maria Christina, Adam Friedrich Wilhelm. Johann Carl, Maria Catherina, Johann Peter, Johann Ludwig, Maria Barbara, Jakob, and Ludwig. Johann Ludwig was a “chirurg” (surgeon), as was his father. He was also a “barbier” (barber). 

At the age of 53. Johann Ludwig was chosen as speaker and leader of a group of 71 persons who were united in a common goal - to leave their home to find freedom. Having paid a  “manumission” (10% of all they owned) to the king, they then obtained permission to leave Germany, and were planning to go to Galicia in Southern Poland. But somehow a mix-up in the paperwork in Vienna changed their course and their lives. 

Instead of going to Poland the Gutweins found themselves bound for the province of Batschka in Southern Hungary, an area newly acquired by the Austrians to serve as a buffer zone against the Turks (who had been defeated by Prince Savoy in 1686, and were considered a threat to the Austrian Empire). Germans were enticed to populate this area, being offered both tax-free property for three years and an escape from their life of bondage. (Other Germans, urged by Empress Katharine II, left their homeland to settle in Russia, and still others crossed the sea to settle in America). 

Prior to 1781 the Gutweins would not have been permitted in southern Hungary. Only persons of the Roman Catholic faith were allowed to immigrate there until Kaiser Josef II granted religious tolerance to the Protestants. (When Johann Ludwig registered for passage on July 8, 1784, in Vienna, his religion was listed as “Reformed Faith.”) 

The group that traveled to their new southern Hungary home consisted of fifteen married couples, thirty-eight children, and three single adults. Among these were Franz Schmidt, two Dech families, two Hess families, and families by the name of Edinger, Hassman, Scherer, Schwarz, Stader, Staudt, Weber and Welder. And, of course, the Johann Ludwig Gutwein family. 

When this group arrived in Southern Hungary, they found that the inhabitants of many of the towns were Russian and Serbia as well as Hungarian. But all of the residents of Cservenka, their new home, were German. (Cservenka had almost 6,000 residents up until World War II. At that time it, along with just one other town in the area, Neu Pasua, still had the distinction of being inhabited by all Germans). It is understandable that immigrants chose to settle close to those from the same area of their homeland, finding it desirable to be near others with the same dialect, customs and traditions. 

It was in 1906 that a Gutwein family again became classified as ‘emigrants.” This time they were leaving Cservenka, Austria Hungary, not Germany; and they were not leaving to escape an undesirable situation. Their life was good. 

      Phillip Gutwein was born in Cservenka on February 11. 1861. On February 18, 1884, he married Louisa Koch (born March 13, 1857). Phillip’s father was a minister. Louisa’s father was the city mayor and the treasurer of the State Lutheran Church of Cservenka. 

The one daughter and seven sons of Phillip and Louisa were also born in Cservenka: Phillip, Jr. on January 5, 1885; Louis on July 14, 1886; Angela on July 25, 1888; Conrad on March 25, 1890; Fred on February 18, 1892; Adam on February 21, 1894; John on June 7, 1896; and Carl on November 2, 1902. 

Phillip, Sr., was a minister, as his father had been. He worked fervently to bring converts to the Christian faith. It must be noted that a strong commitment to teaching and following Biblical principles characterized the Gutwein family and is an integral, common thread that runs through many generations. 

Financially, the Phillip Gutwein, Sr., family was prosperous. Phillip was co-owner (with his brother-in-law) and business manager of the very successful Gutwein-Schmidt Milling Company. He also owned a farm.

Although their farm was primarily operated by hired hands, son Louis sometimes stayed at the private house there and helped with the faming. Other sons had responsibilities on the farm as well. Adam served as the grape presser, stamping grapes with his bare feet as they were brought in from the vineyards. The farm was about twenty miles from Cservenka, but the family’s Arabian horses could make the trip quickly. 

      The Gutwein’s spacious and beautifully furnished Cservenka home occupied the same block as the mill, the mill’s retail store, the church, and the maids’ quarters. 

Children of Cservenka were taught in public schools, and education was taken seriously. Conrad Gutwein was taught by a Jewish Rabbi. Some young children, like Adam, attended night classes as well as daytime classes. When formal education ended at age twelve, children chose their lives’ occupations and served in apprenticeships. 

Adam was an example of a typically hard-working Cservenka child. He sold small bags of flour in the retail store next to the family’s mill. (He spoke German, Hungarian and Serbian to the customers. Although Cservenka was all-German, people from neighboring towns spoke other languages). After completing his schooling, he chose to work as an apprentice in a relative’s department store, but at the age of twelve found himself enroute to America instead. 

The trip from Europe to America in April, 1906, began with the Gutweins relatives and friends gathered on their home’s large patio to say farewell. After tears, kisses and good-byes, Father Phillip, Louisa and their youngest son, Carl, were taken by a relative with a horse and buggy to the next town ten miles away. Angela, Conrad, Fred, Adam and John began to walk the distance along the canal shore, but were soon invited by the captain of a passing ship to come aboard. Upon rejoining their parents, they all boarded a train to France where their journey across the seas began. 

The ship to America had three classes: first (upper), second (middle), and third (lower). As first class passengers, the Gutweins had fine accommodations and were served wonderful meals. They more fully realized the desirability of their upper deck position as seasickness took its toll on all three levels. 

The eight-day ocean voyage ended at New York. There the Gutweins boarded a train to their destination, Fairbury, Illinois, where they would be reunited with the other two family members.

Phillip and Louisa’s two oldest sons, Phillip, Jr. and Louie, had led the way to America. At the ages of 19 and 18 they left Cservenka. Young men were being drafted into the army there, and although Louis wanted to enlist, he could not get the position he sought. So with Phillip’s aspirations to become an engineer and Louie’s love for farming, they left their home and arrived in Fairbury, Illinois, in 1904. Phillip began designing turbines for Allis Chalmers Implements, and Louie was employed by a farmer, Sam Roth.  (a June, 1980 account by Adam had Louis employed by a lumber dealer, Nick Bach). 

Phillip and Louis wrote and encouraged their parents to come to America, too, and Phillip, Sr. and Louisa considered their sons’ request. They knew that if just the two of them went, the children, household and farm would be well cared for by the maids and farm help. But father Phillip also knew that his wife would be worried about the children. So after much deliberation, a decision was reached. They would leave everything intact, take the children and all go see America. If they did not like what they found, they would return to their Cservenka home. 

Upon arrival in America, the family was committed to fit in quickly to the new culture. (They had even studied English on their eight-day trip across the ocean, attempting to learn as much as possible in that short time). The very morning after they arrived in Fairbury, Conrad, Fred, Adam and John eagerly started school. They were treated graciously by the teacher and other students. Although they were of necessity placed in the primer class, where the tables were much too small, someone had thoughtfully put a card table in the classroom prior to their arrival. 

When the boys opened their reading books they were delighted to see that English (Latin) letters were the same as Hungarian.  (They were as fluent in Hungarian as in German).  The teacher asked if they could read from their books, and they quickly assured her they could.  Conrad, being the oldest, was the first to read aloud.  But his brothers soon noticed that the other students were becoming very restless and whispering to each other.  They began punching Conrad, and finally got him to stop reading.  Then the teacher, trying to look sober, told her new students to follow along as she read.  But it seemed to them as if she were reading from a different book.  The problem?  Knowing just the alphabet was sufficient to read German or Hungarian, but not to read English.  Conrad was pronouncing the word “one”, “oh-nay”, the word “two”, “to-woe”, etc. 

When the four Gutwein boys got home from school that day they told their father there was no use going back, as they just could not understand English.  But they quickly overcame their obstacles, and from the time they arrived in April until the end of the school year they had advanced to the level of fourth grade. 

Although strangers, the boys were warmly received in their first American school.  Marble shooting was a favorite free-time activity.  The other children generously shared their marbles, and taught them the rules of this game previously unknown to the European children. 

By and large the entire family was well received and adjusted quickly to their new environment. Father Phillip was absolutely convinced that it was God that led the family to America, and he never regretted their decision to come see this new land. Mother Louisa did find caring for her large family and home hard at times, missing the luxurious life-style (and the help of her two maids) to which she was accustomed. 

Soon after the family settled into the Fairbury home which they had rented from a banker, Father Phillip and Louis began their search for farmland. They traveled for weeks through many western states, but found nothing they wanted to purchase. It was then that someone suggested they go east to Indiana. Their search for land ended there when a land agent named Mr. Cocks took them to see a 740 acre farm southwest of a small rural town called Francesville. 

On October 25. 1906, Phillip Gutwein obtained the deed for the “North West Quarter of Section seventeen Township Twenty-nine North Range Four West of the 2nd P.M.” from Earl and Eula C. Goodwine of Hoopston, Illinois. He paid $8,700.00, partly with a down payment and the rest by taking out a loan (at about 4% interest). He did not pay all cash, as he had not yet sold his property back in Austria Hungary. 

Phillip paid top dollar for the farmland he purchased, as it was the best available, cultivated and fairly flat and high, unlike the surrounding swampland. The land had some bushes and trees, which were later, cleared using a steam engine and log chains. (The Indians who had previously occupied this area, known as the Blue Sea, had lived on the high spots in the midst of the marsh). The Monon ditch, which emptied into Lake Shafer, was used for drainage. 

Phillip and Louisa and their youngest child Carl returned to Austria Hungary several times to settle their business affairs there. They brought some of their fine furniture and other furnishings, such as an exquisite crystal chandelier, from Cservenka to their American home. 

In the fall of 1906, the Gutweins left Illinois and moved into a newly built home in Francesville, Indiana. They rented that home until the next spring when they moved to a rental house on their property one mile south and two miles west of Francesville. Just one mile east of that location was the site, which became the “home place.” There a small house (which had been occupied by renters) was torn down and work on a new home was begun. In 1908, a builder named Mr. Brenneman finished the spacious 6-bedroom country home with its two-foot thick stone foundation, big pillars, and modern conveniences such as a hot air furnace. (This home has been well and lovingly cared for, and continues to be occupied by members of the Gutwein family). 

World War I broke out in Europe several years after the Gutweins left there. Having seven sons, they would have certainly been personally affected. Sons of many of their acquaintances in Cservenka were killed in the war. 

In America, the Gutwein sons who were eligible age-wise were not drafted for service in World War I. Conrad was called to Winamac to sign up for service, then excused because he was a farmer and had children. Several of the others had completed their Declarations of Intentions for naturalization (Phillip was the first of the family to sign his, doing so on March 20, 1907), but their U.S. citizenship had not yet been granted. So these young men were simply required to register as “aliens” at the local past office. 

This family, so obviously of German descent, never felt discriminated against at a time when strong anti-German sentiment was prevalent in much of the country. This can no doubt be explained in part by the fact that the Francesville area was occupied primarily by other immigrants of the same descent. (Upon arrival there, Phillip found that he could converse with the German-speaking merchants). Also, the Gutweins were financially self-sufficient and well respected in the community. 

So both physically and psychologically World War I had minimal impact on the Gutwein family. This part of the country, and therefore the Gutweins as well, also escaped the 1918 flu epidemic that claimed thousands of American lives.

      In spite of their new surroundings, the Christian faith and warship continued to play an integral role in the lives of the Gutweins. When they first arrived in Fairbury, they renewed their acquaintance with a German family, the Kaisners, who were associated with an American church called “Apostolic Christian.” (In Europe, the denomination that both of these families belonged to was called “The New Believers.” Their nickname was “Baptists” because they practiced baptism by immersion). 

It was an Apostolic Christian Church that Phillip, the minister, started in Francesville. Upon arrival there, the family began to have worship services in their home. It was soon learned that a number of Christian believers owned land in the Francesville area, but had it rented out and lived elsewhere because there was no church of their faith there. But after Phillip’s arrival, many of these people came to live in Francesville. The Gutwein’s horse and buggy was busy for several springs, meeting the new arrivals at the train station. Among those moving to Francesville in 1907 were the families of Jacob Boehning, Albert Gudeman, Ernest Anliker, Will Bachtold, Sam Walter, and Henry Bollinger. These families joined the small congregation, taking turns holding Sunday services in their homes. 

In 1909 a house was purchased on the west edge of Francesville. It was remodeled so that the downstairs could be used for a kitchen and dining area and the upstairs for a sanctuary. Horses were sheltered in the uptown livery for ten cents. 

The Gutweins continued to be actively involved as a new church building was constructed in 1912 in west Francesville (the site of today’s church). A large barn for horses and buggies was built nearby. 

The church grew quickly. Both Sunday morning and afternoon services were held, and lunch was served at noon so that the farm families could stay for the afternoon services without additional travel. 

Phillip Gutwein, Sr., was soon joined by a second minister, his son, Phillip, Jr., who was appointed to that position by church leaders. Services were conducted in the German language for several years. However, during the century’s second decade, services in English were begun. Phillip, Jr.’s ability to preach in English greatly benefited the younger generation. 

Phillip, Jr. was later joined by his brothers, Conrad and Adam, in serving as ministers to the Francesville Apostolic Christian Church. Phillip, Sr. was selected as the first resident elder at the age of seventy-one. 

One of the family’s favorite past times was gathering around the organ to sing. This posed somewhat of a problem in America, as the Apostolic Christian Church disapproved of its members having musical instruments. Phillip, Sr. complied with this teaching in the church setting, and conducted worship services without instrumentation. But at home they continued to play and sing the well-known hymns of the faith. 

The Gutwein children lived by high principles. Their moral code was established through a great deal of exposure to both the example of Christian living set by their parents and the teachings of Scripture. 

The young men in the family enjoyed taking their horses and buggies uptown on Saturday nights. It was important to them to pick the nicest looking broncos from the pasture for this purpose. 

Two of the first cars in the community were owned by the Gutweins. First, Phillip, Jr. bought an Essex, then his father bought a Ford. Father Phillip’s purchase was risky in view of the fact that the religious convictions of his fellow church members prohibited the use of cars. But he was convinced that automobiles, like musical instruments, were not sinful. Not just his car, but also its radio, which he used to get stock market reports, proved to be controversial. But Father Phillip, a kind, loving man, stood firm in his convictions, refusing to be influenced by human thinking. 

Reading material was limited in the early decades of the 20th century. The Gutweins did subscribe to the Francesville Tribune, a small weekly publication, as well as to a German newspaper; and the Bible provided many hours of reading and study. (As a young man, Adam would sit and read the Bible aloud to his mother). It was available in both German and English; in fact, Bibles in the early Francesville church had the two languages printed side by side. 

The Gutweins experienced financial well-being in America as they had in “the old country.” Unlike many other immigrants, they were always able to buy whatever they needed, and had sufficient capital resources to engage in the occupations of their choice. However, they were not extravagant spenders. And when extra money was needed for a business venture, although their credit was unquestioned and loans were easily secured, all borrowing was done with great conservatism. They adhered to Scriptures’ admonitions regarding the hazards of being in debt, the folly of trying to get rich, and the desirability of contentment. 

There was a grocery stare, bakery, butcher shop and clothing store in Francesville at the turn of the century. The family raised some of their own food on the farm and bought the rest in town. Their clothes (such as the boys’ corduroy knickerbockers) were all purchased from local merchants. 

Fred, Adam, John and Carl attended a small country school, Frog Leg Corner, one mile north of their home. It was an elementary school for grades one to four. After finishing there, the children went on to school in Francesville. 

Phillip was a farmer as well as a minister. But it was actually his sons who worked the fields. Father, inspecting the fields with a hoe on his shoulder, was a good boss. 

Farming was done with horses, and oats were raised to provide “horse power.” Corn, the primary crop, was planted with two-row planters that placed the seeds 42” apart to allow for cross-cultivation. 

Phillip and Louisa enjoyed their role as grandparents. Louisa was a sweet little lady, who always had hugs, kisses and candy for her grandchildren. She invited them to come from school to have lunch at her home. She frequently visited their homes, too, and would be found helping with tasks such as darning socks when they came in from school. 

Through the early decades of the 20th century, the Gutweins put their roots down literally as well as figuratively in the Francesville area. They married, raised their families, started businesses and acquired thousands of acres of farmland. 

Phillip Gutwein, Sr. married Christine Stefan on March 15, 1908. Their five children were Joseph Phillip (born February 2, 1909), Emil Louis (born February 13, 1910), Angeline (born September 28, 1911), Paul Conrad (born August 26, 1914) and Hilda Irene (born April 20, 1919). 

After working for Allis Chalmers and attending Brown College. Phillip opened his own machine shop, Francesville Motor Company, in 1908. He began an implement company, International Harvester, in Francesville in 1920. In 1922, in addition to selling farm implements, he began selling Hudson-Essex automobiles. In 1930 he got the Plymouth franchise and in 1933 he began selling Ford automobiles. Because overcrowding became a problem, the automobile business, which had become Ford Motor Company, moved to a neighboring town, Monon, in 1934. (It is interesting to note that the business actually expanded during the depression). The Implement company was sold in 1963 after Phillip. Jr.’s death. Ford Motor Company continues at the same location, owned and operated by members of the Gutwein family. 

Phillip Gutwein, Jr. died on September 8, 1963. His wife, Christine, died on September 17, 1970. 

Lewis Gutwein married Katie Munz on March 3, 1909. They had two daughters: Louise Catherine (born December 11, 1909) and Esther Anne (born May 21, 1913). Lewis, a farmer, died in a Logansport Hospital on January 26, 1916, at the age of twenty-nine. 

Angela Gutwein married Paul Von Tobel on March 2, 1909. The six children born to them were Paul Jacob, Jr. (December 16, 1909), Harry Philip (April 8, 1911), Virgil Clark (February 17, 1914). Katharine Louise (February 26. 1918), Edward Eugene (February 24, 1923) and Robert Ervin (January 13, 1928). 

When Angela and Paul were first married, Paul and Phillip, Angela’s older brother, worked together in what they called “the harness business,” selling a complete line of buggy equipment. (They sold some whips for $ .10 and others for as much as $1.00. The buggies on display would have the fine $1.00 whips on them. Paul and Phillip found that some of their less-than-honest customers would buy a $.10 whip at the back of the shop and exchange it for a $1.00 whip on display at the front of the shop on their way out). This business proved to be inadequate to support both Paul and Phillip, so in 1910 Paul bought into Dye and Thompson Lumber Company in Francesville. Over the next several years he bought out the other owners and Von Tobel Lumber Company came into existence. The business prospered and expanded. Although the Francesville yard was sold in 1975, other lumber companies still owned by the Von Tobel family continue to serve the Indiana communities of Lafayette, Valparaiso and Winamac. 

Paul Von Tobel, Sr. died on January 21, 1955. His wife, Angela, died on March 11, 1981. 

Conrad Gutwein married Magdalena Melinda Gudeman on January 4, 1914. The ten children born to them were Clarence Philip (on December 13, 1914), Lewis Conrad (on February 11, 1916), Raymond David (on March 31, 1917), Helen Louise (on July 4, 1918), Ruth Evangeline (on October 14, 1919), Richard Howard (“Bud”) (on December 31, 1920), Florence Mae (on June 14. 1922), Melvin Benjamin (on January 31. 1924), Irma Lois (on August 24, 1925), and Carolyn Marjean (on August 17, 1928). 

Conrad was a farmer. He and Lena took over the home place when his parents moved into Francesville in 1918. In addition they owned several other farms in the area which were farmed by their sons and a son-in-law. 

In 1947 Conrad joined his son Melvin in starting a fertilizer business, located at the south end of Francesville. They sold rock phosphate, line, and bagged fertilizer. Levis first bought into the company, then Clarence, Ray and Helen did too. In 1952, a family corporation. Gutwein Agricultural Service, Inc., was formed and the facility was moved to one-half mile north of town. In 1955, the liquid fertilizer plant was added, making the Gutweins pioneers in selling liquid fertilizer and designing and selling application equipment. The business expanded to include plants in San Pierre and Star City, Indiana. The Gutweins operated these businesses until 1965, when they sold to a large fertilizer firm. 

Lena Gutwein died on May 22, 1967. Conrad died on November 15, 1972. The epitaph on his tombstone reads, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” 

On March 3, 1918. Fred married Katie Munz (Gutwein). She was the widow of Fred’s brother, Lewis, who died in 1916. Born to them were eight children: Harvey Fred (January 3. 1919), Edwin Conrad (July 30, 1920), James Carl (November 15, 1922), Fern Lydia (December 9. 1924), Dorothy Arlene (December 10, 1926), Glen Munz (July 13, 1928). Marcella Marie (September 7, 1930), and Suzanne (September 4, 1933). 

Fred farmed many acres of land. Then in 1936 he decided that his four sons could use a new challenge and Fred Gutwein and Sons, Inc. was started. The business specialized in hybrid corn and through the years also began producing certified soybeans, lupine, wheat, triticale, and oat seed. 

Only about 10% of the hybrid corn companies which started about the same time as this firm are still in operation. Fred Gutwein and Sons, Inc., continues to be family owned and operated, serving an eleven-state area. 

Fred Gutwein died on March 6, 1976. The epitaph on his tombstone reads, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

Adam married Lydia Albrecht on March 8, 1925. Seven children were born to them. Margaret Ann (February 18, 1926), Harold Frances (August 1, 1927), Adam Jacob, Jr. (September 30, 1928), Ervin Dean (August 24, 1931), Gilbert (March 27, 1934), Adeline (July 17, 1936), and Elvira Erna (March 25. 1938). 

John married Helen Albrecht (Adam’s wife Lydia’s sister) on May 9, 1926. Their children were Rovene Delight (born May 16, 1927), Katherine Dorothy (born December 26, 1930), John Jacob, Jr. (born October 23, 1933). Lillian Ruth (born September 14, 1936), Arnold Lee (born October 4, 1937), and Marvin Richard (born May 16, 1942). 

Carl married Mary Lena Farney on June 4, 1927. Born to them were Maxine Marie (June 18, 1928), Nathaniel Philip (on January 23, 1930), Edison Gene (an October 12, 1931). Mary Louise (on September 19, 1933). Carl Lewis, Jr. (on November 26, 1934), Phillip Rolland (an November 19, 1938), Juanita Ann (on February 22, 1941), Elden Lloyd (on September 24, 1942), Sharon Kay (on April 15, 1944), and Rodney Wayne (on July 2, 1949). 

In 1920, John, Adam and Carl carried on a family tradition by beginning Gutwein Milling Company in Francesville. (Father Phillip and each of the eight children were stockholders). Every town had its own bakery then and the flour milled by Gutwein’s, White Rose, had just two competitors: Pillsbury and Gold Medal. After several years of milling flour, a wholesale feed business was developed. It expanded while flour sales gradually diminished, and in 1950 Gutwein

      Milling Company became solely a feed mill. Many of the small town bakeries did not survive the depression. As they folded, Gutwein Milling Company accumulated a lot of bakery equipment for which they had no use. 

Many farmers struggled also. When a debt collector offered his services to the mill, Adam, who was office manager, declined. He knew the farmers were not paying their bills simply because they did not have the money. He trusted the people that were in the mill’s debt. Undoubtedly there were some uncollected debts, but there were also instances in which management’s soft manner proved to be rewarding. A farmer who moved to Illinois during the depression came back many years later to pay what he owed. When farmers mentioned selling corn to pay their bills during these hard times, Adam advised them to wait until the price went up. 

This was sound economic advice for the price of corn did rise from 15ç to 45c a bushel. (It was during this time that corn was being used for fuel because it was cheaper than coal). 

The Francesville bank folded during the depression. The Gutweins were among those who had need for a bank, and Adam assisted in the organization of a new financial institution. Peoples State Bank was established on July 2, 1930. Adam served as a bank director from that date until January 6, 1931, and again from January 3, 1933, until July 11, 1934. 

Adam Gutwein now lives in his farm home northwest of Francesville with his wife Lydia. He is the last living child of Phillip, Sr. His life is characterized by humility and thanksgiving to his God. 

John Gutwein died on December 13, 1971. The epitaph on his tombstone reads, “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ John’s wife, Helen, died on May 13, 1975. 

Carl Gutwein died on December 21, 1973. The epitaph on his tombstone reads, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is will your heart be also.” Thirteen of the Gutwein boys (Phillip Sr.’s grandsons) were eligible age-wise to serve in World War It in the 1940s. Five of them were drafted, served in Europe, and returned home to the Francesville area to be reunited with their families and to resume their occupations. (Two of the young men served in noncombatant capacities, choosing not to bear arms due to religious convictions). Those who were not drafted were granted exemptions because of having children or of being engaged in farming or farm-related occupations. 

During World War II, like during the First World War, the Gutwein family was not discriminated against because of being German. They shared the prevalent American anti-Hitler sentiment and their loyalty to their new home was unquestioned. As noted earlier, the Francesville community was heavily populated with German descendants, and the Gutweins were well known and respected. 

Meanwhile, in Europe, Germans of Cservenka as well as from the rest of Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bessarabia, and Galicia, fled. Many of the relatives of the Gutweins were driven out of their homes and suffered great hardship. (Adam and Lydia Gutwein were in charge of a stateside relief effort, collecting and transporting clothing, groceries, and other necessities to send to European relatives and friends. Among the items sent were tallow, lard and ground wheat. Farmers in the Francesville area donated beef  which was then taken to Fort Wayne to be canned for shipping). 

Some Germans escaped into Austria and Germany. Many less fortunate were carried into Russia (Siberia) as slaves or were put into concentration camps. They paid a high price for the crime of being German. 

The branch of Gutweins that left Cservenka at the close of World War II now live in Germany. Also there are a number of Gutweins still living in the general area of Germany that was home to Johann Ludwig before his immigration in 1784. 

The Phillip Gutwein, Sr. family left their home in Cservenka, Austria Hungary in the early 1900s to come see America. They came; they saw, and they stayed. Today they leave their nearly 550 descendants* with a heritage rich with Christian values and a sense of divine destiny.   *As of 1984, records show that Phillip, Sr. and Louisa had 8 children, 57 grandchildren. 210 great-grandchildren, 256 great-great grandchildren, and 5 great-great-great-grandchildren.

      Louisa died an April 6, 1938. Phillip Sr., died on December 19, 1958.

      It was in 1918 that Phillip, Sr. and Louisa left their home on the farm. After traveling in Europe, they settled in Francesville within two blocks of the homes of five of their married children - Phillip Jr., Angela, John, Adam and Carl. 

Conrad, Lena, and their family moved from their home one-half mile south to the home place to take over the farming operation. Their three oldest children, Clarence, Lewis and Ray were born in 1914, 1916 and 1917 before their move. The other seven children-Helen, Ruth, Richard “Bud”, Florence, Melvin, Irma and Carolyn were born between 1918 and 1928. For each birth the local nurse (who was also a family friend), Annie Banwart, came to the home for the delivery and stayed for ten days to help with the newborn and to care for Mother Lena. 

The work ethic was honored by the Gutweins, and farming the land, milking cows, and tending hogs, chickens, and turkeys were all part of the boys’ responsibilities. The girls helped with cooking, canning. gardening, cleaning, laundry, and baking. (The bread was almost entirely home baked. Helen baked eight or ten loaves each Monday and Thursday. All day Saturday she baked desserts, such as cakes, pies, and cookies. Once when they ran out of bread, Lewis and his younger sister Ruth went to the bakery in Francesville. Ruth had gone in to purchase the bread, and when she came out she told her brother, who was waiting in the car, “I had a nickel too less.”) 

Elizabeth Hild served the Gutweins as their live-in maid from 1920 until 1922. The children thoroughly enjoyed her; and she enjoyed them too. She referred to Ray as her “sucar mendle” (sugar man). 

When the daughters were still very young, the three oldest sons, Clarence, Lewis and Ray, were responsible for doing dishes. They divided the work into three tasks: washing, sorting, and drying. “Sorting” (separating the clean dishes from the dirty ones and putting the dirty ones back in the dishpan) was the favorite job. 

Although there was little leisure time, some time was left for play. The children enjoyed riding their pony, roller -skating, bicycling, motorcycling, playing with dolls and dollhouses, and playing baseball, marbles, and hide-and-seek. 

The family enjoyed a variety of social activities, including the annual street fairs held in Francesville and the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1932 and 1933. A couple of times each summer they drove the 54 miles to Michigan City to swim in the lake there. A highlight of each summer was the annual Gutwein reunion held on July 4th. (It was at such a reunion in 1935 when the children’s cousin Paul (Phillip, Jr.’s son) flew a small plane to the celebration. On take-off his motor stalled and his plane nose-dived. He was killed, as horrified family members looked on). 

The entire family loved music. Many of the children played mouth harps. Bud and Florence played the organ and accordion, accompanying the family as they gathered to sing their favorite hymns in both German and English. 

Conrad and Lena wanted their children to speak German in their home. In fact, the children were not allowed to speak English at mealtime. Retaining the ability to speak the native tongue was important so that they could converse with their grandparents. Phillip, Sr. and Louisa. 

Clarence, being the oldest, was the first to speak English, learning when he started first grade. Lewis was proud of his big brother. Trying out a bit of English himself, he commented, “Dar Clarence dar kan English sage.” Clarence had his challenges learning to read English. In school he read about the “three black cows sitting in a tree” (they were really crows), and in Sunday School he read from Hebrews 13:2 about the “angel’s underwear” (unaware). 

Students were required to attend public school until the age of sixteen. Ruth, Irma and Carolyn continued past then and graduated from Francesville High School. Helen completed her high school education and obtained a Licensed Practical Nursing degree by correspondence. Lewis graduated from Coyne Electrical School in Chicago. 

Ray was the only son of Conrad who served in World War II. He went to London, then served as a medic on the Normandy Beachhead, treating the wounded on the battlefield and evacuating them to the Red Cross Hospital. (The recruiting office had allowed Ray and his brother Bud to decide which of them would go to war). Clarence and Lewis were both exempt from service because they had children. Melvin was too young. 

Moral standards were high in the Gutwein home. Although a couple of the children went through a rebellious stage, all of them had a strong sense of right and wrong. (At a school party the 5th and 6th grade class was asked to write down all the bad words they used. A prize was promised, and many of the children were making long lists. Poor Lewis was stumped. After thinking and thinking, he finally wrote “shucks.” He won the prize, a yellow mechanical pencil). 

The Apostolic Christian Church continued to play an integral role in the Gutweins’ lives. Conrad, as well as his father and two brothers, was a minister. The family attended church each Sunday from 10:00 until 2:30. On Sunday evenings the church families gathered together in homes for “singings.” Adults would sing for a couple of hours while the children played outside. 

After their marriages, the children of Conrad and Lena were all actively involved in the Apostolic Christian Church founded by Phillip, Sr. But the church’s lack of acceptance and support of Melvin’s missionary endeavors caused his parents and several of his siblings to leave the close-knit congregation and start a missionary-supporting Bible Church. All of Conrad’s children and their spouses remain actively involved in Bible-teaching churches. 

Conrad and Lena’s married children had family lives that were stable and secure. Old-fashioned principles of morality were applied to the marriage relationship as well as to child-rearing. 

The work ethic remained a prevalent part of the lives of the children in the Conrad Gutwein family. Husbands and fathers earned a good living while wives and mothers worked hard to provide a healthy and happy home environment. 

Clarence Philip married Ethel Sane Snedeker (born November 14, 1917) on August 16, 1936. They had five sons: Robert Paul, born April 17, 1937; twins, Ronald Duayne and Donald Wayne, born April 19, 1941; Richard Allen, born February 9, 1943, and Douglas Lynn, born April 4, 1948. Ronald died in an automobile accident on March 18, 1985. 

Clarence and Jane have eleven grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. After Clarence and Jane married they rented a home in Francesville until they moved into their new home in 1939. He was employed at Gutwein Milling Company until 1952 when he became part owner of Gutwein Agricultural Service. When the fertilizer business sold, he continued to work for the new owners until his retirement. He then began working part-time for his son Bob, owner of Francesville Tire Company. 

Lewis Conrad married Edith Mae Bucher (born October 3, 1918) on October 20, 1938. They had four children: Carol Kay, born August 24, 1939; Kenneth Levis, born October 5, 1941; Eugene Wayne, born February 20, 1943; and Judith Ann, born October 13, 1944. Lewis was working at Gutwein Milling Company when he and Edith were married. He then began farming and in 1952 joined his father and brother Melvin as a co-owner of Gutwein Agricultural Service. In 1964 he left the fertilizer business and Francesville and became associated with New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

Raymond David married Donna Lou Getz (born October 15, 1924) on August 26, 1945. Their two children are Geraldine Sue, born February 16, 1947, and Calvin Rex, born March 24, 1948. Ray and Donna have four grandchildren. 

After their marriage, Ray and Donna lived in the Francesville area where he farmed. In the early 1950’s he bought into Gutwein Agricultural Service, Inc. and worked there until the business sold. Donna worked as bookkeeper at Getz Plumbing, Fred Gutwein and Sons Seed Company, and the agricultural business. They moved from Francesville to the Monticello area where they owned cottages on Lake Shafer. They are now retired and spend much of their time in Florida. Helen Louise married Andrew Hild (born September 14, 1904) on September 28, 1940. After their marriage they moved to California where they rented and operated a cotton farm. In 1946 they were involved in an automobile accident that left Andy paralyzed from the chest down. In 1948 they moved back to Francesville, but they soon returned to California where Andy could receive needed medical care. They operated a grocery store in Tulare until 1953 and then again returned to Francesville where they both worked for the business they co-owned with other family members, Gutwein Agricultural Service, Inc. In 1965 when the business sold they traveled for two years before buying a fruit farm in Tulare. Andy died on September 2, 1976. Helen retired in Columbia, Missouri, in 1982. 

Ruth Evangeline married Virgil Heinold (born December 8, 1918) on January 4, 1940. They had four children:  Sherril Lee born October 2, 1939; James Leroy born October 14, 1940; Virgilia May born April 16, 1948; and Victor Ray born December 8, 1954. Ruth and Virgil have lived in louts, Indiana since their marriage. They have owned and operated Heinold Elevator Company, and are now involved solely with the feed operation. 

Richard Howard “Bud” lived at home and helped with farming until his death on November 22, 1941. He was killed on one of the family farms when his shotgun accidentally discharged. 

Florence Mae married Lea Bucher (born July 8, 1920) on July 4, 1943. They had four children: William Eugene, born September 7, 1944; Laurel Addle, born November 28, 1946; Michael Thomas, born November 13, 1949; and Roxann, born May 15, 1956. Florence and Lea have five grandchildren. 

Florence and Lea settled in the Francesville area after he returned from service in World War II. They have been farming there since that time. In December of 1948 they moved into the home where they still live which was built for the family of Phillip, Sr. in 1908. 

Melvin Benjamin married Arlene Mae Kaufman (born March 20, 1930) on May 3, 1953. They had five children: David Allen, born September 15, 1954; Dorene Ann, born August 29, 1955, Donita Annette, born February 28, 1957; Daniel Arthur, born August 7, 1959; and Dale Albert, born April 29, 1962. They have five grandchildren. 

Melvin and Arlene joined the staff of New Tribes Mission shortly after their marriage. They have served as missionaries in Kanchanaburi and Bangkok, Thailand, since 1955. 

Irma Lois married Daniel Fredrick Germann (born August 3, 192a) on December 9, 1944. Born to them were Constance Mae on August 7, 1946; Daniel Lee on December 14, 1947; and Patricia Ann on March 31, 1952. Irma and Dan have five grandchildren. 

After they were married, they lived on the Germann home place, a farm near La Crosse, Indiana. They later bought a farm near San Pierre. Dan farmed for several years, then managed Gutwein Agricultural Service, Inc.’s San Pierre plant until the business was sold. He worked for the new owners of the fertilizer plant before becoming employed by a road-surfacing business. Irma worked as a bookkeeper at the agricultural plant. 

Carolyn Marjean married Calvin Roy Kaufman (born September 13, 1923) on June 6, 1948. Their five children are: Steven Allen, born April 5, 1949; Cynthia Kay, born April 30, 1952; Kevin Wayne, born August 11, 1956; Kent Richard, born March 28, 1958; and Billy Joe born August 31. 1963. Carolyn and Cal have three grandchildren. Carolyn and Cal have resided in the Cissna Park, Illinois, area since their marriage. They own and operate Kaufman Elevator there.

     The Conrad Gutwein family followed the traditions of the previous generations. A strong work ethic, a regard for family relationships, and a commitment to Christian values characterized their lives. However, the scope of their Christian witness was greatly enlarged when the need for worldwide evangelism was recognized and embraced.  


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