Individual Details
Joseph Nathe
(September 4, 1836 - August 4, 1896)
In 1857, Joseph age 21, and Caspar age 18, left for America. They spent some time in St. Louis earning money to send back to Germany for the rest of the family. It is said that they worked at anything, including hauling garbage with a mule drawn cart, sometimes eating from the garbage of the rich, even though by trade they were carpenters.
"Joseph Nathe, the pioneer was born in Germany and in 1859 came to America and located in Stearns county, where he secured a homestead of 160 acres in section 20, Grove township. At about this time he was married to Elizabeth Martho, who parents Christof and Gertrude Martho, had come from Germany. and settled where New Munich is now located. they being first settlers in that village. In the Martho family there were eight children.
After his marriage, Mr. Nathe took up residence on his claim, making a home for his bride in the log cabin which he had constructed. Few people of the present generation realize the hardship and deprivations of those days. The land was broken with the aid of oxen. The only farm was was one made of rough hewn timber. the wheels being slices from a giant oak tree.
When Mr. Nathe wished to attend church in New Munich, he was often forced to wade across the river entirely disrobed, carrying his clothes high and dry over his head. Being a carpenter by trade he manufactured many conveniences for the neighborhood, one of his pieces of work being ingenious, even if crude, threshing machine operated by horse power.
In about 1860, Joseph who had been working as a carpenter, left for Stearns County, Minnesota, where German Catholic immigrants were claiming land that had been opened for settlement since the treat of Indians had moved west to Dakota Territory. The community was called Grove Township, and eventually Meire Grove. Joseph claimed the land and began farming.
He helped to erect the long building, the frame building, and the present brick building for the church at Meire Grove. He also donated $500 for the parish, just before leaving for the south. After leaving Meire Grove, he located on 240 acres of orange and timberland in St. Joseph, Pasco county, Florida where he remained until his death. His wife now lives with Bernard Otte, in Grove township (History of Stearns County, William Mitchell, 1915)
About 1868, Joseph went to Anton to offer him his farm. Apparently Joseph or one of his children had a health problem which caused the need to move south to Florida
The records also show that Joseph and Elizabeth stayed in Meire Grove until after their last daughter's birth in 1880,
The Joseph Nathe family who moved to Florida about 1880, spelled their name "Nathe".
Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (DeMarto) Nathe, had 8 children. Their eldest child, Anna, was married and remained in Minnesota when the family moved to Florida.
After arriving in Florida, the Nathes settled in Chipco, a town with one store and an old freight car for a depot. They bought land and built a home where Gertrude Nathe Gude lived. Theirs was the first recorded deed in Pasco County. They attended Church in San Antonio.
Joseph and Mary Elizabeth had given the material for the chruch in Meier's Grove, Minnesota, where they lived before coming to Florida. Since there was no church near their home in Florida, they built the Catholic Church. The settlement was named St. Joseph after Joseph Nathe.
Joseph died August 4, 1896, at St. Joseph. His wife, Mary Elizabeth, eventually moved back to Minnesota, along with her son Anton. Joe & Chris remained in St. Joseph.
Notes by Anton J. Nathe (1940) "Joseph, my father, worked in St. Louis, MO, at first driving a mule gathering garbage and many times eating food that the rich had thrown aside. Gradually he earned enough to bring over his mother and the rest of the family. This grandmother. Margaretha Nathe, is buried in New Munich.
In time Joseph Nathe was married to Elizabeth and settled down in Meire Grove. The sight of Indians coming to the house begging for food was common. My mother walked New Munich many times to do her parents wash. One evening while returning she met what she thought were Schwieter's calves, only they turned out to be a bear.
Father used to drive with oxen all the way to St. Paul to have flour ground for bread and to get groceries and that is one hundred miles. Often he drove to the Canadian line over two hundred miles hauling freight. Wagon wheels were made out of round logs. sawed off in blocks. They were greased so they could be heard for miles.
One time he took Casper Zierden's oxen team along and so netted $75 for the extra wagon. My father built the church in Meire Grove. One day he had a sore foot and could not walk to work so the pastor came out, put my father on the horse and he himself walked back.
Later he built the church in St. Joseph, FL and the place was named after him."
"Joseph Nathe, the pioneer was born in Germany and in 1859 came to America and located in Stearns county, where he secured a homestead of 160 acres in section 20, Grove township. At about this time he was married to Elizabeth Martho, who parents Christof and Gertrude Martho, had come from Germany. and settled where New Munich is now located. they being first settlers in that village. In the Martho family there were eight children.
After his marriage, Mr. Nathe took up residence on his claim, making a home for his bride in the log cabin which he had constructed. Few people of the present generation realize the hardship and deprivations of those days. The land was broken with the aid of oxen. The only farm was was one made of rough hewn timber. the wheels being slices from a giant oak tree.
When Mr. Nathe wished to attend church in New Munich, he was often forced to wade across the river entirely disrobed, carrying his clothes high and dry over his head. Being a carpenter by trade he manufactured many conveniences for the neighborhood, one of his pieces of work being ingenious, even if crude, threshing machine operated by horse power.
In about 1860, Joseph who had been working as a carpenter, left for Stearns County, Minnesota, where German Catholic immigrants were claiming land that had been opened for settlement since the treat of Indians had moved west to Dakota Territory. The community was called Grove Township, and eventually Meire Grove. Joseph claimed the land and began farming.
He helped to erect the long building, the frame building, and the present brick building for the church at Meire Grove. He also donated $500 for the parish, just before leaving for the south. After leaving Meire Grove, he located on 240 acres of orange and timberland in St. Joseph, Pasco county, Florida where he remained until his death. His wife now lives with Bernard Otte, in Grove township (History of Stearns County, William Mitchell, 1915)
About 1868, Joseph went to Anton to offer him his farm. Apparently Joseph or one of his children had a health problem which caused the need to move south to Florida
The records also show that Joseph and Elizabeth stayed in Meire Grove until after their last daughter's birth in 1880,
The Joseph Nathe family who moved to Florida about 1880, spelled their name "Nathe".
Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (DeMarto) Nathe, had 8 children. Their eldest child, Anna, was married and remained in Minnesota when the family moved to Florida.
After arriving in Florida, the Nathes settled in Chipco, a town with one store and an old freight car for a depot. They bought land and built a home where Gertrude Nathe Gude lived. Theirs was the first recorded deed in Pasco County. They attended Church in San Antonio.
Joseph and Mary Elizabeth had given the material for the chruch in Meier's Grove, Minnesota, where they lived before coming to Florida. Since there was no church near their home in Florida, they built the Catholic Church. The settlement was named St. Joseph after Joseph Nathe.
Joseph died August 4, 1896, at St. Joseph. His wife, Mary Elizabeth, eventually moved back to Minnesota, along with her son Anton. Joe & Chris remained in St. Joseph.
Notes by Anton J. Nathe (1940) "Joseph, my father, worked in St. Louis, MO, at first driving a mule gathering garbage and many times eating food that the rich had thrown aside. Gradually he earned enough to bring over his mother and the rest of the family. This grandmother. Margaretha Nathe, is buried in New Munich.
In time Joseph Nathe was married to Elizabeth and settled down in Meire Grove. The sight of Indians coming to the house begging for food was common. My mother walked New Munich many times to do her parents wash. One evening while returning she met what she thought were Schwieter's calves, only they turned out to be a bear.
Father used to drive with oxen all the way to St. Paul to have flour ground for bread and to get groceries and that is one hundred miles. Often he drove to the Canadian line over two hundred miles hauling freight. Wagon wheels were made out of round logs. sawed off in blocks. They were greased so they could be heard for miles.
One time he took Casper Zierden's oxen team along and so netted $75 for the extra wagon. My father built the church in Meire Grove. One day he had a sore foot and could not walk to work so the pastor came out, put my father on the horse and he himself walked back.
Later he built the church in St. Joseph, FL and the place was named after him."
Events
| Birth | September 4, 1836 | Repe, Westphalia, Germany | |||
| Marriage | August 22, 1863 | Elizabeth Marto | |||
| Death | August 4, 1896 | St. Joseph, FL--he was 59 | |||
| Burial | Sacred Heart Cemetery |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth Marto (1835 - 1915) |
| Child | Anna Gertrude Nathe (1864 - 1927) |
| Child | Casper Joseph (Joe) Nathe (1866 - 1948) |
| Child | Christopher Nathe (1868 - 1933) |
| Child | Henry Nathe (1871 - 1874) |
| Child | Mary Elizabeth Nathe (1873 - 1955) |
| Child | Anton John "Antonio Tony" Nathe (1875 - 1962) |
| Child | John Joseph Nathe (1877 - 1880) |
| Child | Elizabeth Anna Mary Nathe (1880 - 1947) |
| Father | Wilhelm Nathe (1791 - 1843) |
| Mother | Anna Margaretha Besting (1802 - 1878) |
| Sibling | Anna "Catherine" Nathe (1828 - 1901) |
| Sibling | Anna " Elisabeth" Nathe (1830 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Anna Maria Nathe (1831 - 1920) |
| Sibling | Anton Nathe Sr (1834 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Casper "Johann Kasper" Nathe (1839 - 1893) |
| Sibling | Maria Katherina Nathe (1842 - 1843) |