Individual Details
Anton John "Antonio Tony" Nathe
(August 26, 1875 - January 8, 1962)
Anton, a shoemaker, as his grandfather, Wilhelm Nathe, and his father before him; and the oldest son, was in Repe', Germany, supporting his widowed mother. Elizabeth had married Eberhard Homberg in 1853 in Helden, and they had one daughter. It is thought that she was pregnant with their second daughter when Eberhard died. Elizabeth and her daughter Elizabeth traveled with Anton and his mother Anna Margaretha Besting Nathe, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1858. There they were reunited with the Primus family, Joseph and Caspar who had settled there.
Anton was registered in the first class at Saint Leo Military College in 1890 and graduated in the first class in 1892.
My grandfather on my mother's side, Christof TeMarto came from Streberg, Koln. He settled in New Munich, MN as a wealthy man at a time when they had to fight the Indians. He donated land for the church, school, and cemetery. His son Adolph died on board ship on the way over and buried at sea. His son Jacob farmed in New Munich and his son Henry owned the present Joseph Altmann place and later moved to Grand Forks and had six children. His daughter, Elizabeth, became my mother.
My grandmother on my father's side, Margaretha Nathe came from Olpe, Westphalia, Germany. She had seven children; Joseph became my father. 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. In time, Joseph and Elizabeth were married and settled down in Meire Grove.
The sight of Indians coming to the house begging for food was common. My mother walked to New Munich many times to do her parents wash. One evening while returning she met what she thought were Schweiters' calves, only they turned out to be bears. Father used to drive with oxen all the way to St. Paul to have flour ground for bread and to buy groceries and that is over 100 miles. Often he drove to the Canadian line over 200 miles hauling freight. Wagon wheels were made out of round logs, sawed off in blocks. These were not 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 on he built the church in St. Joseph, Pasco County, FL.
Having moved down from Minnesota we settled in Chipco. We attended Mass at San Antonio. One Sunday before Mass my father took me to the parish house where we met Father Charles, then President of St. Leo's Military College, who registered me immediately. The very next morning, Monday, I had to gather my belongings, which were very few indeed, and start for the College. Arriving there with a trunk on the buggy we met all the students who were already there. They totaled four, all of whom felt blue since it was a lonely place with only one building. Not one of the boys became as homesick as I did. All the boys came from larger towns whereas I had come from Chipco, a town with one store and an old freight car for a depot.
My English was so perfect that in less than no time my nickname was "German". Father Charles was President, Father Benedict prefect, and Father Basil professor. We had the good Brothers; Bro. Leonard was the cook, Bro. Gilbert and Bro. Anthony the carpenters, Bro. Andrew the farmer, and "jolly" Bro. Leo the life of the party. That comprised the whole family. I well remember Bro. Leander Roth arriving at St. Leo's, he was a brother of Father Benedict. Bro. Leo was always so pleasantly plump and continually jolly. Once he wanted to get a drink of water from the well which was inside the kitchen window. He turned a barrel upside down and climbed on top and down into the barrel he went. He was so fat that he had to roll over in order to get out and all the boys shouting and laughing at him.
In our wash or trunk room we had a long wooden table on which we washed. Here, too, we had to brush our shoes every morning, for in those days we had daily inspection of hands and shoes and later on also an inspection of our guns. My bed was at the second window to the right of the tower on the third floor. We had no toilets in the modern sense, but merely a long shed in which there was a 2 by 2 partitioned off and extending the whole length of the building. I said that at first guns were wooden ones made by the Brother. Then we received rifles and finally we were given muskets which we had to keep shining and in perfect order. Twice a week we had drilling exercises.
Our sports consisted mostly of swimming and boat riding. Many a night we would row in the moonlight and sing with our president leading us. We also played marbles at times and of course, baseball.
Once a year we would make a trip some place. On one occasion we went by train to St. Petersburg, saw all the sights including the ice plant. Then again we made a trip to Chipco to the home of my parents and enjoyed a chicken dinner. The older boys were allowed to smoke while the younger ones smoked without permission and suffered for it later. In the evening we had to count cross ties back to St. Leo, a long walk but an enjoyable one. On another occasion we walked to Dade City and back. Bro. Andrew had our guns on the wagon which was drawn by the College mule. By that time we had our military suits and had to do some marching the streets of Dade City. As a climax we had a dinner at the Delcher Hotel.
Yes, the boys also received presents on Christmas those days. One even got some limburger cheese but was not allowed to open it in the building. So we all went on the baseball grounds and opened it, a family affair. Soon the buzzards were circling around overhead. It was something new for them too. I often think of all the boys and wonder where they went and what became of them.
As our parents built a church at St. Joseph's for the Germans, so the English speaking folks built a church at St. Thomas. The Fathers from St. Leo's used to alternate masses at the two places. The Fathers did not own a buggy but had to go on horse or mule or in a two wheel cart over ruts and roots. I went with Father Benedict on many of these trips. I wonder if the trees are still standing which Fr. Benedict and the boys planted extending from the college to the lake?
After St. Joseph built a little school in which Mass was first offered, and then built the church of which my father was chief engineer, my future mother-in-law organized the choirs until my future wife, Margaret Klein, took over the work. She had attended Holy Name Academy and moved to Minnesota in 1897. In the spring on 1898 I also came back to Minnesota where I had been born and had lived for 11 years before coming to Florida. The next fall on Aught 2nd I was married to Margaret Klein.. We began farming and haven't stopped since. We have 9 children.
Anton was registered in the first class at Saint Leo Military College in 1890 and graduated in the first class in 1892.
My grandfather on my mother's side, Christof TeMarto came from Streberg, Koln. He settled in New Munich, MN as a wealthy man at a time when they had to fight the Indians. He donated land for the church, school, and cemetery. His son Adolph died on board ship on the way over and buried at sea. His son Jacob farmed in New Munich and his son Henry owned the present Joseph Altmann place and later moved to Grand Forks and had six children. His daughter, Elizabeth, became my mother.
My grandmother on my father's side, Margaretha Nathe came from Olpe, Westphalia, Germany. She had seven children; Joseph became my father. 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. In time, Joseph and Elizabeth were married and settled down in Meire Grove.
The sight of Indians coming to the house begging for food was common. My mother walked to New Munich many times to do her parents wash. One evening while returning she met what she thought were Schweiters' calves, only they turned out to be bears. Father used to drive with oxen all the way to St. Paul to have flour ground for bread and to buy groceries and that is over 100 miles. Often he drove to the Canadian line over 200 miles hauling freight. Wagon wheels were made out of round logs, sawed off in blocks. These were not 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 on he built the church in St. Joseph, Pasco County, FL.
Having moved down from Minnesota we settled in Chipco. We attended Mass at San Antonio. One Sunday before Mass my father took me to the parish house where we met Father Charles, then President of St. Leo's Military College, who registered me immediately. The very next morning, Monday, I had to gather my belongings, which were very few indeed, and start for the College. Arriving there with a trunk on the buggy we met all the students who were already there. They totaled four, all of whom felt blue since it was a lonely place with only one building. Not one of the boys became as homesick as I did. All the boys came from larger towns whereas I had come from Chipco, a town with one store and an old freight car for a depot.
My English was so perfect that in less than no time my nickname was "German". Father Charles was President, Father Benedict prefect, and Father Basil professor. We had the good Brothers; Bro. Leonard was the cook, Bro. Gilbert and Bro. Anthony the carpenters, Bro. Andrew the farmer, and "jolly" Bro. Leo the life of the party. That comprised the whole family. I well remember Bro. Leander Roth arriving at St. Leo's, he was a brother of Father Benedict. Bro. Leo was always so pleasantly plump and continually jolly. Once he wanted to get a drink of water from the well which was inside the kitchen window. He turned a barrel upside down and climbed on top and down into the barrel he went. He was so fat that he had to roll over in order to get out and all the boys shouting and laughing at him.
In our wash or trunk room we had a long wooden table on which we washed. Here, too, we had to brush our shoes every morning, for in those days we had daily inspection of hands and shoes and later on also an inspection of our guns. My bed was at the second window to the right of the tower on the third floor. We had no toilets in the modern sense, but merely a long shed in which there was a 2 by 2 partitioned off and extending the whole length of the building. I said that at first guns were wooden ones made by the Brother. Then we received rifles and finally we were given muskets which we had to keep shining and in perfect order. Twice a week we had drilling exercises.
Our sports consisted mostly of swimming and boat riding. Many a night we would row in the moonlight and sing with our president leading us. We also played marbles at times and of course, baseball.
Once a year we would make a trip some place. On one occasion we went by train to St. Petersburg, saw all the sights including the ice plant. Then again we made a trip to Chipco to the home of my parents and enjoyed a chicken dinner. The older boys were allowed to smoke while the younger ones smoked without permission and suffered for it later. In the evening we had to count cross ties back to St. Leo, a long walk but an enjoyable one. On another occasion we walked to Dade City and back. Bro. Andrew had our guns on the wagon which was drawn by the College mule. By that time we had our military suits and had to do some marching the streets of Dade City. As a climax we had a dinner at the Delcher Hotel.
Yes, the boys also received presents on Christmas those days. One even got some limburger cheese but was not allowed to open it in the building. So we all went on the baseball grounds and opened it, a family affair. Soon the buzzards were circling around overhead. It was something new for them too. I often think of all the boys and wonder where they went and what became of them.
As our parents built a church at St. Joseph's for the Germans, so the English speaking folks built a church at St. Thomas. The Fathers from St. Leo's used to alternate masses at the two places. The Fathers did not own a buggy but had to go on horse or mule or in a two wheel cart over ruts and roots. I went with Father Benedict on many of these trips. I wonder if the trees are still standing which Fr. Benedict and the boys planted extending from the college to the lake?
After St. Joseph built a little school in which Mass was first offered, and then built the church of which my father was chief engineer, my future mother-in-law organized the choirs until my future wife, Margaret Klein, took over the work. She had attended Holy Name Academy and moved to Minnesota in 1897. In the spring on 1898 I also came back to Minnesota where I had been born and had lived for 11 years before coming to Florida. The next fall on Aught 2nd I was married to Margaret Klein.. We began farming and haven't stopped since. We have 9 children.
Events
| Birth | August 26, 1875 | New Munich, Stearns Co., MN | |||
| Marriage | August 2, 1898 | Sauk Centre, MN - Margaret Barbara Klein | |||
| Death | January 8, 1962 | New Munich, MN--he was 86 |
Families
| Spouse | Margaret Barbara Klein (1875 - 1961) |
| Child | James Henry Nathe (1900 - 1996) |
| Child | Anton Joseph Nathe (1902 - 1990) |
| Child | Catherine Ann Nathe (1904 - 2003) |
| Child | Casper John Nathe (1906 - 1991) |
| Child | John Henry Nathe (1909 - 2003) |
| Child | George Aloyious Nathe (1911 - 1989) |
| Child | Frank "Fr. Gerard" OSB Nathe (1913 - 1985) |
| Child | Margaret Theresa Nathe (1916 - 2008) |
| Child | Loretta Mary Nathe (1918 - 2004) |
| Father | Joseph Nathe (1836 - 1896) |
| Mother | Elizabeth Marto (1835 - 1915) |
| Sibling | Anna Gertrude Nathe (1864 - 1927) |
| Sibling | Casper Joseph (Joe) Nathe (1866 - 1948) |
| Sibling | Christopher Nathe (1868 - 1933) |
| Sibling | Henry Nathe (1871 - 1874) |
| Sibling | Mary Elizabeth Nathe (1873 - 1955) |
| Sibling | John Joseph Nathe (1877 - 1880) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Anna Mary Nathe (1880 - 1947) |