Anton Mohelnitzky & Mary Ruskauff

Family Group Sheet

More about the Ruskauff family

Anton Mohelnitzky & Mary Ruskauff and their children:

Anton Mohelnitzky & Mary Ruskauff (and Mary's 2nd husband George Milfred)

• Conrad Mohelnitzky

• John Mohelnitzky

• George Mohelnitzky

• Julia Mohelnitzky Braun

• Theresa Mohelnitzky Williams

• Frank Mohelnitzky - Mohr

• Frances Mohelnitzky Kussman

• Abalonia Mohelnitzky

• Henrietta Mohelnitzky Duren

Mary Christine Ruskauff Mohelnitzky Milfred was born June 28, 1854, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to German immigrants, Johann Conrad Ruskauff and Anna Elisabeth Freker. Johann Ruskauff and Anna Freker emigrated from the county of Osnabrück in Niedersachsen, Germany, sometime before their November 17, 1846 marriage in Pittsburgh.

In 1865 at age 11, Mary Ruskauff, her parents and her 8 siblings left Pennsylvania and moved to Richland County, Wisconsin, settling on a farm in Westford Township. Two more children were born to Johann and Anna (Freker) Ruskauff in Richland County.

At age 17, Mary was married to her first husband, Anton Mohelnitzky, on February 6, 1872, at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church in Germantown, Richland County, Wisconsin.

Anton Mohelnitzky was an emigrant from Bohemia (possibly from Seltschan, Bohemia which is now known, in 2007, as Sedlicanech/Sedlcany, Czech Republic) and was placed in St. Aemilian's Orphan Asylum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in March 1858. He left the orphanage in May 1859. His sisters, Julia and Mary Mohelnitzky were also placed in orphanages at the same time, but at St. Rose Orphan Asylum in Milwaukee. Anton became a harness maker and worked in Chicago a short time near the time of his marriage to Mary.

On January 4, 1874, Mary's father, Johann Ruskauff died in a tragic accident while holding a team of frightened horses. He was about to begin unloading railroad ties when the team of horses became frightened by a passing train. "To prevent the horses from running off, he stepped in front and took the horses by the bits; they dashed forward about 20 feet, throwing Mr. Roscoff with such force on the frozen ground as to break in his skull and otherwise injure him. He was taken up by those present, and supposed to be dead, but came to partial consciousness, in which state he was taken to his home by his friends, and died on Sunday evening." [Reedsburg Free Press (Reedsburg, Wisconsin)]

Mary and Anton became the parents of nine children: John Mohelnitzky, George Mohelnitzky (died at age 7 in 1885), Julia Mohelnitzky Braun, Theresa Mohelnitzky Williams, Frank Mohelnitzky Mohr, Frances Mohelnitzky Kussman, Abalonia Mohelnitzky (died in infancy in 1887), and Henrietta Mohelnitzky Duren. The family lived in Westford Township, LaValle and New Lisbon for a time, while Anton pursued his occupation as harness maker.

The family then moved to Milwaukee and lived at 457 17th Street and then 1404 Cherry Street. Anton became ill and died of pneumonia at age 45 on December 22, 1893. Anton was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Milwaukee. Mary and her 7 children, ranging in age from 19 to 5, remained in Milwaukee, and from the years 1894 to 1901, they lived in various homes: 722 Galena, 540 10th Street, 648 10th Street, and 550 10th Street.

In 1900, Mary Ruskauff Mohelnitzky's widowed mother, Anna E. Freker Ruskauff (age 72), was a border in the Peter & Hanna Milfred household in Westford Township, Richland County, Wisconsin. Peter's parents, George Milfred (age 72) and Margret (Martin) Milfred (age 75) also lived in the household. George and Margret had another son named George Milfred (a widower with several young children, the youngest being 8 years old). Perhaps Anna Freker Ruskauff told her widowed daughter, Mary Ruskauff Mohelnitzky, that George Milfred would be a good catch and needed a mother figure for his children. In any event, George Milfred and Mary Ruskauff Mohelnitzky joined together in marriage in 1903. Unfortunately, Mary's mother did not live to see the wedding since she died on January 15, 1902. 

Marriage of Anton Mohelnitzky and Mary Ruskauff, February 6, 1872

Another version:

Marriage Certificate: Vol. B, page 44, No. 612:

Date of registration: March 11, 1872

Full name of husband and that of the wife previous to marriage:

Mohelnisky, Anthony & Ruskauf, Mary

Occupation of said husband: harness maker

Residence of husband: Chicago

Birthplace of husband: Austria

The place, town, township or county where the marriage was contracted: Cazenovia

The time when the marriage was contracted: Feb. 6, 1872

By what ceremony contracted: Religious

Name of person pronouncing marriage: W. Bernard

Residence of person last named: Cazenovia

Name of subscribing witnesses: Mohelnitsky A & Schulty Mary

Date of Certificate: Feb. 17, 1872

Name of the father and mother of husband: Ruskauf John K & Frecker Ann Mary

Name of father and mother of wife: Mohelnitsky A & Schulty Mary

[The names of parents of the bride and groom are reversed; the names of the witnesses are also assumed to be incorrect and appear to be the names of the groom who were said to have died in the 1850s. The correct names of the parents were: Antonin Mohelnicky and Mary Sulc/Schulz; Johann Conrad Ruskauff and Anna Elisabeth Freker.]

Familien-Chronik

Anton and Mary's children

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A request was made to the Catholic church in LaValle for baptismal information, but there was no reply. No registrations for Mohelnitzky births were found in the Juneau County Courthouse in Mauston, Wisconsin.

A baptism record for Henrietta Mohelnitzky was found at St. Paul Catholic Church, New Lisbon, Juneau County, Wisconsin; the date of baptism was June 16, 1888.

1880 U.S. Census - Town of Westford, Richland County, Wisconsin

The last name is spelled wrong and should be "Mohelnitzky." The census shows the family of Anton "Tony" Mohelnitzky and his wife, Mary (Ruskauff) Mohelnitzky

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Cazenovia, Richland, Wisconsin; Roll: T9_1445; Family History Film: 1255445; Page: 199.3000; Enumeration District: 243.

Hold Family Gathering. Memories of by-gone days were renewed at a pleasant family gathering at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Milfred at Cazenovia, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ruskauff of Riverside, California, on Wednesday, June 10. Seventeen years have elapsed since the latter's last visit to Cazenovia. Other guests present were: Mrs. Anna P. Duren, Anthony R. Duren and daughter, Bertha, and son, Henry, and family, of Lone Rock; the William Moyes family, Hillpoint; Jos. R. Duren, Madison; Anthony Milfred, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brown, Ironton; Rev. T. Froling, Rev. M. Weishar, Ironton; Rev. J. M. Raker, Wilton; Mr. and Mrs. T. Bauer and daughters, Helen and Marie; Miss Froling, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Duren and daughter, Sophia, of Reedsburg; Mr. and Mrs. James Cunnigham and Mr. and Mrs. James Whalen of Melanthon Creek.Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ruskauff, the guests of honor, have left for Lima, Ohio, to visit relatives and friends at Mrs. Ruskauff's former home. From there they will go to Pittsburg, Penn., to visit Mr. Ruskauff's relatives before they return to California.

[Source: Reedsburg Times (Reedsburg, Wisconsin), June 19, 1925, page 4, column 4]

Mary Ruskauff tombstone (click to go to Findagrave.com)

Mary Ruskauff Mohelnitzky Milfred - Obituary

Mrs. George Milfred. Mrs. George Milfred passed away March 14th 1936. Death followed a prolonged sickness. Funeral services were held Tuesday, at St. Anthony's Church and interment took place at St. Anthony's Cemetery. Surviving are the husband, and six children of a former marriage; John Mohelnitzky of Wausau; Mrs. Frank Braun of Ironton; Mrs. Henry Williams, Madison; Mr. Frank Mohr of Milwaukee; Mrs. Arthur Kussman, Los Angeles, Cal.; and Mrs. Frank Duren of Cazenovia, as well as twenty-six grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Peter Duren, Sr., Milwaukee; and three brothers, Frank, Herman, and George Ruskauff, of Los Angeles, Cal. Pittsburg, Penn., and Madison, Wis., respectively. Those from out of town who attended the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. George Ruskauff and children, Irene and John; and Mrs. Henry Williams, all of Madison.

[Source: March 20, 1936, page 1, column 5, Cazenovia Reporter (Cazenovia, Richland County, Wisconsin)]