Lobsinger Harvester. The Lion Thrashing Machine was produced in Mildmay, Ontario by descendants of Peter Lobsinger. This one is preserved in the Ontario Agricultural Museum.

The Lobsinger Foundry -
Home Of The Lion Thresher

An historic Lobsinger landmark dating back to the 1870's vanished in January of 1987. The Lobsinger Bros. Ltd. Foundry located on Absalom Strcet, West in Mildmay, Ontario was demolished by a group of Mennonite men ending over a century of service to residents of the area.

The company was most famous for its "Mildmay Lion Threshing Machines", but also made Apple Butter and Cider during the off-seasons. Information for this article was taken from the Mildrnay Crier, where it was first published. The information was provided to the Crier by current owner of the foundry, John Schmidt of Mildmay. The firm traces its beginnings back to the 1870's when a farmer from Baden patented a balanced sectional deck thresher with special gearing. Rights to the improved system were purchased by Jacob Bricker who first used the trade name "Lion Brand".

Over the years, the implement manufacturing firm grew and underwent several changes in partnerships and owners. The "Lion" brand name ultimately landed in the hands of Henry Spitzig, who was joined by Henry Berberich in 1886 to form a partnership which manufactured the machinery in Mildmay. A year later, Jonas Herrgott bought half of the business for $750, and in 1890 he bought the other half for $419.50. Herrgott manufactured other equipment as well as the threshers, including choppers, plows, reapers, turnip pulpers, mowers, apple grinders, and repaired steam engines.

Young Philip H. Lobsinger, (son of Peter, son of Count Joseph Lobsinger of Langatte, France) went to work for J. Herrgott Co. sometime during the 1890s. He was with the firm from the time he started until 1956, a period of over 66 years. He was known later as "Old Phillip" when his nephew Philip J. Lobsinger bought into the business.

The Lobsinger Foundry on January 15th 1987, the day before being demolished. The front portion was over 100 years old. Lobsinger Bros. constructed the rear portion during the 1940s.

Old Philip was a faithful employee, and acted as a salesman and bailiff for the Herrgott's and is credited with saving the company in 1927 after Henry and Jacob Herrgott split up. In 1950 "Old Philip" was still working in the moulding shop at the age of 80. As there were no blueprints or other detailed information for the "Lion" threshers, employees of the firm passed their knowledge and experience down to successive new comers, and the only guides they had to build a machine were the wooden patterns used to copy the parts from, and the experience passed on from generation to generation.

The Herrgott inventory for 1891 showed the company had patterns for a Knuckle Joint Cider Press. An addition was built to house a cider mill. Apple butter cookers were constructed; Cider presses and coils and cookers for making apple butter were manufactured for sale to set up other cider mills. Eventually, cider mills all over Ontario were equipped with Herrgott Cider Mill Equipment. In addition, the Herrgott Company made and patented many improvements in their equipment.

Farms were small, and many such equipment companies sprang up, each copying and improving on the other's designs. Patent suits were frequent, and competition was keen.

The Hergotts continued to operate the frm until 1938, during which time they continued to produce the "Lion" with various and sundry improvements and innovations. They drilled for water to supply the foundry, and produced the frst artesian well in Mildmay, which eventually became the Mildmay Waterworks System. Wells in the same area still provide the town with its water supply.

Times were hard, and most years, less than a dozen machines were produced and sold. Most of them had to be repossessed, and only the off-season work producing apple butter and cider kept the cash flow flowing.

SOME OF the Lobsinger Brothers, Sons of Joseph L. Shown (l to r) are Leonard, now living in Sarnia, On., Charles, Pat, Peter, Philip, Frank, and John. Not shown are Alex, Luke, Joseph, Raymond, Richard, and daughters Margaret Adelma and Amelia. Another brother, also named Joseph, died in infancy.

In 1938, the business was sold to Philip and Charles Lobsinger, who were nephews of "Old Philip". They were sons of Joseph L. Lobsinger, "Old Philip's" brother. The sale was for $6,000.00, andJacob Herrgott took a large mortgage in the deal. It was the middle of the depression, and Herrgott boasted that he would have the foundry back in a year or two at the most.

Equipment pattems in the moulding shop disappeared one Sunday moming before anyone was awake. They were whisked away to a shop owned by Henry Herrgott in St. Clements, according to a story told by one longtime employee. This loss sent the struggling company close to the edge of disaster. But "Old Philip" managed to save the day, by tracking down the missing pattems and returning them home in much the same way they were removed to begin with.

Philip J. Lobsinger and Charles M. Lobsinger were bom in Carrick Township. Members of a large family of 17, they were raised to appreciate the value of a dollar. A close knit family, the rule was to contribute all income home until they reached 21 years of age. Their father, Joseph L. Lobsinger, operated a livery stable, and at a young age the boys were engaged in meeting the trains, picking up the mail, and driving salesmen to outlying villages with a horse and buggy.

Joseph L. Lobsinger and second wife Catherine Beitz. Joe was the first son of Peter Lobsinger who was the second son of Count Joseph Lobsinger. Most of Joseph L's sons were in one way or another involved in the Lobsinger Foundry.

Philip Lobsinger worked at the livery, and during prohibition Philip and brother Pete would pick up the shipments of liquor at the Mildmay station and deliver the barrels to the hotel in Teeswater (which was in a dry area). Someone would scout ahead to watch for the County constable who sometimes patrolled the road. They would sometimes have to sneak down back roads to avoid the Constable, and when they got to the hotel a signal was given, large doors would open up, and they would drive right into the basement of the hotel and unload the cargo into a hidden cellar.

Philip later obtained employment at the Krug Furniture Factory in Chesley, ON, where he became a cabinet maker. He was a member of the Chesley Band and stayed at the McDonald House. He worked in a fumiture factory for awhile before moving to Detroit, MI., where he worked at the Detroit Screw Works.

He was enlisted by the US Secret Service to infiltrate unions, and during his stint with the SS, he met and married Neva Moore from Ravenna, MI.

Over the years, three brothers (Joseph, Ray, and Alex) also obtained work in Detroit. Finally, due to poor health and the danger and strain of the Secret Service work, Philip decided to move back to Mildmay and lead a quieter life. Brother Peter came to Detroit with a truck, and loading all their fumiture on the truck with their daughter Dolores (now Dolores Schmidt ) and niece Marie Lobsinger perched on mattresses on top of the load, they drove back to Mildmay.

Philip bought a small 8 acre property in the Village, where with a garden, several cows, and pigs, they were able to raise their own food. He also purchased an old harness shop where he worked long hours and built up a good business despite being in poor health due to asthma and peptic ulcers.

Around 1937 Philip and Charles Lobsinger decided they would like to get into a larger business. The Mildmay Creamery was for sale and they made an offer to purchase it, which was accepted, but before the final papers were signed, another group spoiled the deal, and it was sold instead to Thompsons. After this disappointment, the brothers continued to watch for a business opportunity, and finally purchased the foundry of Jacob Herrgott on December 8, 1938. In 1938 the Great Depression was still rampant and money and jobs were scarce. The Lobsinger Brothers purchased the foundry with $500 down and a mortgage of $5,500 with the first payment of $1,000 due January 1939.

As they decided to build 10 separators the frst year, they needed a lot of money to meet the payroll and buy material. The feeling was that the brothers would not last long in this business. But being a close knit and frugal family, the Lobsingers pitched in and loaned their savings to the two brothers. some of the family members who loaned them money were: Catherine Lobsinger (their mother) $780.60 in 1938. $400 in 1940.;Peter loaned them $1050; Joseph A. $700; Leonard W $1300; "Old Philip" $500; John $1000; and Patrick Mahoney $200.

Some of the employees were satisfied to let their wages stand, and would draw on them only for necessary expenses. The Lobsingers put heir hearts and souls into the business, and no amount of sacrifice or work was too much to insure success. They lived for the threshing machine, and loving a good argument, were seldom talked down when "singing the praises" of their "Lion" thresher. They would back a customer into a corner with their arguments until he finally gave in and signed.

Their first year, 1939, showed a modest profit and then the War came and demand for the threshers increased, although materials were hard to obtain. The rationing of sugar caused a great rush for apple butter, and the cider mill did a good business. The brothers continued to work hard and put all the profits back into the business. Their Journal shows the following amounts taken as wages: Charles Lobsinger - 1939 - $220.70; 1940 - $238.23; 1941 - $540.67. Philip J. Lobsinger - 1939 $10L76; 1940 - $185.63; 1941 - $450.35.

They were running their business on a cash basis, but the Federal Government was not. The Excess Profits Tax Act of 1940 was based on the average profits of a company between 1936 and 1939. As the Lobsingers started business on December 18,1939, they had no standard to work from, and when the tax department made assessments several years later, an excessive amount of tax, penalties and interest was assessed. Also a sore spot was that they were selling the separators with terms of 4 years, some of which might be bad debts, but had to pay tax on the full amount the year the separator was sold. In order to get their tax matters straightened out they engaged an accounting firm and finally in 1950 incorporated the company under the name of Lobsinger Bros. Limited.

The problem of getting the company financially secure was partially relieved by their increased production, but this also meant more labor and supplies. Credit laws were changing, and collections were better, too. The Lobsingers also had good relations with all of their customers. Many evenings, especially during threshing season, they would always be driving out to a farm, bringing parts to repair a machine so that it would be ready for operation the next day. All this helped the company as a lot of their money was tied up in the machines and full payment would not be received for three to four years.

The threshing business carried on through winter with about 20-35 men employed and more were hired in the spring when it was time to assemble and ship the machines. Lobsingers had their own flatbed truck to deliver the machines, plus six cars in the summer season for their men to drive around in, doing repairs and setting up the machinery. They delivered them all over Ontario and in the local area. Several were trucked to Manitoulin Island and as far north as Callander and Sudbury.

By the 50's, the "Lion" was better known as the "Mildmay." Sales were confined to a 100 mile radius of Mildmay, with the largest market area being the Waterloo district. In some small areas, there would be a "Mildmay" thresher in almost every barn. Sales were good from Tottenham and Newmarket as well as the Sarnia area, but dropped with the introduction of the combine, which was more suited to large areas of flat land. In the late 50's, sales remained good in many areas of Ontario, and moved further north into the Bruce peninsula, Manitoulin Island, the Peterborough area and the South River and North Bay areas in Northern Ontario. Some were even sold in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

While there were no machines shipped to Western Canada, some found their way out west anyway, and some to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, too. In the more remote areas, a local farmer would be consigned a stock of parts so that repairs would be available in the area. Seldom were these stocks of repairs needed, however, because the outlying customers were more careful and gave their machines better maintenance.

In 1949 the work hours at the foundry were from 7 am to 6 pm (10 hours a day), 6 days a week The average wage was 50 cents per hour, with new help getting 40 cents and experienced workers 65 cents. There were no rest breaks at that time, and the only holidays were Holy Days, as the entire staff was Catholic.

At harvest time and cider mill time, the men worked overtime until the work was done, often putting in 80 to 90 hours a week. The employees were put at as many different jobs as possible so they could learn as much as possible about the business. In the Fall, lumber was brought into the woodworking shop and sawing and planing of the wood parts began. A core oven was set up in the shed, and several men mixed and formed the sand cores for the moulds. After the cores were all made, the moulding shop was opened up. There were three floors and two smaller back rooms with one man on each floor. Each man had a group of patterns to work up each year, depending on the size of the floor and moulding boxes used on that particular floor.

After cutting and mixing the pile of sand which stretched the entire length of the floor (30 ft) they began making the moulds. It usually took 5 or 6 days to fill all the floors with moulds, and in the meantime a man would have had the cupalo lined with sand and ready for use.

On casting day, one of the moulders would get up early and light the cupalo. First, kindling was put in and a sprinkling of coal gas was put on top and a flame thrown in while standing well back. After the kindling was burning, coke was added. Usually by the time men were starting work the coke would be red all the way through and the iron was thrown in and the fan turned on to give the fire blast. Ladles and pits were prepared and all the men from the machine and woodworking shop were called over to the mouldshop.

The strong men got their ladles ready and the others acted as skimmers, taking the dull iron off the top of the ladles. The cupalo was then tapped, and the iron began to flow. Another of the brothers, Pat Lobsinger and Ted Hesch (two blacksmiths in town) always helped on casting day. Pat Lobsinger tapped the cupalo, and often would shock everyone by passing his fingers through the molten iron as it came spurting out.

The iron ran down a spout into a bull ladle on two stands which could be tipped to allow the iron to run into the smaller ladles carried by the men. The first iron was too dull to pour into moulds, so was poured into pits to be used the next cast. When the iron was hot it was poured from the bull ladle into the small ladles. Each man took his turn and caught a ladle full of iron, carried it to his floor and started filling the moulds with molten iron. The skimmers assigned to each floor had to watch and skim off any slag which might get in and spoil the casting. When the moulds were all full, the iron remaining in the cupalo was dumped, making a large splash.

On mild days or wet weather, water would leak into the cupalo room and if the pits were too wet they would explode when the hot iron hit them causing sparks to fly all over the area. Sometimes the pressure in the cupalo would be too much and it could not be plugged up, causing the bull ladle to run over and shower sparks. This was cause for everyone to run for cover, all the while beating sparks out of their clothing.

The cupalo tapper had to stay and get the cupalo plugged before he could find cover; an exciting job requiring steady nerve! Pat Lobsinger's job. When the moulds were all filled and the cupalo dumped, the men would have a rest, and usually some cider was passed around. The machine shop and wood shop men would then go back to their regular jobs. The moulders would shake out all the mould boxes, which was a very hot job as the sand and the castings were still hot, filling the building with steam and heat. The castings were put in a pile, ready for the men in the machine shop to pick them up and start machining them.

When the moulds were all shook out and water added to the sand, the moulders had the rest of the day off to cool down. Howard Lobsinger was one of the formen in the upstairs woodworking shop. Peter Lobsinger was forman in the downstairs machine shop where early in the Fall the iron shafting would arrive. Here they cut the iron to size, keyseated the shafts and drilled all the holes necessary for each pattern. The castings were brought over and ground on emeries, placed in tumblers to take the excess sand off, machined and finally painted with Black Japan paint.

The lathes were busy boring out pulleys and turning the ends of all the cranks. The blacksmith forge was kept busy all winter forming various parts and heating babbitt to make the blower jacks. The blower pipes and thrower pipes and tinsmithing was made by Arnold's Plumbing during the winter. Closer to Spring, some parts such as tighteners, and cylinder and carrier chains were assembled and stored away.

In the early Spring, a larger fan was put on the forge, all the doors and windows opened, and the shaker boards brought down from upstairs to be burned out. Each board had several hundred 1" holes which had to be smoothed and tapered so the grain would pass through them freely. Seven or eight men would each have a tool which was a tapered piece if shafting with a handle on it. The end of the tool was placed in the forge until it was red hot, and then inserted into each shaker hole and twisted so as to taper the hole and burn the wood smooth. This caused quite a bit of smoke, especially when the tool was not hot enough. The job took several days and due to the smoke and heat, was the cause of many running eyes, noses and colds that time of year.

Upstairs in the woodworking shop, the lumber would be hauled in, ripped, planed, and cut into length according to its purpose. It was drilled, mortised, tenanted and stored on shelves. The sides for the separator were tongue & grooved, glued together and taken to Walkerton to be sanded. This was usually completed by the end of February, and assemblies such as the decks, feeders, and elevators were then assembled as units, then stored in various sheds and buildings in the village. parts of the separators were painted, and some of the older men were put at lettering the elevators by hand. This took several weeks until a silk screen was made, and the job was done in several hours.

By May, everything was ready, and trestles were set up on the upstairs floor, and the first frame for a separator started. The frame was set up and nailed, sides put in, wheels and axles and cleaning fan, beater and flops added, holes cut for the cranks, cylinder and feeder installed, cranks, kickers, shakers, shue and cutter and shredder put in. Then the blower, hopper and a top was put on .

With several men working in harmony a separator could be put together in seven or eight hours, and each day another machine would roll out the tramway, down to the shed to be painted. The machine was given a coat of primer and then several coats of red. It was striped and varnished and the feeder chain, pulleys, governor assembly, tailing elevator, blower pipes, and grain thrower added. Belts were measured and cut, and once installed, the machine was ready to run.

An old Case tractor was put on a drive belt and the machine was tested to make sure everything operated properly. Storage became a problem in big production years. Every church shed around was full of Lion threshing machines. Delivery was made by private truckers at first. Clayton Lobsinger, a nephew of the brothers, delivered machines for many years. Then the Lobsingers bought a used truck and installed a large platform on it and the machines were winched into place for the delivery trip. It was a dangerous job, as sometimes the cable would slip or the wheels would slip off a loading plank.

Peter Lobsinger and his brother Pat were unloading at Amurlee, On. when the winch cable slipped and a separator rolled down the ramp pinning Pat against a wall. In serious condition for some time, Pat finally recovered enough to leave the Stratford hospital, but he never did recover his health, and died several years later of lung cancer.

Lobsinger's motto was "We service what we sell" so when time for harvest came, a team would be sent to each owner's home to make sure the machine was in good shape each year. After any repairs were made, and the machine was up and running to the farmer's satisfaction, the team of servicemen would collect the amount due for that year, and settle accounts.

Service was a big item. Never more than an hour away from repairs, farmers gained confidence in the equipment. But it ment long days and nights for the company's workers. And it was not unusual to find 3 or 4 Lobsinger cars parked at area "watering holes" after some tough days in the fields repairing, delivering, or starting the machines. Some of the experienced repairmen were Anthony J. Diemert, Anthony, Thomas & James Berberich, Charles and Len Reinhardt, John Schmidt, Patrick Weber, Pat Lobsinger, Howard Lobsinger, and Eugene Schwehr.

The off-season brought the Lobsinger foundry into yet another phase of it's operation. And apples were the key to it. More on that in the next issue.

From The Mail Bag...

Among those we were honored to hear from were Dr. and Mrs. William J. Lobsinger of Waterloo, ON, They are from the House of Peter. Dr. Lobsinger is a surgeon/radiologist, and they have 5 children. Son James is a geologist in Calgary; Mary Lou is an architect. Son Thomas is also a doctor, as is his wife the former Bernadine Murphy. They have provided Dr WJ. and his wife Sheila with their first grandchild, Peter William, born October 17, 1987. Daughter Margaret Ann is a public health nurse married to Paul Sabo, a civil engineer in Toronto. Mark William Brady Lobsinger, their youngest son, is an Honors Student in Business Administration at UWO in London, ON. Mark will graduate this May.

David Lobsinger of Detroit dropped us a short note, too. He is from the House of Louis. His son Donald is the founder of Breakthrough, a conservative patriotic group active in the sixties. Some of you in the area may remember seeing his name in headlines a few times. David also has a daughter Mary Ann married to Robert DeGentenaar. The couple iive in Warren, MI, where they are raising David's two grandchildren, Larry DeGentenaarand Gary DeGentenaar. David's third child is daughter Janet Therese who lives in West Branch, MI and works for the GAO Precision Company.

Mrs. Edward (Kathleen) Lobsinger wrote us a nice note. She is also from the House of Louis, and is the widow of Edward Anthony Lobsinger. She has 5 children and about ~ grandchildren by recent count. One of her great grandchildren is Larry Lobsinger, who is the organist where Dr. and Mrs. W. J. (mentioned above) attend church.. Another of Kathleen's children is Neil Francis of St. Clements. He and his wife Virginia Roeder have two children with a couple of the prettiest and most unique names in all Lobsingerdom.... Dawn Heather and Eryn Lee.

Irene Lobsinger Nicholson, who lives in Kitchener, ON, from the house of Louis writes that the picture of the Lobsinger Harvester brought back memories of her mother telling about her Uncle Peter in Mildmay who helped build the machines. What is most sign)ficant about the comment is that this is the first connection we have found between the House of Peter and the House of Louis, even though we have known for quite a while that Peter and Louis were brothers. In January, Irene and husband Jim traveled to Panama City Beach in Florida. Last year they traveled to Las Vegas, NV on holiday.

Rick Lobsinger of Mildmay, ON, from the House of Peter says he's not a history buff yet, but finds the newsletter interesting anyway. He is the son of Gordon and Kathleen Lenehan Lobsinger. Rick and wife Chyleen MacLeod have a couple of youngsters named Mark and Michael. Rick runs a Home Services business in Mildmay and we were glad to hear from him. One reason we put the newsletter out is so everyone can find out where they came from without having to be research historians.

E. Dan Lobsinger, Regina, SK., shows off a 115 lb halibut he caught recently on a fishing excursion. Dan is a son of John Eugene, son of Franz, son of Peter, son of Count Joseph.

Another from the House of Peter to write us was E. Dan Lobsinger of Regina SK. Haven't heard from him in a couple of years. Turns out he has been fishing the Pacific.

His brother Patrick Leo Lobsinger of Ladner, BC, also dropped us a nice letter. At left you'll find a picture of Dan with a 115 lb Halibut he caught, probably on his own lure design. Dan has a couple of adopted children, but he hasn't sent us their addresses yet. How bout it, Dan?

Our European mailbag brought us a Christmas card from Giles Pfrunner of Lingolsheim,FR. He's from the ancient House of Pierre which remained in France. Giles reports that he has uncovered the inventory of the goods of Jean Pierre Lobsinger who died in 1724. He is translating it and maybe we will get a glimpse of how the Lobsingers lived in the old country when he sends us a copy. Giles also hopes to visit the US in 1989, and we hope he plans a stop in Oklahoma when he makes the trip.

Jan Lobsinger Carr of Mammoth Lakes, CA is a member of one of the few families that are not directly related to Nicolas Lobsinger of Langatte, France. She is from a family of Swiss immigrants from Bern, Switzerland. Her Great Grandfather was Benjamin Lobsiger (without the n). The name was changed in her father's generation. He was John William Lobsinger, and he lived in Linwood, MI. This branch of the family needs more research to tie in with the rest of us.

Carl Francis Lobsinger Family: Front, l to r, James Matthew, Eric David, Carl Francis, Jeffrey Paul, and David Carl. Back, Eric David's wife Laura, Carl Francis' wife Nancy Jean, Jeremy Paul, Elisa Marie, and Lorna Jean. Carl is a son of Norman Peter, son of John,
son of Louis, son of Count Joseph.

Jeffrey Paul Lobsinger of Madison Hights, MI sent us a family picture which you will find above. He is a great-nephew of David (mentioned above) and son of Carl Francis Paul Lobsinger.

Reuban and Ann Huber Schnarr are descendants of Louis John Lobsinger of the House of Louis. They sent us some current information on their children, which we appreciate. They live in Ahwahnee, CA, and their 5 children are also all residents of California.

Richard Lobsinger of Warren, MI sent us a much appreciated subscription check, but no letter. He and wife Geraldine Schnurr have three children but we have no data on them at all. Please let us know who your kids are, Richard! Richard is the son of Raymond Henry Lobsinger of the House of Peter.

Another branch of the House of Peter sent us a note from Kissimmee, FL. Melvin E. Lobsinger, the son of Melvin R. sent us copies of the notices of his grandparents funerals (George Meyer Lobsinger and wife Katherine Kramer) Up til his note, nobody could remember what the M. in old George's name stood for. It is the maiden name of Maria Anne Lobsinger, the wife of Peter Lobsinger, founder of the House of Peter. Interesting tidbits fall out in the mail, and we are glad to get them. Melvin and his wife Dolores Helmbrecht have 5 children, most of whom still live in Florida: Paul M, Bruce M, Diane M. Reiman, Glenn M, and Carol Ann. Son Paul is the only one to leave the state, and he is now in East Aurora, N.Y.

Reuben Joseph Lobsinger family: Teresa Lobsinger Walsh, Bishop Thomas J. Lobsinger, Joan Lobsinger Luciani, and Anne Lobsinger Margrett. They are children of Reuben Joseph and Leone Russell Lobsinger. Reuben was the son of Johannes Francis Xavier, son of Louis, son of Count Joseph.

Teresa Lobsinger Walsh (House of Louis) sent us a copy of the Oblate Missions magazine with a feature story on "the littlest bishop," who is her brother Thomas J, featured in our first newsletter last October. Teresa and husband Len are celebrating the arrival of grandchild number 8.

From the House of Joseph comes news from George Lobsinger of Mt. Pleasant, MI. He reports a new grandson Zachary Michael born Dec 18, 1987. Zachary is the first Lobsinger in history to have a name starting with the letter "Z". Zachary is grandchild number 17 for George and his wife Katherine Mankowski He also reports that his aunt Cecelia Agnes Lobsinger died Oct. 16,1987 in Alma, MI, and Cecelia's daughter Dolores Slavens died in July 1987. Dolores helped us make some sense out of the jumble of Lobsinger families several years ago by helping chart relationships in the House of Joseph. George sent us current information on his family as well, which helps bring it up to the current generation.

Patricia Lobsinger Lieb of Vancouver, WA (House of Michael) sent us some fantastic old documents and photographs of Antoine and his father Jean Louis Lobsinger. Antoine and brother Michel were early day first generation Lobsingers who settled in the St. Louis area.

Thanks to Sandy Frensch for her Christmas card. She is a great granddaughter of George Meyer Lobsinger, son of Peter.

Leona Lang (House of Peter) from Regina, SK, sent us a wealth of material on the descendants of Franz Lobsinger and Mary Fehner; as well as much new information on the descendants of George William Lobsinger and Maria Uhersellry (House of George). We appreciate it all.

Franz Lobsinger and son John Eugene on their Homestead at Kyle, SK., about 1912. Franz is a son of Peter, son of Count Joseph. Photo Courtesy of Leona Lobsinger Lang, a daughter of Leo A., a brother of John Eugene.

Also from the House of George we received the family tree of James Edward Lobsinger of Tehkummah, ON, which almost brings us up to date on their branch of the family. Jim and wife Sharon Roper are expecting three more grandkids by next fall, so we'll have to add a few branches to their family tree. We're looking forward to receiving a 4 generation photo of Jim, his father Howard John, his son Gregory, and his grandson.

William G. (Bill) Lobsinger of the House of George sent some photocopied pictures of his father William G. (Joey) Lobsinger working the lines for the telephone company in North Dakota. Bill is a claims examiner with Adjustment Services Inc. in Omaha, NB.

Mary Grambusch (House of Louis) of Sacramento, CA has a youngster named Sara Diane born a couple of years ago. She has been collecting family information so it will be available to the young one someday. She descends from Anna May Lobsinger and Herbert Schnarr, and provided some more missing details in that family lineup. Mary's sister Denise L Schnarr has also joined our club!

Leonard Lobsinger and wife Debra Sue wrote from Grayling, MI. They are descendants of Peter Paul Lobsinger (House of Joseph) and have four children: Jody Lynn, Jamie Beth, Jessica Ann, and Justin James. They helped fill in a few bare branches in Joseph's tree.

Thanks to Marlene Lobsinger Schwehr for her subscription. She's from Elliot Lake, On.

From the House of Antoine comes a note from Lila Lobsinger Schmidt of High Ridge,Mo. She seeds word of the death of Burnette W. McNamee, who was married to another descendant of the House of Antoine. This lady was an aviator and WW II volunteer, and was one of the first women to fly cross-country in air races in the Powder Puff Derby. She was also a past president of the Ninety-Nines, a national organization of women pilots.

Lynda Margaret Lobsinger of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan dropped us a nice letter. She is the widow of Frank Hugh who died on August 25, 1985. He was a descendent of the House of Peter, and brother of E. Dan and Patrick Leo mentioned above.

Another descendent of the House of Peter wrote with more missing details of her family. And we thank June K. Lobsinger Stevens of Plymouth, MI for that information. Her daughter Kathryn Thompson helped us sort out some family lines a few years ago, but hasn't written recently. They are descendants of Melvin, of George Meyer Lobsinger, son of Peter. Her brother is Melvin E, mentioned above.

Harold and Lois Lobsinger of Stratford, On. say they are enjoying the newsletter and would we send it to their daughter Gail Moloughney. We did.

Deb Schnarr of Mississauga, On. (lIouse of Louis) also wrote asking us to continue the newsletter. We will.

Dr. Leonard W. Lobsinger and wife Jean of Sarnia, On. (House of Peter) sent further information on their family and an address of a John Lobsinger in Ottawa, On. whom I haven't heard from yet. If I'm notmistaken,this John is also of the House of Peter, son of Dr. Allan Joseph Lobsinger, son of Leo A. Lobsinger, son of Franz, son of Peter. Hope to find out soon if I'm right! We were also pleased to send Dr. Len's grandson, Master Allan Leonard Dafoe, (age 7) his complete family tree back to 167X or so for a 2nd grade school project he was working on.

Irene Lobsinger of Brantford, On. (House of Louis) reports two births in her branch of the family tree! Both are listed in our new arrivals column.

Clement Lobsinger of Hamilton, On. wonders when I'll get a book together on all of these Lobsingers. So do I. I have well over 1000 names all in the right order of descendency. But there are a lot of children's names still missing, not to mention dates of birth and death, occupations, spouses names, etc. I'm filling in the gaps as quickly as I receive the information, and maybe I'll get that book out yet!

Clarence Lobsinger (House of Louis) from Dearborn, MI tells us a story on his brother Edwin, who once collected a matchbox full of Rattlesnake rattles near their father's sawmill in Stokes Bay. In 1933, Clarence and his dad shot a bear there, too. Clarance will be 88 on August 18 this year, but he's just a youngster as his sister Agnes is 95, and sister Florence is 92.

John and Dolores (Lobsinger) Schmidt of Mildmay, ON., will be heading to Vancouver Isle this Spring to visit daughter Nancy Wild and family. Their granddaughter Tracey Napper is headed to Scotland in May with the Walkerton District Secondary School Concert Band. Tracey plays the flute.

Deaths and Funerals

Joseph Lobsinger - Joseph Lobsinger died on Tuesday, January 12, 1988, age 85 years, of 68 Avondale Ave. S., Waterloo, On.Mr. Lobsinger was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church and retired from SunarHauserman, where he had worked for many years.

He was the brother of Mrs. Marie Steadman of Des Moines, Iowa, and is also fondly remembered by the Girodat and Wunder families and his nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents George and Barbara Diemert Lobsinger, and his other brothers and sisters: Philip, Clara, Anthony, Lorraine, Tillie, and Herbert.

The funeral and committal service was held in the chapel of the Edward R. Good Funeral Home, Waterloo, with Rev. P.T. Sherratt officiating. Interment followed in Mount Hope cemetery, Waterloo. (House of Jacob Anthony)

Cecelia Agnes Lobsinger Elias - Cecelia Agnes Lobsinger Elias, October 16, 1987, Alma, MI, cemetery. Daughter of Peter Paul and Francisca Muschinski Lobsinger of the House of Joseph. No funeral details available.

Dolores Elias Slavens - Dolores Elias Slavens, July 1987, daughter of Cecelia Agnes Lobsinger Elias. No funeral details available. (House of Joseph)

New Branches On The Family Tree

Kevin Thomas Bond - Mary and Mark Bond announce the birth of a son, Kevin Thomas Bond, 8 lbs 11 1/2 ozs born January 11, 1988, Mary is the daughter of Len and Teresa Lobsinger Walsh of the House of Louis. Kevin Thomas is grandchild number 8.

Amanda Nicole Blundell. - Colleen and Howard Blundell (she is a granddaughter of Dorothy and Herb Bellinger, also of the house of Louis) announce the birth of a daughter, Amanda Nicole, born November 7, 1987.

Stephen John Quinn - New son of Mike and Mary Ann Lobsinger Quinn of Lake Worth, Fl., is Stephen John Quinn, born December 29, 1987, weighing in at a little over 7 Ibs. He's child number 6 for the Quinns, and grandchild number 20 for John Ross and Catherine Lobsinger (House of Peter)

Zachary Michael Lobsinger - New son of Gary Michael and Esther Mallory Lobsinger of Mt. Pleasant, MI., is Zachary Michael, born on December 18, 1987. Zachary is the 17th grandchild of George Edward and Katherine Mankowski Lobsinger of the house of Joseph.

Peter William Lobsinger - Born October 17, 1987, Peter William is the son of Dr. Thomas R. and Dr. Bernadine Murphy Lobsinger, of Orilla, On. He is also the first grandchild of Dr. William J and Sheila Brady Lobsinger of Waterloo, On. (House of Peter)

JulietteMcIntee (right) received a plaque from Pincher Creek Ag Society President susan Earl for her many years of placing a wide variety of exhibits at the annual fair

Juliette (Lobsinger) Mcintee Honored By Pincher Creek Ag Society For Lifetime Of Fair Exhibits

Juliette Lobsinger McIntee, of Pincher Creek, Alberta, had a welcome surprise on Monday, February 1, 1988, when the Pincher Creek and District Ag Society presented her with a plaque in recognition of the many years she has had exhibits at the annual fair.

Mrs. McIntee has been a long and enthusiastic supporter of the August fair since - and before - it officially began in 1952.Ag Society president Susan Earl gave her the plaque at her Kettles Street home. The plaque cites her for her "outstanding participation in bench show exhibits at the Pincher Creek Fair.

"Mrs. McIntee has shown flowers, vegetables, sewing, knitting, crochets and baking exhibits, "often over 100 per annum," said society member Donna Lee Smith, also there for the presentation.

Her home has a large number of trophies, cups and awards accumulated over the years, and - despite advancing age - "she hasn't slowed down at all," said Mrs. Smith.Juliette McIntee was born in Ayton, Ont., in 1905. She came to live in Beaver Mines in 1924, and - apart from a year in the Turner Valley oilfields - has lived in the Pincher Creek area all of her life.

She and her husband Edward had two girls and a boy, and she now has 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, according the the story that appeared in the Pincher Creek Echo on Tuesday, February 9.
It would be nice if someone would collect the names and addresses of all of those grand and great-grandchildren for us so we could include them on our mailing list.

Mrs. McIntee is from the House of Louis. She is the daughter of Johannes Francis Xavier Lobsinger, son of Louis, son of Count Joseph Lobsinger of Langatte, France.

Luke William Lobsinger Family: Luke was one of the sons of Joseph L. Lobsinger who wasn't involved in the Lobsinger Foundry in Mildmay, Ontario. He left home in 1913 and moved to Lake Worth, FL., where he raised his family. Luke was an artist, house painter and interior decorator. Some of his murals are preserved today in homes and apartments in Lake Worth. Shown are, from left, Luke, Jr., Luke, Sr., Phillip A., Catherine, Margaret Ann, wife Mary Jane Ross, and John Ross. Barbara Jane had not yet arrived when this picture was taken.

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