My surname, BUCHMILLER is the American spelling of the German name BUCHMÜLLER. When typing German words with an umlaut on a keyboard without an umlaut, the letter "e" is inserted after the letter with the umlaut. Some variations of spelling's in American records are: BUCHMULLER, BUCHEMUELLER & BUCHMUELLER. The German pronuciaton is very similar to "BOOH' MELAR. We now pronouce it "BOOK MILLER". German (his given name) Buchmüller came from Östringen, Baden, Germany, to Highland, IL about 1848, where he married Ludwina Klein. They then lived a short time near Mascoutah, IL and settled north of Pierron Illinois about 1850. The spelling of Buchmiller began when he became a citizen of the U.S..

Albert ESSWEIN came to Piopolis, Illinois from Ersingen, Baden Germany. Spelling variations include OSWEIN (the earliest) Eswine and ESWEIN. He arrived in America in 1841. His brothers Steven and John arrived with him and they settled in Pittsburgh. It is beleived, but not documented yet, that a sister named Sophia also came with him and settled near Piopolis.

Heironymous WEIDNER and Charles WEIDNER came to Jamestwon Illinois from Östringen, Baden Germany. Charles the son, came first. Both served in the Civil War. Heironymous died at Quincy, Illinois while a member of the 16'th Illinois Voluteer Cavalry. He was buried as an "Unknown" Soldier for 134 years. I found his burial place in Quincy with help of the Veterans Administration and copies of his military records from the National Archives.

John WISNASKI came to Alhambra, Illinois from Posen, Prussia. He raised himself and his brothers, Jacob, Alexander and William when his father died and he was but ten years of age. Name variations include WISNASKY and WISNIEWSKI.

• My Family Tree as of 1-22-2003 (1092 KB)
  My tree contains all my relatives as I know them.

• German's son Robert Buchmiller (33 KB)
  Robert Buchmiller as a nineteen year old. He stayed on the farm and eventually bought all of German's land. (in excess of 1,000 acres)
• Louis Eswine Family (273 KB)
  Louis and Marry (Reubenaker) Eswine in 1895 family foto. Bottom L - R: Emma (Louis' sister), Charles, Anna, Louis, Mary, William, Amelia. Middle, L-R: Rose, Elizabeth, Dorothea, Joseph. Back, L-R: John, Luke, Stephen.
• Saint Nicholas & Snowball (72 KB)
  Saint Nicholas Day celebration at the grade school in Pierron included these two characters. For their story, see "St. Nick & Snowball" in the "Related Files" below.
• The Roy Buchmiller Family circa 1962 (331 KB)
  Back Row, L-R: Roy, Eleanora (Weidner), Connie, June, Shirley, Carol. Front, L-R: Jane, Valentine, Dennis, Louise, Thomas. As of 11-21-1999, Roy, Elenora, Connie and Thomas were deceased.
• Property Identifiers on Pierron Map (74 KB)
  The business and residences shown on this map were connected to my family in some way. Some of the buildings were still standing in 2000.
• German & Ludwina's Marriage License (71 KB)
  The original License is in the Madison County Illinois Vital Records. It was exciting to see this document for the first time. County Courthouses are excellant places to start research.
• The 1905 Pierron Municipal Band (54 KB)
  German Buchmuller was an accomplished accordionist. He started the Pierron Band and encouraged people to take up music. The band performed for wedding dances, concerts and in parades in Pierron and surrounding communities. When German would return from each of his trips back to Germany, the band would greet him with a serenade. Standing, L-R; John Buchmiller, Tom Leiling, ???, ???, Ervin Buchmiller. Seated, L-R; Bill Hirsh, Emil Buchmiller, Bob Hoffman, Edgar Hartlieb, John Indermill.
• THE LAST FURROW a poem by Dennis Buchmiller (70 KB)
  Written to preserve the memory of the Draft Teams that were as important as the farmers themselves.
• John & Amelia (Lunitz) Wisnaski (28 KB)
  John and his brothers were "thrown to their own demise after his fathers death, when he was 10. He came to America in 1868 with $7 in his pocket. He worked for two years as a farm laborer till he had enough money to send for his wife and two children. His ocean trip was very stormy and lasted three months.
• Dennis Buchmiller and his "Off-Spring" Dec. 2000 (50 KB)
  This was taken at the annual Buchmiller family gathering in Highland, Illinois Dec. 30, 2000. Standing left to right: my son Dane, my son Jeff, my daughter Dawn (Thomson) and Grandson Jared. Of course I'm the one seated and on my lap, my grandson Brent Thomson.
• Ostringen, Baden Germany (74 KB)
  Many of the families in the Highland, Pierron, Jamestown, St Rose area, originated from the Ostringen area. Most arrived in 1848 & 1849.
• Albert Esswein (94 KB)
  Albert Esswein and two of his brothers, John and Steven came to America in 1841. His brothers stayed in Pittsburg. He was the first of the group that traveled together to erect a log home in Hamilton county. The log home was also used as the first Catholic Church. The community was named after the church; St John The Baptist. Latter it was changed to Piopolis after one of the popes. Albert's son Louis lived near the village of Belle Prairie.
• Francis Buchmiller Tombstone (82 KB)
  This tombstone is probably in the best shape of all the original ones left there. It's still a mystery as to why her monument is of such high quality and survives after this many years, but his no longer exists.
• The Kids on the Farmall H (55 KB)
  Val, Dennis and Jane on the new (used) Farmall H that dad bought when he sold the horses. We actually polished it like an automobile the first several years we had it. It pulled a "two-bottom" plow. The total width of the earth turned over while the plow was in the ground was 24 inches. That meant we plowed 24 inches with each direction, or four feet in width for every round. (a round was going to the other end of the field and back) Now a days, 12 to 14 feet are turned in one round. A typical team of two horses pulled a one bottom plow, or a two bottom of less width. The speed of the tractor while plowing was much faster than the horse.
• Frank Weidner & Dorothy Eswine Wedding (88 KB)
  My grandfather and grandmother Weidner were married in Piopolis, where she was from. They met each other through a catholic church program which today may be compared to a dating service. There wern't enough preist in those days, so they traveled quite far and helped introduce young people to each other. They were farmers near Jamestown, Illinois until his retirement. They then moved to Pierron, Illinois. He died there, she died in Carlyle, Illinois.
• View of Johann and Francis Buchmiller burial plot (55 KB)
  Approximately 40 original tombstones survive in the cemetery. On both sides of Francis' monument, there are remnants of monument bases. Apparently one of them was Johanns.
• Jared & his Handcrafted Cradle & Clock (104 KB)
  I designed and build the platform cradle for my first born grandson Brady who died at birth. My only other grandson Jared, his brother, inherited it. I designed and build the Grandfather clock for him. He is sleeping in the cradle for the first time in this photo.
• Memorial to first settlers at Pioplis, Illinois (91 KB)
  This is a memorial monument behind St John Baptist church in Piopolis, that honors the first settlers of the area now known as Piopolis.
• Catholic Church & School in Ersingen (86 KB)
  This church and school were built before Albert Esswein was born. It has been renovated several times. It took one French artillery shot in WW2, the only shot fired at the town.
• Original Oak Pulley from 1875 Granary (60 KB)
  I was fortunate enough to get one of the handcrafted pulley assemblies from the granary German build in 1875. As can be seen, I used it to display the working model I made.
• Ludwig Esswein (57 KB)
  He was a cousin to my g g grandfather Albert. He owned vineyards on the slope above the town and also made wine.
• Farmall F-20 (86 KB)
  Although not the same tractor that Roy purchased in 1939, this F-20 looks just like the one we had. It's shown with rubber tires, which were not originally issued with them. I recall very well the steel rims with pyramid shaded cleats on the rear of the tractor. Dad got rubber tires right after WW2. I can still recall seeing the sun reflect of the shiny cleats as he worked in the field.
• Paw Paw 10-2002 (270 KB)
  Enjoying a "cherry blend".
• John The Baptist Church and School in Ersingen, Ba (366 KB)
  This church and school were both attended by Albert Esswein before he came to America. The church steeple took the one and only shot fired at the town by the Allies. It reusulted in a small hole in the bell tower, which was covered up with a wood sign of the year the church was build.
• German Buchmiller's First House (176 KB)
  This house was a large one room structure with a loft. It was on the first acreage he purchased in America. It was located in Bond County, on the north side of what became US 40, and about one-half mile east of the Madison/Bond County line. It is where all his children were born. German and Ludwina lived in this house until he retired and moved to Pierron, where he had a new stone house built. I mistakenly believed he lived in the house on the Buchmiller Homeplace (which was in Madison County, on the road that seperated Madison and Bond Counties) until I researched the land records in Greenville in the last three years. This house was torn down and a new one built when Robert's oldest son Freemont got married and started farming.
• Emma Wisnaski (43 KB)
  Eighteen year old Emma was the daughter of John & Amelia (Lunitz) Wisnaski. She married Robert Buchmiller in Highland, IL. After Robert's death, she continued to live in their retirement house in Highland. It was a one story brick home located on Broadway St., next to Spengel's Furniture Store. When I was a kid, mom and dad would drop us off there to visit while they did the "shopping". Emma was an exceptionally clean woman and superb cook. She made some of the best Christmas cookies in the whole area. All her cooking had the old world names. I remember the anise cookie molds which were from the old country. As she grew older, she spend a large amount of her time sitting on her front porch swing.
• Granary Working Model (284 KB)
  This is the second of two scale models that Dennis Buchmiller has made. The first is in the Louis Latzer Memorial home south of Highland, Illinois. The second one which is in his home, has an electric motor that runs the mechanism. It was featured in the February/March 1996 issue of Farm & Ranch Magazine. The model is build to scale and complete inside and out. The walls of the structure are held together with mortice and tennon joints "pegged" with tooth picks. It can be unassembled.
• SHUCKING CORN (105 KB)
  This picture is so true to the way it was. Notice how the sideboards are higher on one side of the wagon. That provided a larger target to throw the ears against. Our horse King was the same color as this team. We shucked three rows of corn at a time. Dad being the taller, would be at the third row out from the wagon, throwing over our heads. After shucking a few loads, the horses knew when to move forward and when to stop without the "giddyap" or "woe" commands. Their tails would become entangled with cockleburs during shucking time. We removed them with curry combs. Some years the cockleburs were so bad that we had to cut the hair off. Dad didn't like doing that because the horses used their tails to swat flys after temperatures got warmer. This photo was taken at the Power Show in Highland Illinois. It is quite an event for anyone interested in seeing horses, steam engines and old tractors at work. It is sponsored by the Highland Historical Society and held in the fall of the year.
• Gramma Weidner...The All American Gramma (68 KB)
  Dorothy (Eswine) Weidner was my maternal gramma. She was only 5 foot tall, but was the biggest person I have ever known. Like so many other things we are exposed to as kids, I didn't really appreciate her enough, while she was alive. When I was attending the Immaculate Conception grade school in Pierron, she was the house keeper for Father Kunsch, our pastor. The school only had approximately 60 children total in all eight grades. All of them knew and called her "gramma" Weidner. She loved it and always gave them a hug, which they got comfort in. She didn't know what a stranger was, nor was there anyone she didn't like. As a devout Catholic, she said a lot of prayers. After visiting with someone she always said: "I'll pray for you." She was quite the gardner. Herbs, spices and vegetables were plentiful in the garden, but her specialty was beautiful flowers. A couple of years ago I visited Marie Eswine in Belle City, where gramma was from. After she found out who I was, she took me to the side of the house and pointed to some flowers that gramma had giver here in the 1940's. It was a very common practice of hers. She also furnished all the flowers for the church. Everyone should be so lucky as I was to have had a gramma like her!
• The Buchmüller/Buchmiller Family Tree in Östringen (433 KB)
  The Buche tree was planted during my May 2002 trip to the "Faderland". It honors all the descendents of Martinus Buchmüller, born 1728 and announces the birth of Phoenix Harper Buchmiller, my youngest grandson.
• Roy Buchmiller & Horse with Colt (57 KB)
  These were Roy's pride and joy. The foto was taken in about 1934, west of the barn. The building in background was called the "machine shed." He preferred draft horse teams over mule teams, because of their better disposition around kids. In fact I remember him referring to his mule team as "downright mean." He had been bitten by them several times, which was enough reason to "ship" them.
• The Buchmüller Family Reunion Östringen, May 2002 (1488 KB)
  The reunion occurred the last night I was in Östringen. I have a fond memory of all my relatives that showed up to meet me. It was the perfect way to end the trip.
• Roy Buchmiller at the Granary (24 KB)
  In January 1950, Roy Buchmiller and his son Dennis used the unique granary for the last time. The building and horse powered hoist were designed and build by German Buchmuller with the help of an "old world craftsman." It is believed that it was constructed in about 1875. The craftsman hired by German cut out the entire timber structure, numbering the mortice and tennon joints with Roman numerals. Family history has it that on the day it was to be erected, one of the neighbors or relatives made the statement: "what if everything doesn't fit right!" The craftsman overheard the remark, was highly insulted, and promtly packed up his tools and left the location, never to return again. A tribute to the craftsman's skill is the fact that the gathering was able to erect it without him. The structure beams were hand hewn from native oak logs on site. The entire structure was set on stone pillars which were two feet high. In later years, a platform weight scale large enough to weigh a box wagon was added on the west side. We used the scale to divide the crops into 1/3 & 2/3. Grandma Buchmiller got one third of the crop as rent for the farm.
• Roy & Elenore [Weidner] Buchmiller (41 KB)
  This picture was taken the summer before their 50'TH Wedding anniversary, which was in 1979.
• Östringen, Baden Landscape (496 KB)
  I took this picture from a vineyard on a hill just outside of town
• Roy Buchmiller and Elenora Weidner Wedding (30 KB)
  Roy and Eleanora were married at the new Cathedral on Lindell Blvd in St Louis, on 1-18-1927. Their wedding took place at one on the side altars. They stayed in St Louis for one day after the wedding, then settled in at the Buchmiller "homeplace". They lived there and raised their nine children before retiring and moving to Highland IL in 1962.
• Emma Buchmiller & John Linenfelser (68 KB)
  The oldest child of German & Ludwina Buchmiller, Emma married John Linenfelser 0n April 22, 1879 in Highland, Il. They had six children. He died in 1933, she in 1944.
• Paw Paw - Phoenix - Jeff (31 KB)
  Taken 11-08-2003, during visit to Jeff's house in Pilot Point Texas.
• The Granary - Dennis - Prince (29 KB)
  Mother took this picture in January of 1950, as Prince & I were about to hoist the last box of corn to the top of the granary. At the time I thought it was dumb to take a picture of an old worn out building. Now I thank her for her doing so. I wish she had taken dozens of them from all angles. I have fond memories of the building and the many childhood experiences in and around it. I was always facinated with the Roman Numerals that marked the mortice and tennon joints. To me they were the hyrogliphics of the building. I still have one of the original handmade oak pulley assemblies. Corn, wheat, oats, barley and clover seed were stored in the building. The structure was torn down in about 1963.
• Granary -working model (154 KB)
  The mechanism of this model is driven with a small motor taken from a Frosty Snowman Fishing tree ornament I bought at the after Christmas sale for $2.00.
• Paw Paw - Phoenix - Jeff (30 KB)
  Taken during visit to Jeff's house on November 8, 2003.
• Woodland Cemetery Entrance (124 KB)
  This photo is believed to have been taken about 1870. The first "Soldiers Plot" was here. The remains of all the Civil War Soldiers were moved from here to the new Quincy National Cemetery.
• Sketch of Merry-Go-Round (217 KB)
  This picture is self explanatory. It appears in a booklet I wrote in the 1980's.
• Our little angel, Dylan Rose (273 KB)
  Taken at about two weeks of age.
• German Buchmuller & His Brothers (80 KB)
  Left to Right: Bernhard, Ludwig, Damian and German. The name of the child is not known but is believed to be a family member he brought to America with him. Taken about 1880 in Germany.
• The HEADQUARTERS SALOON (27 KB)
  Was located south of the railroad tracks on the west side of the county line in Pierron. John and Elizabeth (Buchmiller) Indermill originaly purchased the business from Rudy Beck in 1888 and ran the business till 1907. At that time, Emil Buchmiller and his wife Mary (Daggett)ran it until Emil's death in 1912. John & Elizabeth again took it over and ran it till 1918. Mary sold the building in 1940, when John died. Entries in German's Cash Register show he held personal liens on the business.
• Poem by Paw Paw To Dylan Rose (35 KB)
  I took the photo of the rose by my water garden and added the poem I wrote to it.
• Six Buchmiller Kids in 1941 (30 KB)
  Back Row, L to R: June, Connie, Shirley. Front Row, L to R: Louise, Carol, Tom. They are standing in front of the house on the Buchmiller "Home Place". The house and picket fence were built by Robert Buchmiller in 1912. The photo doesn't show the feet because the younger three in the front would have had "bare feet", which was common in the summer months.
• Princess Dylan Rose (49 KB)
  Our newest grandchild, Dylan Rose Buchmiller, daughter of Jeff & Lynn Buchmiller of Pilot Point, Texas. Born 9-29-2003
• 1906 map of Pierron, Illinois (147 KB)
  Pierron, a town founded by a Frenchman, was predominantly German. German settled two miles north of the town and retired and died there. See the notes on the map showing the various properties he owned in that year. He also owned 1,000 acres of farm land near there.
• 17th Century Linen Weaving (50 KB)
  This drawing aptly describes what Mr. Buhmüller, ancestor of Martin Buchmüller would have looked like at his job of linen weaving. In those days weaving was exclusively a male trade. Mr. Buhmüller came from Lake Nuechatel area in what was then France in 1678. He landed in Östringen, Baden Germany according to church records in 1679.
• 2011 Buchmiller Coat Of Arms (324 KB)
  I have esigned and adopted this Coat Of Arms in as much as I have probably reached te end of my Buchmiller family research.

• Saint Nick & Snowball (5 KB)
  Click on the title to read about how we celebrated "St. Nicks" as kids in the catholic grade school at Pierron.
• The Buche Tree Connection (3 KB)
  The following was writen by the students of ELENORA HEIGHTS primary school in EMLICHHEIM, GERMANY. We now have two possibilities for what Buchmueller could have been derived from. GRINDER OF THE GRAINS NEAR THE BUCHE FOREST, or MAKER OF THE BOOKS. I have heard both explanations in the past. Curiously, my mother's given name was the same as the school that wrote the info. Elenora
• Notes on Albert Esswein (8 KB)
  A collectiom of information about Albert; who he ws, where he came from and where he went.
• Notes on German Buchmuller (4 KB)
  Information about the German; where he came from, who he was and where he went
• Unconnected People With My Family Names (23 KB)
  This file contains surnames of people I have found during my family research that at this time, I haven't been able to make a connection to. It is my hope that someone out there will have additional information about them and contact me at: denbuchm@swbell.net.
• Notes on Heironymous Weidner (16 KB)
  Information Heironymous; who he was, where he came from and where he went
• Grandma Weidner's Old Candy Recipies (4 KB)
  These recipies were two of her most often used candies. She used a certain amount of vinegar every day of her life. The taffe was used primarily in the winter and was also a family evening project. The vinegar candy has a "different" taste, but one aquires a taste to it. I believe the recipies originated in Germany and were brought here by the Esswein family in 1841.
• Notes on Charles Weidner (12 KB)
  Information on Charles Weidner; who he was, where he came from and where he went.
• Johann Daniel Buchmuller family (97 KB)
  One of the mysteries is solved! My thanks go to Judith Linenfelser, wife of Charles Linenfelser, another family member. Johann's birth record and that of his wife have been located in the catholic church records of Ostringen, Baden. It turns out he was a paternal uncle to my great grandfather German Buchmiller. Additionally, his wife Francis Gramlich was a maternal aunt to German. Johann was named after an older brother who died in infancy, with the same name, and that was were the confusion began. Johann and Francis were married in St Louis, MO in 1850. Now I strongly suspect that German came to America with them, as well as several other relatives. On March 28,2001 I went to Henry County, and visited the Pink Prairie Cemetery located a short distance north east of Geneseo, where they are buried. Francis' marble tomestone is still standing and readable, but Johann's isn't. I found the burial records of the cemetery at the Geneseo Historical Museum. I now know he died in 1887 and was buried in the same plot (29) as Francis. Hopefully I will be able to find his obituary in the library archives. The Knapper family is also buried in the same plot. One of their daughters married August Knapper, the son of this Knapper couple.
• Notes on Martinus Buchmuller (4 KB)
  Information about Martinus; who he was, where he came from and where he he went.
• Horse to Tractor Transition (6 KB)
  Growing up with hard working "plow" horses seemed unrewarding at the time. Fifty years later, I wish I could revisit those "Good Old Days." I now understand a lot about the farmers and why they were the way they were. It was a simple way of life that molded their demeanor and work habits.

• My Home Page @ Family Treemaker

Dennis Dale Buchmiller
268 Cheval Square Drive
Chesterfield, MO 63005
United States
636-537-2376
denbuchm@swbell.net

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