by John L. MAURATH
Copyright 2003
The passing of 90 year old Tony MAURATH was front page news in the March 11, 1937 issue of the Millstadt Enterprise. His death was not lamented though, and his life was indeed celebrated. In fact, his niece Carmelite (Carme) MAURATH-TRUEMAN of Fenton, MO and nephew Sy MAURATH (who grew up in Millstadt and later transferred to near Birmingham, Alabama), and well-known Millstadt citizens Barney “Dewey” HIRSCH and Herb MUETH, all smiled affectionately during a 1983 interview, as they all related their personal experiences with Tony, when they were youths. They remembered especially, that “old Tony was a quiet sort of a fellow, and a kind and good-hearted old man, with a fine, dry sense of humor”. Even in death. Read on.
Tony was born in the Soulard area of south St. Louis (then known as “Frenchtown”) on December 17, 1847 and was baptized in St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, with the French name “Antoin”. He was named after his maternal uncle, Antoin JACOB from Vieux-Lixheim, France, who had been a cavalry soldier in the Mexican War and who had later gotten caught-up in the craze of the California Gold Rush. This same uncle was brother in law to Joseph CLEMENS, who claimed to be a cousin to Samuel L. CLEMENS “Mark Twain” (never verified). Tony’s father Felix, a “riverman” on the Mississippi at St. Louis (a pilot according to family legend), had come from the village of Unzhurst in the Black Forest, Germany, and Tony’s mother Catherine Josephine JACOB was from the Moselle wine region of Lorraine, France. There’s no doubt that Tony was trilingual , and because his father believed in higher education, his schooling was through the local Vincentians and Christian Brothers. He was also later sent to college, where he earned “certificates” (degrees) in business, music and teaching, but which he purportedly never used in life.
Tony witnessed the harshness of life while growing up in 19th century America. His older sister Cecelia had purportedly died before or during the 1849 St. Louis cholera epidemic, and his younger brother Aloysius died of scarlet fever in 1856. During the Civil War in St. Louis, he saw the hatred of men, as neighbors, friends and relatives turned against one another in Frenchtown. Tony was traumatized at age 14 in 1861, when his best friend and oldest brother Denis MAURATH was killed in action in Springfield, Missouri as a Union cavalry soldier with General “Fremont’s Body Guard”. A memorial military headstone pays tribute to Denis in St. James Cemetery just north of Millstadt. When Tony was 17 in 1864, Confederate General Sterling PRICE had re-invaded Missouri and was heading for St. Louis.
So, the family decided to leave Frenchtown, and find a more quiet, peaceful and safe area to live. In late 1864 they purchased a 200 acre farm from Thomas P. OWINGS, located on the south side of the Zingg Road northwest of Millstadt. Tony took up farming with his father Felix, and as he neared age 18 and prepared to enter the Union army, the Civil War in America finally ended.
Being the oldest of 9 surviving children, and committed to helping his parents with the family farm, marriage seemed doubtful to Tony. But at age 41 in 1888, he ultimately fell in love and married Mary Elizabeth Josephine “Lizzie” BAIRD, who lived on a neighboring farm to the west of the Maurath farm. “Lizzie” was the daughter of Evan BAIRD and Mary “Polly” MUELLER. Evan BAIRD had come to the area in 1827 with his parents from Kentucky. He was one of the early settlers of Millstadt, and started purchasing land in the 1830’s. He had become somewhat successful as a result of these various land transactions. He and his wife are buried in an old cemetery on Bornman’s Hill near Belleville. The Bornman’s and Baird’s were cousins.
After the death of Lizzie’s mother in the late 1880’s, Tony and Lizzie married and moved into the old Baird homestead northwest of Millstadt. Tony was later teased, that he had married into money, and that he never had to work a day in his life after his marriage to Lizzie. But he actually remained quiet and humble about this, and continued to engage in farming, although he and Lizzie indeed purchased a few large tracts of land themselves and several lots in town.
Lizzie, who was actually 4 years Tony’s senior, had a brother named David BAIRD, who was the same age as Tony, and they became good friends. David, a veteran of the Civil War, who remained a bachelor all of his life, lived with Tony and Lizzie, and held a very commanding appearance in comparison to Tony, as he was a large, brawny man, and very dark-complected. As a result, and for some unknown reason, he had gained the notoriety amongst the town youth, as being “Millstadt’s town Indian”.. He took this “legend” with him to his grave, when he died in 1922 at age 75. Around this time, in 1917, a true Navajo Indian and his Navajo wife wandered into Millstadt selling “Indian medicines” and a “beverage” which they touted to be an elixir cure-all. “Navajo Ben”, with his long black pigtails, broad shoulders and all, became Millstadt’s true “town Indian”, and even served as Millstadt’s Justice of the Peace, from 1918 to 1921. It was reported at that time, that Millstadt was the only town in America, to have a Native-American Indian who served as Justice of the Peace. Ben was a nephew of the famous Apache Chief Geronimo.
Tony and Lizzie MAURATH loved children, but could never
have any of their own. As they grew old
together, the children of the area came to love them also. The local children knew that “Uncle Tony”
grew the sweetest, tastiest watermelons in the whole surrounding area, and to
this day, no one knows his secret for growing those prize melons, except for
his younger brother Bartholomieu “Barthol” Maurath. On one particularly hot summer day, some of the area youth
decided that they deserved to be refreshed with some of Uncle Tony’s tasty
melons. They nearly succeeded with
“borrowing a couple” out of Tony’s patch, but were caught just as Tony was coming
out of a grove of willows near his large garden. In his gentle manner, he smiled and yelled to them to come back
as they started running, “hey you children, don’t eat those warm melons on this
hot day….come on back up to the house…..we have cool ones in the cellar for
you….!” Two of the boys involved in
this caper, Dewey HIRSCH and Herb MUETH recalled, “some of us youngsters learned an important lesson that day from a good
old man!”.
In his youth, Tony had become good friends with Henry D. BALTZ, the owner of one of Millstadt’s 9 saloons (before Prohibition). Both were considered to be two of the best marksmen in the whole area, and often competed against each other in target shooting matches ….. but in all those years, it had never been ascertained, who was the best shot. The two made front-page news in the Christmas Day, 1915 issue of the Belleville News-Democrat, after they decided to “shoot it out” on Tony’s farm, to determine who was the best shot in Millstadt. The date was set for January 1, 1916, and the shooting range was set at 200 yards. The papers wrote, “After 20 years, they’ll settle shooting title – New Year’s Day set as date for contest between Millstadt rivals. The City of Millstadt is anxiously waiting for New Year’s Day to roll around, and a large crowd is expected.”
As life went on during the good old days in Millstadt, Tony and Lizzie enjoyed an occasional “night out”, by hitching up the buggy and going into town for a visit to one of the friendly town pubs, usually to Henry Baltz’s place or to Besse’s. Tony’s niece Edna MAURATH was married to Hermann Anton “Tony” BESSE, son of John BESSE. On one particular night, Tony and Lizzie later noticed that her brother Dave BAIRD had had a few too many and had become a little rambunctious, and so Besse finally had to ask his friend Dave to leave his tavern and escorted him to the front door, whereby “Indian Dave” proceeded to pick Besse up and to deposit him outside, and then locked the door. Dave was usually a welcomed guest, and often stayed in Besse’s barn after “having too many”, but not on this particular night. The two friends later made up, as they usually did.
On their return trips home in their old age, after a night out in town, Tony and Lizzie traditionally fell asleep in the buggy, and comically, the ole horse knew it’s way home. Tony and Lizzie could always be seen in that buggy together, riding through Millstadt. They usually ran a tab for their expenditures in town, but Tony’s Mom Josephine, who didn’t believe in credit, usually came along the very next day, and promptly paid their debts, if she found out about them.
It was a sad day for Tony in 1925, when he lost his bride Lizzie of 37 years, and a sad day for Millstadt at losing the daughter of a town pioneer. Tony became more active in St. James Parish after Lizzie’s death, where he was already a member of the choir. Dewey HIRSCH’s Aunt Isabel sang in the choir with Tony, and she said that Tony had a magnificent voice. Hirsch recalled that, “back then, the High Mass under Father Albin BREINLINGER lasted a good two hours or more, especially with the thunderous sermons of the good Father. While this was going on, Tony got “dry”, and snuck down the back steps and went across the street to Besse’s tavern for a few nickel beers. Tony’s beautiful voice was better than ever, especially after being lubricated with some of those delicious golden suds”.
Tony and Lizzie had always been leery about keeping all of their money in the banks, and so most of it (a substantial amount) was hidden in and around their farmhouse. After Lizzie’s death, and especially after the Great Depression of 1929, Tony took most of the money, placed it in multiple mason jars, and buried them on his various properties, usually near an old oak tree. He told this information to his family, just before his death. The treasure-hunters of the area will have a challenge, and a real “field-day” with this one.
Tony was at peace in life, as he was at peace with his Lord. And so when it came his time to depart this life, he was also at peace in death. With his subtle and dry sense of humor, he left us with one last smile. As the pallbearers were carrying him down the front steps of St. James after his funeral Mass, they dropped Tony’s coffin, and it plummeted down the steps, the top came off, and out came ole Tony onto the sidewalk. Two youths, 16 and 15, who witnessed this along with the rest of the family, were great-nephews Justin and Raymond MAURATH (Justin holds the distinction of being the only Catholic Priest buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery). In their panic and embarrassment, the pallbearers hurriedly tried to get Tony back into the coffin. As they pushed his head down, his feet would pop up, and then as they pushed his feet down, his head would pop up. And, according to all in the family who witnessed this, ole Tony MAURATH seemed to have one last gentle smile on his face.
Tony and Lizzie MAURATH are buried in St. James
Cemetery, just north of Millstadt. John
MAURATH lives in St. Louis and is the family genealogist and historian. He is a member of several local societies,
including the Missouri Civil War Museum at
historic Jefferson
Barracks , the Millstadt Historical Society, and the St. Louis Genealogical Society. He can be reached in St. Louis, or at jmaurath@mcwm.org
SOURCES FOR THIS STORY
· Maurath Family Oral Tradition
· Maurath Family records and documents
· Interviews with family members; Carmelite “Carme” MAURATH-TRUEMAN, Matthias Sylvester “Sy” MAURATH near Birmingham, AL, Tony’s great-nephews, Justin MAURATH and Raymond MAURATH, and others
· Interviews with Millstadt citizens Barney “Dewey” HIRSCH, Dewey’s Aunt Isabel, Herb MUETH and others
· St. Vincent’s Church records and St. James’ Church records, and other historical records and documents, including copies of the Millstadt Enterprise newspaper and the Belleville News-Democrat, obtained from various Millstadt researchers and historians (including Bob BUECHER), and from the St. Clair County Genealogical Society in Belleville (Dianne Renner-Walsh), and from IRAD (Illinois Regional Archives Depository), and other sources
· John Rodabough’s book, “Frenchtown”
· Picture Source: from the Louis MAURATH family picture collection, inherited by Louis’ daughter Carmelite “Carme” MAURATH-TRUEMAN, and now in the possession of Carme’s daughter Carolyn TRUEMAN-WEBER of Fenton, MO.