family lived. She got a job teaching preschool special education (1986-88). While living in Miles City, Charlene was off again. This time to visit a college girlfriend in Portland, ME.

In 1988 Charlene moved to Dallas, TX. For the past 7 years she has taught special needs students at Armstrong Middle School in Plano, TX. Charlene continues to enjoy traveling. She visited San Antonio, TX in 1992 and in 1993 she went to San Francisco, CA to visit a high school friend. Charlene has traveled widely, but feels some of the most beautiful parks in the world can be found in Decorah. At the end of the day Charlene, enjoys coming home to her dog, Mercedes. She hopes to purchase a home in Frisco, TX before the end of 1995.

Brandt, Arthur and Esther (Snitker)

(Marion Laterman)

Arthur Ferdinand Brandt was born 20 Jun 1880 in Clayton Co., IA. He was the son of Wilhelm and Marie (Block) Brandt, both born in Germany. Arthur’s brothers and sisters were: Anna, Martha, Magdalene, Margaret, Mary, Walter and Cora.

Arthur married Esther Snitker 14 Feb 1912 in Waukon, IA. Esther was born 20 Oct 1887 in Allamakee Co., IA, the daughter of Fred and Caroline Snitker.

Arthur died 20 May 1954 and Esther died 22 Jan 1981. Both are buried in the Frankville Cemetery, Winneshiek Co.

Arthur and Esther’s children are:

Alice Marie, (20 Jan 1913-27 Feb 1991). She married Donald F. Bulman 25 Apr 1934. Donald was born 9 Jul 1911. Their children are: Shirley Schoffelman, Norma Gaertner, and Mary Sperduto. Marion Ruby, born 29 Jan 1916. She married Leslie Laterman 2 Dec 1947. No children. Jean Margaret,  She married Wilton Sinning 14 Jun 1944. Wilton was born 26 Feb 1916. Their children are: Mark, who is deceased and is buried in the Frankville Cemetery; Diane, who married David Bradley and has 2 children, Scott and Jill; Judith, who married Michael Storin and has 3 children: Joel, Carrie and Benjamin; David married Cindy Cooper. They had one child, Kellen and are now divorced.

Arthur and Esther have 7 great-granchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Brandt, Conrad and Martha (Hochstetler)

(Mel Faldet)

Among the very earliest pioneers to this area were the members of the Brandt family. We are told in Bailey's History of Winneshiek Co. under Pleasant Twp. - “The first one of these saw mills in the township was built on the Canoe Creek in 1852 by John Brandt who later sold out to David Womeldorf." John Brandt was assisted by his brother Eli and his father Conrad Brandt. Evidently, the Brandt family were millwrights who early emigrated here from Pennsylvania. After this they went on to build one or maybe two more mills.

Conrad Brandt (1799-187 ) was first married to Magdalena. They had 3 children: John S., Joseph C. and my great grandfather Eli. Later, after Magdalena died, Conrad married Martha Hochstetler. They became the parents of Henry, Immanuel, Martha and Elizabeth.

John S. Brandt married Roxanna. They became the parents of Samuel, Harriet, Betsey, Lucinda and Daniel.

Joseph C. Brandt (b. 1827) married Barbara Fye. They became the parents of Edward (b. 22 Jan 1859), Franklin (30 Mar 1860) and Joseph. Joseph served as a private in the 38th Iowa Infantry at Vicksburg during the Civil War.

My great grandfather Eli (4 Jan 1831-18 Nov 1871) married Katherine Hochstetler. They became the parents of Henry Jefferson, Josephine, Susan Jacob, Charles, Willis and my grandmother Ardelia (later called Delia).

Henry Brandt (1855-13 Mar 1938) married Mary E. Russell (10 Dec 1871-9 Nov 1922). They had 5 daughters - Dora (Mrs. Adam Bender), Jeanette (Mrs. Eugene Holkesvik), Jennie (Mrs. Alton Johnson), Addie (Mrs. Ludwig Quandahl) and Lydia (Mrs. James Syvergaard) -and one son, Lewis William Brandt who married Mabel C. Dawley. They were the parents of Esther (Brandt) Spilde. Lewis Brandt was a World War I veteran. He was a Private, Company “F", 325 Iowa Infantry, 82nd Division.

Immanuel Brandt married Ella Hobbs and had one son, Henry. Henry became a milk hauler at Nashua, IA. Immanuel died in a house fire by the Lundy Bridge (on the Upper Iowa River in Pleasant Twp.).

Martha married James Stevens. Little is known of them.

Elizabeth married Daniel Hochstetler. They became the parents of Manasses, Amos, Conrad, William, Sophia, Polly, Michael and Derwain.

Very few descendants of this early pioneer family are still to be found in the Decorah area. Conrad Brandt was my great, great grandfather and I cannot help but admire his pioneer spirit and also the pioneer spirit of the members of his family.

Brandt, Eli and Katherine (Hochstetler)

(Mel Faldet)

Katherine Hochstetler's great, great grandfather, Jacob Hochstetler was born in 1704 in Switzerland or the highlands of Germany along the Rhine River in the border country. Jacob’s family was persecuted because of their Amish religious beliefs and customs. They were fined, imprisoned and banished so they settled in Alsace, Hessia and Holland.

When William Penn, a Quaker from Holland, purchased the province of Pennsylvania from the British, he went back to the European mainland to solicit settlers for his colony with religious freedom.

So in 1736 my immigrant ancestor, Jacob, along with 387 fellow passengers boarded the good ship HARLE for the long 30-50 day passage to America. They arrived in Philadelphia 1 Sep 1736. They were able to acquire farmland near Shartlesburg, PA. Here he built his house, barn and other outbuildings including a distillery plus planted an orchard.

Unfortunately, about this time the French and Indian War started. The settlers became very alarmed at reports of the Indian attacks upon the settlers. On the evening of