The First Generation
Casper George Kathol - He was born in Westfalen, Germany in 1791, and died in 1853. He was married to Elizabeth Demmeck, who was also born in 1791. Both died in Germany. Click here to see a photo with a brief description of Casper G. Kathol's home in Germany.
The Second Generation
John (Johann) Andrew Kathol 1 - He was the son of Casper George Kathol and Elizabeth Demmeck Kathol. He was born on January 23, 1834 in Germany, and died in Detroit in 1873. He was married to Maria Anna Peitz. John was a carpenter in Detroit When he died, at the age of 39, he left his wife Maria Anna Kathol with seven children. The four oldest children, John, Francis, William, and Anna, were born in Germany. The next three children, Emma, Josephine, and Frank, were born in Detroit.
Maria Anna Peitz Kathol later was remarried to Herman Wiebelhaus in Detroit in 1874. Herman's wife had also died, leaving him also with seven children: Frank, Herman, John, Conrad, (Mrs. Frank Wrede), and?, and?). Click here to see photo of Herman Wielbalhaus.
After this, Herman and Maria Anna decided to emigrate farther west, choosing to settle in Cedar County Nebraska, where they took up a homestead about 1 ½ miles southwest of where the Bow Valley Catholic church now stands. In those days it was unbroken prairie, with the pioneer settlement of St. Helena 10 miles away, nearest and only town.
Seven more children were born to Herman and Maria Anna P.K. Wiebelhaus. The names of these children are: Ferdinand, Fred, Joe, Theresa, Henry, Suzann, and Mary Ann (also called Jenny). This brought the total number of children to twenty-one!
After Herman Wiebelhaus died Maria moved to Bow Valley. She lived with her sons Frank Kathol, and Henry Wielbelhaus until she died at the age of 79. Clickhere to see a photo of Maria Anna Peitz Kathol Wielbalhaus.
Maria Anna Pietz Kathol Wiebelhaus was born on July 26, 1843 and died on April 13, 1922.
The Third Generation
John (Johann) Andrew Kathol II - He was the son of John (Johann) Andrew Kathol I. He was born on September 9, 1861 in Schlipii (or Schlipü ?) Germany. (He was baptized "Johannes Casparini Cathol). He came to the United States at the age of seven with his parents. He died on July 12, 1941 in Bow Valley Nebraska.
John Kathol II married Anna Bruening on October 4, 1881 at the age of 20. (Anna Bruening was born on September 28, 1862, at Munster land Germany. She was the youngest of four with three brothers. She was 19 years of age at the time of her marriage.)
Anna was the only daughter of Heinrick Bruening and Elizabeth Kerpening Bruening. Two of Anna's brothers had emigrated to the States before their parents, and then had sent for the rest of the family. Anna was about eight years old when her parents, Heinrick & Elizabeth Bruening, sold all their possessions in their native land and booked passage to America in 1870.
They first came to Yankton South Dakota; and from there they were given a ride in a wagon to a point where the two brothers had built a shack.
They were put down on raw prairie without a person or home in sight! In the distance was the shack that the two sons of Heinrich and Elizabeth Bruening had built.
Mrs Kathol often told of the awful homesickness that gripped them then, and how, if it had been possible, they would have returned to Germany at once. They set to work, however, and built a dugout and later a log house. They broke sod, built fences and battled drought, blizzards, grasshoppers, and endured all of the pioneer hardships.
On October 4, 1881, at the age of 19, Anna married John Kathol and they made their home with her parents until they died. There were fourteen children born in this union, 11 of whom survived. In addition to their own children, they took in Clement Weichelman, when a lad of four, and raised him to manhood. Dyptheria had taken Clement Weichelman's family, which was very prevalent at that time.
In 1900 John and Anna Kathol built a new house big enough to have their own music and home dances. Their life was filled with lots of hard work, and whatever goes on in a family of fourteen kids! This house was built on the homestead of Heinrick Bruening, where they lived for forty-five years. In 1922 they moved to Bow Valley west of the church. Click here to see a photo of Mr & Mrs John Kathol and their family.
In 1931 John and Anna Kathol celebrated 50 years of Marriage. At this time the "Clan" photo show at the top of this page was taken. Just click on the photo to see a larger version of the picture. Also click here to see just Mr & Mrs John Kathol II on their 50th wedding Anniversary
In 1937 Mr. and Mrs. Kathol were honored by the Cedar county news for having more living descendants than any other Cedar County couple. It was a state record at that time. Click here to see a photo of Mr & Mrs John Kathol.
Mr. John Kathol died of a heart ailment on July 12, 1941; and was buried in the Bow Valley cemetery. He had been in failing health for about three years. He would have been eighty years old. Mrs. Anna Kathol died at her home on July 28, 1947 after an illness of about two years. At the time of her death she had one hundred living grandchildren, and one hundred twenty-five great grandchildren. She was probably called "grandmother" by more living descendants than any other woman in the state of Nebraska! . (They lived on the farm now occupied by Ray Kathol until 24 years ago (1922) when they retired and moved to Bow Valley.
The Following is the actual script of the funeral notice as found in the Cedar Co. newspaper:
"Mrs. Anne Kathol, 84, resident of Cedar County since 1870, died at her home in Bow Valley Monday, July 28, after an illness of about two years. At the time of her death, with 100 grandchildren, 125 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren, she was probably called grandmother by more living descendents than any other woman in the state.
Funeral services were held this morning (Thursday) at nine am from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic church in Bow Valley with Reverend A.S. Kluthe officiating at the requiem mass. Burial was made in the Parish cemetery under the direction of Wintz Mortuary.
Pall bearers were six grandsons: Harold Kathol, Mark Hochstein, Addo Kathol, Aloysius Wuebben, Gilbert Kathol and Virgil Schulte.
She is survived by five sons, Joseph, Alphonse, and Ray of Bow Valley and Paul and Lorenze of Hartington. Six daughters: Mrs. Peter Hochstein of Bow Valley, Mrs. Joseph Wuebben of St. Helena, Mrs John Schulte and Mrs Aton Noecker of Hartington, Mrs Peter Sudbeck of Dimock S.D., and Mrs Joseph Marx of Omaha along with her 227 grandchildren and nieces and nephews."
The Forth Generation
Lorenz Kathol - He was born in Bow Valley, Cedar County Nebraska on August 10, 1891; and died on November 28, 1974 in Hartington, Cedar County Nebraska. Lorenz was the ? child of John and Anna Kathols fourteen childern. At the age of twenty-five He married Anna Burbach in 1816, who was born on October 29, 1896; she died on March 31, 1961 in Hartington, Cedar County Nebraska. Click here to see a photo of Lorenz and Anna Kathol.
From the time he was a little child, until he was married at age twenty-five, Lorenz worked on his parents home farm in Bow Valley, where he was raised. It was the custom when a man married, that the father set up the son in business, so the father of Lorenz, John Kathol, bought 80 acres of prime farm land, near Hartington Nebraska, and built a house there for Lorenz and Anna as a wedding present; and the parents of Anna, William and Theresa Burbach, furnished the home. Lorenz was the first person in his father's family to move to the Hartington area. Hartington was about fifteen miles from Bow Valley.
The new farm was prime farmland, very rich riverland soil or "bottomland" as they called it; with a creek, called the Little Bow Creek, flowing through it. Eventually Lorenz had all eighty acres under cultivation; and he and Anna raised seven children on it. A large barn was built, along with smaller barns and out buildings.
Corn was his primary crop; and he also always had a field of alfalfa that he would use for hay to feed the cattle and the horses. He also raised small grain: oats, and barley. Live stock included a small herd of cattle, pigs, and chickens for eggs. They had Horses, dogs, and cats too!
The Fifth Generation
"Mom" - Please see the "Interview With Mom" for a nice discription of her life growing up on her parents farm.
The Sixth Generation
Thats "Us"
Kathol Family History 
Family Reunion 2003