Lawrence Anstett family

Here's the last Anstett family blog before starting on the Matyn side of Dad's family.

I distinctly remember meeting my Dad's maternal Uncle Walter Anstett (1882-1969) who with his wife, Rose Bonneau, had 10 children. Uncle Walter was the family photographer discussed in earlier Anstett blog entrys, when I was very young, age 2 or 3. I remember this meeting because Dad told me who he was and that he was about 85 at the time and I could not believe that Dad had a still living Uncle and that someone could live so long. He looked like he was very old, lots of wrinkles, very white hair, and I can remember he had trouble walking at the time, using a cane. He made a great impression upon me, a very warm, friendly person, smiling often. I remember Dad getting very emotional when he saw his uncle. and that they hugged each other and were both very happy to spend time visiting with each other.  Now when I think that Dad lived to 105, Uncle Walter was just a youngster!  Here are some 1960s photographs of early Anstett and Matyn family gatherings.

Left to right: Aunty Gert Matyn, Lawrence Anstett, George F. Matyn, holding me (Marian) with my mouth open (always) and Katie Anstett (mouth closed), Barbara, Lawrence, and Madeline Anstett. This is how I remember Aunty Gert most of the time I was growing up, when she was still teaching or recently retired, with short dark hair, glasses, coat, coordinating scarf in her coat, giving everyone books to read. 

After we started living in Grayling in 1967 we visited as a family with Uncle Walter's third son, Lawrence and his wonderful wife, Madeline, and their wonderful, large family. We occasionally visited each other between Grayling and their farm in Leroy, MI. Both Lawrence and Madeline had wonderful laughs. They laughed in a way that made you feel good and laugh, too, and want to spend more time with them. They were lovely, lovely people. You hated leaving them. They were a hard working farm family. Lawrence had a cross carved by our ancestor Francis Antoine Anstett. I do not remember ever meeting any of Lawrence's siblings.

On their farm they had horses, cows, and chickens. That was when I found out cows can lick their own noses while eating corn on the cob. Who knew? I remember Lawrence telling us that sometimes the smaller cows had a hard time giving birth to the calves and all the kids would go out and help pull the calves out. Again, not growing up on a farm that was a revelation.

I also remember in the later 1970s visiting them on their farm and the younger girls, then in middle and high school, talking about how they planned to join the army after high school in order to get their education. I thought that took a lot of guts.

I mostly remember their youngest daughter Kathryne, called Katydid or Katie, when we were little. Katie was an amazing jumping rope. doing all kinds of trick jump steps that nobody I knew could do. 

Lawrence and Madeline both died when I was living in Pennsylvania so I could not go with my parents to their funeral. When Mom told me over the phone about their deaths I cried. They were mourned by all their neighbors, including the Amish. As far as I know their sons still operate the farm. Sadly, we've lost touch since their parents died. 

Here are Lawrence's daughters Katie and Lynn Anstett and me. What was I looking at, a cow? I think this is on their farm.

This is a mix of relatives, Uncle Carl Hon (my Mom's brother), my Dad George F. Matyn and Lawrence Anstett in our backyard at 604 Michigan Ave., Grayling, MI. The neighbor's house, corner of Michigan and Park, in the background.


In this photo, which I'm amazed my Mom did not take because everyone's back is in the photo, which was her signature photography style, they are left to right, as she noted: Madeline, Ann Hon in front of Larry Anstett (Lawrence's son) by tree, Mom (Rosalia Hon Matyn) in her dress with huge flowers on it, standing in front of Aunty Irene Hon. It's a fun photo for me because that's our Chrysler stationwagon (like all kids who grew up with and hated station wagons, I'm so glad SUVs were invented) and the back of 604 Mich. Ave., our house, with the original white paint and tiny back porch. All the trees are still blooming. A lot of them were damaged by bad weather in the next few years leaving the back yard a lot less green. The garage of our other neighbors, Roses, is visible in the background, on the corner of Maple and Michigan Avenue.

Anstett sibling group photographs

Here are some group Anstett photographs, mostly of siblings and spouses, all taken by Dad's Uncle Walter Anstett the photographer. I am so blessed to have these photographs. Being able to look at the faces of dear relatives meant so much to Dad and it means so much to me.

I hope that extended family doing genealogical research in the future will find these relatives documented here and at least get a small feel for them as the interesting, kind, musical people they were and how much Dad loved them. They got along, enjoyed being together and clearly did not mind being in group photographs together.

This is my favorite group photograph of Anstetts fishing on the AuSable River, somewhere near my hometown of Grayling, MI, circa 1900. Dad identified his aunts and uncles (left to right): Mary, Pauline, (Frank's wife), Rose, and Frank Anstett. The second person from the left is an unidentified Native American, probably a river guide. I know of two Ojibwas, David Shoppenagons and Thomas Kit-chi-ti-go, who both worked as river guides there from the 1870s forward, but there were probably more who were guides. What a shame we do not know his name. I wonder if Mary really caught the fish or just posed with it. It looks like they are on a rough dock full of splinter-filled wood. They are clearly happy together regardless of who caught the fish. 



Walter is not in the image as he was probably using a smaller camera without a cord, unlike the one he used for studio work or large formal group photographs, but it is highly likely he took it. He seems to have taken the vast majority if not all of the Anstett family photographs in the early twentieth century.

Here's a formal studio group portrait, taken by Water, in his studio, of his Anstett siblings, their, spouses and extended cousins. It's damaged on the bottom right corner. It is undated, circa 1900-1912, but I don't know the occasion. Everyone is all dressed up. What a good looking crowd.
 Left to right, front row: Rose Bonneau Anstett, Charles Bonneau, my grandpa George S. Matyn,  Josephine Bonneau (Mrs. Nicholas Barger), and my grandma Margaret Anstett Matyn. She looks very young and lovely here, nice cross necklace.

back row: Walter Anstett, Mrs. Schmidt, 2 people Dad could not remember but thought were spouses, Henry Schmidt sort of sitting, Nicholas Barger, Mrs. Bonneau?

This is a rare photograph where nobody is identified. I spent weeks going through photos with Dad over the years identifying people, but we did not identify this group, why? Pie was probably present and distracted us. 

Left to right:

In front of their grandparents the girls are Dad's sisters Gert and Grace Matyn (based on their size and birth years this photo probably dates to about 1912)
Seated: Philip and Catherine Dresch Anstett, Walter Anstett, hands hiding the camera button

Standing in back: Rose Anstett Bonneau, Margaret Anstett Matyn, the last 3 are unidentified, probably their younger Anstett siblings, if anyone knows for sure, please let me know

Water's photography stamp 

Frank and Pauline Anstett

This post is about my Dad's maternal Uncle Frank Anstett and his wife, Pauline. Dad adored both of them.

Frank Louis Anstett (1878-1958), the son of Philip and Catherine Anstett, married Pauline Schmidt in 1910. Frank was a telegraph operator in Vandervort, Grayling, and Saginaw, and was in charge of both the Grayling, Michigan, railroad office and telegraph office. He would verify that the trains were on schedule. Dad recalled at least one occasion where his Uncle Frank chased a young George and his cousins out of the office commenting that they were trouble. 

Frank and Pauline Anstett

Pauline worked in the early, beautiful wooden Graying hospital doing nursing work with the Catholic nursing sisters. Dad remembered that the wooden floors by 1935 squeaked terribly and the inside had carved wood trim and wooden doors. He often talked fondly of his Aunt Pauline.

Both musically gifted, Frank played the violin and Pauline the piano. 

Here's Frank and his violin. Best copy I could make of the photo. 

In this smaller picture of  Frank and Pauline fishing in the AuSable River, I wonder who the person in the middle is wearing glasses? I think it may be my Dad. 

Frank and Pauline are among the very few Anstetts who did not have children. 

Here's a postcard photograph of the AuSable River written on the back by Margaret about an enjoyable visit with Frank and Pauline in Grayling in June 1949 and talking of going fishing. 

Frank and Pauline had what we would consider today an extremely small, basic cabin on Lake Margarethe. It had the same exterior even into the 1980s. We drove by it when we went swimming. You can see the corner of it in the photo below. The cabin, now modified, still exists and is recognizable.

The Anstetts siblings with a 1940 Chrysler and the cabin in the corner are, left to right:

Pauline Astett, Mary Anstett Gordon, Frank Anstett, Margaret Anstett Matyn, Rose and Walter Anstett.

Frank and Pauline also owned a home in Grayling on the corner of Lake and Ogemaw streets in Grayling. It really has not changed very much on the exterior except for varying paint color, pink or blue. Every time we drove by it when I was a kid Dad would say, that was Uncle Frank and Aunt Pauline's house. It still exists and is definitely recognizable today, although the outside entrance to the basement is gone. 

As a youngster from 1911 through the 1920s, George Matyn and his parents and siblings often drove up to Uncle Frank's cabin on Lake Margarethe near Grayling on dirt roads (no highway at the time) in an open touring car. Sometime it took all day due to repeated flat tires. They brought food to eat as there were no chain restaurants on the way. Dad loved fishing up there so much that eventually our family to Grayling so he could fish often whenever he had spare time. By then, 1967, most of his aunts and uncles had gone to their eternal reward, but Dad retained wonderful memories of them. I wish I could have met them, but I feel I know them somewhat through his stories. 

Philip Anstett

Now that I've finally got the time and everything sorted, I'm going to start sharing information about my Dad's side of the family.

My Dad (George F. Matyn)'s beloved maternal grandpa was Philip Anstett.

The Anstetts came from France where their surname is found in records dating back to 1660.

In 1834 Francis  Antoine (Tony) Anstett (1805-1872) married Therese Roethel (1809-1859). They left Alace, France in 1841 and immigrated to Ontario, Canada, with their two surviving children, Anthony and Therese. They settled in New Germany, now Maryhill, near Kitchener.  Together they had either 12 or 13 children, depending on the source: Anthony, Therese, Madeleine (d. age 6 months in France), Franz, an unnamed boy, Helena (born enroute or shortly after they arrived in Canada), Regina, Joseph, Ignatius, Wendelin, Philip, Mary Anna, and Felix. Eight of their children eventually married and generated 75 grandchildren.

Philip, their 11th child, was born January 30, 1850. In 1854 many of the Alsatian families, including his own, moved northward to Bruce County, which had opened for homesteading. The family settled in Formosa and Francis opened a small general store on Anne Street, a street on which they also lived in a two-story log farm house.  His mother died when Philip was 9. Francis did not remarry. Francis was a shoemaker and a talented wood carver, highly respected and very religious. He reportedly did a lot of the carving for and statues of the first log church in Formosa. Francis and Therese are buried in Conception Catholic Church cemetery in Formosa.

Here's a tintype of Philip as a dashing young man. The table cloth is hand-tinted blue. That would have cost extra.

Philip married Catherine Dresch (b. 1848-) in Formosa on July 30, 1872. They had 8 children mostly born in Teeswater, a town near Formosa. I have some images of the children and more info I will share in later posts. Again, there are a lot of Anstett descendants. Many of Philip's children lived in Detroit, but sometimes periodically in Boyne City, probably following work in the railroad or related businesses. Many are buried in Detroit, often in Mount Olivet cemetery.

Here are the children of Philip and Catherine:

Phoebe (1872-1917, married John Reno) They had children. The Renos were quite musical and performed on the American stage as a singing family.

Joseph (1876-1948), married Emma. He was a telegraph operator. He ran the first telegraph wire from Gaylord to Boyne City. They had children.

Frank Louis (1878-1958) married Pauline Schmidt in 1910. Frank was also a telegraph operator, but in Vandervort, Grayling, and Saginaw, Frank played the violin and Pauline the piano). As a kid, George Matyn and his family drove up to Uncle Frank's cabin on Lake Margarethe near Grayling, and loved it so much that eventually my Dad moved our family to Grayling. Frank and Pauline did not have children.

 [Valentine] Walter, the family photographer (1882-1969), married Rose Bonneau with whom he had 10 children.

Anne Margaret or Marguerite known as Margaret (1885-1962), married my Grandpa George S. Matyn, with whom she had 4 children, and later Papa Luke. Much more later.

Theodore "Manny" (1887-1953). He died a bachelor having worked in real estate and was a tool and die man.

Mary 1891- was alive in 1977 (married Gordon Schmidt with whom she had children). She had a lovely voice singing with the Detroit Civic Opera company, later married Henry Schmidt)

Olive (who married Norman Dickie), 1897-1928.  They had children.

Here's Philip and Catherine's (40th?) wedding anniversary photo with all their children and grandchildren. Dad is sitting in front on the floor in front in his dressy shoes in front of Philip who is sitting next to Catherine, who is holding a baby. Uncle Walter is to Dad's right, on the end in the front row controlling the camera button on a cord with his hand. Dad's mom, Margaret, is standing behind the woman in the front row with the white hat holding a baby, and Dad's Dad, George S. Matyn, is on the stairwell, the man not wearing a coat with one of his daughters, I think Aunty Gert, standing directly behind him.

Philip worked in Teeswater and other local towns as a boiler operator and tended furnaces in a saw mill. At one point he owned a bakery shop in Formosa. He moved to Detroit where he worked as a watchman, probably for the railroad in a tower, later he moved to Boyne City, MI, and then to Windsor, Ontario where he worked for the railroad again as a watchman in the tower. Philip kept in touch visiting often with family. Many members were musical and accompanied their singing with piano and violin.  He died in 1938 at age 83 and was buried in Mount Olivet cemetery in Detroit.

The Anstetts got along very well and visited often. Dad always talked about his aunts, especially Aunts Phoebe, Rose and Olive, and his uncles, especially Uncle Frank, and some of his cousins. with great affection. The only ones I don't recall ever hearing about were his Uncles Joe and Manny.

(The genealogical above information is from A History and Descendant Record of Philip and Catherine (Dresch) Anstett, 1972 by Mrs. F. M. Radigan. Mom told me that Dad helped Mrs. Radigan by contributing a lot of the information about his grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. The information records the MI, Canadian and New York branches of the Anstett family. Some of the earliest Canadian Anstetts had 22 children each, including multiple sets of twins. The genealogy work began when an Anstett participated in the Miss America pageant. At that time everybody watched the show. Afterwards people wrote asking her, are we related? Her mother undertook extensive correspondence and research and created an extensive Anstett genealogy. This was all before the Internet and digitized information, so Mrs. Radigan, my distant cousin, we salute you and your genealogical efforts!

Dad was quite fond of his Grandpa Philip, who he remembered as a really kind, good man. Philip had a horse and used to feed it broccoli, a memory Dad always told us about when he was offered and refused broccoli. If his Grandpa thought it was only good enough to feed to horses,  who was Dad to argue?

Here's Philip as a senior gentleman.
Another story I wanted to share was about when Catherine Dresch Anstett died. Dad's eldest sister, Aunt Gert, told me they dressed up and went to Grandpa's house. At the time Grandma was lying on the parlor sofa in her grey silk dress with everyone around her talking and sympathizing. A lot of people were laid out in their homes, parlor or bedroom, at the time, not in a funeral parlor. After awhile Aunt Gert said everyone left the room but her and she was afraid and got upset and started screaming. Her Dad, George S. Matyn, came in and asked, Gertie why are you upset? She said, Grandma's dead and I'm alone with her. He asked her if Grandma had ever been anything but kind to her. Aunty responded, no. He asked her, Why do you think she'd hurt you now? And that was that. Aunty never forgot it.

If you have anything you'd like to share about Philip, please let me know. If you'd like to you can join this blog.