Dirckx Family

This is the family of Katherine, wife to Joseph Peter. Katherine's dad was Constant Dirckx and mother was Mary Catherine Stassen. Kate's oldest brother Jules was born in Belgium and came to U.S. with Constant and Mary in 1891. Many other members of the Stassen family came at the same time.

Kate's siblings were Jules, Theodore, Leo, Michael, Joseph, John, Lewis, Mary Blake, and Elizabeth. Both Kate and Mary went blind.

Jules and Theodore fought in WWI - Theodore was killed. The government furnished a grave stone for him, which is now used to mark the family plot in Ghent, Minnesota. Kate is buried here. Jules and his wife Sophie are baptismal sponsors for Betty Koch, oldest daughter of Joseph and Kate.

This family is very well known at the Mayo Clinic as most of them have developed colon polyps (cancer).

Kate's sister Mary married Don Blake (Marshall, MN). Don remarried Lucille after Mary died. Mary had one daughter Rosemary (1942-1968) who married Henry Goblish. They had 4 children who were raised by Mary and Don after Rosemary died. They also raised Eloi Koch. Edward and Betty Koch lived with them for awhile after they got married and their son Dennis was born.

Our contact for the family is Lucille Blake (Don's second wife) and Edwin Dirckx who is the oldest son of Jules (Born in 1926). He lives at 715 Neuse Lane in Marshall MN.