Family of Joseph Peter and Katherine Dirckx (Kate)

Eloi Peter: 10/27/24 - 6/28/54
Edward Theodore: 7/6/26 - 8/28/73
Betty: 1928
Donald Michael:
Rita: 6/03/31 - 1976
Maureen: Died 1976
Richard: 2/6/37 - 9/16/64

See Joseph Peter Koch under the February blog for more general information on this family. Information on each of these siblings follows under this month of March heading.

Bliesbrucken Map

Before WW1 (1900) this town was known as Bliesbrucken

District of Lothringen, Province of Elsas-Lothringen, Germany

After the war, it became Bliesbruck, Province of Mosele, France

Saarbrucken, where Josephine was born, is only 12 miles NW

Rita Koch Wiltgen

Rita was born in Alton, Iowa in 1904. She died in 1993 and is buried at Calvary Cemetery in LeMars, Iowa. She married Pete Wiltgen, a mortician in LeMars. I found references to the Wiltgen Funeral Home but no further information. Rita did not have any children.

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.

Joseph Peter Koch 8/28/02-11/23/55

This is Dennis' grandfather and youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth. Joe married Katherine Dirckx (Kate) on 5/21/24. Joe worked at various jobs including bartender, roofer, farmer, restaurant cook. He is remember as not being very ambitious and was not liked very much by Katherine's family.

Joe died in Worthington, Minnesota (Nobles County) at a tuberculosis sanitorium where he had been for 4 months before his death. He was a heavy smoker and hadn't been well for many years. He is remembered as always having a box of soda handy for his indigestion.

Katherine: 5/15/05 - 11/15/37 died of liver and colon cancer at approximately age 30. She also went blind. She is buried in the Dirckx family burial plot in Ghent, Minnesota and her name on the gravestone is spelled Catherine. See the Dirckx Family entry for more information.

After Kate died, Joe was unable to care for his children and they were sent to live with other family members:
*Eloi went to Mary and Don Blake (Katherine's sister)
*Maureen and Betty went to Joseph's sister Rita Wiltgen
*Richard went to Josephine Ahlers
*Edward and *Donald went to John Koch's for a short time, then to St. Joseph's Orphanage in St. Paul, MN
*Rita went first to Josephine Ahlers for a few months, then Joe took her to Jules and Sophie Dirckx where she stayed approx. 1 year. She was then raised by Grandma Ziegler (Grandma Ziggy) in St. Paul - possibly an orphanage.

Joe lived on his brother John's farm for a time after Kate died and helped him with farm chores. John's daughter Felicia remembers that time well, and says Joe liked her and helped her with her many chores, such as cleaning out the milking machines. He also picked up a candy bar for her when he'd go to town and slip it to her when no one was looking.

All of Joseph and Elizabeth's children except Betty, who may be the lady in front, and the oldest of the grandchildren.

Leona Koch Sanford 1893-1953

Leona is the little girl sitting on Joseph's lap. She was born in France/Germany.She was 13 when her mother died. Leona married Bennett Sanford and lived most of her life in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They had one son, Virgil, who died about the age of 2. I have no more information on Leona, except that she is the bridesmaid in the picture of Josephine and Herman Ahlers' (her sister) wedding.

Peter Koch 1990-1975

Peter is the oldest son of Joseph and Elizabeth. He was born in France/Germany and looks about 4 years old in the picture. He was 16 when his mother died. Peter never married. He went to Lyon County, Minnesota, with John and bought a farm at Canby, but returned to Iowa when John got married. He then moved to Martinez, California, where he worked for Shell Oil company until he retired. He then moved back to LeMars, Iowa, to help his sister Rita take care of her invalid husband. Peter is buried in St. Mary's cemetery in Alton, Iowa.

Peter is at left and Otto at right