Richfield Historical Society

Fred Linstedt Family

Frederick and Christina Linstedt and three children came from Germany in 1872. They settled in the Granville, which is now 91st Street and Mill Road. Their major income was the sale of timber to the shipyards in Milwaukee for pilings and boat making, also firewood for the kitchen stoves in the big city. Their oldest son, Frederick (Jr), married Regina Guidinger of Ozaukee County. He and his wife bought 100 acres in the Township of Richfield (Section 34). The farm consisted of a log house and log barn and only 25 of the 100 acres were cleared. The purchase price was $1000. The family lived in the log house for twelve years. A new barn was built and a new house in 1903.

Frederick (Jr.) and Regina’s oldest child, Frederick (II) remembers his Mother taking his brother, William, and him to Zion Church for the first time in the fall of 1894. His Dad hitched up the team of horses for them. The church was heated with two stoves, one on either side. His Dad and Mother joined the church soon after that. All seven children attended Sunday school and church. They went to Hillside School. There were 22 double seats in the school, 44 pupils in the eight grades.

The Lindstedt’s major income was selling cord wood to the lime kilns in Rockfield, Menomonee Falls and Lannon. The wood was delivered with horses and wagon or sleigh. In 1905, Frederick (II) worked for Christian Kolander. The first time he plowed with two horses and a walking plow was on the hill in back of church. He used the shadow of the steeple as a time piece. When the shadow of the steeple was centered on the ridge of Zion Church, it was 12 o’clock.

In 1915, Frederick (II) married Elsie Bird of Colgate. They had six children, two died as infants and their oldest daughter, Arlene, died in 1931.Their daughter, Margaret married Lloyd Busse. Margaret lived on the Busse homestead. Frances married William Wachholz and lived on the Bird homestead and Frederick (III) lived on the Linstedt homestead (all homesteads were located in Colgate).  Frederick’s (III) wife Elsie died in 1945. He married Miss Bertha Gerke in 1948. They lived on the Melville farm in Colgate. Bertha died in 1967. Photos: Possibly Frederick Linstedt (Jr), Zion Church sketches. Visit richfieldhistoricalsociety.org to learn more about the Richfield Historical Society.

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