Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland

FAMILY LINE AND HISTORY

Mathias/Mathew Clemens
1st of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding
Born: Mar 15, 1836, Consdorf, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Died: Dec 22, 1920 (age 84), Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; lobar pneumonia
Buried: Calvary Cemetery, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Immigrated: left Mar 10, 1854, from Luxembourg, arrived Jun 28, 1854, New York
Occupation: Farmer
Married: Apr 24, 1858, Anna Mary Reiland, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Eight children: infant Clemens, Mary Elizabeth Clemens, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, Peter Daniel Clemens, Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens, Angeline “Annie” Clemens, Rose Clemens, Mathew Sylvester Clemens

Anna Mary Reiland
7th of 8 children of Johannes/John Reiland & Maria “Anna Mary” Clemens
Born: Jul 21, 1832, Bech, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Died: Mar 16, 1918 (age 85), Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; chronic nephritis/endocarditis
Buried: Mar 24, 1918, Calvary Cemetery, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Immigrated: 1837
Married: Apr 24, 1858, Mathias “Mathew” Clemens, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Eight children: infant Clemens, Mary Elizabeth Clemens, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, Peter Daniel Clemens, Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens, Angeline “Annie” Clemens, Rose Clemens, Mathew Sylvester Clemens

1. infant Clemens
Feb 5, 1860, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Feb 5, 1860, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: unkn

2. Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens
Born: Jul 7, 1861, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Aug 14, 1874 (age 13), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

3. Catherine “Kate” Clemens
Born: Feb 7, 1863, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Jun 14, 1934 (age 70), Pine Island, Goodhue Co., Minnesota
Buried: St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Pine Island, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Married: Aug 10, 1885, John Hoeft, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Five children: Anna Marie Hoeft, Rosanna Josephine “Rose” Hoeft, Margaret Elizabeth Hoeft, Elsie Mary Hoeft, William Vincent Hoeft

4. Peter Daniel Clemens
Born Oct 7, 1864, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: May 26, 1956 (age 91), Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Buried: Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Married: Feb 24, 1887, Alvina Florentine Priebe, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Three children: Louise Clara Clemens, Lena Anna Clemens, Leo Walter Clemens

5. Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens
Born: Jul 21, 1866, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Nov 29, 1954 (age 88), Morgan, Traill Co., North Dakota
Buried: Dec 2, 1954, Calvary Cemetery in Reynolds, Traill Co., North Dakota
Married: Mar 15, 1883, John/Johannes Anton von Ruden, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Note: Margaret was age 16, Johannes age 26
Ten children: John Matthew von Ruden, Anna B. “Annie” von Ruden, Martin Charles von Ruden, Victor John von Ruden, Frank von Ruden, Frederick William von Ruden, Hubert von Ruden
Anthony William von Ruden, Nick Vincent von Ruden, Mary Rosalie/Rosalia von Ruden

6. Angeline “Annie” Clemens
Born: Mar 24, 1869, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Dec 31, 1962 (age 93), Grand Forks, Grand Forks Co., North Dakota
Buried: Jan 4, 1963, Calvary Cemetery in Reynolds, Traill Co., North Dakota
Married: Nov 26, 1888, Charles “Charley” Schabo, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
No children

7. Rose Clemens
Born: Jun 12, 1871, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Nov 24, 1944 (age 73), Kenmare, Ward Co., North Dakota
Buried: St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery in Kenmare, Ward Co., North Dakota
Married: Oct 21, 1889, Peter Nei, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
One child: Peter C. Nei, Jr.

8. Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens
Born: Mar 1, 1874, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Mar 30, 1947 (age 73), Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; throat cancer, during surgery
Buried: Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Occupation: Farmer
Married: Apr 19, 1898, Barbara Nigon, St. John’s Church in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Thirteen children: Unnamed twins, Mary Anne Clemens, Elizabeth Barbara Clemens, Amelia Rose Clemens, Dorothy Clemens, Aloysius Michael Clemens, Carl John Clemens, Cecelia Helen “Sister Ann” Clemens, Agnes Catherine Clemens, Anna Frances Clemens, Lawrence Matthew Clemens, Joseph William Clemens

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Four children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding
1. Mathias “Mathew” Clemens (husband of Anna Mary Reiland)
1836 – 1920
2. Nicholas “Nic” Clemens
1838 – 1911
3. Peter A. Clemens
1841 – 1918
4. John E. Clemens
1844 – 1901

Eight children of Johannes/John Reiland & Maria “Anna Mary” Clemens
1. Bernardus/Bernard Reiland
1821 – 1903
2. Maria “Mary” Reiland (3rd wife of Peter Clemens)
1822 – 1892
3. Peter Maximillian Reiland
1824 – 1911
4. William Reiland
1826 – unkn
5. Catherine Reiland
1828 – 1829
6. John Baptist Reiland
1830 – 1831
7. Anna Mary Reiland (wife of Mathias/Mathew Clemens, son of Peter Clemens)
1832 – 1918
8. Mathias Reiland
1834–1835

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Timeline and Records

Spellings and information in the census and other records are retained
as in the original documents

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Jul 21, 1832: Birth of Anna Mary Reiland, 7th of 8 children of Johannes/John Reiland & Maria “Anna Mary” Clemens and the 3rd wife of Mathew/Mathias Clemens, in Bech, Canton of d’Echternach, Luxembourg 
Note: her death certificates reflect Anna was born Jul 22, 1832; she is named variously as Anna Maria/Marie/Mary 

Jun 29, 1835: Marriage of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding, the parents of four children: Mathias/Mathew Clemens, Nicholas Clemens, Peter A. Clemens, John E. Clemens, in Consdorf, Canton Echternach, Luxembourg; his first of three marriages

Mar 15, 1836: Birth of Mathias/Mathew Clemens, 1st of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding, in Consdorf, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Aug 18, 1838: Birth of Nicholas “Nic” Clemens, 2nd of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding and brother of Mathew, in Consdorf, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Mar 14, 1841: Birth of Peter A. Clemens, 3rd of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding and brother of Mathew, in Consdorf, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Jun 29, 1844: Birth of John E. Clemens, 4th of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding and brother of Mathew, in Consdorf, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

abt 1848: Death of  Maria Mary (Reding) Clemens (age 33-34), the mother of Mathew and the 1st wife of Peter Clemens, leaving behind their four young sons, ages four through twelve, in Luxembourg

Mar 10, 1854: Mathias/Mathew Clemens, the oldest son of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding (born Mar 15, 1836), emigrated from Luxembourg to America a week short of his 18th birthday and arrived in New York three months later.
Note: On the Jun 27, 1854 (from France to New York) roster for the Ship William Tell, #398), there is a “Gottl” Clement, age 17, male

Note: this may be Mathew Clemens

Jun 27, 1854: New York Arriving passenger list:
Name Gottl Clement (possibly Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Gender Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality German
Age 17
Birth Date abt 1837
Place of Origin Württemberg
Departure Port Le Havre, France
Destination USA
Arrival Date 27 Jun 1854
Arrival Port New York, New York, USA
Ship Name Wm Tell

Ship William Tell
According to contemporary New York newspapers, the packet sailing ship WILLIAM TELL, Funk, master, arrived at New York on 27 June, from Havre 21 May, with merchandise and 618 passengers. The WILLIAM TELL was a 3-masted, square-rigged sailing ship, built by Westervelt & Mackey in 1850. 1153 tons; 175 ft x 37 ft 10 in x 29 ft 2 in (length x beam x depth of hold).

There is also Mathias Clemence who emigrated at the same time:
Note: possibly Mathias/Mathew Clemens

Jun 29, 1854: New York Arriving passenger list:
Name Mathias Clemence (possibly Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Gender Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality Prussian (German)
Age 17
Birth Date abt 1837
Place of Origin Prussia
Departure Port Liverpool, England
Destination USA
Arrival Date 29 Jun 1854
Arrival Port New York, New York, USA
Ship Name Beejapore

Beejapore (1851)
History
United Kingdom
Name Beejapore
Namesake Beejapore, India
Owner Willis & Company
Launched 1851
Identification Official Number: 24022
Fate Lost 1863
General characteristics
Class and type Full-rigged ship
The Beejapore was a 1,676-ton full-rigged clipper built at Saint John, New Brunswick in 1851.
Construction and design
She and her sister ship Marco Polo measured 184 feet (56 meters) in length, with a beam of 36 feet (11 meters), and draught of 29 feet (8.8 meters). She displaced 1,676 tons and had three decks.

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Note from Sharon Duchi: I went down a deep rabbit hole trying to figure out which Matthew or Mathias came over on which ship, the William Tell or the Beejapore. Unfortunately, both people are listed as male, 17 y/o. I am sure then when being asked their names by immigration officials in a language that was not their first, there were often transpositions of first and last names. Also, there were probably errors on the part of the immigration officials in mishearing, but also inscribing.

On the passenger manifest of the Beejapore, the person above “Mathias Clemence” has the exact same last name as “Mathias” first name. Also, it looks like there is an extra letter, as both names appear as “Mathias”. Confusing, but it appears that it might be a name transposition.
Regarding the William Tell manifest, the #398 name is “Clement, Gottl.” Gottl appears to be short for “Gottlieb,” which means “beloved by God” in German. It was common as both a first and last name, but more common as a German first name in the 19th century. There are nine “Gottl”’s listed on the William Tell manifest as first names. There is only one “Math.”, who is listed as the first name of passenger #399, immediately below ”Clemens, Gottl.”. Perhaps a “Gottl.”/“Math.” switch may have been made by the immigration official.

Dec 18, 1854: Marriage of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, the father of Mathias/Mathew Clemens, his 3rd marriage, in Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg

Sep 30, 1857: Minnesota State and Territorial Census, Goodhue Co., Territory of Minnesota:
Name Peter Clemens (father of Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Age 49
Census Date 21 Sep 1857
County Goodhue
Locality Township 109
Birth Location Germany
Gender Male
Estimated Birth Year abt 1808
Line 12

Peter Clemens Age 49, farmer, born Germany
Mary Clemens Age 28, housekeeper, born Germany (Peter’s 3rd wife, Anna Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens)
Mathias Clemens Age 21, farmer, born Germany (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
Nicolas Clemens Age 19, farmer, born Germany (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
Peter Clemens Age 18, farmer, born Germany (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
John Clemens Age 16, farmer, born Germany (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
Mary Clemens Age 2, born New York (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Anna Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Matthias Clemens Age 1 mo, born Minnesota (son of Peter & 3rd wife, Anna Maria “Mary” Reiland)
John Reiland Age 60, born Germany (father of Anna Maria “Mary” Mary Reiland)
Mary Reiland Age 69, born Germany (mother of Anna Maria “Mary” Reiland)

Apr 24, 1858: Marriage of Mathias/Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Eight children: infant Clemens, Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, Peter Daniel Clemens, Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens, Angeline “Annie” Clemens, Rose Clemens, Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens

Note: Mathew’s father, Peter Clemens, married three times. His first wife, Maria Reding, bore him four sons. Peter then married Catharina Schmit, and after her death, married Anna Maria “Mary” Reiland, who bore him seven more children. Maria’s sister, Anna Maria Reiland, married Mathias/Mathew Clemens, Peter’s oldest son from his first marriage. The result was that Anna Mary Reiland was also the stepdaughter of her oldest sister, Maria “Mary” Reiland.

Feb 5, 1860: Birth of infant Clemens, 1st of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Feb 5, 1860: Death of infant Clemens, 1st of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Jul 19, 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Mazeppa, Goodhue Co., Minnesota:
Name Anna M Clemens
Age 26
Birth Year abt 1834
Gender Female
Race White
Birth Place Luxembourg
Home in 1860 Township 109 Range 15, Goodhue, Minnesota
Post Office Mazeppa
Dwelling Number 861
Family Number 798
Real Estate Value 500
Personal Estate Value 100
Household Members (Name) Age
Anna M Clemens Age 26, Female, Housekeeper, value of real estate 500, value of personal property, 100, born Luxembourg (Anna Maria (Reiland) Clemens is living next door to her parents, John & Anna Mary Reiland; her husband Mathis/Mathew Clemens is not listed in the household)

Jul 7, 1861: Birth of Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens, 2nd of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Feb 7, 1863: Birth Catherine “Kate” Clemens, 3rd of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Oct 7, 1864: Birth of Peter Daniel Clemens, 4th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

abt 1864: Death of Mary “Anna Maria” (Clemens) Reiland (age 75), mother of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

abt 1864: Burial of Mary “Anna Maria” (Clemens) Reiland at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota. There are no death or burial records before 1870 in this area, so this is an estimated time frame garnered from census records, and assuming her dying at age 75 on her marker is correct. Anna Maria is buried under her maiden name of Clemens rather than her married name of Reiland, and the “s” is missing from her last name.


The writing above her name says “In Erinnerung” which means, “in memory”
Below it is “gestorben im Alter vom 75 Jahre“ meaning “died at the age of 75 years”

1865: Minnesota Territorial Census:

Mathias Clemens Male (Mathew Clemens, born 1836)
Maria Clemens Female (his wife, Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens, born 1832)
Maria Clemens Female (their daughter, Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens, born 1861)
Catharine Clemens Female (their daughter, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, born 1863)
Peter Clemens Male (their son, Peter Daniel Clemens, born 1864)

Jul 21, 1866: Birth of Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens, 5th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Mar 24, 1869: Birth of Angeline “Annie” Clemens, 6th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Aug 31, 1870: U.S. Federal Census, Pine Island, Goodhue Co., Minnesota:
Name Matthias Clemens (Mathias Clemens)
Birth Date abt 1833
Birthplace Luxembourg
Home in 1870 Pine Island, Goodhue, Minnesota
Race White
Gender Male
Post Office Zumbrota
Occupation Farmer
Father of Foreign Birth Yes
Mother of Foreign Birth Yes
Personal Estate Value 300
Real Estate Value 1000
Clemens Matthias Age 37 M W Farmer born Luxemburg (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Clemens Anna M Age 40 F W Keeping House born Luxemburg (Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)
Clemens Mary Age 9 F W at home born Minnesota (died in 1874)
Clemens Catherine Age 7 F W at home born Minnesota
Clemens Peter Age 5 M W at home born Minnesota
Clemens Margaret Age 4 F W at home born Minnesota
Clemens Angeline Age 1 F W at home born Minnesota
Riland John Age 80 M W born Luxemburg (father of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)

Note: in the Minnesota State and Territorial Census for Sep 30, 1857, in Goodhue Co., Territory of Minnesota, Mary “Anna Maria” Clemens Reiland and her husband John Reiland are living with their son-in-law Peter, married to their daughter Anna Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens.  In the 1870 Pine Island, Goodhue Co. census, John Reiland is living with now son-in-law Mathias/Mathew Clemens married to John’s daughter, Anna Mary Reiland. In the 1880 Cascade, Olmsted Co. census, John Reiland is living still with Matthew and Anna and is listed as widowed.

1870: Mathias/Mathew Clemens purchases farm in Cascade Township, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:

Tales Told: The Clemens’ place was a 210-acre dairy farm that in the first flurry of winter was a Norman Rockwell picture of snow-covered paradise. It was the first farm lying just west of the outskirts of the city of Rochester in the Township of Cascade, Olmsted Co., Minnesota. My great-great-grandfather, Mathew Clemens, purchased The rolling prairie land in the early 1870s. In 1874, he and his brother, Peter, stonemasons from Luxembourg, built the original three-story, nine-bedroom house. It was four rooms square, built by rocks collected from nearby land that needed to be cleared, the stones layered in like a jigsaw puzzle, stuccoed and pebble-dashed on the outside and plastered smooth on the inside. The eighteen-inch thick walls made it a deep freeze in the Minnesota winters, so a huge wood-burning stove heated the entire house day and night.
Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau

Jul 3, 1871: Death of Peter Clemens (aged 62), father of Mathias/Mathew Clemens, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; consumption

Jul 1871: Burial of Peter Clemens at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Peter Clemens
1808 – 1871
Mary Clemens Reiland (his 3rd wife)
1822 – 1892

Jun 12, 1871: Birth of Rose Clemens, 7th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Mar 1, 1874: Birth of Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens, 8th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Aug 14, 1874: Death of Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens (age 13), 2nd of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota

Aug 1874: Burial of Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota. Maria shares a monument with her grandmother, Mary “Anna Maria” (Clemens) Reiland. The remaining two sides are blank.

Maria/Mary Elizabeth Clemens’ stone was recently cleaned:

1874: Matthew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland remove from Mazeppa and purchase 210 acres just outside of Rochester, Minnesota

May 1, 1875: Minnesota U.S. Territorial Census, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Clemens M age 38, Male, born Luxembourg, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Mathew Clemens)
Clemens Mary age 48, Female, born Luxembourg, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Anna Mary Reiland) Clemens, wife of Mathew and daughter of John Reiland)
Clemens C age 12 Female, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Catherine Clemens, daughter)
Clemens P age 11, Male, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Peter Daniel Clemens, son)
Clemens M age 6, Female, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Margaret Elizabeth Cclemens, daughter)
Clemens A age 4, Female, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Angeline “Annie” Clemens, daughter)
Clemens R age 4, Female, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Rose Clemens, daughter)
Clemens M age 1, Male, born Minnesota, father born Luxembourg, mother born Luxembourg (Mathew Sylvester Clemens, son)
Miller, John age 35, Male, born Prussia, father born Prussia, mother born Prussia (unknown relationship)
Reiland, John age 77, Male, born Luxembourg, father born Prussia, mother born Prussia (father of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)

Mar 2, 1876: Goodhue County Republican, Goodhue Co., Minnesota:

Mathew Clemens filed a foreclosure notice against William Schultz for non-payment of loan
Note: In a mortgage transaction, the mortgagor is the borrower (typically the homeowner) who pledges their property as collateral, while the mortgagee is the lender (like a bank) who provides the loan and holds a lien on the property. 

Jun 15, 1880: U.S. Federal Census, Cascade, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Name Matthew Clemmens
[Mathew Clemens]
Age 44
Birth Date Abt 1836
Birthplace Netherlands (Luxembourg)
Home in 1880 Cascade, Olmsted, Minnesota, USA
Dwelling Number 70
Race White
Gender Male
Relation to Head of House Self (Head)
Marital Status Married
Spouse’s Name Anna M. Clemmens
Father’s Birthplace Netherlands (Luxembourg)
Mother’s Birthplace Netherlands (Luxembourg)
Occupation Farmer
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Matthew Clemmens Age 44 Self (Head) Farmer, born Netherlands, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Anna M. Clemmens Age 46, Wife, Keeping house, born Netherlands, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands (Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)
Catherine Clemmens Age 17, Daughter, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
Peter Clemmens Age 16, Son, works on farm, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
Margarite Clemmens Age 13, Daughter, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
Angeline Clemmens Age 11 Daughter, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
Rosa Clemmens Age 9, Daughter, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
Matthew Clemmens Age 6, Son, born Minnesota, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands
John Reiland Age 84, Father-in-law, widowed, born Netherlands, father born Netherlands, mother born Netherlands (father of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens

Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens:

Tales Told: Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens helped milk the cows, worked in her garden, did the housework, washed the clothes, cooked, and canned their vegetable and fruit. She was the president of St. John’s Altar Society for most of her life. She and the other ladies made quilts and all of the rest of the items for the yearly bazaar.
Joseph William “Joe” Clemens, grandson

circa 1880: Family of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland:

Standing: Catherine “Kate” Clemens, Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens, Angeline “Annie” Clemens, Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens
Seated: mother Anna Mary Reiland, Rose Clemens, father Mathias/Mathew Clemens, Peter Daniel Clemens

Tales told: In the late afternoon of August 21, 1883, a tornado rolling upward to fantastic heights ripped through the area and ransacked rural Olmsted County. The funnel-shaped blackness demolished much of Rochester and the countryside around it. When it struck the Clemens house, it tore off the entire gabled roof and part of the third floor, leaving the rest of the solid stone building standing. When the devastation was over and the town and farms began to rebuild, Matthew Clemens, Sr., my great-grandfather—who had suffered a broken leg in the tornado—removed the remainder of the third floor and re-roofed it to a two-story, five-bedroom structure. My grandfather, Mathew Sylvester Clemens, was nine at the time.

The four boys shared a bedroom with two double beds; the six girls shared three to a room. My father’s grandparents Mathew and Anna Clemens occupied the fourth bedroom; the fifth room was reserved for company. It was always occupied. My great-grandparents lived with the family until my father was five, and Carl, at the time their youngest grandson, was their favorite. He slept in their room and they took care of him when he was little. They spoke German at home, which is why he spoke only German until he started school. From that point forward, he was only allowed to speak English.

The farm was taken care of by Grandpa and his father until 1910. Then my great-grandparents, Mathias/Mathew Clemens and Anna Mary Reiland, moved into Rochester to live with their older son Peter until their deaths several years later. My grandparents, Mathew Sylvester Clemens and Barbara Nigon, purchased the farm from them, making yearly payments until the debt was paid.
Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau

Jan 8, 1887: Death of Johannes/John Reiland (age 88), father of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota

1887: Burial of Johannes/John Reiland (son of Peter Reiland & Eva Kuss) at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; Sec CC 31 14
Note: John’s death year is off by a year. He died in 1877. John is buried in the same section as his son-in-law Mathew Clemens and daughter Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens

Minnesota Cemetery Inscriptions:
Township Cascade
County Olmsted
Name John Reiland Clemens
[John Reiland]
Birth Date 1798
Death Date 1886
Cemetery Calvary Rochester
Comments WITH MATHEW & ANNA MARY
Section CC 31 14

circa 1885: Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens with parents Anna Mary Reiland & Mathew Clemens:

circa 1890: Mathias/Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland family:

Standing: Mathew Sylvester Clemens, Rose (Clemens) Nei, Peter Daniel Clemens, Angeline “Annie” (Clemens) Schabo
Seated: Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoeft, Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens, Margaret Elizabeth (Clemens) von Ruden, Mathias/Mathew Clemens

Clemens sisters: Margaret, Rose, Angeline “Annie,” and Catherine “Kate”:

Jun 2, 1900: U.S. Federal Census, Cascade, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Name Mathew Clemons (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
[Mathew Clemens]
Age 64
Birth Date Mar 1836
Birthplace Belgium
Home in 1900 Cascade, Olmsted, Minnesota
Race White
Gender Male
Immigration Year 1854
Relation to Head of House Father
Marital Status Married
Spouse’s Name Anna Mary Clemons
Marriage Year 1873
Years Married 27
Father’s Birthplace Belgium
Mother’s Birthplace Belgium
Years in US 46
Naturalization Naturalized
Occupation Boarders
Can Read Yes
Can Write Yes
Can Speak English Yes
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Mathew Clemons Age 26, born Mar 1874, Head, married 2 years, born Minnesota, father born Belgium, mother born Belgium, Farmer
Barbara Clemons Age 27, Wife, born Mar 1873, married 2 years, 1 child born, 1 child living, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany
Mary Clemons Age 7/12, Daughter, born Oct 1899, born Minnesota, father born Minnesota, mother born Germany
Mathew Clemons Age 64, Father, born Mar 1836, married 27 years, born Belgium, father born Belgium, mother born Belgium immigrated 1854, 46 years in U.S., Boaders (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Anna Mary Clemons Age 67, Mother, born Jul 1832, married 27 years, 8 children born, six children living, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany, immigrated 1837, 43 years in U.S., Boarders (Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)

1890s: Clemens brothers (the sons of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding) emigrated to America from Luxembourg and settled in Minnesota; assuming this photo was taken around the late 1890s.
1. Mathias/Mathew Clemens
1836 – 1921
2. Nicholas Clemens
1838 – 1911
3. Peter A. Clemens
1841 – 1918
4. John E. Clemens
1844 – 1901

Restored and enlarged photo: courtesy of a member of the “Old Photo Restoration” Facebook page:

circa early 1900s: Clemens siblings, children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland:

Standing: Peter Daniel Clemens and Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens
Seated: Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoeft, Rose (Clemens) Nye, Margret Elizabeth (Clemens) Von Ruden, Angeline Anna/Annie (Clemens) Schabo

Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens:

Apr 18, 1910: U.S. Federal Census, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Name Matthew Clemens
Age in 1910 74
Birth Date 1836
[1836]
Birthplace Germany
Home in 1910 Rochester Ward 3, Olmsted, Minnesota, USA
Street Hunter Street
Race White
Gender Male
Immigration Year 1856
Relation to Head of House Father
Marital Status Married
Father’s Birthplace Germany
Mother’s Birthplace Germany
Native Tongue English
Occupation Own Income
Able to read Yes
Able to Write Yes
Years Married 51
Enumerated Year 1910
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Peter D Clemens: Head, Age 45, Married 1, 23 years, born Minnesota, father born Germany, mother born Germany, Teamster Country Roads (son of Mathew & Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)
Elvina Clemens: Wife, Age 43, Married 1, 23 years, 3 children born, 2 living, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany, immigrated 1868 (wife of Peter D. Clemens, Alvina (Priebe) Clemens)
Matthew Clemens: Father Age 74, Married 1, 51 years, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany, immigrated 1856, (Mathias/Mathew Clemens),
Mary A Clemens: Mother Age 76,  Married 1, 51 years, 8 children born, 6 living, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany, immigrated 1858, (Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens)
Lena A Clemens: Daughter Age 19, Single, born Minnesota, father born Minnesota, mother born Germany, Clerk at Dry Goods Store 

1910: Tales Told: My great-grandparents, Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens,  moved to Rochester to live with their older son Peter until their deaths several years later. My grandparents Mathew Sylvester Clemens and Barbara (Nigon) Clemens, purchased the family farm from them, making yearly payments until the debt was paid.
Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau

1912: Clemens farm outside of Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:

Mathew Clemens, Matt Sylvester Clemens (Grandpa), mid-rear is Jane Nigon (Grandma’s youngest sister), the nine children (Joe, the youngest, was not yet born) Barbara (Nigon) Clemens (Grandma) holding Lawrence, Anna Mary at far right (Grandpa’s mother); fall of 1912 (Carl, my father, is the blonde headed boy in the middle of all the kids)

Tales Told: My grandfather, Mathew Sylvester Clemens, was a year old when his family moved from Mazeppa into the new farmhouse on the outskirts just west of Rochester in 1875. He grew up in this house, and when he married, their children were all born and raised in it, too. It was on a 210-acre dairy farm that in the first white of winter was a Norman Rockwell picture of snow-covered paradise. Theirs was the first farm west of the outskirts of Rochester in Olmsted County. My great-grandfather, Mathew Clemens, purchased the rolling prairie land in the early 1870s. In 1874, he and one of his three brothers, Peter, both stonemasons from Luxembourg, built the original three-story, nine-bedroom stone house. It was four rooms square, built from rocks collected from nearby land that needed to be cleared. The stones layered like a jigsaw puzzle, stuccoed and pebble-dashed on the outside and plastered smooth on the inside, the walls thick enough for window seats. The 18-inch thick walls made it a deep freeze in the wintry Minnesota weather, so a huge wood-burning stove heated the entire house day and night.
Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau

1915: U.S. City Directory, Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota (pg 67):
Name Mathew Clemens
Gender Male
Residence Year 1915
Street Address 115 N Hunter
Residence Place Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota, USA
Spouse Anna M Clemens
Publication Title Rochester, Minnesota, City Directory, 1915

Mar 16, 1918: Death of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens (age 85), wife of Mathew Clemens, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota at the home of her son, Peter Clemens, of chronic nephritis and endocarditis

Mar 16, 1918: Death Certificate of Anna Maria/Marie/Mary (Reiland) Clemens

Mar 16, 1918: Certified Death Certificate for Anna Maria/Marie/Mary (Reiland) Clemens:

Mar 16, 1918: Certified Death Certificate of Anna Maria/Marie/Mary (Reiland) Clemens

Mar 24, 1918: Burial of Anna Mary (Reiland) Clemens at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; plot CC 31 15

1918: Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index:
Township Cascade
County Olmsted
Name Anna Mary Clemens
Birth Date 1832
Death Date 1918
Cemetery Calvary Rochester
Comments SP. MATHEW
Section CC 31 15

Mar 1918: Rochester, Minnesota newspaper obituary for Anna Maria Mary (Reiland) Clemens

Dec 31, 1919: Mazeppa Journal, Mazeppa, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Matthew “Mathias” Clemens, Sr. left Constreet (Consdorf), Luxembourg for America 3/10/1854. He landed in New York June 28^th and stayed one year, then traveled to Aurora, Illinois and stayed nine months. He traveled to Minnesota and purchased a farm near Mazeppa. He came to Rochester in 1856 and worked for Charles Cole in the American House. He married Ann Marie Reiland April 24, 1858 in Mazeppa. In 1874 he bought a farm two miles west of Rochester. They lived on this farm until 1908, where they moved into town and lived with their son Peter Clemens.

Jan 27, 1920: U.S. Federal Census, Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Name Mathew Clemmens (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
[Clemens]
Age 84
Birth Year abt 1836
Birthplace Germany
Home in 1920 Rochester Ward 3, Olmsted, Minnesota
Street Fifth Avenue North West
Residence Date 1920
Race White
Gender Male
Immigration Year 1854
Relation to Head of House Father
Marital Status Widowed
Father’s Birthplace Germany
Mother’s Birthplace Germany
Native Tongue German
Able to Speak English Yes
Naturalization Status Naturalized
Able to read Yes
Able to Write Yes
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Peter Clemmens: Age 54, Head, Married, born Minnesota, father born Germany, mother born Germany, Laborer in Contractor Co. (son of Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Alvina Clemmens: Age 52, Wife, Married, Immigrated 1875, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany (Alvina (Priebe) Clemens, wife of Peter Clemens)
Mathew Clemmens: Age 84, Father, Widowed, Immigrated 1854, naturalized 1855, born Germany, father born Germany, mother born Germany (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)

Dec 22, 1920: Death of Mathias/Mathew Clemens (age 84),1st of 4 children of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; lobar pneumonia

Dec 22, 1920: Mathew Clemens, Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2017:
Name: Matthew Clemens (Mathias/Mathew Clemens)
Record Type: Death
Death Date: 22 Dec 1920
Death Place: Olmsted
Death Registration Date: 1920
Certificate Number: 010647
Record Number: 317345

Dec 22, 1920: Mathew Clemens, Death Certificate:

Dec 1920, Mazeppa Journal, Mazeppa, Olmsted Co., Minnesota:
Pioneer Dies of Pneumonia
Mathew Clemens, who first came to Rochester sixty-four years ago passes on
Mathew Clemens, a pioneer resident of Olmsted county, died Wednesday at 5:30 o’clock of double pneumonia, at the home of his son, Peter Clemens, 115 Fifth Avenue NW.

Mr. Clemens was born March 15, 1836, in Construf, Luxumberg. He left for America March 10, 1854, and landed in New York, June 28, and remained there about one year. He then left for Aurora, Illinois, where he remained about nine months. Then he came to Minnesota and settled in a farm near Mazeppa. He came to Rochester in 1856 to work for Charles Cole in the American House. He remained there two years until he was married to Anna Mary Reiland April 24, 1858. They removed to a farm and remained there till 1874 when they bought another farm two miles west of Rochester where they lived until 1908. They came to Rochester to live with their son, Peter. There were eight children, six living and two dying in infancy. Those who survive are Mrs. John Hoeft, Pine Island; Mrs. John Von Ruden and Mrs. Charles Chabo of Reynolds, N.D.; Mrs. Peter Nei of Kenmare, N.D.; and Peter and Mathew of Rochester. Mrs. Clemens died March 16, 1918.

The funeral of Mr. Clemens will be Monday, Dec. 27 at 9 o’clock from St. John’s church.

Note: Ann Marie (Anna Mary Reiland) Clemens died Mar 16, 1918. Mathew Sylvester Clemens died Dec 22, 1920. They are buried with family members in the Clemens lot in St. John’s Calvary Cemetery in Rochester.

Dec 27, 1920: Burial of Mathew Clemens at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; plot CC 31 16
Note: Mathew’s death year on his headstone is incorrect, he died in 1920

1920: Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index:
Township Cascade
County Olmsted
Name Mathew Clemens
Birth Date 1836
Death Date 1921 (incorrect date inscribed on headstone)
Cemetery Calvary Rochester
Comments SP. ANNA MARY. WITH JOHN R.
Section CC 31 16

Jun 14, 1934: Death of Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoeft (age 70), 3rd of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Pine Island, Goodhue Co., Minnesota

Jun 1934: Burial of Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoeft at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Pine Island, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; Row 7, Plot 6

Nov 24, 1944: Death of Rose (Clemens) Nei (age 73), 7th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Kenmare, Ward Co., North Dakota

Nov 27, 1944: Burial of Rose (Clemens) Nei at St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery in Kenmare, Ward Co., North Dakota

Mar 30, 1947: Death of Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens (age 73), 8th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota; throat cancer, during surgery

1947: Burial of Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota

Nov 29, 1954: Death of Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” (Clemens) Von Ruden (age 88), 5th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Grand Forks Co., North Dakota

Dec 2, 1954: Burial of Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” (Clemens) Von Ruden at Calvary Cemetery in Reynolds, Traill Co., North Dakota

May 26, 1956: Death of Peter Daniel Clemens (age 91), 4th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota

May 1956: Burial of Peter Daniel Clemens at Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota

Dec 31, 1962: Death of Angeline “Annie” (Clemens) Schabo (age 93), 6th of 8 children of Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland, in Grand Forks Co., North Dakota

Jan 4, 1963: Burial of Angeline “Annie” (Clemens) Schabo at Calvary Cemetery in Reynolds, Traill Co., North Dakota

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Jun 1979: Contributed by Marian Clemens:
In June of 1979, when Gordon and I were 45, we boarded a Boeing 747 to do genealogy research on the Clemens family. We landed in Frankfurt, Germany, and rented a little red VW Gulf. Driving along the Rhine River to Koblenz, we saw castle ruins, gardens, and vineyards on hillsides. At Koblenz, we traveled down the Mossel Valley toward Luxemburg. We hunted for records in Consdorf, Bech, Betzdorf, and also in Merzig in Germany. We found Peter Clemens’ birth certificate, which had his name as “Pierre” Clemens as the borders changed during the time of war, so his name was in French. In the village of Bech, we found the actual birth and military certificate for Peter Clemens, along with his marriage record, which also listed his parents. When we discovered Mathias Clemens’ birth record from 1836, it also listed his mother and father and the parents of his mother. We found records for Johann Nigon, for his parents; Franz Nigon and Anna Maria Kling; Franz’s parents Johann Nigon and Magdalen Karp; and Margaretha Sellen and her parents, Nicholas Sellen and Magdalen Sellen. We explored a few cemeteries and found some headstones; however, many cemeteries were destroyed during World War II, and the local people had few cemeteries pre-World War II to explore.

In each office, the secretary and the cure’ (official) were amazed at our project and so helpful in finding records even further back than we anticipated. They translated some for us and made copies of them all. Some were written in “old German” or “old French” that even they couldn’t translate. They were amazed that traveling Americans could speak German and that we were even interested in old records. I studied German for a year at our local community college before our trip. Wherever we were researching, they eagerly joined in. Talk about fun!

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2025: Researched and compiled by siblings Gordon L. Clemens and Catherine F. (Clemens) Sevenau, the great-grandchildren of Mathias/Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland

Sources: Gordon Clemens & Marian (McLellan) Clemens, John F. Clemens, Helen Reiland, Carol Stolberg, Father Gerald Conway, Robert J. Lari, J; Ancestry.com, Find A Grave, Family Search, miscellaneous internet searches

Direct line of Gordon and Catherine:
Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding (great-great-grandparents)
Mathias/Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland (great-grandparents)
Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens & Barbara Nigon (grandparents)
Carl John Clemens & Noreen Ellen Chatfield (parents)
Gordon Lawrence Clemens and sister Cathrine Frances (Clemens) Sevenau

Thank you to Carol (Von Ruden) Stolberg for most of the photos herein
Direct line of Carol Stolberg:
John/John Johannes Reiland & Maria Reiland (great-great-grandparents)
Mathias/Mathew Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland (great-grandparents)
John/Johannes Anton Von Ruden & Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” Clemens (grandparents; sister of Mathew S. Clemens)
Hubert Von Ruden & Margaret Scholand (parents)
Carol (Von Ruden ) Stolberg

Carol (von Ruden) Stolberg w/second cousins Gerald “Jerry” Clemens and Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau, 2011, Minnesota

Note: The cemetery headstone photos from Find A Grave contained herein are the property of those who photographed them.