FAMILY LINE AND HISTORY
Peter Clemens
2nd of 4 children of Mathias Clemens & Margaretha Welter
Born: Dec 16, 1808, Betzdorf, Canton Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Died: Jul 3, 1871 (aged 62), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; consumption
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Military: Prussian Army (served 8 years); Militia Nationale, 2nd Regiment of the Lige (Legion)
Immigrated: Feb 10, 1855, from Antwerp, Belgium to New York, United States
Occupation: Stonemason
Married (1): Jun 9, 1835, Maria Mary Reding, Consdorf, Canton Echternach, Luxembourg
Four children: Mathew Clemens, Nicholas “Nic” Clemens, Peter Roy Clemens, John E. Clemens
Married (2): Aug 24, 1848, Catharina/Katherina Schmit/Schmitt, Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg
One child: infant Clemens (died as an infant)
Married (3): Dec 18, 1854, Maria “Mary” Reiland, Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg
Seven children: Mary E. Clemens, Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, William Peter Clemens, Anna Mary Clemens, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens, Bernard “Barney” Clemens
Maria “Mary” Reiland
2nd of 8 children of John Reiland & Anna Mary Clemens
Born: Dec 14, 1822, Bech, Canton d’Echternach, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Died: Feb 23, 1892 (age 69), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Immigrated: Feb 10, 1855, from Antwerp, Belgium to New York, United States
Married: Dec 18, 1854, Peter Clemens, Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg
Seven children: Mary E. Clemens, Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens, Catherine “Kate” Clemens, William Peter Clemens, Anna Mary Clemens, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens, Bernard “Barney” Clemens
1. Mary E. Clemens
1st of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: Mar 12, 1856, Westchester Co., New York
Died: Oct 2, 1933 (age 77), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saint Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Married: Dec 9, 1872, George Hertzig, Lake City, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Eight children:
1. Mary Magdelen Hertzig
1873–1952
2. George Hertzig
1874–1877
3. Elisabeth Hertzig
1876/77–1882
4. George Henry Hertzig
1879–1882
5. Anna Margaret Hertzig
1882–1966
6. Nicholas A. Hertzig
1884–1935
7. Susan Christine Hertzig
1888–1918
8. Rose Amelia “Mildred” Hertzig
1892–1991
2. Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens
2nd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: Oct 19, 1857, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Jul 21, 1940 (age 82), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Never married, no children
3. Catherine “Kate” Clemens Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens
3rd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: May 16, 1859, Bellechester, Goodhue Co., Minnesota
Died: Sep 27, 1947 (age 88), Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Married: Jan 7, 1880, Nicholas Hoffman, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
One child:
1. George Aloysius Hoffman
1880–1969
4. William Peter Clemens
4th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: Dec 31, 1860, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Nov 3, 1900 (age 39), Leonard, Cass Co., North Dakota; suicide
Buried: Leonard Cemetery in Leonard, Cass Co., North Dakota
Occupation: Auditor for Great Western Elevator and W.H. White Lumber
Married: Sep 13, 1885, Anna Nei, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Five children:
1. Pierre William Clemens
1886–1938
2. George Arthur Clemens
1887–1944
3. Walter Henry Clemens
1889–1979
4. Mary Katherine Clemens
1891–1987
5. Grace Ann Clemens
1899–1993
5. Anna Mary Clemens
5th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: Sep 10, 1862, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Feb 24, 1949 (age 85), Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Married: Sep 10, 1883, John Baptiste Gregoire, Red Wing, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Four children:
1. John Baptiste (Catholic priest)
1884–1958
2. Glen George Gregoire
1886–1917
3. Mary Grace Gregoire (Catholic nun: Sister Loyala)
1890–1972
4. Walter Anthony Nicholas Gregoire
1894–1948
6. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens
6th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: Jul 29, 1864, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Dec 7, 1949 (age 85), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Married: Apr 3, 1894, John George Hartmann, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Two children:
1. Grace Lenora Hartmann
1896–1976
2. George Bernard Hartmann
1898–1977
7. Bernard “Barney” Clemens
7th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland
Born: May 1, 1868, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Died: Jun 14, 1882 (age 14), Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; diphtheria
Buried: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
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Four children of Mathias Clemens & Margaretha Welter
1. Anna Maria Clemens
1807–1808
2. Peter Clemens (husband of Maria “Mary” Reiland)
1808–1871
3. Mathias/Mathew Clemens
1810–1841
4. Catherine Clemens
1817–1877
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 “Maria” 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 (corrections or explanations in italics)
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BEGINNINGS OF THE PARISH IN MAZEPPA:
Peter “Pierre” Clemens was born in Betsdorf, Luxembourg on December 11, 1808. At the age of 27 he learned the stonemason’s trade and followed it most of the rest of his life. He was a veteran of eight years service in the Prussian Army. Peter married three times and his first wife [June 29, 1835], Maria Reding, bore him four sons. He then married Catharina Schmit [August 24, 1848], and after her death, he married Maria Reiland [also spelled Reuland or Reyland], December 18, 1854. Maria was the sister of Anna Maria Reiland, born July 21, 1832, who married Matthew “Mathias” Clemens, Sr., who was the son of Peter Clemens. [The result was that Anna Maria Reiland was the stepdaughter of her oldest sister, Maria]. He and Maria arrived in New York on January 1, 1855 with his four children from his first marriage. In 1861 they removed to Minnesota and bought a quarter-section (160 acres) of land in Pine Island Township, living there until he moved to the village of Mazeppa in 1865. It was in his house that the First Mass in Mazeppa was said, and continued to be said until the completion of the first Catholic Church, most of the cost of its building borne by Mr. Clemens. “He was the body and soul of this parish from its beginning.” He was the father of 12 children: Matthew, Nicholas, Peter, and John, four sons by his first wife, a child of his second wife died, and seven children by Maria Reiland: Mary, Mathias, Catherine, William, Anna, Elizabeth, and Bernard. His wife was a charter member of St. Mary’s Altar Society. Peter died on July 3, 1871 and is buried in the Mazeppa Cemetery.”
Correction: Peter was born Dec 16, 1808. He and his third wife, Mary (Reiland) Clemens, are buried in Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota. Peter and Maria arrived in New York on Feb 10, 1855, with his three younger children from his first marriage. His oldest son, Mathew Clemens (born in 1836), came the year prior.
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Peter Clemens: Timeline and Family (2 pages):
Source: Ancestry Tree of Gordon Clemens
Dec 16, 1808: Birth of Peter Clemens, the 2nd of 4 children of Mathias Clemens & Margaretha Welter, in Betzdorf, Canton de Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Dec 16, 1808: Peter Clemens (Petrus Clemens) Baptismal record:
Feb 14, 1822: Birth of Maria “Mary” Reiland, the 2nd of 8 children of John Reiland & Anna Mary Clemens and the 3rd wife of Peter Clemens, in Bech, Echternach, Luxembourg
Jun 29, 1835: Marriage of Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding, his 1st marriage, in Consdorf, Canton Echternach, Luxembourg
Four sons:
1. Mathew Clemens
1836 – 1921
2. Nicholas “Nic” Clemens
1838 – 19113
3.Peter Roy Clemens
1841 – 1918
4. John E. Clemens
1844 – 1901
Clemens brothers: Mathew, Nicholas, Peter, John, circa 1890s
Photo Restoration from the original: courtesy of a member of the “Old Photo Restoration” Facebook page:
abt 1845: Death of Maria Mary (Reding) Clemens (age 33-34), the 1st wife of Peter Clemens and the mother of their four young sons, Mathew, Nicholas, Peter, and John, in Luxembourg
Aug 24, 1848: Marriage of Peter Clemens & Catharina/Catherine Schmit, his 2nd marriage, in Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg. They had one child who died in infancy.
Before 1854: Death of Catharina/Catherine (Schmit) Clemens, the 2nd wife of Peter Clemens, died and was buried in Luxembourg
Dec 18, 1854: Marriage of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, the 2nd of 8 children of John Reiland & Mary Clemens, his 3rd marriage, in Bech, Grand Duchy, Luxembourg
Dec 18, 1854: Marriage Record of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland:
Jan 14, 1855: Peter and Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens sail on the Henry Reed and arrive in New York from Antwerp, Belgium on Feb 9, 1855, with three of his four sons from his first marriage, Nicholas Clemens, Peter Roy Clemens, and John E. Clemens. Mathew Clemens, the oldest, emigrated the year before.
Feb 10, 1855: The Henry Reed passenger list:
Peter is with his 3rd wife (Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens) and three of his four sons from his first marriage
#57 Peter Clemens age 45 male, Holland (age 46)
#58 Marie Clemens age 35 female Holland (age 32)
#59 Nicholas Clemens age 14 male Holland (age 16)
#60 Peter Clemens age 11 male Holland (Peter Roy Clemens age 13)
#61 Jean Clemens age 9 male Holland (John E. Clemens, age 10)
Note: The bottom five are listed on the page below:
Feb 10, 1855: The New York Daily Times, New York, New York:
The Ship Henry Reed:
In January 1855, one-hundred seven passengers boarded the Henry Reed in Antwerp, Belgium. Captained by George A. Dearborn, the ship left the Port of Antwerp on January 14, 1855, beginning a journey across the Atlantic.
They arrived at the Port of New York on Friday, February 9, 1855.
The New York Daily Times reported the ships arrival in its February 10th edition: “New-York, Friday, Feb. 9 – Arrived – Ship Henry Reed. (of Hallowell,) Dearborn. Antwerp 23 ds., with mdse. and 107 passengers to W.F. Schmidt & Co. Experienced heavy weather W. of the Banks. Jan. 28, lat. 45 lon. 46, saw a large ship steering E, apparently new, showing a white signal with a black cross and 4 letters, one in each corner, and 3 letters at the bottom. The H. R. was anchored at Quarantine last night.”
The Manifest of Passengers was filed by Captain Dearborn with the Collector of the Customs for the City of New York on February 10th, 1855.
The vessel was sailing for NY shipping agents W.F. Schmidt & Co. and sailed the “S Line” on regular service between Antwerp and New York. Its tonnage was 850 ton.
Source: http://www.thelost69.com/2013/05/the-ship-henry-reed.html
Map of Belgium
Feb 10, 1855: Dutch Immigrants to America, 1820-1880:
Name Peter Clemens
Arrival Date February 10, 1855
Port of Arrival New York
Destination U.S.A. (no specific place stated)
Age 45
Gender Male
Occupation Mason, stone mason, stone cutter
Relationship to head-of-household Husband
Last Residence Unidentified Dutch Municipality
Port of Departure Antwerp, Belgium
Ship Name Henry Reed
Ship accommodations Steerage
Microfilm series M-237
Microfilm Roll 150
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History of Immigration to the United States
The evolution of steamship technologies played a significant role in the history of immigration to the United States. During the years between 1815 and 1921, more than 30 million people left their homelands to settle in the U.S. These immigrants left behind religious persecution, famine, pogroms, and autocratic regimes. Primarily from northern and western Europe, emigrants traveled in noisy, crowded, often unventilated bunks below deck. Traveling in often unsanitary conditions, many arrived in the U.S. ill or exhausted, if they made it through the journey at all.
Records are lacking for immigration in the early nineteenth century, but what records do exist suggest the mortality rate for the young and old for overseas travel could reach as high as 10 percent. In the 1850s, William Inman of the Liverpool based Inman Line, created a new steerage class that provided for better living conditions and briefer travel. By the late nineteenth century, separate steerage dining and sanitary facilities were common, as well as lounges and semi-private cabins.
By 1870, more than 90 percent of immigrants arriving to America came on steamships. The steamship shortened the length of a voyage from a minimum of five or six weeks at sea to less than two weeks, causing a decrease in variability of arrival time. Both of these factors reduced mortality of passengers. The shorter trip time also changed the nature of immigration itself.
During sail travel, immigrants usually were composed of families looking to settle permanently in the United States. With steam travel, more males migrated on a temporary basis, looking to come to the U.S. to work for a period of time and then return home to Europe. The steamship also shortened the time between Mediterranean ports, which allowed for people to leave from many more European ports.
In the early days of immigration, emigrants were often transported in former slave ships. Like slaves before them, emigrants were crowded into dark holds, often 6 to 10 people in bunks 10 feet wide, 5 feet long and 3 feet high. It was here that emigrants spent the 40 days, or 2 or 3 months depending on the winds and tides. Diseases like cholera, dysentery, yellow fever, small pox and typhus were rampant. Conditions improved with the years and in 1850, William Inman became the first to offer cheap steamship travel for emigrants and created steerage quarters to allow for privacy.
Beginning in 1820, ship captains were required to file a list of all passengers aboard an arriving ship to the U.S. port authorities, and serve as the basis for official estimates of immigration for the nineteenth century. Total immigration decreased in 1855 due to nativism and subsequently fell further with the economic downturn in 1857 and the outbreak of the Civil War. Beginning in 1863, immigration again began to increase and continued to do so until the depression began in 1873.
Before World War I (1914-1918), most passengers coming to the United States were immigrants. They came in steerage class seeking a more prosperous life. But after the Russian Revolution (1917), and fearing the influx of communists, the U.S. changed its immigration policy and congress passed the Emergency Quota Act in May 1921.
Source: https://shiphistory.org
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Mar 12, 1856: Birth of Mary E. Clemens, the 1st of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Westchester Co., New York
Oct 19, 1857: Birth of Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens, the 2nd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Note: Mathias is mentioned in the Sep 30, 1857 census below, even though he was born in October
Sep 30, 1857: Minnesota State and Territorial Census, Goodhue Co., Territory of Minnesota:
Name Peter 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, 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, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Matthias Clemens Age 1 mo, born Minnesota (son of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
John Reiland Age 60, born Germany (father of Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Mary Reiland Age 69, born Germany (mother of Maria “Mary” Reiland)
May 11, 1858: Minnesota is admitted to the Union as the 32nd state, with generally the same boundary as the present state. Acceptance by Congress is the final act in the process of being admitted as a state. A bill for the admission of Minnesota into the Union was submitted to Congress in December of 1857.
Admission of Minnesota into the Union 1858
The bill for admission encountered several obstacles. The Minnesota bill was coupled with the bill for the admission of Kansas. It was customary to admit states in pairs to preserve the balance of power in Congress: a state that permitted slavery would be linked with a state that prohibited slavery. Minnesota was to be a free state, Kansas a slave state. The proposal to admit Kansas was made under its fraudulent Lecompton constitution. The fraud in the adoption of the Kansas constitution was so glaring that admission under it was abandoned, delaying the Minnesota bill for several months. Minnesota’s bill also met with general opposition from congressmen from southern slave states.
On May 11, 1858, the bill for the admission of Minnesota was passed by Congress and approved by President James Buchanan. However, word of its passage did not reach St. Paul until almost two weeks later. Minnesota had no telegraph lines or railroads, so a telegram was sent to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and carried up the Mississippi River to St. Paul by steamboat. On May 24, 1858, the state officers took their oaths of office and Minnesota’s state government began to function.
This ended the long trek toward statehood, which had seen the area of the state of Minnesota under four nations: France, Spain, Great Britain and the United States, and under nine territories: Northwest, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Source: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/about-minnesota/minnesota-government/admission-of-minnesota-into-the-union-1858/
May 16, 1859: Birth of Catherine “Kate” Clemens, the 3rd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Bellechester, Goodhue Co., Minnesota
Jul 1, 1860: Compiled U.S. Federal Census and Census Substitutes Index, Goodhue Co., Minnesota:
Name Peter Clemens
Age 52
Birth Year abt 1808
Gender Male
Race White
Birth Place Luxembourg
Home in 1860 Township 109 Range 15, Goodhue, Minnesota
Post Office Pine Island
Dwelling Number 856
Family Number 791
Real Estate Value 50
Personal Estate Value 251
Household Members (Name) Age:
Peter Clemens Age 52 Farmer, born Luxembourg (father)
Mary Clemens Age 38 Housekeeper, born Luxembourg ((Peter’s 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Nicolas Clemens Age 21 Farmer, born Luxembourg (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
Peter Clemens Age 18 Farmer, born Luxembourg (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
John Clemens Age 16 Farmer, born Luxembourg (son of Peter & 1st wife, Maria Reding)
Mary Clemens Age 4, born New York (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Mattes Clemens Age 2, born Minnesota (Mathias/Mathew B. Clemens, son of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Catharine Clemens Age 1, born Minnesota (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Dec 31, 1860: Birth of William Peter Clemens, the 4th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Jan 1, 1861: U.S. General Land Office 1776-2015:
Name Peter Clemens
Issue Date 1 Jun 1861
Place Goodhue, Minnesota, USA
Meridian 5th PM
Township 109n
Range 015W
Aliquots NE¼NW¼
Section 25
Accession Number MW-0469-390
Document Number 93936
Dec 9, 1861: Peter & Mary Clemens sell 40 acres of their land (Section 24 in Goodhue Co., Minnesota) for $100 to their son, Nicholas “Nic” Clemens
Dec 9, 1861: Peter & Mary Clemens sell 20 acres of their land (Section 2o in Goodhue Co., Minnesota) for $65 to their son, Peter Clemens
Dec 9, 1861: Peter & Mary Clemens sell 24 acres of their land (Section 2o in Goodhue Co., Minnesota) for $55 to their son, John Clemens
Note: It appears they did not sell property to his oldest son Mathew Clemens as Mathew already owned land in Mazeppa (in what was apparently at the time (1860) in Goodhue Co., Minnesota according to the 1860 census.
Sep 10, 1862: Birth of Anna Mary Clemens, the 5th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Jul 29, 1864: Birth of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens, the 6th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “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”
Jun 1, 1865: U.S. Territorial and State Census, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota (#83):
Name Peter Clemens
Census Date 1 Jun 1865
County Wabasha
Locality Mazeppa
Gender Male
Line 23
Peter Clemens male (father)
Mary Clemens female ((Peter’s 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Peter Clemens male (Peter Roy Clemens, son of Peter Clemens & 1st wife Maria Reding)
Mary Clemens female (Mary E. Clemens, daughter of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
C Clemens female (Catherine Clemens, daughter of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
M Clemens male (Mathias/Mathew B. Clemens, son of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
Wm Clemens male (William Peter Clemens, son of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
A Clemens female (Anna Mary Clemens, daughter of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
L Clemens female (Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens, daughter of Peter Clemens & 3rd wife Mary Reiland)
Peter Fandermann male
Mazeppa Village and Township
SS. Peter and Paul’s Church, Mazeppa, Minn:
The early history of this church from its very infancy brings us back to the time when this section on the outskirts of Wabasha County was scarcely settled and the first Catholic settlers in this vicinity, who were poorly situated with earthly means and only few in number, had to be satisfied with the services rendered to them occasionally by those good, noble, spirited pioneer priests, Fathers Thissot, Trobec and Knauff, who under many hardships and admirable self-sacrifice visited the Catholic people that lived around here and attended to their spiritual wants and at different intervals saying Mass and administering the sacraments in the private house of the first champion Catholic settler, Mr. Peter Clemens. Although the flock was small, a little frame structure was erected in 1867 by Mr. Peter Clemens, who was body and soul of this organization from its inception. This humble building with all its simplicity was to be the edifice of worships of their holy faith. And although the beginning was very hard, yet the hearts of those Catholic pioneers, trusting for better days to come, were courageously filled with the ardent desire to see in time the joyous day, when they would be able, increased in number, to meet the difficult task of raising a fund to build a large edifice, upon which the glorious Cross, the significant symbol of our Faith, would in its full brightness, in the golden rays of the sun, be seen in the church tower. And indeed, their confidence and hope were not in vain, their courage, firm ambition and their sacrifices were plentifully rewarded. In the fall of 1871 a small knot of men were clustered together in this place, earnest, humble and God fearing men. They found that there was yet a certain want a demand to be made on their slender purses, to build a church, thus adding to the honor of their undying faith. They were about to erect a memorial, to which the coming generation of the Mission could raise forefathers. And the seed to be planted by a few should grow to a strong tree, whose fruitful branches would extend its blossoms around a far district.
Source: “HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY, MINNESOTA”
Compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge and Others
Published Winona, MN by H.C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., 1920
Republished Currently by Higginson Books
Mar 9, 1867: Five acres of land were sold by Peter and Mary (Reiland) Clemens on March 9, 1867, for $50 for a cemetery in Chester Twp., later to be Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery (recorded May 16, 1867). Also included in the land sale was Lot 5, Block 20, Village Of Mazeppa, where the cross-shaped Catholic Church was built & used until the present one was built in about 1964. The former priest’s house was on Lot 6, adjacent to the 1902 church; that house still exists. A new house was built in the late 1960s on the location of the church. The land was transferred to the Diocese of St. Paul. There was no Saints Peter & Paul Church or even a Diocese of Winona at this time. This is approximately the west 2/3 of the cemetery, the east 1/3 was added later. In 1878 the Minnesota Midland Railroad laid their narrow gauge tracks across the southwest corner of the cemetery & “The Bug Line RR”, later became Milwaukee RR (MCSTPP) until ceasing in 1955.
Source: John Francis Clemens, great-great-grandson of Peter & Mary (Reiland) Clemens
Note: Mary (Reiland) Clemens signed her name with an X Peter signed for her with her X in the middle.
May 1, 1868: Birth of Bernard “Barney” Clemens, the 7th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Jul 1, 1870: U.S. Federal Census, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota:
Name Peter Clemens
Age in 1870 60
Birth Date abt 1810
Birthplace Deutschland
Dwelling Number 119
Home in 1870 Mazeppa, Wabasha, Minnesota
Race White
Gender Male
Post Office Mazeppa
Occupation Farmer
Father of Foreign Birth Yes
Mother of Foreign Birth Yes
Male Citizen Over 21 Yes
Personal Estate Value 500
Real Estate Value 1000
Household Members (Name) Age
Peter Clemens Age 60, born Germany
Mary Clemens Age 48, born Germany (Peter’s 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Mary Clemens Age 14, born New York (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Matthew Clemens Age 12, born Minnesota (son of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Kate Clemens Age 11, born Minnesota (Catherine Clemens, daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Wm Clemens Age 9, born Minnesota (son of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Anna Clemens Age 8, born Minnesota (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Elisabeth Clemens Age 6, born Minnesota (daughter of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Barney Clemens Age 2, born Minnesota (son of Peter & 3rd wife, Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Feb 27, 1871: Peter Clemens, Sr., Last Will and Testament (pg 1):
Feb 27, 1871: Peter Clemens, Sr., Last Will and Testament (pg 2):
Jul 3, 1871: Death of Peter Clemens (aged 62), in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; consumption
Jul 3, 1871: Death Record for Peter Clemens:
continuation or record on the opposite page, Peter Clemens is the second line from the top:
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
1822 – 1892
Mazeppa, Minnesota
May 1, 1875: Minnesota State and Territorial Census, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota:
Name Mary Clemens (Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens)
Age 52
Census Date 1 May 1875
County Wabasha
Locality Mazeppa
Birth Location Luxembourg
Gender Female
Estimated Birth Year abt 1823
Race White
Father’s Birth Location Sax
Mother’s Birth Location Sax
Line 24
Clemens Mary age 52, female, born Luxembourg, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony (Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens)
Clemens Kate age 16, female, born Minnesota, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony (daughter, born 1859, Catherine “Kate” Clemens)
Clemens W age 14, male, born Minnesota, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony(son, born 1860, William Peter Clemens)
Clemens Anna age 13, female, born Minnesota, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony (daughter, born 1862, Anna Mary Clemens)
Clemens L age 11, female, born Minnesota, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony (daughter, born 1864, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clemens)
Clemens B age 7, male, born Minnesota, father born Saxony, mother born Saxony (son, born 1868, Bernard “Barney” Clemens)
Jun 19, 1880: U.S. Federal Census, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota:
Name Mary Clemens (Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens)
Age 58
Birth Date Abt 1822
Birthplace Luxembourg
Home in 1880 Mazeppa, Wabasha, Minnesota, USA
Dwelling Number 115
Race White
Gender Female
Relation to Head of House Self (Head)
Marital Status Widowed
Father’s Birthplace Luxembourg
Mother’s Birthplace Luxembourg
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship:
Mary Clemens Age 58, Self (Head), born Luxembourg (Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Anna Clemens Age 17, Daughter, born Minnesota
Lizzie Clemens Age 16, Daughter, born Minnesota
Barney Clemens Age 12, Son, born Minnesota
1880: Map of Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota:
Source: A Century of Memories 1864-1965, booklet from Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church
Jun 14, 1882: Death of Bernard “Barney” Clemens (age 14), the 7th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; diphtheria
Jun 14, 1882: Register of Deaths for Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota:
Barney is 5th from the bottom on the left side of the register, his parents, Peter & Mary Clemens, are on the right side.
Jun 1882: Burial of Bernard “Barney” Clemens at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota; shares his parents’ memorial headstone
BARNEY, Beloved Son of P. and Mary Clemens, Died June 14, 1882, aged 14 years, 1 month and 13 days
“Brother, thou hast come and gone, Here thy loss we deeply feel.”
Bernard “Barney” Clemens’ stone was recently cleaned:
1884: bio from “HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY”:
Clemens, Peter (deceased) was a veteran of the German army, having served eight years in the war against Napoleon. He was also a pioneer of the Roman Catholic church in Mazeppa, having thrown open his house for services some years before the erection of a church here. He practically built the first edifice, paying nearly all its cost from his own pocket. Mr. Clemens was born in Haster, Gruebenmacher, Germany, December 11, 1808, and died here July 3, 1871. At twenty-seven years of age he learned the mason’s trade, and followed it nearly all the rest of his life. He was married November 18, 1854, to Mary Reuland. He landed in New York on January 1, 1855, and took up his residence in Westchester. Thence he removed to Minnesota, and bought a quarter-section of land in Pine Island township, near Mazeppa. Here he lived till 1865, when he moved to this village. He was the father of twelve children, four by his first marriage. All are living in this vicinity. Here are their names: Matthew, Nicholas, Peter, John, Mary (Mrs. George Hertzig), Matthew D., Catharine (Mrs. Nic. Hoffman), William, Anna (Mrs. J.B. Gregoire), Elizabeth; Barney, the youngest, is dead.
Note: Some of the dates are incorrect, along with Peter’s birth date (he was born Dec 16, not Dec 11), and birth place (he was born in Luxembourg)
Jan 8, 1887: Death of Johannes/John Reiland (age 88), father of Maria Mary (Reiland) Clemens, in Rochester, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
1886: Burial of Johannes/John Reiland 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.
Feb 23, 1892: Death of Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens (age 69), the 3rd wife of Peter Clemens and the 2nd of 8 children of John Reiland & Anna Mary Clemens, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Feb 1892: Burial of Maria “Mary” (Reiland) Clemens at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
MARY
REILAND
wife of
P. CLEMENS
BORN
Nov 1822
DIED
Feb 23, 1892
Geneanet Community Tree Index:
Name Maria Reuland (Maria “Mary” Reiland)
Gender F (Female)
Birth Date 14 Dec 1822
Birth Place Bech, Echternach, Luxembourg
Marriage Date 18 Dec 1854
Marriage Place Bech, Echternach, Luxembourg
Death Date 23 Feb 1892
Death Place Mazeppa, Wabasha, Minnesota, USA
Father: Jean Reiland
Mother: Anna Maria Clemens
Spouse: Peter Clemens
https://gw.geneanet.org/jean6227?n=reuland&oc=7&p=maria
Nov 3, 1900: Death of William Peter Clemens (age 39), the 4th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Leonard, Cass Co., North Dakota; suicide
Nov 1900: Burial of William Peter Clemens at Leonard Cemetery in Leonard, Cass Co., North Dakota
Oct 2, 1933: Death of Mary E. (Clemens) Hertzig (age 77), the 1st of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Oct 1933: Burial of Mary E. (Clemens) Hertzig at Saint Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Jul 21, 1940: Death of Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens (age 82), the 2nd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Jul 1940: Burial of Mathias/Matthew B. “Matt” Clemens at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Sep 27, 1947: Death of Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoffman (age 88), the 3rd of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Olmsted Co., Minnesota
1947: Burial of Catherine “Kate” (Clemens) Hoffman at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Feb 24, 1948: Death of Anna Mary (Clemens) Gregoire (age 85), the 5th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland, in Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Feb 24, 1948: Minnesota Death Index:
Name Anna Clemens Gregoire
Record Type Death
Death Date 24 Feb 1949
Death Place Olmsted, Minnesota, USA
Death Registration Date 1949
Certificate Number 010718
Record Number 1088906
Feb 1948: Burial of Anna Mary (Clemens) Gregoire at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Note: Anna’s headstone death date is off by a year; it reflects she died in 1949
Dec 7, 1949: Death of Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Clemens) Hartmann (age 85), the 6th of 7 children of Peter Clemens & Maria “Mary” Reiland in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
Dec 1949: Burial of Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Clemens) Hartmann at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minnesota
1965: Century of Memories 1864-1965: Saints Peter and Paul Church:
Source: Century of Memories 1864-1965: Saints Peter and Paul Church, Minnesota, Mazeppa, Sts. Peter and Paul, Parish histories, pub 1965
***************************
2025: Researched and compiled by siblings Gordon Lawrence Clemens and Catherine Frances (Clemens) Sevenau (the great-great-grandchildren of Peter Clemens & Maria Reding, and John Francis Clemens of Mazeppa, the great-great-great-grandson of Peter Clemens & Maria Reding. My brother and I met John (and his brother Stephen Clemens) on a family research trip to Minnesota in 2003, and we have kept in touch and shared notes over the years.
Sources: Gordon Clemens & Marian (McLellan) Clemens, John F. Clemens, Helen Reiland, Father Gerald Conway, Robert J. Lari; 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)
Catherine F. (Clemens) Sevenau and Gordon L. Clemens
Direct line of John Francis Clemens:
Peter Clemens & Maria Mary Reding
(great-great-great grandparents)
Mathias “Mathew” Clemens & Anna Mary Reiland
(great-great-grandparents)
Peter Roy Clemens & Elisabeth Mary Newell
(great-grandparents and the brother of above Mathew Sylvester “Matt” Clemens)
Frank John Clemens & Adelia Louisa Maire
(grandparents)
Stephen Aloysius Clemens & Stella Marie Arendt
(parents)
John Francis Clemens
Note: The cemetery headstone photos from Find A Grave contained herein are the property of those who photographed them.
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