Antone⁵ Diederich (John⁴, Johann Nicolaus³, Paul², Johann Nicolaus¹) was born 15 May 1853 at Town of Lawrence, Brown County, Wisconsin, the son of John and Anna (Clasen) Diederich. He was the fourth child born in Wisconsin after his parents migrated from Germany. There is no record of his birth in Brown County records.

He died Saturday, 16 February 1935, age almost 82, of _________, at St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay, Brown County. According to his obituary, funeral services were conducted Monday, 19 February, in St. Benedict's Catholic Church, Suamico, Brown County, which he had helped organize about 1918. A solemn high mass was sung by the Reverend M. Marmurowicz, Pastor, assisted by a Norbertine priest as deacon and Frater Alphonsus Diederich, his son, a sub-deacon. He is buried in St. Benedict's Cemetery at Suamico. Antone Diederich's death certificate tells when and where he was born and died. See Brown County death records, v. 36, p. 551.

He married Mary Klipstein (or Klipstine) 16 January 1880 at _________________ Church, at DePere, Brown County. Reverend _________________ presided. Witnesses were ______________ and _____________. The marriage is recorded in the marriage register of the church.

Mary Klipstein was born 13 August 1861 at Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, the daughter of Martin H_____ and Frederica ______ (Schubing) Klipstein. Her birth is recorded in ___________ County birth records, v. ___, p. ___.

She died 25 September 1939, age 78, of diabetes, at Suamico. The funeral was held _____________________, at _________________ Church, __________, and she is buried in St. Benedict's Cemetery there.

Her death certificate says she was born 13 September 1861 and died 25 September 1939, age 78 years, 1 month, and 10 days. See Brown County death records, v. 40, p. 921. Obviously, either the birth date or age at death is incorrect. According to the Reverend A. F. Diederich, her son, she was born 13 August 1861. Also, according to her death certificate, her mother's name was "Mary Rodatz", but her father's death certificate says his wife's name was "Frederica Schubing".

The marriage of Anthony Dideriks (sic) and Mary Klipstein is recorded in Brown County marriage records, v. 9, p. 104. His parents' names are given as "Johann Dideriks" and "Gerdrudis Tonon", and her parents' names are given as "Martin Klipstein" and "Frederica Klipstein". Witnesses were Martin Dideriks and Bernardina Klipstein. The Liber Matrimonii et Defunctorum (marriage and death book) of St. Mary Catholic Church at DePere contains this entry for the year 1880 on p. 242 which has been translated from the Latin:

Sixteenth January 1880 marriage was contracted by Antone Diedericks, age 26, son of John Diedericks and Gertrude Anna, born at DePere, and Maria Klipstein, daughter of Martin Klipstein and Frederica Klipsten, Bernardina Klipstein and I were present.

Martin Klipstein was a farmer. He evidently migrated to the United States about 1860 because his daughter, Bertha, was born in Germany in 1859 and his daughter, Mary, in Milwaukee in 1861. In the 1870 Census of Wisconsin, he is recorded in the Town of Lawrence, Brown County, as follows:

NAME AGE SEX COLOR OCCUPATION REAL ESTATE PERSONAL PROPERTY BIRTHPLACE
Klipstin, Martin 42 M W Farmer $800 $300 Prussia
Frederika 35 F W Keeping House Prussia
Bertha 11 F W Prussia
Mary 9 F W Wisconsin
Charles 7 M W Wisconsin
Frank 5 M W Wisconsin
Ida 2 F W Wisconsin
William 4/12 M W Wisconsin

The Klipstein and Diederich farms were across the road (now County Trunk EE) from one another in Town of Lawrence. In 1968, the Klipstein farm was still held in the Klipstein family.

When Antone's father, John, died 18 August 1874, he apparently did not leave a will. Thus his property passed into the hands of his nine children. His widow received a dower interest in the homestead.

Michael Diederich was killed 20 November 1876 by a train while walking on the railroad tracks in West DePere. Since he was unmarried and without children, the eight surviving children inherited his share of their father's estate.

On 1 October 1878, Antone Diederich and Peter Karst bought the widow's dower interests for $1,333.34. See Brown County Deed 31–609. That same day, Antone's sister "Gertrude Gates and Philip Gates, her husband" sold their one-eighth share in the estate to Antone Diederich and Peter Karst for $63.26. See Brown County Deed 31–608.

On 5 March 1879, "Joseph Diedrich and Anna Diedrich, his wife" sold their share to Anton Deidrich (sic) and Peter Karst for $1. See Brown County Deed 40–343.

On 14 July 1879, "John Deidrich and Cecilia Deidrich, his wife" sold their share to Anton Deidrich (sic) and Peter Karst for $150. See Brown County Deed 39–95.

The reason for the substantial difference in the amount of money each received is unknown. Perhaps there was some other consideration involved which is not mentioned in the deeds.

On 10 March 1880, "Pete Karst and Katherine Karst, his wife, of the Town of Lawrence" conveyed the interest previously conveyed by Anna Diederich to Anton Diederich for $125. See Brown County Deed 39–208.

Then on 1 April 1880, "Antoon Diederich and Mary Diederich, his wife, Mathias Diederich (unmarried), Theresia Pennings (nee Diederich) and John Pennings, her husband," sold an undivided six-eighths interest in the homestead and a 74¾-acre tract east of DePere to Peter, John, and Antoon Keyzers for $900. See Brown County Deed 42–294. "Mary Diederich of Fillmore County, Nebraska" sold her one-eighth interest in these properties to the Keyzers on 12 April 1880 for $150. See Brown County Deed 42–311. Pete Didrich (sic) of Miles City, Custer County, Montana Territory" sold his one-eighth interest to the Keyzers on 19 June 1881 for $464.89. See Brown County Deed 42–459.

Also on 1 April 1880, "Antoon Diederich & Mary Diederich, his wife, Theresia Pennings (Nee Diederich), John Pennings, her husband, and Mary Diederich, Unmarried," sold their six-eighths interest in a 51-acre tract to their brother, Mathias Diederich of DePere, for $800. See Brown County Deed 42–318.

Antone, his wife, and their infant daughter probably moved soon thereafter to Stanton Precinct, Fillmore County, Nebraska, where his brothers, Joseph and John, and sister, Mary Ann, had already moved. In the June 1880 Census of Nebraska, p. 520B, he is recorded as "Antonio Diederich, farmer". His homestead was next to his brother Joseph's and one farm removed from his brother, John, with whom his sister, Mary Ann, was living. But evidently he did not stay long, for on 9 July 1881, "Mathias Diedrich of Brown County, Wisconsin," sold the six-eighths interest in the 51-acre tract back to his brother, "Antoon Deidrich of the same county", for $800. See Brown County Deed 43–556. On 26 August 1882, 'Antoon Deidrich and Mary Deidrich, his wife, of Brown County, Wisconsin," sold their interest in the tract to William Michaelis for $1,100. See Brown County Deed 47–239.

During the ensuing years, Antone Diederich evidently lived in various parts of Brown County, for the birth records of his children include Nicollet, West DePere, Ashwaubenon, and West DePere. His son, Ralph Leo Diederich, was born at Rudolph, Wood County, Wisconsin, in 1902. Antone's obituary says he also "farmed in the Dakotas", but this may have been before his marriage. He settled at Suamico about 1915, according to his obituary.

Antone and Mary (Klipstein) Diederich had ten children:

Mary Sophia Diederich = Alvin Gauthier, a/k/a Gokey
John Antone Diederich = Elizabeth ______ Ambrosius
Joseph Henry Diederich = 1) Melinda Lorenz
= 2) Mabel J_____ Ellis
Martin Grover Diederich = Elgitha Dunham
William John Frederick Diederich = Ruth Alma Cornell
Anna Cecelia Aloysia Diederich = Edward Claude Cowen
Alphonsus Francis Charles Diederich
Mina Helena Diederich = Frank H_____ Sievert
Marie Rachel Diederich = Walter Schuett
Ralph Leo Diederich = Mary Agnes Martin