EDWARD IGNATIUS BITSCHE, JR. 
(August 29, 1880 - January 22, 1974)

ED, ALMA, AND FAMILY, TRIP TO OREGON (1919)

First, a brief introduction (by John C. Bitsche)

Dad sent me a copy of family stories as recounted by Florence Decker Bernet between 1987-1995 (compiled by William Bernet, M.D., Jan 1996) One of these stories described a trip to Oregon with relatives: the Bitsches (Edward, Alma, and family). It's kind of hard to imagine travel conditions from Oklahoma to Oregon in 1919... 


      In 1919 Aunt Alma and Uncle Ed drove from Chickasha to Portland, Oregon. They were going to Portland to visit Aunt Alma's aunt. Florence Marie was 6 months old. John was about two. Florence Decker, who was 15, went with the Bitsches. It took them three weeks to drive from Oklahoma to Oregon. It was all dirt roads. Sometimes they would drive all day and not see a house. Florence said that they didn't even have a road map. They drove in a new Chevrolet car. The car was open on the sides and had side curtains if it rained. They camped out every night.
      They drove through Yellowstone National Park and then up into Montana. Florence remembered that they saw a place where there had been a forest fire. They crossed Idaho, into Washington, and then came down along a river to Portland Oregon. They stayed in Portland two weeks.
      On the trip back to Oklahoma, they drove through California and spent one night in Riverside. Florence recalled seeing the Mission Church. They drove back through Utah through theGreat American Desert. Another car drove through the desert with them. During the two days it took to cross the desert, they did not see anybody else. They drove through Denver and then home. They were gone nine weeks.
      Uncle Ed used to relate a story of running out of gas. He said that they ran out of gas when they were almost at the top of a hill. He used the car battery to crank the engine and turn the wheels for a few more feet, which allowed them to get over the hill. Then they coasted down the hill until they got to a village and were able to get gas.

OBITUARY FOR EDWARD IGNATIUS BITSCHE, JR.

Not yet published to web.

FROM WHENCE HE CAME: E.I. BITSCHE, JR.'S ORIGINS (info source: Bernet)

First, a brief introduction (by John C. Bitsche)

Dad sent me a copy of family stories as recounted by Florence Decker Bernet between 1987-1995 (compiled by William Bernet, M.D., Jan 1996) The compilation includes some Bitsche family history presumably researched by Dr. Bernet. I might mention that Edouard Ignatius, Sr., spelled his last name "Bitsch" when he lived in France--this according to another source of information (I believe compiled by my Uncle Ray, my Aunt Florence (Bitsche) Greynolds, my father (Robert Bitsche) and others for Alma Julia Bitsche, my grandmother). That said, here is the Bernet account... 


      In trying to get information about the Bitsches in France we learned that there are no records that go back farther than the French Revolution, because many records were destroyed then. We did hear that Edouard Bitsche

THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN WEB-IZED.

FROM WHENCE HE CAME: E.I. BITSCHE, JR.'S ORIGINS--info source: Alma (Kurtz) Bitsche and family

First, a brief introduction (by John C. Bitsche)

Dad sent me a compilation of family history which I believe was organized in the 1980's by my grandmother Alma Bitsche and her children. I used the documents to create the following section on the family tree, and I marked my own direct line of ancestry by putting a "*" next to my ancestors' main name listings and their name when listed as a child of another ancestor.

Included in the compilation (but not on this site) are copies of some records in Europe which I believe Uncle Ray had researched, but the photocopied photocopies I received from Dad are of poor quality and are not legible with the exception of a few words. One fragment in particular which I can partially read appears to say
Grissouniers de guerre
Monsieur Brand Joseph a Burnhaupt
le bas Canton de Cernay departement
[indecipherable word due to overstamp w/ "COBLENZ"] Haut Rhin
France
but since I cannot read any other portions which probably have dates, I don't know the significance of this piece except that I understand "de guerre" is "of war", and according to another part of the compilation, the last name "Brand" is my great great grandmother's maiden name-- Catherine (Brand) Bitsch.

One more tidbit: the Canton de Bitsche (a spelling which I have seen mentioned in some German-language pages I found on the web) appears on the map today as the town of "Bitche" France, very near the border of Germany. 


*Edward Ignatius Bitsche, Jr.
    Born:  29 Aug 1880 
    Birthplace:  Marcus, IA 
    Died:  22 Jan 1974 
    Burial date:  25 Jan 1974 
    Burial place:  Rosehill Cemetary, Chickasha, OK 
    Parents:  Edouard (Edward) Ignatius Bitsch (Bitsche) and Emma (Wagner) Bitsche 
    Spouse:  Alma Julia Kurtz: see stats or extended info 
    Married:  22 Jun 1915 
    Married place:  Chickasha, OK 
    Children:  John Henry : M,  Florence Marie : F,  William Leo : M,  Mary Dorothy : F,  *Robert John : M,  Martha Ann : F,  Raymond Edward : M,  Agatha Lorena : F,  Charles Linn : M 
Note: I will expand on Edward Ignatius's children later as I find the time (next time I get a cold!)
 
 

*Edouard Ignatius Bitsch (later changed spelling to "Edward Ignatius Bitsche")
    Born:  7 Oct 1853 
    Birthplace:  Burnhaupt, France 
    Died:  10 Jul 1908 
    Died Where:  Anadarko, OK 
    Burial date:  12 Jul 1908 
    Burial place:  Anadarko, OK 
    Parents: 
 		 Joseph Bitsch and Catherine (Brand) Bitsch 
    Spouse:  Emma Wagner 
    Married:  14 Jan 1875 
    Married place:  Springbrook, IA 
    Children:  Mary Ann Bitsche: F,  Anthony Bitsche: M,  Nicholas Bitsche: M,  *Edward Ignatius Bitsche, Jr.: M,  Leo Bitsche: M 
Note: The Bernet account contains more info on Edward Ignatius's siblings, and I will try to incorporate it as I find the time.
 

*Emma (Wagner) Bitsche
    Born:  10 Feb 1855 
    Birthplace:  Springbrook, IA 
    Died:  20 Jan 1906 
    Died Where:  Anadarko, OK 
    Burial date:  22 Jan 1906 
    Burial place:  Anadarko, OK 
    Parents:  Michael Wagner, and per Decker account of Wagners: Mary (Hoffman) Wagner. They were from Luxembourg. 
    Spouse:  Edouard Ignatius Bitsch 
    Married:  14 Jan 1875 
    Married place:  Springbrook, IA 
    Children:  ==LINK== 
 
 

*Joseph Bitsch
    Born: 
    Birthplace: 
    Died: 
    Burial date: 
    Burial place: 
    Parents: 
    Spouse:  Catherine Brand 
    Married: 
    Married place: 
    Children:  included *Edouard Ignatius Bitsch: M 
 
 

*Catherine (Brand) Bitsch
    Born: 
    Birthplace: 
    Died: 
    Burial date: 
    Burial place: 
    Parents: 
    Spouse:  Joseph Bitsch 
    Married: 
    Married place: 
    Children:  ==LINK== 
 
 
 


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Page Last Updated: Sept. 7, 1997