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Franz Andreas "Frank" "Old Frank" Wehrle

Male 1815 - 1888  (72 years)


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  • Name Franz Andreas "Frank" "Old Frank" Wehrle 
    Born 19 Nov 1815  Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4] 
    Christened 19 Nov 1815  Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Gender Male 
    Interesting Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    music 
    Military 1847 
    Mexican War 
    Name Frank Wehrle  [5] 
    Occupation 1852  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Music Master 
    Residence 1864  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Occupation 1871  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Farmer 
    Occupation 1881  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Musician 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-352931 
    Died 17 Oct 1888  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7, 8] 
    Cause: Cause: Aortic Regurgitation (2 years) 
    Buried 19 Oct 1888  Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Person ID I352931  Generations
    Last Modified 3 Mar 2025 

    Father Franz Joseph Wehrle,   b. Abt 1870, of, Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Skolastika Wipf,   b. Abt 1870, of, Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F43865  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Barbara Elisabeth "Elizabeth" Koch,   b. 18 Jul 1844, , Hessen, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Sep 1909, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 65 years) 
    Married 12 Jun 1874  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 10] 
    Children 
     1. Jacob Emil Wehrle,   b. 1 Apr 1875, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1945  (Age 69 years)
     2. Annie Elizabeth Wehrle,   b. 25 Aug 1876, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Aug 1955  (Age 79 years)
     3. Catherine Wehrle,   b. 1878, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     4. Rose Marie Wehrle,   b. Mar 1883, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1965  (Age ~ 81 years)
     5. John Wehrle,   b. 1885, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     6. Frank Wehrle,   b. 1890, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2025 
    Family ID F252337  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Johanna Hinderer,   b. 1833, Oberndorf, Oberndorf, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Jun 1873, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 40 years) 
    Married 25 Feb 1864  Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Children 
     1. Emilia Wehrle,   b. 1866, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     2. Elizabeth Wehrle,   b. 1869, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     3. Caroline Estelle "Carrie" Wehrle,   b. 6 Mar 1869, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Mar 1908, South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 39 years)
     4. Louisa Wehrle,   b. 1871, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2025 
    Family ID F20570  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Death of "Old Frank"\emdash The Preston Progress gives the following brief notice of the life of a well known musical character who in the earlier years of this western country furnished nearly all the dance music between Hamilton and Lake Huron Frank Wehrle more familiarly known as "old Frank" was born in Baden Germany on Nov 19 1815 and came to America in served in the Mexican war in 1847 48 and in 1850 he settled in Preston. Mr Wehrle was a first-class musician and shortly after his arrival here he organised the first band in this village and during twenty or thirty years he furnished most of the music for dancing in and around Preston He had been ill and unable to work for more than a year and on Wednesday October 17 he peacefully passed away aged nearly 73 years. A widow and nine children survive him.

      The Brantford Daily Expositor, Brantford, Ontario, Canada Tue, Nov 6, 1888 Page 5

      _______________

      "Franks" band was one of the institutions of Preston. It was requisitioned not only for all the Preston dances, but for many of the country side. Frank was the Christian name of Frank Wehrle, a veteran of the Mexican war. Few knew that his name was Wehrle. Frank was leader and played the clarinet. His invariable associates were John Beck with his violin and old (Joseph) Henning with the huge bass violin, fully of his own height. When dances lasted till the morning hours, our musicians were generally pretty well saturated, yet the music rolled forth for the dizzy mazes. Old Henning could certainly saw away on his big bass violin while standing there asleep. What a memorable trio were Frank, Beck and Henning in the social life of rural Preston. Memory hallowed by time and enshrined in a halo sweetens the recollection of the days of long, long ago. The waltz of those days had action, especially when danced by the older members who had acquired the achievement in the fatherland, compared with the silent, graceful glidings of today.

      Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1921 pg 174
      Preston Reminiscences, By Otto Klotz, D.Sc., LL.D., Director, Dominion Observatory.

  • Sources 
    1. [S270] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1852, Pg 2.

    2. [S105] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1871, Pg 21.

    3. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 18.

    4. [S1901] Germany Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898, Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C95516-5 System Origin: Germany-EASy GS Film number: 889840.
      Name: Franz Andreas Wehrle Christening Date: 19 Nov 1815 Christening Place: KATHOLISCH, BREISACH, FREIBURG, BADEN Birth Date: 19 Nov 1815 Name: Franz Joseph Wehrle Mother's Name: Skolastika Wipf

    5. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 9 Jul 1874.
      12 Jun 1874 By Pastor Wurster in Preston, Frank Wehrle, widower, was married to Barbara Elis. Koch of Preston.

    6. [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), 9 Mar 1864.
      Wehrle, Francis married 25 Feb 1864 to Johanna Hinderer At Preston. Both of Preston.

    7. [S2441] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1891, Section 1 Page 68.

    8. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration.
      Name:Frank Wehrle Gender:Male Age:72 Birth Date:abt 1816 Birth Place:Germany Death Date:17 Oct 1888 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    9. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link .
      Frank Wehrle Buried Oct. 19, 1888 Bl. H Lot 10

    10. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration.
      Name:Frane Wehrle Age:48 Birth Year:abt 1826 Birth Place:Breisach Baden Germany Marriage Date:12 Jun 1874 Marriage Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Father:Joseph Wehrle Mother:Scholaste Wehrle Spouse:Barbara Elizabeth Koch

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 19 Nov 1815 - Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsChristened - 19 Nov 1815 - Breisach, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsInteresting - music - - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Music Master - 1852 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1864 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 25 Feb 1864 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Farmer - 1871 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 12 Jun 1874 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Musician - 1881 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Cause: Cause: Aortic Regurgitation (2 years) - 17 Oct 1888 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - 19 Oct 1888 - Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 


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