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Desire & Emerence Englebert
Desire & Emerence (Gaspard) Englebert
Desire married Emerence Gaspard in Champion in 1865. They made their home in Misiere. Their first home was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1871 but the family survived by seeking shelter in their well.
Desire's parents
Jean Baptiste and Marie Joseph (Pierard) Englebert, Desire's parents. John Baptiste was a wagon maker in Belgium.
Desire's parents and siblings
Desire Englebert was born in 1841 in Gembloux, Namur, Belgium. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1856. Back row: Charles, Desire, Felix, Joseph. Front: mother Mary (Pierard), father John Baptiste, Gustave, Mary. The voyage to the US took 58 days. The family spent one year in Chicago before moving to Brussels township.
Desire Englebert
Desire served as town chairman for four years, 44 years as assessor and 27 years as school clerk.
Emerence Gaspard Englebert
Emerence Gaspard was born in 1847 in Thorembais-Saint-Trond, Brabant, Belgium to Francois & Celinie (Lepage) Gaspard. Francois was a farmer in Belgium. They immigrated to the US in 1856.
Englebert Homestead
After the losing their first house in the Great Fire, Desire and Emerence rebuilt and expanded their family. The house was a traditional red brick home, more fire resistant than their first home.
Desire and Emerence's family
Desire and Emerence and their children in 1894. Back: Desire, Emerence, Elmond, Louise, Celina, Joe. Front: Josephine, Nestor, Henry. Not pictured: oldest son Eugene working in Kaukauna; a son who died in 1871 possibly due to trauma of the fire; a son who died in about 1880 likely from diphtheria; and Josephine's twin sister Theresa who died at birth in 1889. After Celina died, Desire and Emerence adopted her son, Henry.
Eugene Englebert
Eugene (1970-1957) married Mollie Maley in 1900. He was an infant when he survived the Great Fire in a well with his parents.
Eloise (Louise) Engelbert DeDecker
Eloise (1874-1951) married Emil DeDecker in 1903.
Elmond Englebert
Elmond (1876-1962) married Josephine Vangindertalen in 1903.
Celina Englebert Charles
Celina (1878-1908) married Jule Charles in 1902 in Misiere.
Joseph Englebert
Joseph (1880-1966) married Anna Hucek in 1905 (shown here). Anna died in 1949 and Joseph remarried Emily Swoboda in 1950; she died in 1953. He later married Mary Barta.
Joseph Englebert in later years
Henry Englebert
Henry (1882-1980) married Lousie DeDecker in 1904. Pictures from Henry's life can be seen in a separate Gallery.
Nestor Englebert
Nestor (1886-1969) married Emily Coisman in 1909.
Nestor & Emily's family
Nestor's family at their home in Misiere. From left: Nestor, Emily holding Wallace, Jennie, Laura, Verna, Lawrence and Gilbert.
Josephine Englebert
Josephine (1886-1976) became Sister Clementine.
Englebert Siblings in 1952
From left: Henry, Eugene, Elmond, Sr. Clementine, Joe, Nestor
Englebert Siblings
Louise, Sr. Clementine, Eugene, Henry, Nestor, Joseph, Elmond
At Rest
Desire and Emerence are buried at Saint Michael's Cemetery in Misiere. Courtesy: Find a Grave
Desire & Emerence's story continues
Great-granddaughter Barb Englebert Chisholm keeps the history of Desire and Emerence's family alive through her re-enactment of their survival of the Great Fire and other stories about the family and Belgian communities.