JOSEPH GARTNER FAMILY

Four generations of Gartners have lived on the family farm, 4½ miles southwest of Naperville on 87th Street, west of Modaff Road and east of Naperville-Plainfield Road.

Jacob Gartner was born September 18, 1831 and came to the United States in 1861 from Hess Co. Darmstadt, Germany, with two brothers, Adam and Valentine. He bought the farm from Lewis Moyer Sr on February 18, 1880. He married Catherine Herbert Dieter on November 11, 1862. She was born on September 28, 1840 and came from Hess Co. Klenhausen, Germany. They were blessed with eleven children: Mike, Joseph, John, Frank, Edward, Anna (Schmeier), Emma (Amann), Mary (Diehl), Emelia (Feldott), Barbara (Brummel) and Julia (Schwartz).

Joseph Adam Gartner bought the farm from Jacob on September 9, 1913. He married Matilda Johanna Meyer on January 8, 1914 at SS Peter and Paul Church, West Bend,Iowa. Their children are: Bernadine, Alfred, Max, Morris, Delores (Sister Joselma), Claudine and Mary Ann (O’Rourke).

Max F. W Gartner married Cecilia Marie Pattermann on June 7, 1941 at St. Isadores Church, Cloverdale, Illinois, DuPage County. They moved to the Gartner family farm in the summer of 1948. Here they raised their four children: Patricia (Cannon), Jerry, Richard and Max C. Max Sr bought 5 acres with the buildings on February 21, 1958.

On April 10, 1974, the family of Joseph Gartner received notice from the DuPage Countny Forest Preserve “Intent to acquire farm land”. On August 8, 1977 the Forest Preserve acquired by condemnation 75 acres (total of property left). A new home built in 1973 and 5 acres of the buildings remain on the original Gartner homestead.

The old smokehouse from the farm (102 years old), was donated and will be a permanent “Original” at the Naperville Settlement.

Gartner Road, Gartner Park and Gartner Bridge are named after the John Gartner family, that lived on the corner of Gartner Road and Modaff Road, where Saint Raphael Catholic Church was built.