Ramcharan-Crowley

7) Franz born 10.4.1760. He married Franziska Utard of Saasenheim on 27.11.1780.

FRANZ DIETSCH, THE MILLER The youngest son of Michael Dietsch assumed the mill. He was born on 10.4.1760. When his father died he was just 16 years old. The oldest brother had been married 9 years and the second was married just before the death of the father. The mother, Anna Rohmer, died in May, l780, and later that year on the 27th of November, Franz was married. He was just 20 years old. He married Franziska Utard of Saasenheim. They had only two living children: ... Franz Dietsch lived at the time of the French Revolution. It was at that time that Johann Baptist Andre, the local priest, had to twice take refuge out of the country. He hid in Jechtingen and in Baden, also. At night, some-times, he came across the Rhine near Sponeck. Franz Dietsch, the young miller, did valuable service in often escorting the priest on this dangerous to and fro. In any case, on 3 November, 1795, Father Andre had the great luck after his first immigration of once again to be permitted to baptize in the church. Then, directly on that same day in the early morning, the brother of Franz, Franz-Joseph, had placed into the cradle the baby Theresia. /A very poetic way of saying his daughter was born/ Immediately that evening, the child was blessed with Holy Baptism in the church. Franz Dietsch the miller had the honor of being the Godfather on that occasion. It must have been a great joy for him to see his Pastor freed and he could once again do his duty as a Pastor. This freedom did not last long. At the end of the same year he once again made the flight over the Rhine. Franz was once again a faithful escort to the Priest during his after-light flights. Had that clergyman been secretly celebrating the Holy Mass in the mill? It can be. It is not impossible! On 15 April, 1823, Franz Dietsch died. He was 63 years old. His wife he had already lost during the French Revolution. She died on 3 January, 1793 while the priest was living in exile. She was just 32 years old. Johann Michael Waffner, the teacher in the community, presided over the funeral. The children had a fine gravestone built in the Empire style. Surely it is the most beautiful in our cemetery. As decoration it shows the skull, spade and hourglass, all covered with bunting. Today the gravestone stands on the wall near the Lourd's Grotto. What do we know about Franz Dietsch? In the church records for the year 1781 stands this entry: "Franz Dietsch the oilmaker of here, supplied oil for this year for the hanging perpetual lamps and for other things for the church. According to receipt no. 8: 34 Gulden, 16 Batzen." Before him Mathias Dietsch also supplied the church with oil... the amount supplied each year varied depending on consumption. The church factory sometimes paid, 4-6 Gulden then again 35, or even 69... and because of the Revolution caused such inflation and ruined the value of money sometimes there is mentioned the sum of 372 Gulden. In the year 1789, Franz Dietsch is the church accountant and, empowered as such, he contested the accounts for the accounting year 1789: "accountant Franz Dietsch charges that in the year 1787, Kirchenmeyer /a man's name/ removed 4 Gulden from the entries in his accounts because of orders given by Herrn Herrenberger personally, the money had been given for 10 masses." He signed the objection Franz Dietsch, member.

Did he play a role in community life? For 1777 there is word that a fire engine house needed to be built and for this reason he brought the sand needed for the building. The community paid him in return 8 Batzen. During the French Revolution he is spoken of often. In the protocol book of the community we have a rich selection about him. "Today the 25th of Germinal[F22], 10 and 5 of the Republic; /the 15th year of the new republic; for Germinal see weights and measures/ acting as agent for the government to the community of Grussenheim was the citizen Franz Dietsch, Miller Master, living here at the mill, who declared that he pre-vented all fighting in the district of Grussenheim. In Obernfield, they sided against Ill /a name/ with Steiner of the upper cabbage land to billet some soldiers. We could not turn down his offer, as it prevented a dispute in the long run. To speak about this business of the marker being moved, we have four citizens of this community; we believe they were appointed because of their knowledge of the billet, that was reported by the Farmers and the Oberkrautenaularden /people from the upper cabbage land/ as to the names: Philipp Wendling, Johann-Georg Graff, Johann-Georg Wiss, Johannes Schwein, those with the agent representative Franz Dietsch proceeded to the Farmers Square and have made a judgment to the best of our conscience to replace the stone markers back to where they lawfully belong. "Today the 26th of Floreal, 10 and 5 of the Republic /for Floreal see weights and measures/ as the undersigned agent of the community of Grussenheim with Johann-Georg Graff as expert, and Johann Michael Waffner also as expert same to Franz Dietsch, citizen and miller in my own meal mill, then they all proceeded to the village square. They took him /Franz/ to the departmentof Administration to discuss a yearly ground rent that is owed to the community. This payment is awarded to the community for the Plaza and an asseyor is to measure the field. The money was owed by Franz. "Today the 19th of Pluvios, in the 9th year of the Republic /for Pluvios see weights and measures/ have the members of the General Municipal Community of Grussenheim... has placed and promised to support... from this day forward with Franz Dietsch, member of the Village Council. "Today the 19th of Ventos, in the 9th year of the Republic /for Ventos see weights and measures/ had the citizen-mayor and the agent of the community of Grussenheim with the cooperation of the town council a small plaza about 34 feet long and 8 feet broad sold to Franz Dietsch, miller to whom all here owe thanks, for his oil trott /possibly a path for the oxen to walk as they turn the oil press/. He will pay the sum of 10 Sols yearly to the community. "Today the 19th Ventos, the City Council has decided that the citizen Mathias Dietsch must remove the wooden wall that he erected on the allmend /commons or public park/ which blocks the way. If he does not do this voluntarily, he must be made to do so by law. After the French Revolution, Franz Dietsch is still an important man in the village council as well as in the church council. From 1814 to 1817 in the protocol book of the community, it says of him, "Installation of the council of the church factory of Grussenheim on Sunday the 6th of January, 1811 during a High Mass, he returned to us the Mayor of the Community of Grussenheim, the professor of Catholic religion. At the premises of the rectory he executed an Imperial Decree of 30.12.1809. The Monsieurs Francois Dietsch the older, Francois Antoine Suhr, Jean Strauel the elder, Matthew Meyer and Joseph Wendling of this parish are named as councilors of the church factory of Grussenheim and they were given their appointments and these were respectively delivered by Monsieur Eveque of Strabough[F23], the Prefect of the Upper Rhine. He individually prepared the Oath of Obedience to the Constitution of the Empire and the Pledge to the Emperor, that they would administer with zeal and honesty and deal properly with the factory of the parish. After which they proceeded to their installation, swearing to uphold the law — each councilor signed with him /the Prefect/. "In the year 1818 on the occasion of the meeting of the city council, the purpose of which was to repurchase the clergyhouse that the Jew Nathan Levy Schoengrun has owned." Those of the village who had contributed heavily were invited. Franz Dietsch is one of these large taxpayers. Joseph Dietsch also signed the protocol book on the occasion of the birth of the Duke of Bordeaux, the son of the King of the French Kingdom /Louis the 18th/. He /Joseph Dietsch/ was one of the Community of taxpayers who freely paid the gold necessary for the Festival of Lights to honor the small Majesty.

[F22] Page 23.The translation is wrong!... "Today the 25 th.....etc.The problem of Franz Dietsch is the problem of the delimitation of a field.This boundary problem is verycommon in the villages and between the farmers.Since old times the fields are separated by stones that are placed in the ground..on each side of the field.. So your phrase:"a name with Steiner of the upper cabbage land field with stones(Stein=stone.Steinen is the plural=with stones)The field is located in the field area named Oberfeld(Upper field)and in the Oberkrautenauland(=Upper cabbage land). [F23] Page 25. Monsieur l'Evêque de Strasbourg=the Bishop of Strasbourg. Monsieur=Sir...or Monsignore...and the Prefect of the Upper Rhine. The prefect is like a Senator in America..or a similar personality. In any case,you should not confuse the Bishop and the Prefect.

FRANZ DIETSCH, Miller of Grussenheim. Born 10 May 1760. Died 15 April 1823 Married to Franziska Utard of Saasenheim on 27 November 1780 Children: Franz, Franz Joseph