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Valley of LAUCH

Canton of Guebwiller

Cheryl L Morgan & Jean Pierre Gasser

Village Family
Lautenbach OLANIER, COURTOT
Linthal KECH, WENTZLER, PIERA

lautenbach

Lautenbach

Lautenbach a village about 30 km north of Bitschwiller on the other side of the Grand Ballon (bald mountain) and the Route des Cretes. Both Lautenbach and the neighbouring village of Linthal belonged to the Lautenbach Chapter (a religious order) founded in the 11th century. A convent had been founded in Lautenbach in 810.

The origins of the OLANIE family are unknown. The name appears to have been derived from noisette, noisetier which translates to hazelnut trees. The thread of the family first appears in Guebwiller on 30 September 1705. On that date were buried three children of Joseph Francois OLANIE and Jeanne CURTTONE (sp):

In Lautenbach Jean Francois OLANIER and Janne COURTOT, his wife, had a son, Gangolphus (our ancestor) on 7 June 1700. Two more children were born into this family: Anna Maria OLANIER on 7 November 1702 and Carolus (Charles) OLANIER on 20 March 1706.

Jean OLANIER was a forest warden or inspecteur des forets for the Canons of the Chapter of Lautenbach. Jean's son Gangolphus OLANIER and grandson Jean (Johannes) OLANIER continued to serve the canons as garde forestier's.

Jean Francois OLANIER died in 1717 when Gangolphus was just 17 years of age. Gangolphus became forest warden and married Catherine HOFFMAN. Between the years 1723 and 1734, nine children were born. The eldest child, Jean was our ancestor. Gangolphus died, aged 45 years in 1745. In his will, his position as forest warden passed to his son Jean OLANIE in order to take care of his mother Catherine.

Jean became a burgher or bourgeoisie (a property owner and voter in the village) and continued in the family tradition of forest warden for the Chapter of Canons of Lautenbach. At age 30, Jean married Catherine KEECH, daughter of the honourable Niclaus (Claus) KEECH a burgher of the neighbouring village of Linthal. Just over 10 months later, their first child, a daughter, Maria Anna was born (15.12.1753). Three years later, our ancestor, Gangulphus OLANIER was born on 2 March 1756 followed by another daughter, Agnes on 3 May 1758. The family prospered - owning a house, stable, courtyard, kitchen garden and orchard at Oberen dorf at Lautenbach along with a cow, veal calf, pig and 3 chickens. They owned half of another house with garden and vegetable garden at Nitter dorf in Linthal . Then disaster struck.

On 25 July the next year, Catherine was caught in a sudden storm at mid-morning. She took refuge under a nut tree but was struck by a bolt of lightning and died instantly. Catherine was but 24 years old at the time. She was well thought of, She is always thought of as very commendable in her morals and the manner of her Catholic life noted her Priest. She was buried the next day. Two years later, Jean OLANIER died and the three young children became orphans.

Gangulphus and his sisters were brought up by their aunt, Magdalena OLANIER in the house at Oberdorf at Lautenbach. We don't know what happened to the sisters, but Gangolphus married and settled in Bitschwiller. Today the name OLANIE has disappeared from the valley of Guebwiller.

Lautenbach Memories 1998

Linthal

KECH Joseph, (abt 1680 Grosswangen, Switz - 1733 Linthal
M. 1694 in Linthal to WENTZLER, Veronique (abt 1680 - 1742 Linthal)
-KECHNicolas (Clauss) (1696-1740)
 M. 1724 in Linthal to PIERRIE, Martha Anne (abt 1700 - 1742)
--KECH Catherine (1731 Linthal-1759 Lautenbach)
  M. 1753 in Lautenbach to OLANIER, Jean (1723-1761 Lautenbach)
The KECH family originated in Grosswangen, Switzerland (near Lucerne) where Joseph KECH (1675 - 1733) was born. The family name may be traced back to Johan KECHO in 1289. Claus KECHT was mentioned in 1384 and 1394 and in 1435 the KECH's were bourgois in the village of Zoug.

Joseph KECH came from a wealthy family. He emigrated to Linthal prior to 1694 and purchased two farms (one of which was at Belchenbach situated between Linthal and the Petit Ballon). Joseph married Veronique WENTZLER of Linthal in 1694 at Lautenbach and had five children:

Joseph KECH died in 1733 and his estate was divided amongst his widow Veronica WENTZLER and five infants: Joseph, Petter, Michel, and Claus (Nicolas) along with a grandaughter (Maria GRUNDLER the daughter Anna Maria KECH, deceased, who had married Johannes GRUNDLER, a burgher and tiler at Buhl). The property was as follows: 40lbs for the life interest of the house. One house with vegetable garden and orchard in the village of Linthal on the Allemendte road at Lintlerbach and below the house of Gangolff KLEIN and the high Allemendte road at the river. A second house near the bottom of the village of Linthall situated between the Allemendte road and Petter RICH and below the Allemendte Platz along with 372 lbt in silver. The farms included the following animals: 2 bulls, 13 cows, 5 calfs, 5 goats and 2 pigs. There was also a tree trunk and boards at the sawmill at Linthal. The debtors included: Jacob BURGLIN, Frantz KREYENLINGER, the cartwright at Guebwiller, Joseph WAGNER of Buhl for battens/slats/lathes, Jacob Hagen MULLER the cartwright at Orschwihr, Heinrich BREIDSCHMIDT for the floorboards. Finally, the salaries owed the two maids.

Claus (Nicolas) KECH, son of Joseph KECH and Veronique WENTZLER was baptized in May 1696. His godparents were Nicolas SYREN and Madeleine ETTERLEN of Linthal. He grew up in Linthal and in 1724 married Marthe Anna PETERIN (PIERRAT) whose family came from La Bresse. They had six children of whom 3 lived to adult-hood:

In 1742, Veronica (Franeckh) WENTZLER, widow of Joseph KECH died. Her descendents included: Joseph KECH, Peter KECH (Burgher of Linthal), Michael KECH, Clauss KECH (burgher of Linthal), his wife Johannes MUNSCHY, and his children: Peter, Catharina, and Clauss, and Maria GRUNDTLER (daughter of Johannes GRUNDLER and Anna Maria KECH).

The PIERA family are linked to our lineage through marriage into the KECH family. They emigrated from La Bresse-Vosges to Linthal around 1695. Jean Jacques PURRA (PIERA) died in Linthal in 1730. His will indicates that he was married twice. He had three children by his first marriage: Margret PURRA (who married Andres MUNDINGER), Anna Maria PURRA and Johannes PURRA. It appears that his first wife died in 1699. Our family lineage is through his second marriage (to Leonora BERNHARD). Jean Jacques PURRA had two children by this marriage: Catharina PURRA and Anna PURRA (also known as Martha Anna PIERRAT). Anna married Clauss (Nicolas) KECK. Their children included Catherine KECH who married Jean OLANIE. In his will, Jean Jacques PURRA left: a house with a cowshed and garden situated next to the inheritance of Michel SYREN and the Wergunten road above Paulus GRAFF and below the property of Theobalth CLADT.

Sources:

Sources: Maurice Kech, The Old Families: Kech , newsletter from Guebwiller, 2 January 1994 (obtained from Sabine TEXIER). Maurice Kech, History of the family names of our valley , Lindeblatt No1, 1989, (obtained from Sabine TEXIER).

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last modified: 19 December 2008