St. Martin Church

St. Martin Church is located in Tonet, Township of Red River, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, U.S.A.  The community was mostly made up of Flemish, Belgians.  Some of the names in the Cemetery are:

ADAMS; ALSTEEN; ANDRE; ARKENS; BAYE; BERTRAND; BONJEAN; BRABANT; BRADAEL; CRAVILLION; DALEBROUX; DART; DEBECK; DEBOUCHE; DEBRAUX; DECRAMER; DELORE; DEMOULIN; DENIS; DERENNE; DOYEN; DUBOIS; DUCAT; DUPONT; ETIENNE; EVERARD; FRIEX; FRISQUE; GILLIS; GONION; HAEVERS; HAGERTY; HENDRICKS; HERMANS; HOEBRECKX; HOSLET; JADIN; JONET; LAURENT; LEMENS; LHOST; MALCELLE; MASSSET; MATHY; MOREAU; NELLIS; NOWE; PETERS; PETIJEAN; RENIER; ROBERT; ROMAULD; SERVAES; TABORDON; TILLIARD; VAN LOO; VANDENHOUTEN; VANDEVELDE; VANESS; WILQUET

On May 28, 1877, the log church in Champion, Brown County, Wisconsin, burned down.  A dispute then arose between the Flemish and the Walloon Belgians, as to where the church should be built.  The Flemish wanted to build the church halfway between "Aux Flamants", (the flemish settlement;  also known as Martinsville and later became known as Tonet) and "Aux Premiers Belges"(the first Belgians; the same area was also known as Robinsonville.  By 1900 the Community became known as Champion).  The Walloon wanted to rebuild on the original site.  As a result St. Martin Catholic Church was built and established in Tonet.

In 1877 Rev. Martin Smits was appoint pastor, and said the first mass in the New St. Martin's Church.  He then built a parish house and sacristy at his own expense.  In 1908 the church and rectory were redecorated and stained glass windows were installed.  St. Martin's served the community until it was closed in 1992, by order of Bishop Robert Banks of Green Bay,  because of the priest shortage.  The Church was sold in an Auction the same year.  Currently (1999) being used a flea market store on occasion weekends.

The following are priests or pastors who served St. Martin's Church.

Rev. Martin Smits - 1877
Rev. Joseph J. Fox - 1879 - 1880
Rev. A. Musschelein - 1880 - 1885
Rev. P. J. Cautereels and Rev. N. Hens - May 1885 - August 1886
Rev. J. B. Martin, Rev. F. Rocagel, Rev. Lous Martin, Rev. Joseph Darche, Rev. john Kotzbire, and  Rev.
            A. Kebras - 1886 - 1891
Rev. A. J. Drees - March 1891
Rev. P.J. Van Heyster - Feb. 28, 1892
Rev. P.H.B. Hoevermans - July 24, 1892 - March 2, 1893
Rev. A. Kikmans - March 25, 1893
Rev. Victor Schir - Oct. 15, 1893
Rev. Lambert Broens - May 20, 1894 - Sept. 1898
Rev. B. J. Schevers - Sept. 16, 1898 - Sept. 28, 1908
Rev. P.M. (Milo) Smits - Sept. 28, 1908 - March 1951
Rev. Lambert Dobblesteen - Died November 18, 1947
Rev. Hugh Mc Donnell - Dec. 1947 - May 1956
Rev. Timothy Lawrence Werner - 1956 - Dec. 17, 1959
Rev. Gregory Feller - Dec. 1959 - Jan. 1960
Rev. Albert Mailhot - Died Feb. 12, 1962
Rev. Gregory Feller - March 1962 - July 1962
Rev. A.J. Schinkter
Rev. Maurice Windt
Rev. Geoffrey Clardge - ending August 1965
Rev. Robert L. Hyde
Rev. Sebastian Schalk - Sept. 1975
Rev. Christian O'Brien - Oct. 11, 1977 - June 17, 1978
Rev. Francis Kerscher - July 1, 1984 - Oct. 1989
Rev. Florian Resheske - Oct. 1989 - 1992