Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.
The Last Will & Testament of Anna Marie Schlitz
compiled & edited by Mike Reilly
On this page you’ll find areport by the Milwaukee Sentinel newspaper, Tuesday Morning, January 25, 1887, on Anna Maria Schlitz’s will and its’ contents. On the prior page what is listed is the executorspetition to the Court showing that the wills of Joseph and Anna Maria Schlitz were dulyexecuted and they should be discharged from further duty.
This accounting is veryinteresting since it gives valuable information about not only Anna Maria’s family, butthe Schlitz, Krug, and Uihlein families as well. Some of the relationships are unknown,some may just have been family friends. How do the names Schmidt, Marcel, and Dentz factorinto all of this? Clara Schmidt, of Mayence, was bequeathed 250 shares of stock by JosephSchlitz’s will and it is my understanding that they were tendered to her; who was she? Onesource suggests she was an aunt of Joseph Schlitz (perhaps a sister?) and the Uihleinbrothers traveled to Germany to buy the shares from her to retain control over theCompany.
Were there other shares than the2,000? Did the Uihlein brothers or others (?) have an ownership stake in the Company whenJoseph Schlitz died?
What about the shares bequeathedto John and Victor Schlitz? To Joseph Dentz and Charles Schmidt? John was Joseph Schlitz’snephew and from appearances, was “asked” to leave town. The story is that allshares remained in Uihlein family control; how were these shares obtained from the otherparties? Questions and more questions!
DIVIDED A BIG FORTUNE
The Numerous Bequests Made by the Late Mrs. Schlitz
An Estate Valued at Half a Million Cut Into Small Parts
Mayor Wallber, accompanied by August Uihlein, secretary of the JosephSchlitz Brewing company, walked into the office of the probate court yesterday afternoonand placed on file with Registrar Donnelly the will of the late Anna Maria Schlitz, therecently deceased wife of the founder of the Schlitz brewery. The document is a brief one,considering the large number and character of bequests that it contains. The will is datedJan. 19, 1885. and appoints Chas. C. Schmidt, cashier of the Second Ward Bank executor.The testator first says that it is her desire to comply faithfully with the last requestof her deceased husband, but that she also wishes to manifest her warm love and attachmentto all who are related to her by blood or marriage, and to acknowledge the many favorsextended to her by her kind and true friends. With that object in view she directs thather brother-in-law, Carl Schlitz, of Mayence, Germany, be paid the sum of$10,000, which is to go, after his death, to his two daughters, Kaetchen andRoeschen. Carl Schlitz died recently. The will also bequeaths the daughters$5,000 each. The other bequests follow in the order here given.
To John Schlitz, of Cleveland, O., ason of Carl, $5,000; Victor Schlitz, of Milwaukee, $5,000; to thetestator’s sister Eliza, of Mayence, $5,000; to the testator’s brother-in-law,George, of Mayence, $5,000; the three children of Mrs.Clara D. Schlitz, deceased, late of Mayence, Joseph Dentz and KatherineDentz, of Milwaukee, now Mrs. Thiese, of Mayence, $5,000 each; VictorDentz, of Mayence, $5,000; Catherine Schlitz, widow of Johann Schlitz,late of Mayence, $40,000; Mrs. Anna Manz, nee Krug, of Amorbach, Bavaria,$5,000; the children of Anna Manz, William and George, of Amorbach, Heinnerich,of Bamberg, Conrad, of Mayence, Franz, of Amorbach, and Carl,of Watertown, Wis., $5,000 each; and Anna Grohmann, nee Uihlein ofHassfurth, Bavaria, $10,000;Wilhelm Uihlein, now at Gratz, Stuermark,$10,000; Laura Werdehoff, nee Uihlein, of Milwaukee, $10,000; CarlUihlein, of Milwaukee, $5,000; to the testator’s brothers, Joseph andPhillip Hartig, of Milwaukee, $15,000 each; to the testator’s sister,Margaretha Hartig, of Milwaukee, $25,000; To the latter is also given thefurniture, bedding, pictures and other articles in her room now occupied by, the legateein the testator’s house; Chas. Schmidt, of the Second Ward Savings bank,$5,000; the children of Clara Schmidt, nee Marcel,$10,000 in equal shares. They are now at Wererzberg, Germany. Margaretha Stein,daughter of Elise Stein, nee Marcel, deceased, receives $5,000, and$2,000 in equal shares is left to the children of Henry Stirn, ofMilwaukee, and to the children of any deceased child by rights of representation;Joseph Schmitt, nee Hennig, of Wittenberg, Germany, $3,000.
The testator then directs the executor to sell or dispose of all estate,real and personal, except that bequeathed following thereafter to her sister and theinterest in the Jos. Schlitz Brewing company, at public or private sale, or in whatevermanner deemed best. The proceeds of such sale are to be applied by the executor to pay thebequests above made. They aggregate $250,000. The will further directs that the remainingportions of the bequests be paid out of the testor’s interest in the brewing concern. Thedocument concludes as follows:
“As I have no children, and therefore I give and bequeath the restand residue of my interest in the Joseph Schlitz Brewing company to Aug. Uihlein, HeinrichUihlein, Alfred Uihlein and Edward Uihlein in the following proportions: To August,one-third; to Heinrich, one-third; to Alfred, one-sixth; to Edward, one-sixth.”
The value of Mrs. Schlitz interest in the company ather time of death is unknown, but it is said to have consisted at the time of the death ofher husband of 2,000 shares of stock, valued at $100 a share, which is, of course, of fargreater value at the present time. The application for the proof of the will is to be madein a few days.
(Note: We are not affiliatedwith the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. or endorsed by them. Any Schlitz trademarks displayed,or brands mentioned are the sole ownership of the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co.)