Anniversary of the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman, 16 Jun 2025.

What would you expect to find in Milwaukee's German newspapers after this horrific act by an avowed evangelical christian pastor ....

Besides the news stories about the horrific political assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband by a deranged christian nationalist self-styled preacher, Milwaukee's German-American papers might have had multiple obituaries, repeated death notices (some maybe with pending info), followed by the funeral details, fraternal notices, reporting about the funeral & burial event. Then there might be family thanks, and even later, more notices of thanks from the family, and very possibly possibly death anniversary notices in following years.

If this had been the 1860s and 1870s, you might've found an edition with this horrible news about a beloved public figure lined with heavy black borders, running vertically between the entire length of each column, as the newspaper draped itself in mourning.

Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot in their home in a related attack, but survived. 

Joseph Schlitz' final farewell to Milwaukee! A poignant moment in the brewer's story.

Farewell. A heartfelt farewell to my friends and acquaintances whom I did not have the opportunity to see before my trip to Germany. Jos. Schlitz 

In spring 1875, Joseph Schlitz notified the Milwaukee community that he was traveling to Germany; he didn't know it would be his last trip. These paid announcements were an occasional practice by Milwaukeeans, and I've indexed them in my project.

His Lebewohl (literally, Live well!) is one of the more poignant items I've found; even more so than the tributes that followed from his, and other Milwaukeeans loss during the return voyage, 7 May 1875.

[Jos. Schlitz takes another dive! In May 2026, and Pabst Brewery has announced they will no longer be producing a 'Schlitz Beer'.]

The murders of Renee Good, Alex Pretti & Nurul Amin Shah Alam would have been reported in Milwaukee's German Newspapers ...

“That's fine dude, I'm not mad at you.”  Were the final words of Renee Nicole Good, mother of 3, before she was murdered, shot in the face, by a government employee of the USA.

Her murderer spoke a benediction over her body: "F...ing b^tch".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

“Are you okay?” were Alex's final words to a woman he was protecting who had been pushed down by government agents. He was then tear-gassed, shoved down, and then 10 bullets were pumped into him by the US government agent.

The 'rump Administration's ICE freaks were not harmed, injured, or inconvenienced, after murdering Renee Good & Alex Pretti.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The intentionally negligent treatment of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee, leading to his death would have been reported in Milwaukee's German newspapers. It's a story illustrating the takeover of the USA by repulsive christian nationalists, a repeat of the "Know Nothing" movement of the 19th c.

These papers were sensitive to the problems of ALL immigrants. I've debunked the WASP church-lady mythology that these papers focused on church communities and "obituaries".

Milwaukee's German newspapers were about local, national, and world NEWS. The HORRORS of the emigrant / immigrant experience are also told, missing from the old Milwaukee Journal & Sentinel.

Der Volksfreund in 1848... The Peoples' Friend, "Devoted to Equal Rights"

An old "German guy" - a naturalized US citizen - had a beer-scented complaint for me about my display at German Fest: "The first German paper was published in 1944, NOT 1844!" he stated emphatically. "Nope" I said, "publishing in Milwaukee spanned 1844 to 1950." "1944!", "1844", "1944!", "1844". He eventually walked away. Another contradiction by other German Fest attendees followed. They had delivered the old Milwaukee Herold in the city AFTER 1950, one even worked in the office! But the publisher had left the City of Milwaukee in 1950 or shortly thereafter, but keeping the name of the paper.

A family's Memorial for Anna Heinl

 

Two Milwaukee death notices for Anna Heinl: one from a German language paper and the other from one an English language daily. It's reminiscent of Catholic funeral card Memorials.

There was no separate obituary in either paper.

The information is similar, but not identical. One is clearly a family memorial to a loved one, published by the family. The other is a helpful, but perfunctory piece of information about funeral arrangements, and adequate for the data collectors.

Niemand zum Leid, Gerechtigkeit für Alle. (© The Inter-Racial Council)

The USA failed miserably & elected a weak and malicious bully to placate seditious evangelicals. Will the next election years produce intelligent voting for the public good? or will it be ignorant voting for selfish interests. US Secular Democracy hangs in the balance.

This was the quandary for US citizens in the 1920s when this was published in Milwaukee's remaining daily German language newspaper by The Inter-Racial Council©.

Milwaukee's English or German language clippings? it's your choice.

Mrs. Catherine Dorothy Zach's death notice found in the Milwaukee Journal has been digitized into TOTAL illegibility, but legible on library microfilm. The notice provides information about the arrangements, but only makes limited mention of the family: her daughters are identified by their husbands' names.

The German language death notice is not only more comprehensive, but progressive too. It sets the scene for us: during her long illness she was provided with the Last Rights. It includes Mrs. Zach's maiden name (Golner); provides her daughters' given names separately from their husbands' names; names her daughter-in-law; and even references Mrs. Zach's siblings. It's a research and German-American cultural gem!

This is the family's paid death notice for Mrs. Zach; there was no separate obituary article written by the newspaper.

This difference between competing papers isn't always the case but it needs be understood by the family researcher looking through Milwaukee's German, English, or Polish language newspapers.