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Mandel, Wilheim (William)

Immanuel Lutheran Church cemetery records state that a Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Mandel was born circa 1797 in Heemsen, Hanover, Germany. He died November 28, 1872. His wife's name was Marie Dorothea. She was bom around 1806.  Both are buried in the "Immanuel" Proviso cemetery.

Wilhelm emigrated from Germany to Proviso Township where he purchased 240 acres of land in the southern half of section 20. His was a dairy farm and it was well known in Proviso Township for decades after his death. It was located on the northeast corner of 31^st and Wolf Road, present site of Dominick's Shopping Center. His wife, Maria Dorothea nee Freitag, was born May 5, 1805 in Hanover, Germany. She died on December 15, 1878, six years after her husband. Wilhelm and Dorothea had three children - all born in Hanover, Germany.

In 1852 Wilhelm Mandel joined with eight other families to obtain permission from Zion Lutheran in Addison Township to form a school district in the immediate vicinity of 'Franzosenbusch". In the spring of the following year, he, along with 8 other "founding fathers" of the Southern School District of Zion Lutheran, helped in the construction of the first two room schoolhouse. This was located on the northwest 40 acres of land in section 29 of Proviso Township, Cook County, in what is now Hillside, Illinois.

Mr. Mandel is buried in the "Immanuel" Proviso Cemetery, along with his wife. Through the ravages of time and vandalism many grave markers have been lost, but records of burial and names have been recorded by the church.

Children of Dorothea and Wilhelm Mandel:

• Christian: Born November 25, 1828. Died May 9,1900, He is buried in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery.

• Frederic, Born April 2, 1840 or 41. He married Marie nee Kammeyer on May 26 1870 at Immanuel Lutheran Church. He died on August 21, 1906.

• Sophie: Born in 1836. We do not know her death date or place of burial.

The family holdings would grow into the Mandel Dairy Farm was located on the northeast corner of 31^st Street and Wolf Road, Westchester, Illinois.

A "fact sheet" for William Mandel can be found at Wilheim Mandel.

Other Mandel entries are available at:

• Mandel, LaGrange, Sep 25 1924

• Frustrates Hold-up On North Wolf Road By Dodging Bandit, LaGrange Citizen, Feb 9 1928

Numerous sources were used in the compilation of these and subordinate entries including but not limited to:

• "Progress, Pride, Growth, 1905 - 1980, 75^th Anniversary --Village of Hillside", C.1981 published by Village of Hillside, Hillside, IL, by Ruth Lommatzsch and Ann Hoogstra
• DuPage County Genealogical Sociey - issue of March 2000 #151
• "Bellwood, 1900-1975: The Heart of Proviso Township, A Diamond Jubilee History from the Beginning to the Present with an Emphasis on the Formative Years", by the Bellwood Public Library
• Images of America -- La Grange and La Grange Park, Illinois by RoseAnna and Robert Mueller, Arcadia Publishing
• La Grange Centennial History 1879-1979, William J Cromie, Editor, La Grange Area Historical Society, 1979
• Broadview Golden Jubilee -- 1914 to 1964, Articles by Val Koch, published by the Village of Broadview
• Records and materials supplied from the archives of Broadview Historical Society--courtesy of Michael Kaminski

• From "Nature's Choicest Spot" ... a Guide to Forest Home and Germany Waldheim Cemeteries prepared by The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

• Graveyards of Chicago by Matt Hucke and Ursula Bielski -- a book which describes many of the Chicago area cemeteries.

• "The Village of Harlem: Its People, Homes and Business – 50^th Anniversary Souvenir 1856 to 1906", provided by Richard Vitton, President of the Historical Society of Forest Park.
• From the Broderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 5, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Date of Import: 13 Nov, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.112.5.68283.115

Other specific references are noted within individual entries.

Last Modified:  02/17/2007