William Franz Christel

Birth: Nov. 14, 1861 Steinthal Manitowoc County Wisconsin, USA Death: Mar. 21, 1952 Valders Manitowoc County Wisconsin, USA

Husband of Wilhelmina Lulloff (married Nov. 14, 1882 at St. Gregory). Son of Norbert and Amalia Christel, born Town of Schleswig. A merchant, on Feb. 5, 1894, he purchased the vacant lot at 213 Church Street and had a hardware store built. He ran this hardware store until selling his share of the business to Herman Luffoff on March 1, 1902. William then moved to the railroad village of Valders where he was very successful as a businessman. He died from "carcinoma of pancreas, for 8 months, arteriosclerosis, for 20 years, had prostateatomy but not related to death."

William Christel, Valders Business Man, Dead at 90 VALDERS—William F. Christel, 90, pioneer pea canning company executive, civic lender, and bank president, died Friday morning at the home of a daughter Mrs. Peter Thielen. Mr. Christel had been in failing health since last November, stricken as he observed his 90th birthday. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a. m. Monday at the Berge Funeral Home, followed by a 10 a. m. requiem high mass at St. Gregory Catholic Church. St. Na- zianz. The Rev. Frederick Dorn will officiate and interment will be in the adjoining cemetery. Death of Mr. Christel ends a colorful career of a lifelong coun- ty resident, long identified with the industrial, mercantile and banking life of St. Nazianz, Valders and Hilbert. His birthday on Nov. 15 of each year was the occasion of a county wide celebration which his family, six daughters and six sons, planned long in advance. --Perfected 13 Invention-- He perfected 13 inventions in the field of vegetable canning, in- cluding a "texture meter" for test- ing the maturity of peas that in- fluenced pea canning all over the world... excerpt from Manitowoc Herald Times, Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Friday, March 21, 1952