Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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Copyright.  All rights reserved.

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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

Mrs. Magdalena STEPHEN, Joliet; was born in Schoenenburg, Canton Sultz, Alsace, Feb. 24, 
1826; she is a daughter of Peter and Barbara WEISHAAR, and came to this country with her 
parents, who settled in Madison, Cook Co., Ill., in 1844; her father died ApriI 5,1862; 
her mother is still living in the full possession of her health and faculties, at the age 
of 88 years; she was married July 12, 1851, to Michael BLATTNER, of Madison. He was a 
native of Schoenenburg, Alsace, and came to this country at the same time with the Weishaar 
family; he died Oct. 2, 1852, leaving one daughter, Mary Philomena, wife of Dr. John 
SCHEUBER, of Fond du Lac, Wis. On the 14th of July, 1853, the subject of this sketch 
married the late Sebastian STEPHEN, an early and respected citizen of Joliet. He was born 
in Dowerdorf, Alsace, on the 8th of September, 1810; was apprenticed to the tailor's trade 
at the age of 14 years, and at 22 entered the French army and served seven years; in the 
spring of 1843, he came to this country, and the following year, 1844, settled in Joliet; 
he followed the merchant tailoring business until about 1857, when he engaged in the 
brewery business; in 1862, he resumed merchant tailoring, which he continued till his 
death, which occurred July 4, 1873; he was first married in 1845, to Miss Angeline ORTE, 
who died in December, 1852, leaving three sons - Sebastian, Aliosius and Henry. Mrs. 
STEPHEN still resides in Joliet, surrounded by her family of six children - Frances C. 
(now Mrs. Michael MEYER, of Joliet), Mary E., Theresa J., Joseph A., Rosa K. and Jennie 
A.; one daughter, Mary Magdalena, died in February, 1857.