Treasure Chest Thursday - Carl Gustav Märten

This photo was sent to me in 2008, several months after my great-grandmother, Sylvia (Martin) Flemming passed away. This is of her grandfather, my 3rd-great-grandfather, Carl Gustav Märten.

Carl Gustav was born 23 Aug 1846 in a very tiny village that you won't find on any map, named Töpperkuthen. It was incorporated into a larger village nearby named Berneuchen. They were located in Kreis Landsberg, Brandenburg, Germany.

You can notice on the image, that Carl Gustav is a decorated veteran. His 1934 obituary states that he was a "Franco-German war veteran". After finding this out, I scoured records trying to find his military information. I located him serving in Lieb-Grenadier Regiment Nr. 8 (1. Brandenburg) in the 4th Company (1st Battalion). This Regiment was part of the 5th Division of the Prussian/German army. It was also a famous regiment which distinguished itself in all three of the Wars of Unification. During the Franco-Prussian war the division saw action in the battles of:

Spicheren (August 6, 1870)

Vionville-Mars la Tour (August 18, 1870)

Gravelotte-St. Privat (August 18, 1870)

The Siege of Metz (August 19 to October 27, 1870)

Bellevue (October 7, 1870)

Provenchères (November 6, 1870)

Bretenay (November 7, 1870)

Beaune-la-Rolande (November 28, 1870)

Orléans (December 3-4, 1870)

Revoy (December 7, 1870)

Gien und Briare (December 8, 1870)

Azay-Mazange (January 6, 1871)

Le Mans (January 10-12, 1871)

He received the Iron Cross for his service in this war, along with two other medals I haven't been able to identify yet. Any ideas?

He was married twice: first to a woman named Henrietta Kurth, who passed in 1876 and secondly to my 3rd-great-grandmother Louise Friederike "Auguste" Lübke. They were married on 15 Jun 1876 in Gross Schönfeld, in Kreis Greifenhagen, Pommern, Germany. They had total of six children: Otto (1877), Carl (1880), Gustav (1882), William (1883), Alvina (1885) and Anna (date unknown). The family immigrated to America, migrating through Bremen and landing in Baltimore, Maryland on 18 Apr 1883, aboard the S.S. Hohenzollern.

The family immediately settled in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, presumably with relatives. On 10 Jun 1891, he purchased 80 acres of land in Polar Township, Langlade County, Wisconsin, at Section 14, Township 31N, Range 12E. This land continued to be held in the family until the 1960's.

Carl Gustav and his wife Auguste lived in Polar til their deaths, in the 1930's. Carl Gustav passed on 12 mar 1934 and Auguste on 19 Oct 1938. The entire family is buried in St. John's Cemetery in Polar.