Joseph Basten

From the records

Researched October 2026

A 1913 history of Brown County gives the fullest account of Joseph’s life found so far, in its sketch of his son John. It says Joseph was born in Germany “near the Mosel and the Rhine, in the vicinity of Coblenz” (today’s Koblenz) and came to America with his parents at the age of eleven. His father, Frank Basten, settled in Preble township, Brown County, and farmed there. (Preble remained a separate town until it joined the city of Green Bay in 1964.)

According to the same sketch, Joseph came to Green Bay “when the city was called Three Corners,” put up the first building at that spot, and ran a saloon and bowling alley in it. He later farmed in Preble township, then returned to Green Bay and kept a saloon there until his death in June 1908, at the age of sixty-six. A Brown County obituary index lists an obituary for Joseph Basten in the Green Bay Press-Gazette of June 22, 1908.

The history names his widow, Elizabeth Bins, as still living at seventy-four in 1913, and lists ten children: Gertrude, wife of Theodore Verhasselt, of Antigo; Joseph Jr., of Humboldt township; John; Elizabeth Lehan, of Ashland; Anna, wife of William Adriaens, of Preble township; Frank, of Green Bay; Cecelia, wife of George Kiescher, and Christina, wife of William C. Krieser, both of Green Bay; Catherine, at home; and Magdalena, wife of Gus Schneese, of Green Bay. The state’s pre-1907 birth index lists a Gertrude Basten born in Brown County on November 23, 1863, and a John Basten born there on March 19, 1868. The online index does not show parents, so these entries are matched to Gertrude and John by name, date and county.

Not yet settled. The family tree counts nine children; the 1913 history counts ten and includes Magdalena, who does not have a page here yet. The tree’s Tina may be the history’s Christina: the two lists of children agree name for name except for Tina and Christina, and for Magdalena, who is missing from the tree. No record seen so far says that Tina and Christina are the same person, so they are not treated as one here. The book prints some married names differently (for example, Adrians for Adriaens); this page keeps the family’s spellings. Where “Three Corners” stood has not been identified. The exact day of death, June 19, and the burial in Green Bay come from the family tree; the history gives only June 1908.