The Maschino brothers, John, Sr. (1832-1903), Michael, Peter, Nicholas and John, Jr. came to the USA in the year 1852 from Haspelschiedt, Bitche, France. When the brothers were ready to sail, their younger sister, Mary, had fallen breaking her leg, so her only sister, Magdalena, remained in France to care for her. Magdalena and Mary then came to the USA about a year later. They came to the USA with the Nick Gerringer family. Lena later married Mike Speck and Mary married Louis Krebs. Two of the Maschino brothers had the same name . . . John. The eldest child was called John, Sr. and the youngest boy was called John, Jr.
Adam Hauersperger and his wife, Magdalena (Klein) Hauersperger (1822-1915) who also lived in Haspelschiedt, Bitche, France came over on the same ship with the Maschino's. Adam Hauersperger, on leaving France in the year 1852 had a daughter, Anna Mary, then six years of age. Anna Mary Hauersperger (1846-1908) later married Peter Vogel (1836-1880). Peter Vogel and Anna Mary had seven children.
The John, Sr. Maschino (1823-1903) family and the Adam Hauersperger family each purchased 80 acres of joining land. Their farms were located two miles south of Buena Vista and four miles south of Hardenburg (now known as Hayden). This area is known as Four Corners.
Nick Gerringer, who lived in the same part of France as the Maschino's, came to the USA in the year 1853 and settled in the same neighborhood in Indiana. Nick Gerringer had seven children: Nick, Maggie, Lena, Pete, Frances, Anna and John. John, the youngest, married Barbara Maschino and they had eight children: Edward, Amelia, Fred, Wilmer, Edna, Lillian, Mildred and Paul (dec.).
The Maschino, Hauersperger and Gerringer families were all devout Catholic's. They attended St. James Catholic Church which is now known as St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Four Corners, Jennings Co., Indiana
John (Sr.) Maschino married Anna Mary Maschinot and his brother, Pete, married Lizzie Maschinot. The Maschinot girls came from a large family in Haspelschiedt, Bitche, France. Some of their brothers were: Matt Andrew and John. Their Sisters were: Mary, a Mrs. Lauer, a Mrs. Nider and a Mrs. Long.
The father of these Maschinot children was John, a schoolteacher in Haspelschiedt, Bitche, France. There were many families there with the name of Maschino, which was his real family name -- but to avoid confusion -- John, the schoolteacher, added a 't' to his family name changing it from Maschino to Maschinot. (The above information is from documents written by Father Lawrence Vogel)
The Maschino's never lived in Germany (although they undoubtedly spoke German.) Generally it was the region of Lorraine which was part of France from 1766 intil 1871 when Germany won it. (Franco-Prussian War) Germany lost it back to France after World War I. In the Maschino's time the civil description was Commune of Haspelschiedt, Canton of Bitche, Arrondissement of Sarreguemines, Departement of Moselle, France. The Catholic Church description was Paroisse of Haspelschiedt, Archipretre of Bitche, Diocese of Metz. (The above paragraph was quoted from J. Lowell Kuntz)
