FREISTADT, Ozaukee County — In one small Wisconsin neighborhood, the same families have been living there since 1839, when their ancestors first immigrated to the United States.
Mequon's Freistadt neighborhood, which is roughly two square miles, is a living testament to the state's German and Polish heritage.
“Freistadt is a very unique community because it was settled back in 1839 from Pomeranian immigrants that came across because of religious persecution," Randy Pipkorn, a lifelong resident of Freistadt said.
Pomerania is a historical region that is located in modern day north eastern Germany and north western Poland. The immigrants were Lutherans who wanted to practice Christianity the way they saw fit.
Freistadt means Free Town in German. It's 136 years old, making it one of the oldest communities in Wisconsin. Plus, it's the location of the first Lutheran church in the state, Trinity Lutheran.
German and Polish immigration was crucial for the state’s growth. This is a window into how that happened.
“Our history is so important to us. If you don't know where you came from, you don't know where you're going," Al Dobberfuhl, a long-time resident of Freistadt said.
In 2025, the community is growing. Newcomers are happy to discover the neighborhood. However, families that have been here for multiple generations have mixed feelings. New homes are replacing long-time farms.
"Times are changing. There's a lot of new subdivisions going in," Roger Boehlke, the owner of Boehlke Plumbing and Hardware in Freistadt, said.
However, Freistadt will never lose sight of its roots.
"There's a lot of lifelong people here, a lot of families that have been here since 1839, so those families are hanging on," Pipkorn said.
I met Randy in Freistadt, so I could learn its history and see the community through his eyes and experiences. Everywhere we went, and who we talked to was all up to him. Welcome to Randy’s neighborhood.
Randy Pipkorn
“In this cemetery, in the old part right here, this is the oldest section of the cemetery, and some of my forefathers that came across on the boat are buried right in here," Pipkorn said.
His family is one of the original Freistadt families. They have been farming the land here for six generations.
“All my life, I was there. I learned everything that I pretty much know on the farm. Learned how to work, and the school was right here, and the church was right here. So I'd walk to school, and now I'm involved in training my sons and my grandchildren the same farm ethic," he said.
There are many families like Randy’s that came here in the mid-19th century and stayed. The community is so tight-knit because many of the families are related.
“All the different families to some point have - are cousins. We've figured everybody's somewhere along the lines, be it two, three, four generations back, were cousins, and we're all family," Pipkorn said.
The Pomeranian Society of Freistadt tracks lineages and collects photos to document the community's history.
As time has passed, the region has gotten more attention, albeit relatively small. However, for the neighborhood, it's significant. Developers want to build there, and families want to move in.
"To protect our community is a challenge because the city wants to move out and build everything up. And we are an agricultural community, so there's several farms around here yet, and we'd like to preserve that and keep Freistadt as an individual community," Pipkorn said.
Nowhere is the growth more apparent than at the local kindergarten through 8th grade school, Trinity Lutheran Church, School, and Child Care.
Trinity Lutheran Church, School, and Child Care
"Our school will exceed 400 this year, and that's a big change. Seven years ago, we had about 143 students in the school and child care, and this coming year will be between 470 and 490," Dr. Sam Seefeld, the Executive Director of Trinity Lutheran, said.
Trinity Lutheran's growth is partially due to the growth in the surrounding area, but also because the school participates in the Choice Program. Families that meet certain income requirements can send their kids to private schools using public school funding.
“Our own school bus that starts on South 27th Street and makes six stops through (Milwaukee) picking up kids every day," Dr. Seefeld said.
The school and daycare have students coming in from about 40 different zip codes.
Because of this growth, the school and daycare recently expanded their buildings to accommodate higher enrollment.
“We were able to double the size of our child care by moving into this building, and then also add those two sections of everything from preschool and kindergarten world," Dr. Seefeld said.
Those "two sections of everything" mean there will be two kindergarten classes, two first-grade classes, two third-grade classes, and so on, all the way up to eighth grade.
"Just because the growth has been so great," Dr. Seefeld said.
This has made the school, daycare, and church an even more integral part of the community, as it brings people and economic activity to the small region.
Trinity Lutheran Church
Before the school ever started, and the reason for coming to this part of what would become Ozaukee County was the need for a church. Pomeranian immigrants built the first Lutheran Church in Wisconsin in 1839.
The first church was a modest log cabin. However, in 1884, a new church was built that still stands today. The church has always been the cornerstone of Freistadt.
“This is home. This is where I grew up, and I can't - I could not see going to a different church," Pipkorn said.
Since 1884, additions have been made to the church to connect it with the rest of the school.
Hardware Store and Auto Shop
While the church was the neighborhood’s foundation, two businesses, originally owned by two of the Boehlke brothers, helped bring economic activity to Freistadt. Those businesses are Boehlke Plumbing and Hardware and Boehlke Garage, which is now Freistadt Automotive.
Roger Boehlke is a third-generation owner of Boehlke Pumbing and Hardware. His grandfather started the business in 1927. The store filled a need for farmers who didn't want to travel far for supplies.
"Well, there's no place for the farmers to get any equipment or any of the basic nails or supplies. So (my great uncle) fortunately was down the road, Boehlke Garage. And so his brother let him have a little corner of the shop to have a hardware store, and that was in 1927. And then as that grew, he moved up here and built the store in '29," Boehlke said.
The hardware store eventually became a general store. Customers could buy cookware, toys, gifts, and more. Boehlke started working there from an early age before running it himself.
"We'd have to come in and help two weeks before Christmas. We'd have the store open and people would come in for their Christmas gifts and stuff," Boehlke said about
He has spent the last 50 years working in the shop.
"You know, there's a lot of pride you put into the business and the plumbing work," he said.
Watch the story to see more of the Freistadt neighborhood...
As time progresses, business practices change. That's exactly what is happening to Boehlke Hardware. It's no longer the go-to shop for hardware and gifts as it once was.
"The store, unfortunately, has gone to more of a convenience hardware store. I mean, the trade has dropped off. Our main thing is our plumbing shop. We have four plumbers on the road all the time, so that's what's keeping the store there," Boehlke said.
Just a few buildings down the road is where you'll find Freistadt Automotive, and its current owner, Jim Weeks. He has been there for 23 years - a short time compared to many of Freistadt's residents.
"Everybody knows everybody. They're all friendly, and (working here) worked out real well," Jim Weeks said.
The automotive shop opened in 1925. Originally, it sold Case tractors and then added Chevrolet cars to its lineup. The auto shop helped make farming more efficient.
"So anything you need out in your field, work, you could modernize all these farms and sooner or later you got rid of your horses and you bought a tractor," Pipkorn said.
Both businesses helped modernize the town.
"Helped the community to grow. So the store helped the plumbing and all the infrastructure in he houses and the barns. And this garage helped all the infrastructure outside, the roads, the trucks, cars, tractors, farm equipment," Pipkorn said.
Freistadt Historical Society
The historical society has turned a few acres of land into an interactive teaching experience for the town, visitors, and students on field trips.
An old log cabin, that once housed a Freistadt resident, is now in the same location where the first church was built in 1839.
"It represents the beginning of life here at Freistadt, " Al Dobberfuhl, who works with the historical society, said.
The outside shows what the first church likely looked like. However, inside gives visitors a chance to experience life in the mid-1800s. There are old clothes, stoves, kitchen utensils, trunks, chairs, couches, beds, sheets, and more to represent what life was like.
"To give our young people a sense of what our heritage was," Dobberfuhl said.
Beyond the cabin, there is a chicken coop, smokehouse, wood shed, outhouse, lye maker, and a blacksmith shop.
"When we built the blacksmith shop - but there was no fundraiser - everybody just kicked in what they thought we needed. And it turned out when the building was done, it was paid for," Dobberfuhl said about the community's engagement and commitment to the historical park.
There's a strong sentiment among many longtime residents to ensure that history is preserved. They want future generations to understand what their ancestors went through to settle Freistadt.
Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band
Clearly, Freidstadt is very proud of its history. Not much shows that better than the Alte Kameraden Band.
What started as a couple of German farmers coming together to play music in the 1940s became one of the longest-performing bands in Wisconsin. 2025 is the band's 84th season.
“When we’re on stage, that’s our happy place. We like to have fun," Dale Blank, a percussionist who has been in the band for 41 years, said.
The Alte Kameraden Band is a German brass band with 30 members. They play German folk music, marches, festival music, and more.
The band practices at the Lindenwood School Community Center, just a few minutes from the main Freidstadt road. It was a schoolhouse. Now it’s devoted to preserving Pomeranian culture. It's the home to the Pomeranian Society of Freistadt and Pommersche Tanzdeel Freistadt, a German folk dance troupe.
“Started in 1942 as a 4-H group, and it was the Victory Band. This was a band that the guys got together because they were Germans, and there was a concern that they weren’t necessarily supporting the war effort, so they called themselves the Victory Band," Scott Bell, a trumpeter and member of the band for 24 seasons, said.
The group played at many weddings and parades. Later in the 1960s, the name was changed from Victory Band to Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band.
"It's also an opportunity to entertain and share the culture with everyone around us," Bell said.
Now, the Alte Kameradan band performs across the state and is busiest during the Oktoberfest season.
The band is keeping this German tradition alive in a state with a long German history. You’ll likely see them on the festival circuit this summer and absolutely at Oktoberfest celebrations. Find the band's schedule here.
One Last Question
As is tradition, the last word is always given to the tour guide of the My Block story. In this episode, that's Randy Pipkorn.
Before that happens, here is how you can be part of the award-winning series. Reach out to me, James Groh, to nominate your neighborhood or a neighbor to be featured in the next story. You can fill out this submission form or contact me at james.groh@tmj4.com or call/text at (414) 254-8145. The series covers all types of neighborhoods and communities. Previous examples include stories on life in the Sherman Park neighborhood, a rural town that emphasizes hiring people with disabilities, how one woman is keeping a watchful eye on her neighborhood, how Hmong culture in Wisconsin is changing, how Latino immigrants adapt to life in Milwaukee, and many more. Watch the more than 30 other My Block stories here.
Now, back to Randy Pipkorn.
"Is there anything else you'd like to say about your neighborhood?" I asked him.
"I think everybody should come and experience Freistadt. It's a great community. It's a great church to join and experience the historical values that we have and the camaraderie that our community has. And if you join in and work with us, you will become a part of it and appreciate it as much as we do."
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