Anton’s wife Rosina died (age 38) two years after the family moved from Grafton to Lismore in 1881 leaving him with seven children, Katherine (age 15 or 16), Anton (age 12 or 13), Christina (age 11 or 12), Mary (age 8 or 9), Elizabeth (age 5 or 6), Augustine (age 3 or 4) and John (age 1 year 11 months). Thirty years later Anton passed away at 88 years of age. He was survived by his children.
Read about Anton and Rosina before continuing.
Most of Anton’s children themselves became parents and 28 grandchildren were born, of which 17 also became parents.
Katherine
Katherine was born in Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany in 1867. At 29 or 30 years of age in August 1897 she married George Dillon (age 28) a resident of Richmond River. Only one of 5 children lived long enough to be themselves married. Three of the Dillon children died within one or two years of birth and Katherine’s first son at 29 years of age as the result of an accident.
DIED OF LOCKJAW
KYOGLE, Sunday. Mr. George Henry Dillon, a native of Tuncester, employed at a sawmill, died in the Memorial Hospital in Kyogle last night from lockjaw. Deceased, who was 29 years of age, was thrown from a horse at a circus entertainment at Kyogle about 10 days ago. His arm struck an iron pin in the tent and was fractured. Yesterday afternoon lockjaw set in and death ensued. The funeral was very largely attended.
“DIED OF LOCKJAW” Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 1954) 9 May 1927: 4. Web. 3 Oct 2016 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93596544
William T. Dillon (1899-1978.) was the only child of Katherine and George to marry and have children.

Anton (junior)
Anton was born in 1870. He married Florence M. Anderson in November 1899 at about 29 years old. Florence later re-married in 1907 and the marriage certificate records her status as ‘widow’. There has not been found any record of Anton’s death or departure from Australia. His father’s obituary reports one son “left Australia ten years ago”, whereas the 1941 obituary of his sister Katherine reports three brothers “Anthony, Gus and John” as residing in Brisbane.
Christina
Christina was born in 1871. She married David Taylor (age 19 or 20) in September 1895 at 23 or 24 years old. In 1903 after only 8 years of marriage, Christina died of leprosy leaving two children, the oldest about 6 years of age, to be raised by their father.
Ethel M. Taylor was the only child of Christina and David to marry and have children. Her brother, Leslie J. Taylor ‘disappeared’. It is speculated by family tradition this disappearance was related to events in Europe affecting acceptance by some Australians of persons with a German background.
Mary
Mary was born in 1874 and when aged 30 or 31 married Matthew O’Keefe (age 43 or 44) in February 1905. Their son William was born in 1902.
Mary, whose second name was Elizabeth was sometimes referred to as Mary Sofia (e.g. her funeral notice). Sofia was the second name of Mary’s younger sister Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth was born in 1877 and married James White (age 26 or 27) when 21 or 22 years old in 1899. The White family included seven children, one of whom died in infancy in 1910.
Augustine
Augustine, known as ‘Gus’ was born in 1879. He married Margaret Fletcher (age 22 or 23) in 1904 when 24 or 25 years old. Two daughters were born to Gus and Margaret.

John
John, usually known as ‘Jack’ was born in 1881. He was 31 years old and apparently the primary carer for his father who had suffered a stroke before dying in 1913. John did not marry until he was 43 years old, marrying Veronica Westerman (age 23) in 1925. John and Veronica had eleven children, two dying as infants.
