Derleth Genealogy
The Derleth family history in Sauk County, Wisconsin, is deeply intertwined with the area’s agricultural and literary landscape. The Derleths, German immigrants, arrived in the mid-19th century, settling in the fertile farmlands of Sauk County. Like many of their contemporaries, they established farms, laying the foundation for generations of Derleths to follow. The family became known for their hard work and connection to the land, contributing to the county’s agricultural growth. They were primarily engaged in dairy farming and other common agricultural practices of the time, solidifying their roots in the local community. This website is linked to the Derleth family through the marriage of Susan Barbara Derlith and Gustav Emil Oscar Janeck.
While the Derleth family’s economic base was agriculture, their name is perhaps most famously associated with August Derleth, Bernhard’s grandson.
Note: (no link from the famous August Derleth to Susan Barbara Derlith Janeck yet found as of {1/2025})
August Derleth continued… Born and raised in Sauk City, August developed a deep love for the Wisconsin countryside that permeated his prolific literary output. His writings, particularly his “Sac Prairie Saga,” captured the essence of rural life in Sauk County, offering a fictionalized yet deeply personal rendering of the community and its people. Though his literary pursuits took him beyond the farm, his connection to his family’s roots and the landscapes of Sauk County remained central to his work. He chronicled not just the life of the fictional Sac Prairie, but also, in many ways, the spirit and lived experience of his own family and their community, memorializing the essence of their life in Wisconsin. Thus, the Derleth story in Sauk County stands as a unique blend of agrarian history and literary legacy.
