Lisette Schandein
Lisette Schandein | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1848 |
| Died | 1905 |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, Vice-president of Pabst Brewing Company |
| Years active | 1888–1894 |
| Known for | First vice-president of Pabst Brewing Company |
Lisette Schandein (circa 1848–1905), also referred to as Lisette Best Schandein or Elizabeth Best Schandein, held the position of first vice-president at the Pabst Brewing Company from 1888 through 1894.
History
Lisette was the daughter of Major General Phillip Best, who owned a brewery based in Milwaukee. Her father introduced Captain Frederick Pabst to Lisette’s sister, Maria Best; Maria and Pabst were married in 1862. Two years later, in 1864, Pabst acquired a fifty percent stake in the brewery and took on the role of vice-president.
In 1866, Lisette married Emil Schandein, to whom her father transferred ownership of the remaining half of the brewery. Frederick Pabst advanced to president while Emil Schandein became vice-president. Emil and Lisette initiated the construction of an expansive 40,000-square-foot residence on Milwaukee’s Grand Avenue. The mansion was designed by a German architect brought over to emulate a castle located in Bingen, Germany. Emil passed away suddenly in 1888 before the mansion's completion.
After Emil’s death, Lisette stepped into the vice-presidential role at Pabst Brewing Company and served until 1894.
Lisette returned to Germany in 1903 and died there following a stroke. Her estate was valued at $7.8 million, which sparked a widely publicized legal conflict among her heirs—her daughters Clara (Mrs. Jacob Heyl), Mrs. Louis Frank, and her deaf son Emil M. Schandein—over control of her assets. The litigation exposed Lisette’s prolonged affair with Jacob Heyl, who was appointed executor of her will and inherited the majority of her fortune. To mask this relationship, Heyl entered into nominal marriages first with Lisette’s daughter Louise and subsequently with Clara; Clara ended her marriage with Heyl through divorce in 1907.