Lisette was a daughter of Major General Phillip Best who owned a brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
[2][3] Emil and Lisette began building a 40,000 square foot mansion on Grand Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1903, she left Milwaukee and returned to Germany, where she died after suffering a stroke, leaving her $7,800,000 estate to be fought over in court by her remaining children, Mrs. Jacob Heyl (Clara), Mrs. Louis Frank, and her deaf[7] son, Emil M.
[1][8][9] The court case made national headlines due to the testimony that took place in regards to Lisette's long term affair with Jacob Heyl who had somehow arranged to be executor of the will, while also inheriting the bulk of the wealth.
Schandein and Heyl's affair was able to be kept hidden through a sham marriage arranged between him and her first daughter Louise.