Jakob Dreier

My 3rd-great-grandfather Jakob Dreier was born 201 years ago today on 7 September 1815, in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Fridolin Dreyer and Maria Eva Stäuble.

Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5775, Bild 18. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498376-18. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869 / 1810-1869.

He worked as a blacksmith (Schmied).

 On 24 February 1846, he and Franziska Schäuble became the parents of a daughter, my 2nd-great-grandmother Kunigunde. Jakob and Franziska married almost two years later, on 3 February 1848.

Marriage record, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, 1848. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 81. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-81. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869. 

A little over four months later, on 17 June 1848, their daughter Magdalena was born, but she died when she was eight months old, on 25 February 1849. Their only son, Julius, was born on 20 March 1855. Their last child, Emilie, was born on 19 November 1857, but died on 5 July 1859.

Jakob died on 18 September 1870.

Matrilineal Monday: Franziska Schäuble

My 3rd-great-grandmother Franziska Schäuble was born on 24 September 1821 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She was the daughter of Johann Schäuble (or Scheuble) and Maria Anna Albiez. Her father was a farmer (Landwirt), a cotton manufacturer (Baumwollfabrikant), and the proprietor of the Stag Inn (Hirschenwirt).

Birth record, Franziska Schäuble, 24 September 1821. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5775, Bild 35. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498376-35. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869.

On 24 February 1846, Franziska gave birth to my 2nd-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. Kunigunde's father was Jakob Dreier, a blacksmith (Schmied).

Franziska lost two family members in 1847. Her mother Maria Anna Albiez died on 20 March 1847, and her younger sister Katharina Schäuble died on 28 November 1847 at age 20.

On 3 February 1848, almost two years after the birth of their daughter, Franziska and Jakob married in Niederwihl.

Marriage record, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, 1848. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 81. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-81. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869.

A little more than 4 months after their marriage, on 17 June 1848, their daughter Magdalena was born. Sadly, Magdalena died on 25 February 1849, one day after Kunigunde's third birthday.

Franziska lost her one remaining parent in 1851; her father Johann Schäuble died on 26 February. Later that year, on 3 June, she gave birth to her daughter Sophie. She had another daughter, Agnes, on 10 September 1852.

In 1854, Franziska's youngest sister, Sekunda Schäuble, applied for permission to emigrate from Germany and settle in the United States.

Franziska and Jakob's only son, Julius, was born on 20 March 1855. Their last child, Emilie, was born on 19 November 1857. Emilie died on 5 July 1859.

Franziska lost three of her siblings in the 1860s. Her sister Sophia died on 23 June 1862, her sister Theres died on 11 April 1865, and her sister Agatha died on 17 April 1866.

Franziska experienced more losses in the 1870s. Her husband Jakob Dreier died on 18 September 1870, her son Julius Dreier died on 3 May 1874, and her sister Magdalena Schäuble died on 28 September 1876. But there were happier moments too, such as the birth of her grandchildren. Her daughter Kunigunde married Johann Gerspacher on 16 February 1871, and gave birth to five children in the 1870s: Friedrich/Fridolin, born 15 May 1871; Hermann, born 30 May 1873; Pauline, born 13 August 1876; Hermann, born 26 September 1877; and Joseph, born 8 May 1879. Sadly, both Hermanns died, the first on 24 August 1873, and the second on 18 December 1878. Kunigunde gave birth to one more child during Franziska's lifetime: daughter Augusta, born 29 January 1881.

Franziska died on 21 May 1882.

Wednesday's Child: Emilie Dreier

Death record, Emilie Dreier, 5 July 1859. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 176. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-176. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

Emilie was the sixth child of my 3rd-great-grandparents Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, and the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. She was born on 19 November 1857 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She died in Niederwihl on 5 July 1859.

St. Louis County Library

I spent the day at the St. Louis County Library in St. Louis, Missouri. I had been there several times on my last trip to St. Louis, but there was still more for me to find there. I started the day off at the microfilm reader; I spent hours there. The biggest find on microfilm was the 1883 coroner's inquest record for my great-grandmother's baby brother Edward Gersbacher, who died shortly after the family arrived in the United States. My great-great-grandmother Kunigunde (Dreier) Gersbacher, the baby's mother, was the informant. She said that the baby had been sickly and weak ever since they left Germany.

After I finished looking at microfilm, I looked at the book collection. I made copies from several books, including Tennesseeans Before 1800: Davidson County by Marjorie Hood Fischer and History of Chippewa and Lac qui Parle Counties, Minnesota, vol. 1, by L. R. Moyer and O. G. Dale.

Finally, I spent a couple of hours searching the St. Louis Post-Dispatch online. I found many newspaper articles which mentioned my family, from the early 1900s to to the early 1920s. I found advertisements too; many were for automobiles. (My great-grandfather John Boe was president of the St. Louis Motor Car Co.) It was a long but very productive day!

Matrilineal Monday: Haplogroup H2a

H2a. From Figure 3: Geographic maps of haplogroup frequencies for haplogroups H*, H1, H2a, H3, H4, H5a, H6a, H7, H8, H11. Álvarez-Iglesias V, Mosquera-Miguel A, Cerezo M, Quintáns B, Zarrabeitia MT, et al. (2009) New Population and Phylogenetic Features of the Internal Variation within Mitochondrial DNA Macro-Haplogroup R0. PLoS ONE 4(4): e5112. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005112

My mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is H2a. It is a subclade of haplogroup H, which is the most common haplogroup in Europe.

Haplogroup H2a is most common in Eastern Europe. It is found at a low frequency in Western Europe. Its range extends to Central Asia. It is a branch of H2, which is most common in Germany and Scotland.

My known ancestors in my mitochondrial line are:
My mother
Margaret Ann Schneider
Paulina Gersbacher
Kunigunde Dreier
Franziska Schäuble (24 September 1821 - 21 May 1882)
Maria Anna Albiez (2 July 1796 - 20 March 1847)
Elisabeth Arzner (about 1758 - 26 September 1815)

Paulina Gersbacher, my most recent German-born ancestor in this line, was born in Niederwihl (now part of Görwihl), Waldshut, Baden, Germany. Her mother Kunigunde Dreier and grandmother Franziska Schäuble were also born in Niederwihl. Maria Anna Albiez was born in Oberwihl (also now part of Görwihl). Elisabeth Arzner may also have been born in Oberwihl; if not; she probably was born nearby.

References
All about haplotype H
Haplogroup H (mtDNA)

Wednesday's Child: Magdalena Dreier

Death record, Magdalena Dreier, 25 February 1849. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 142. Permalink:
http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-142.Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

Magdalena was the second child of my 3rd-great-grandparents Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, and the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. She was born on 17 June 1848 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. She died a little more than eight months later, on 25 February 1849.

Church Record Sunday: Südbadische Standesbücher

Church records from southern Baden are available online at http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/web/49484. The records, which are held by Staatsarchiv Freiburg, cover the years 1810-1870, although the full date range may not be available for every locality.

I have ancestors from southern Baden, so I was very excited when I learned that these records are available online. I have been looking at Catholic church records from Görwihl and Niederwihl.

I found the birth record for my 3rd-great-grandmother Maria Bär in the Görwihl Catholic church records:

Birth record, Maria Bär, 10 September 1818. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5711, Bild 94. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-497910-94. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Geburtenbuch 1810-1869.

I found the marriage record for my 3rd-great-grandparents Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble in the Niederwihl Catholic church records:

Marriage record, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, 1848. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5776, Bild 81. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498377-81. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Heiratsbuch 1810-1869.

I found the death record for my 4th-great-grandmother Eva Stäuble in the Niederwihl Catholic church records:

Death record, Eva Stäuble, 21 December 1858. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5777, Bild 174. Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-498378-174. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Niederwihl, Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

I found the death record for my 3rd-great-grandfather Fridolin Gersbacher (also known as Fridolin Gerspacher) in the Görwihl Catholic church records:

Death record, Fridolin Gersbacher, 23 February 1865. Staatsarchiv Freiburg L 10 Nr. 5713, Bild 221.
Permalink: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=5-497912-221. Standesbücher / 1810-1870 > Waldshut; Amtsgericht > Görwihl WT; Katholische Gemeinde: Sterbebuch 1810-1869.

Mappy Monday: Rhine River (Fluss Rhein)

Rhein-Karte. Map by Daniel Ullrich (Threedots) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

This map shows the Rhine River (Fluss Rhein). The Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein come together in Switzerland. The Hochrhein (High Rhine) flows to the west from Lake Constance to Basel, Switzerland. The Oberrhein (Upper Rhine) flows from Basel to Bingen, Germany. This section of the Rhine flows through Switzerland, France (Alsace), and the German states of Baden-Württemburg, Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), and Hesse. The Mittelrhein (Middle Rhine) flows from Bingen to Bonn. The Niederrhein (Lower Rhine) begins in Bonn. After it enters the Netherlands, it splits into branches, including Waal, Merwede, Nieuwe Maas, and Nederrijn, and flows out to the North Sea.

My German ancestors lived by the Rhine River. My Schneider ancestors were from Erpel and Remagen. My Nagel ancestors lived in Bonn for a while. They were originally from Hürth (Hermülheim, Kendenich), which is near the Rhine. My Gersbacher/Gerspacher ancestors were from the Hotzenwald region in Baden, in Görwihl and Niederwihl (now part of Görwihl). My Dreier ancestors were from Niederwihl. Görwihl is at the edge of the river Alb, which is a tributary of the Rhine.

Mappy Monday: Hotzenwald

Karte der Region Hotzenwald im südlichen Schwarzwald (Map of the Hotzenwald region in southern Black Forest, Germany). Map by Thoroe (Thomas Römer)/OpenStreetMap data [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

The Hotzenwald is the southernmost part of the Black Forest. This map shows the Hotzenwald region and the elevation (in meters) of the land in and around the area. It includes information about mountains and their height.

My great-great-grandfather John Gersbacher (Johann Gerspacher) was from Görwihl, which is located in the Hotzenwald and is shown on this map. My great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier was from nearby Niederwihl; the couple lived there before immigrating to the United States, and their German-born children were born there. Niederwihl became part of Görwihl in 1975.

52 Ancestors: #26 John Gersbacher, "Street Angel, House Devil"

My great-great-grandfather John Gersbacher was born Johann Gerspacher on 2 September 1843 in Görwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. He was the son of Fridolin Gerspacher and Maria Bär. His parents, first cousins, were the grandchildren of Joseph Bähr and Magdelena Huber; Fridolin was the son of Johann Gerspacher and Magdalena Bär, and Maria was the daughter of Jacob Bär and Magdalena Kaiser.

On 16 February 1871, Johann married Kunigunde Dreier, and they lived in Niederwihl (now part of Görwihl). Their son Friedrich (later known as Fridolin) was born three months later, on 15 May 1871. Another son, Hermann, was born on 30 May 1873, and died on 24 August 1873. The next child, my great-grandmother Paulina, was born on 13 August 1876. Another son named Hermann was born on 26 September 1877 and died on 18 December 1878. On 8 May 1879, son Josef (later known as Joseph John) was born. Daughter Augusta was born on 29 January 1881, and son Edward was born on 26 November 1882.

Johann left Germany for the United States when Kunigunde was pregnant with Edward, and changed his name to John Gersbacher. Kunigunde and the children arrived in the United States to join him in St. Louis, Missouri on 26 July 1883, and son Edward died in St. Louis on 10 August 1883. Three more children were born in the United States: Anna Maria was born on 25 August 1886, Emma Louisa was born on 15 May 1888 and 1 August 1888, and Rosa Louisa was born on 17 December 1890 and died on 13 July 1891. John's oldest son Fridolin died on 30 May 1892, and his wife Kunigunde died on 6 January 1893.

According to a letter written by my grandmother Margaret (Schneider) Boe (the daughter of Paulina Gersbacher), John Gersbacher was "a mean drunken carpenter who ruled his wife and kids with an iron hand" and that he was called "a street angel and a house devil!" After Kunigunde died, John abandoned his family. When their mother died, Paulina was 16, Joseph John was 13, Augusta was almost 12, and Anna was 6.

On 26 March 1900 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois, John married Theresa Vollmer. Both were residents of St. Louis. When he filled out the marriage return, John answered many questions untruthfully. He said that his father was John and that his mother was Kunigunde Dreher (his first wife!) Since he already owned the family burial plot, maybe he wanted  to claim that the woman buried there was his mother, not his wife. He claimed that the marriage would be his first. He said that he had been born in St. Louis (he was not even a United States citizen at that time). He also took 7 years off his age. Theresa Vollmer probably did not know about his children at that time, and she may have thought that she was going to gain United States citizenship by marrying him. John became a citizen later that year, on 8 October 1900.

John died in St. Louis on 8 February 1914 and was buried on 10 February 1914 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis.

Johann Gerspacher baptismal record, 2 September 1843. Katholische Kirche Görwihl. Kirchenbuch, 1648-1900.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen : H. Faller, 2000. Johann is listed as the second child of Fridolin Gerspacher and Maria Bär, and the date of his marriage is given.

Faller, Helmut. Familiengeschichte der Gemeinde Görwihl. Bad Säckingen : H. Faller, 2000. Kunigunde and the children actually left in 1883.

Illinois State Board of Health. Marriage return, John Gersbacher and Theresa Vollmer, 26 March 1900. Note the numerous incorrect answers given by John Gersbacher.

John Gersbacher naturalization record, 8 October 1900. St. Louis City Court of Criminal Corrections. Second, Soldiers and Minors Papers. Naturalization Cards. St. Louis City. Reel no. C 25793, vol. 17, page 135. Apparently he was able to convince the court that he had conducted himself as a man of good moral character!

John Gersbacher death certificate, 8 February 1914. Missouri State Board of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Note that the maiden name of his mother is incorrect; his first wife's name was given!

Record of funeral, John Gersbacher. Wm. Schuhmacher Funeral Home, St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis County Library, Special Collections Department. Funeral Home Records, microfilm reel 17.

Gersbacher tombstone, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri. The stone is inscribed with the names and dates of John, Kunigunde, and their oldest son Fred. Fred's death date and Kunigunde's death date are off by a year, so the stone was probably erected after John Gersbacher's death, most likely by John and Paulina (Gersbacher) Schneider.

52 Ancestors: #11 Kunigunde Dreier

Since March is National Kidney Month as well as Women's History Month, it is a good time for me to write about my great-great-grandmother Kunigunde Dreier. Kunigunde was born on 24 February 1846 in Niederwihl, Waldshut, Baden, Germany. Her parents, Jakob Dreier and Franziska Schäuble, were not married at the time of her birth. They married on 3 February 1848, a little more than five months before their next child, Magdalena, was born.

On 16 February 1871, Kunigunde married Johann Gerspacher. Three months later, on 15 May 1871, their first child was born. He was called Friedrich in early records, but called Fridolin in later records. Johann's father and Kunigunde's paternal grandfather were both named Fridolin, so I think it is likely that Fridolin is the name they intended their son to have. Two years later, on 30 May 1873, their son Hermann was born, but he died on 24 August 1873. Their next child, and their first daughter, was my great-grandmother Paulina, born 13 August 1876. The next son, born on 26 September 1877, was also named Hermann. He died young as well, on 18 December 1878. On 8 May 1879, their son Joseph John was born, and their daughter Augusta Marie was born on 29 January 1881. The last child born in Germany was their son Edward, born on 26 November 1882.

According to a letter written by my grandmother Margaret (Schneider) Boe (Paulina's daughter), Johann Gerspacher left for the United States alone, while Kunigunde was pregnant. When he arrived in America, he changed his name to John Gersbacher. Kunigunde and the children joined him in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1883. They left from Bremen, Germany on the Braunschweig, and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 26 July 1883. They had reached St. Louis by 10 August 1883, when baby Edward died.

Kunigunde and John had three more children after immigrating to St. Louis. Their daughter Anna Maria was born on 25 August 1886. She was the last child who would survive to adulthood. Their daughter Emma Louisa was born on 15 May 1888 and died on 1 August 1888. Their daughter Rosa Louisa was born on 17 December 1890 and died on 13 July 1891.

Their oldest son Fridolin died in St. Louis on 30 May 1892. Less than a year later, on 6 January 1893, Kunigunde died in St. Louis. She was only 46 years old. She died as a result of carcinoma of the kidney. She was buried at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in St. Louis.

 Kunigunde Dreier baptismal record, 24 February 1846. Katholische Kirche Niederwihl. Kirchenbuch, 1700-1889.

Gerspacher family, Braunschweig passenger list. Baltimore, Maryland. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baltimore, Maryland, 1820-1891. Microfilm Publication M255. RG 36. 50 rolls. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Kunigunda Gersbacher burial certificate. Missouri Death Records. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri State Archives.