52 Ancestors: #10 Beatrix (Elsie) Fad

52 Ancestors: #10 Beatrix (Elsie) Fad

This year, Amy Johnson Crow has issues a new 52 weeks blogging challenge:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 on her No Story Too Small blog.

The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.

My approach: I plan to make this a Tuesday Theme, and, use it to enhance my WikiTree ancestor profiles. That is, focus on a different ancestor on my WikiTree list of profiles, each week (include possibly adding new profiles), Great idea! Thanks to Randy Seaver's post for bringing this to my attention!

#10 Beatrix (Elsie) Fad (1805-1886) is #17 on my Ancestor Name (Ahnentafel) List, and is my 2nd-great-grandmother. She was married to my 2nd-great-grandfather, #16 Joseph Schmitt (1802-1874).

I am descended through:

* their son, #8 Michael Smith (1829-1902), who married #9 Margaret Nellie (Maggie) Soderstrom (1846-1901)… follow either link, if you missed them first time around… ;-) 


See the Joseph link for their early years in America. As mentioned there, last week, we know very little detail about Elsie… but we do have the image. Neat.

As also mentioned last week, today we will focus for a bit on the three daughters of Joseph and Elsie: Caroline, Elizabeth, and Dorthea; each married.

Caroline (1831-1919) married Anton Scherrer (1827-1887). I have no further information on them.

Elizabeth Beatrice (1839-1913) married Pierre (Peter) Wildemuth in 1857, in Rock Island Co, Illinois. They had five children, three of whom survived to adulthood and married:
1) Elizabeth (1858-1939) married Nicholas Wachtel in 1880 - they lived in Henry Co, Illinois.
2) Mary J (1862-??) married Cornelius de Maranville in 1886 - they also lived in Henry Co, Illionis.
3) Rosa Ann (1866-1940) married Peter Fielder in 1888 - they also lived in Henry Co Illionis.

Dorthea (1842-1923) married John Adam (Adam) Hofstetter in 1862. They lived in Rock Island Co, Illinois, and had a son, George Adam Hofstetter (1883-1944). He married Anna M. Johnson in 1904.


Families are Forever! ;-)

52 Ancestors: #9 Joseph Schmitt

52 Ancestors: #9 Joseph Schmitt

This year, Amy Johnson Crow has issues a new 52 weeks blogging challenge:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

on her No Story Too Small blog.

The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.

My approach: I plan to make this a Tuesday Theme, and, use it to enhance my WikiTree ancestor profiles. That is, focus on a different ancestor on my WikiTree list of profiles, each week (include possibly adding new profiles), Great idea! Thanks to Randy Seaver's post for bringing this to my attention!

Daughter, Arrion, near sign of the city in Europe were Joseph and Elsie lived with Michael was born

[I don't have a photo of Joseph]

#9 Joseph Schmitt (1802-1874) is #16 on my Ancestor Name (Ahnentafel) List, and is my 2nd-great-grandfather. He was married to my 2nd-great-grandmother, #17 Beatrix (Elsie) Fad (1805-1886) - more on her next week.

I am descended through:

* their son, #8 Michael Smith (1829-1902), who married #9 Margaret Nellie (Maggie) Soderstrom (1846-1901)… follow either link, if you missed them first time around… ;-) 

Now that we are into the "round of 16" - the 2nd great-grandparents - I'll take a bit different approach with this weekly theme. And, it may change from week-to-week, depending on the particular family.

For Joseph and Elsie, here, I'll share a bit about them together this week and their one other son, Valentine. Then, next week with Elsie, since we know so little about her, I'll share some information on their three daughters who married.

To read about my daughter's visit to Joseph's home town, click here:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2013/01/stories-from-europe-arrion-visits.html

To see the ship listing of the family arriving in New Orleans from France, click here:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2012/07/wordless-nearly-wednesday-new-orleans.html

To see more about the family in St. Louis, MO, click here:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2012/07/treasure-chest-thursday-joseph-schmidt.html

Note that youngest child, a son, Valentine (1846-1912), was actually born in Missouri, in the St. Louis area, in September of 1846, before the family moved to the Rock Island, Illinois, near the little town of Hampton. Here is a little postcard and story about Hampton:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2013/10/wordless-nearly-wednesday-hampton.html

We (my daughter and a cousin have taken the lead on this family branch) found Cemetery Records for Joseph, Elsie, and Valentine at St. Marguerite's Cemetery, in Scott County, Iowa, within the last couple of years. It is also interesting that all of Joseph and Elsie's family outside of Michael, the oldest son, retained the Schmitt surname, whereas Michael appears to changed to Smith very soon after coming into the country.

Valentine married Augusta Delli Littig (b. 1846, Illinois; d. 1921) and their 9 (identified) children were born in the Quad Cities area, some in Illinois, some in Iowa. Their youngest, a son, Raymond Edward Schmitt (1887-1965), was born in Davenport, Scott Co, Iowa, but spend his adult life in Wausau, Wisconsin. See a photo, and learn a little more about him, here:
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2013/09/wordless-nearly-wednesday-raymond.html



Families are Forever! ;-)

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday - Raymond Edward Schmitt - Baker

Wordless (nearly) Wednesday

Raymond Edward Schmitt

Baker

Raymond is my first cousin, twice removed; that is, Joseph Schmitt was his grandfather, and my great-great grandfather. He was a Baker. Love to share photos of people at their work. The photo comes courtesy of the recently expanded research and sharing of the "Nebraska Cousins" I've mentioned earlier. Along with my daughter, Arrion, they/we have formed a new Facebook Group for sharing and 'new cousin' discovery. This photo came from the latter source - contact with Pat Chittendon, in Wisconsin, a granddaughter of Raymond, who shared this photo, and others.

The new Facebook group is: Descendants of Joseph & Elizabeth Beatrix Schmitt (of Alsace, France) 

If you would like to join the group, let me know. We have 35 members now, and getting lots of looks.

One further note: I've written several times of my great-grandfather, Michael Smith, a Civil War veteran.

This group emphasizes that his family used several spellings of his last name, including: Schmitt, Schmidt.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Joseph, Jacob & Walter Watson Kinnick

Treasure Chest Thursday

Joseph, Jacob & Walter Watson Kinnick

 Joseph, Jacob & Walter Watson photo: on back in first handwriting & in ink:  “Uncle Joe Kinnick, Uncle Jake Kinnick, Father Walter Kinnick” and under Walter’s name, in pencil & in second handwriting: “Father of Lon Kinnick, Father of Ira Kinnick”


My comments: Walter Watson Kinnick was my great-great grandfather, of course; with his brothers.


Joseph Kinnick (1839-1917)
Walter Watson Kinnick (1840-1919)
Jacob Kinnick (1846-1923)
[Links have stories from my earlier research]

Thanks again to cousin Ellen DeVilbiss. She has preserved and shared these photos from her grandmother, my aunt, Lillian Kinnick Ford.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Kinnick Park & Park City home

Treasure Chest Thursday

Kinnick Park & Park City home

Park City, Montana

On back of photo: "Kinnick Park & Park City home" :
Park: This park is called "Kinnick Park" across from the house.  I (Dorothy K. Adams) took these a couple of years ago.  1986
Home: Grandpa & Grandma's (Joseph & Rachel Kinnick) house in Park City.  A man & lady bought the house from my Uncle John (he) lived in it until his death a few years ago.  My sister and I went through it and the lady showed us a beautiful hand painted vase that was Grandma Rachel's and a needle point rug she had done.  Grandma & Grandpa died the same year.  1917 Sept & Nov.


My comments: Joseph Kinnick (1839-1917) and his family had a very interesting life in Montana, after moving from Illinois, and a few years in central Iowa. [The link has my earlier research.]

Thanks again to cousin Ellen DeVilbiss. She has preserved and shared these photos from her grandmother, my aunt, Lillian Kinnick Ford.


Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Joseph Schmidt family in St. Louis

Treasure Chest Thursday - Joseph Schmidt family in St. Louis

Following on yesterday's find from New Orleans, Arrion realized the Schmidt family was destined for Missouri, rather than the Quad Cities, where we knew they lived later.

She found the following in the 1850 U.S. Census in a township just outside the then St. Louis City.

[5 years after their 1845 Ship arrival - the ages match (except for apparent error in Joseph)]

This 1850 U.S. Census record for Carondelet Township (I found a great map of Carondelt Twp - see below), St. Louis County, Missouri: Joseph Schmidt family, he age 58 (we believe this is 10 years off, based on further analysis), Birth Year, about 1792, Germany, with family:

Beatrice Schmidt, 45; Michael Schmidt, 21; Caroline Schmidt, 15; Beatrice Schmidt, 11; Dorothea Schmidt, 9; Valentine Schmidt, 4, born in Missouri (a key factor in identifying the family through the years, it turns out). These match up nicely with the List of Passengers shared yesterday.

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Treasure Chest Thursday - Joseph KINNICK Pension File

Treasure Chest Thursday

Joseph KINNICK Pension File

In my Civil War Series on Sunday a week or so ago, I reported on the enlistment of my great-great uncle, Joseph KINNICK, in the Civil War on 18 Aug 1861. His story is extensively documented in his Pension File, as well as in other records. Today, however, I want to recognize that Pension File as a Treasure Chest item. I will only include a scan of one of the documents here, but the entire file is 'the treasure' - a 'treasure trove' of information including the information on his military service, the affidavits of neighbors over many years to earn the pension, the record of increasing pension amounts over the years, and the widow's pension that followed for a few years. Seeing the notification of death of both Joseph, and his wife, Rachel, is also a treasure. I'm sure I will post other scans, certainly transcriptions, that continue the story of his nearly five years of service, 150 years ago, in the service of his country.

[Click to see larger image]

Families are Forever!  ;-)

Civil War Series on Sunday - Enlistment 18 Aug 1861

Civil War Series on Sunday

Enlistment 18 Aug 1861

150 Years Ago This Week

One hundred fifty years ago this week, Joseph Kinnick enlisted to serve in the Civil War.

He was the brother of my great-great grandfather, Walter Watson Kinnick:

Name: Joseph Kinnick
Residence: Wyanet, Illinois
Enlistment Date: 18 Aug 1861
Side Served: Union
State Served: Kansas
Service Record: Enlisted as a Sergeant on 18 August 1861.
Enlisted in Company D, 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas on 3 Sep 1861.
Promoted to Full Private (Reduced to ranks) on 12 Aug 1862.
Mustered Out Company D, 7th Cavalry Regiment Kansas on 10 Mar 1865 at St Louis, MO.
Sources: 72

Note: He made a practice of leaving his unit to go home 'for a while,' now and then - he was a teamster; they always took him back. He had a couple of children born while he was 'in the service' of his country. His pension record is fascinating reading - as is his life, now that I think about it.  ;-)

    *     *     *     *     *

OK, here is more detail of his story...

On 18 Aug 1861, Joseph enlisted in Company D, Seventh Regiment, Kansas Volunteers, Cavalry. He served in Captain C.S. Merriman's Company of Wyanet. Joseph served as a teamster in the Quartermaster Department [6]. He was promoted to Sergt. 3 Nov 1861 [5]. In January and February, 1862, he was reported absent and deserted. Rolls for June, July, and August, 1862, show him present [6]. Reduced to ranks, 12 Aug 1862. [5] Returned 14 Aug 1862, reinstated by General Granger [6]. A second daughter, Margaret Susana (Maggie), was born to Joseph and Rachel on 5 Jan 1863 [] {strongly suggests where he was in March and April, 1862}.

For July and August, 1863, absent sick at Regimental Hospital. For September and October, 1863, present. For November and December, 1863, absent, but, assigned to the 3rd Michigan Cavalry, S.O. 15 Hdqtrs Cav Div 16th A. C. For September and October, 1864, absent, with leave in Camp. [6] Joseph served until being mustered out at St. Louis, MO, 10 Mar 1865. [5]

Reported in the Rock Island ARGUS, 14 Mar 1865: "a little daughter {Amanda} of Mrs. KINNICK, living about 6 miles above Sheffield in Bureau County {Concord Twp}, died in a fire last Thursday aged about 5y. She was alone in the home at the time with another child, aged 18m. {Margaret Susana}. Mr. Kinnick is a soldier." {names inserted by the compiler}.

From end notes: [1] Joseph said Richland Co on Pension Applications in later years, though that seems unlikely; will continue to check further.

[2] According to family tradition, based on information supplied by the Fletchers, see P.R. # 2. It is likely the Mercers were also on the same boat, or, at least, moved during the same season.

[3]"Laurel's Story, A Montana Heritage," by Elsie P. Johnson, 1979.

[4] Obituary, Elma Mae Moore, Mountain Democrat, May 13, 1987.

[5] Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kansas, 1861-1865, Vol. 1.

[6]Pension file of Joseph Kinnick

... just a little more...  ;-)


Families are Forever!  ;-)