German birth registrations!

[Egad!  Sorry about the delay in posting this birth record.  Time really DOES go faster the older one gets.  Er, or perhaps it's just procrastination on my part.]

Thank you to my sister, LuDene, for finding these documents.  I've done the translation myself for all three - it's not perfect, if anyone can provide a better English version, let me know.

Katharina Margaretha Köhler

Number 6
(at) Süss [a larger neighboring town] on 23 March 1877
Before the undersigned registrar appeared today the person known as the railroad worker Friedrich Köhler, resident of Richelsdorf, Steinkaute No. 93
Evangelical Religion, and indicated that Anna Margaretha Köhler, born Süssmann, his wife
Evangelical Religion, living with him at Richelsdorf, in his home
on the 20^th March, the year 1877 (in the) afternoon around --?—o’clock a female child
had been legitimately born, which the first names
Katharina Margaretha have been given.

Read, approved and signed:  Friedrich Köhler
The Civil Registrar:  J. (or I)  H. (or Z) Gonnermann

The agreement/statement certified with the Registrar (at ) Süss on 23 March 1877.
JH (?) Gonnermann

- - - -

Katharina’s sisters’ birth registrations have also been found at the same location.  However, her brother, Fred Jr.’s has not.  My guess is that the family had moved by the time he was born.  (If you want info/scan of the sisters' birth records, let me know.

DOCUMENTS:

• Birth registrations - Katharina Margaretha, Johanetta, and Maria Köhler

DOCUMENTS NEEDED:

• Birth registrations or baptism records for Fred, Jr., and for parents

Stay Tuned!

I have not updated this blog in a Long time as I haven't had anything new to add.  However, with recent DNA test results (mine and other Landau cousins - thank you to all who have tested), I'm identifying a number of distant cousins whose family trees will eventually, hopefully, solve our "brick walls" questions.

Those questions include:  birth, marriage & death dates and locations for the parents, siblings, and grandparents of:

• Katherine Koehler Landau Champlin
• Martha (Margaretha) Moeller/Miller Landau

I'm just getting started on sorting it all out, so no promises of when I can report out.

The Wilhelm Landau farm

As of last Friday (Sept. 18, 2015) it was for sale - 9 acres and a 5 bedroom house that needs updating (asking price $179,000) located at 1114 Inlet Rd., Lee Township, Lee County, Illinois. (click images to enlarge)

It's been altered a bit since the sketch in  The Portrait and Biographical Record of Lee County, Illinois (published in 1892.)

The evergreen trees along a path from the former front door are still there.  The driveway curves the same.

Woodside Cemetery

My daughter & I recently took a road trip to Lee County, Illinois.  After a brief stop at the Lee Co. Historical & Genealogical Society in Dixon, we drove to Woodside Cemetery on Green Wing Rd. in Lee Center Township.

We found gravestones for Wilhelm & Martha Möller Landau, their sons John and Christopher and their wives, and daughter Catherine (Katie.)  (click the images to enlarge)

The other Landau graves are in front and behind the family plot marker:

Additionally, there are numerous graves of Landau kin in this cemetery:  Reinharts, Aschenbrenners, Hillisons, and more.

Wilhelm's will/probate record & Henry receives deed

As mentioned previously, William Landau's 1892 will bequeathed farms to his eldest three sons, and the six daughters and minor son received $2000 each.  (The younger daughters were to receive the money when they turned 20.  Christopher, who was 14 when his father died, was to receive his $2000 when he turned 21.)

The land came with mortgages to be paid off by the sons who inherited the land. Among the 50+ pages of probate records is this page that indicates that Henry Landau was prepared to pay up and receive the deed to the land from the estate.

In the probate documents the name is "William" Landau, but he signed his will "Wilhelm."

DOCUMENTS

Landau, William probate records via FamilySearch.org - Illinois, Lee County Records, 1830-1954>Probate case files vol 126, 1893-1924, p175-243.

Martha Elizabeth Moeller 1838-1890

I mentioned previously about the "Catherine Merl" who was in the household in the 1870 census. And, note that the surname was probably originally Möller but written as Moeller or even Miller in America.

This obituary supports my suggestion that Catherine might be Martha Elizabeth's mother.

OBITUARY - Amboy [IL] Journal - 9 Apr 1890 (2nd ed., pg 1, col 3):

"Elizabeth Miller Landau died at Lee Center, March 25th, 1890.  She was the daughter of John and Catherine Miller, was born in Germany, March 30, 1838, and came to America in May 1861, in July the same year she was married to Wm. Landau.  She had nearly completed her 52nd year.  Last year and more of her life was a period of great suffering.  Her sickness seemed beyond the skill of all the various physicians who attended her.  Six children [um...10] are left to mourn her loss. Her example will be a suggestion to them of religious truths.  She was one who tested the consolations of religion and found them very precious.  No one could have seen the patient endurance of severe and prolonged bodily pain and undiminished (unceasing, rather) trust in God, but being deeply impressed with her confidence in a Divine Helper. Many and weary were the months she passed wasting away, yet she bore it all with a truly Christian fortitude.  Her spirit during the suffering was a grand testimony to the sustaining power of Christ. It was a great delight to her to hear comforting messages from the Bible.  Songs of spiritual truth gave her much pleasure.  Although far from her dear fatherland and dying from the land of her birth, she has gone to a better country - even a heavenly.  All who knew her will cherish memories of a calm, patient, and grateful spirit ripe for the reaper."

Her funeral was on 27 Mar 1890 in Lee Center (according to the Amboy Journal, 26 Mar 1890 - pg 4, col 1.)  And,  "Mrs. Landau's funeral services were held in the Cong. Church on Thursday.  The German minister from Bradford officiated." (Amboy Journal 2 Apr 1890, pg 5, col 3.)

Additional information about Wilhelm and Martha E. Landau's children

John (1863-1939) - married Margaret Thompson.  No children.  Buried in Woodside Cemetery, Lee County, Illinois.

Christine (abt 1865-?) - married John Cyrus Smith.  They lived for a time (including during the 1930 census) in Waterloo, IA., and had at least two children:  Monroe Everly, and Gertrude M. 
Monroe E. married Cecelia Johnson and had at least six children:  Wanda, Marcella Darlene, Beverly J., John C., Donna F., and Verna M.    Gertrude M. married Delmar Sproull.  However by the 1940 census, Delmar was married to someone else and lived in Michigan with his and Gertrude’s two sons:  Donald and Kenneth.

Katherine (1866-1920) see previous post.

Anna M. (1868-?) - married William Gleim.  They had at least four children:  Christina, Eddie, Katherine, and Harry (who married Elsie Reinhart.)

Henry (1870-1946) - see previous posts for more detail about Henry and family.

William (1871-?) - married Minnie Gleim.  William Landau farmed in Bradford township, Lee County, IL.  He and Minnie had at least three children:  Nelta M. (who married Bowden Jesse), Anna M. (who married Roland Albrecht), and Arthur (1906-1924.)

Elizabeth Martha (? - ?) - married another Gleim:  Adam. Their children included:  Mabel (m. Roy Ullrich), Celia Marie (m. Glen Hart), Mildred M. (m. Henry Hillison), Florence (m. Harrold Hillison), Vera (m. Glen Gonnerman), Adam (m. Bertha Jacobs.)

Mary (1875-1960) - married Frank S. Anderson.  Three children:  Robert (m. Frances Rugg), William (m. Grace Creamer), and James (m. Maxine Dixon.)

Christopher (1879-1933) - married Mary Ann Lohmeyer.  Christopher and family lived for a time in Floyd Co., IA, but returned to Lee Co., IL by 1930.  At least two children:  John Russell (m. Helen Hoover), and Ruth Marion (m. Henry Weishaar.)

Minnie Henrietta (1881-?) - married William Johnson, an attorney in Winnebago Co., IL.  They had at least one child:  Myrtle L.

NOTE re: the 3 Gleim in-laws - by looking at census records, I suspect that Minnie and Adam were siblings, and William was their cousin. And there were kinship connections between all the Hillisons, Gonnermans, and Reinharts.


DOCUMENTS:

1880 Federal census for Lee Co., IL and LaSalle Co., IL (Gleim)
1910 and 1920 Federal census for Floyd Co., IA ("Landan")
1920, 1930, 1940 Federal census for Black Hawk Co., IA (Landau, Smith, Sproull)
1930 Federal census for Lee Co., IL (Landau)
1910, 1920, 1930 Federal census for Winnebago, IL (Johnson)
1940 Federal census for Berrien, MI (Sproull)