"to love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage." lao-tzu

4.24.2012

Jacob Jahns

Jacob Jahns was the first of my Jahns' to immigrate to the United States from Germany, coming in 1866 and settling with his wife and family in Marine Twsp, Madison County, Illinois.  He was born in Hanover around 1816, married his wife Caroline Bierbaum about 1849 in Hanover, and started their family there, having all of their children but one born in Hanover, the youngest coming after their move to Illinois.  Caroline was born April 7, 1826, also in Hanover.  The only other Jahns I have found in Madison County are Henry Jahns, born about 1812 in Hanover, and Christian Jahns, born about 1817, also in Hanover; I have often wondered if they are brothers with my Jacob, or cousins, but have not chased that rabbit yet.
Jacob and Caroline had the following children: Charles  Dec. 1849, Frederick 1853, William 1856, Herman 1858, Wilhemina 1864, and then George, the Illinois baby, 1870.
On the 1870 Census, Jacob is a farmer, Caroline "keeping house", and the older sons farm hands. They are living in Madison County, Post Office Marine, Twsp 4, Range 6.
According to the Ag Schedule, Jacob has 40 acres.
The 1880 Census has the family still living in Madison County, but they are now in Range 8, and only frederick, Minnie, and George are still at home, the others having married and started their own families.
Jacob now has 125 acres.
Jacob is deceased by 1887, as this is when I begin to find Caroline in the St. Louis City Directories, listed as the "widow of Jacob".  I have been unable to locate a death record or a tombstone for him.
Caroline lives at the rear of 211 Soulard from 1887 to 1898, with George living with her intermittingly.  In 1899, she is living at 1421 Palm, which is where we find her on the 1900 census.
Minnie, a seamtress, and George, a steam-fitter, are also living with her.  Her son William and his family are also living in St. Louis.
In 1910, Caroline is now living with the William Jahns' at their home at 3434 Michigan Avenue.
Caroline then passes away on January 11, 1916, after a bout with pneumonia.

So, there's my quik rundown on the beginning of my Jahns' family in the U.S.  I am descended from their first child, Charles, and will give a rundown on him and his family next week.

4.12.2012

My Ancestors

Okay, so here I am again. Tonite I am going to give a quick rundown on my family, listing the surnames I am aware of; I have not researched some of these yet.


My paternal family is the Jahns. These are Illinois Jahns, not to be confused with the multitude in Texas, Wisconsin, Missouri - I am fortunate that mine behaved and tended to stay within the state or at the least close by. Into my Jahns married the following: (oldest to newest) Bierbaum, Krauck, Reynolds, Burnier, and then a Nevala, which is my maternal family. Bierbaum and Krauck I have not discovered the mothers' names. Reynolds mother was a Gray, Grays mother was a Potteroff; I have seen Potteroff's ancestry, I have as yet to actually write it down somewhere or download it. Grays paternal Grandmother was a Pettingill. Going back further there is a Burnam and then a Best. Burniers mother was a Meillott, Meillotts mother was a Berthoulier. Burniers paternal Grandmother was a Odell. I think that is it on my paternal side.



Now we have some fun - my maternal side. My mothers maiden name is Nevala, which is Finnish, and the names just get more fun as we go back. We have the following on my mothers paternal side: Abramson, Ruitta, and Heikkila. I actually am lucky in that a cousin of my mother had years ago researched the family and has the tree back to the 1500's; I have just chosen to stop with my great-great grandparents on this side. Now, on my mothers maternal side I have Applegates (and just wait till I write THAT blog!), Schmidt, Hoffherr, then I have Engle, Pease, Waite, Gant, Sipes, Tilton, Irons, and a Lenni Lenape Indian named Mary, who was married to the first Applegate in my line that I have record of, Bartholomew. This would have been in New Jersey in the early 1700's - more on them later.



So there you have it - my All-American melting pot. I have original New World settlers on both sides, the mandatory German immigrant of the 1860's, and some late-comers (1890's) - that would be my French ancestors. I have lots of info on some, a few tidbits here and there on others, and absolutely nothing to speak of on the rest except names. I will say that I have enjoyed the hunt (with the exception of my stubborn, refuse to be counted on the census recent Applegates), and am looking forward to discovering much, much more.



Next post I will begin with my great-great-great grandfather, Jacob Jahns, born about 1816 in Hanover, Germany and died sometime in the 1890's, I think. Not sure, its on my to-do list.

4.06.2012

12 Years later...

So, this is the first post to my re-vamped blog; I am going to use this blog as a way to get my genealogy organized. It was a blog to moan and groan about my life, but I got over it. Decided this would be a better use for it.

A dear friend of mine (no, there really wasn't any sarcasm there) suggested I do this, figuring it would be helpful in my research. I could pick a particular person I am researching, would have to organize my notes, papers, etc on that person, and in the end may find I have more information than I thought. Putting that info out there for other researchers to see may lead to more info - and we all know it is all about the info. Especially that one piece, that one clue, the last puzzle piece we need to verify and confirm that yes, this person is my person.

Ya'll know how it is: you sit down with your to-do list, open your website of choice, type your surname into the search box, and five hours later, you are so pleased with yourself that you just found another whole line of the family, descended from a 5x great-grandparent. Your hands are cramped from writing (yes, SOME of us still write with pen and paper), or from mouse-clicking as you download and save info to your wonderfully organized files, your eyes are glazed from reading fuzzy images of long-ago documents, your body - well, its gone stiff from not moving. Yes, you are very pleased. Until you realize you have not found one person on your to-do list. And so, the next night, its begins again, and so on, and so on...

So, my hope is that I do get better organized, get my handwritten notes, print outs, pictures, etc, onto the computer, and get a better idea of just what information I have on my family. My title "12 years later..." refers to the fact that I began my genealogy research 12 years ago; I have at the least a file box, with appropriately labeled files for 16 surnames (5 or 6 gens back), and with my various handwritten notes, print outs, pictures, etc, in their appropriate file.

My next post I will list all my surnames and a quick glimpse into my research.