In search of Henrietta

January 12, 2019January 12, 2019 / Gail Grunst Genealogy / 1 Comment

52Ancestors in 52 Weeks topic this week is Challenge

One of my biggest challenges has been trying to find my 2^nd great-grandmother, Heneretti. My great-grandfather, Carl Desen’s, death certificate listed his parents as John Desens and Heneretti Gressiers.[1] I found John living in Clark County Wisconsin around 1900.[2] He owned a farm and was killed by his neighbor in 1907.[3] His son, Herman Desens owned the farm next to John, and Herman was accidently killed by a gunshot wound to the chest in 1901.[4] The United Church of Christ East Cemetery Index lists Herman’s parents as John Desens and Henrietta.[5] I do not find Heneretti with them in Clark County Wisconsin. My assumption is that she died prior to John buying the farm since she cannot be found in Wisconsin. I do not know where John lived before buying the farm in Wisconsin, however, I assume it to be Illinois, since all his children lived in Illinois. I searched different spellings of first and surnames that I could think of such as Henrietta, Henrietti, Heneretti, Henriette, Gressier, Gressiers, Gressens, and many more variations. All the searches resulted in a dead-end. Sometimes I feel I am getting close only to find out that it is someone else with the same name or similar name. I found a Henrietta Desens living in Michigan married to a John Desens and they had a son Carl. When I first saw this I thought it was my great-grandfather’s parents, but the Carl Desens in Michigan had a different birth date then my great-grandfather. Once I found my 2^nd great-grandfather, John, in Wisconsin, I knew that the John and Henrietta living in Michigan were not my 2^nd great- grandparents. I have wondered if Heneretti was a middle name that she used, and records have her first name. But without more information about Heneretti, it is like looking for a needle in haystack. I will continue to search for Heneretti and hoping one day to finally break this brick wall.

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[1] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[2] Grantor Index Book, Clark County Wisconsin 1905 1/2 – 1911 ½ Vol 8, page 117, notes from mortgage: Paid off September 26, 1900. Filed at Clark County Courthouse, Recorder of Deeds, 517 Court Street, Room 303, Neillsville, Wisconsin 54456.

[3] Neillsville times(Neillsville, Clark County, Wis) July 11, 1907.

[4] Wisconsin, Clark, Greenwood, Greenwood Gleaner, 25 October 1901.

[5] United Church of Christ East Cemetery Index(formerly the German Immanuel Evangelical & Reformed Church) Warner Township, Clark County, WI, Compiled by Stan and Janet Schwarze.

#10 Carl Desens

October 6, 2018October 6, 2018 / Gail Grunst Genealogy / 2 Comments

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks topic this week is 10 — “Ten.” Ten what? Someone who had 10 children? Someone with 10 letters in their name? Someone who was in the 10th Infantry? Someone who was born in October? #10 on your ancestor chart? (That would be your paternal grandmother’s father, if you number it the standard way.) How are you going to interpret this week’s theme?

I chose my great-grandfather, Carl Desens, number 10 on my ancestor chart.

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Carl Desens was born on the 14 December 1859 in Berlin, Germany to Johann Desens and Henrietta Gressier.[1] Carl married Augusta Gabbei [2] around 1882 in Germany. [3] Augusta was born 28 January 1859 in Berlin, Germany.[4] They had a total of eight children.[5] The oldest Emma born around 1884 followed by Bertha and Mina all born in Germany. Children Louise, William, Henry, Anna, and Helen were all born in Illinois, USA.[6] Carl and Augusta arrived in the United States on April 28, 1888 in Baltimore, Maryland aboard the ship Main along with their daughters, Emma, Berta and Mina. [7] Carl and Augusta settled in Forest Park, Illinois in 1891.[8] It is unknown at this time where Carl and Augusta resided between their arrival in 1888 and 1891. On the 5 April 1895 Carl became a United States naturalized citizen. [9] Carl worked for Public Service Company as a stationary Fireman.[10] Carl and Augusta attended St. Paul Lutheran Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church both in Forest Park, Illinois[11] Carl had a brother, Herman,[12] and sisters, Augusta and Johanna.[13] Carl died on 8 January 1921 of Uremia and Chronic Interstitial Nephritis.[14] Augusta died on 7 July 1925 of Chronic Interstitial Nephritis and Hypertension[15] Both Carl and Augusta are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.[16] I have no family stories that were handed down about Carl and Augusta. I did notice that they both died of Chronic Interstitial Nephritis.[17] [18] My grandmother, Helen Desens also died of Uremia and Chronic Nephritis.[19] My father said many times that kidney problems ran in his mother’s family and his mother and all her sister’s died young. I don’t know if her sisters had the same problem, but it is interesting that her parents died of the same thing. I did run across a newspaper story about Carl’s father John Desens, who was killed by a neighbor in Clark County, Wisconsin[20]. I wrote a separate story about John since there was so much information about the case. I also ran across another newspaper article about Herman Desens, Carl’s brother, accidentally shooting himself in the chest.[21] When I interviewed my dad back in 1979, he said there were some relatives that were killed by Indians in Wisconsin. I think the family story was changed from one being killed by a neighbor and one shooting himself, to being killed by Indians. . Unfortunately, my father never told me any other family stories. He was a young child when both his grandparents died, so he probably didn’t remember them. It is too bad that family stories for this side of the family seem to have been lost. So far, I have been unable to find information on Carl’s mother Henrietta Gressiers. I have not found any pictures of Carl, but did find one of Augusta Desens with my dad around 1922 or 1923.

On the 1900 census there is a Dorothea Zoschke living with the Desens.[22] She is listed as Carl’s mother-in-law which makes her Augusta’s mother.[23] She is listed on the census as 72 years old and a widow.[24] Since her last name is different from Augusta’s maiden name, Gabbei, Dorothea must have remarried. I have been unable to find a marriage for Dorothea. I did find a Dorothea Gabbei on ship records. She arrived the 27 May 1890 in the Port of New York aboard the ship Elbe, and according to the ship’s record she is 64 years old in 1890[25] near the same age as Dorothea Zoschke. I also found that she died on 23 June 1901 of Alltersschwache (decrepit, old age, infirm, senile), and she was buried in Concordia Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois on June 23, 1901.[26] I am 90% sure that Dorothea Gabbei on the ships record and Dorothea Zoschke are one and the same. If they are the same that means Dorothea got married after arriving in the United States. I hope someday to be able to find the answers about Dorothea.

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[1] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[2] Marriage license and return. Illinois, DuPage, Wheaton, Illinois State Board of Health, County Clerk’s Office

[3] Year: 1900; Census Place: Proviso, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 294; Page: 53A; Enumeration District: 1182; FHL microfilm: 1240294

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

[4] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Oak Park, Registration Dist. 4318, Registered No. 395, County Clerks Record.

[5] Year: 1900; Census Place: Proviso, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 294; Page: 53A; Enumeration District: 1182; FHL microfilm: 1240294

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ancestry.com. Baltimore Passenger Lists 1820 – 1948 [database on-line]. Provo, UT. USA: Generations Network, Inc. 2006. Original Data: Baltimore, Maryland. Passenger Lists of Vessels arriving at Baltimore, Maryland , 1821-1891. Micropublication M255. RG036 Rolls # 1-50. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[8] Abstracted by Ellen Cannon, 8138 Kostner Ave., Skokie, IL 60076 from the book Forest Park Welcomes you to its 100^th Birthday Party, 1856-1956, Pg. 47. McHenry Public Library, Illinois, Cook, 977.3, Local History.

[9] Cook County Circuit Court, Naturalization records 1895 -1896 Vol 58 – 59, LDS roll 1024, 610, R58, Pg 57, April 8, 1895.

[10] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[11] St John Lutheran Church, Forest Park, Illinois and St, Paul Lutheran Church Congregational Books.

[12] United Church of Christ East Cemetery Index (formerly German Immanuel & Reformed Church), Warner Township, Clark County, Wisconsin

[13] Probate Case Files, Ca. 1873-1917, and Beginning With File No. 2699, Ca. 1900-1917, 1918 General Probate Index; Author: Wisconsin. County Court (Clark County); Probate Place: Clark, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Historical Society, Eau Clair, Wisconsin.

[14] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[15] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[16] Cemetery Records: Woodlawn Cemetery, 7600 West Cermak Road, Forest Park, Illinois. Woodland Section, Part 4, Lot 711 Graves 4 & 5.

[17] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Forest Park, Registration Dist. 3104, Registered no. 1050. Health Department Record, City of Chicago.

[18] Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Cook County, Oak Park, Registration Dist. 4318, Registered No. 395, County Clerks Record.

[19] Certificate of Death, Registration Dist. 231, No. # 22743, State of Illinois, County of DuPage, City of Elmhurst, County Clerk’s Office

[20] Marshfield Times, 17 July 1907

[21] Greenwood Gleaner, 25 October 1901. Http://wvls.lib.wi.us/ClarkCounty/ckrj/data/obits3/3.htm

[22] Year: 1900; Census Place: Proviso, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 294; Page: 53A; Enumeration District: 1182; FHL microfilm: 1240294

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Year: 1890; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 549; Line: 12; List Number: 732

Source Information: Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

[26] Ancestry.com. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. ELCA, Birth, Marriage, Deaths. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Chicago, Illinois.

Family Legends

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 / Gail Grunst Genealogy / 4 Comments

Napoleon

This weeks 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks topic is Family Legends. My family has several, but not one makes a very long story. So I have decided to list a few here.

Family Legends:

We are related to Napoleon. First of all I don’t know why anyone would want to admit that they were related to Napoleon. I’ve traced that line back to the early 1700’s and I can find no relation to Napoleon. This story came from my maternal grandmother about her mother’s family. My mother asked one of my grandmother’s aunts. The Aunt said that she had never heard that story, however she had heard that someone had fought in the Napoleonic Wars. My father used to joke that he believed it because my grandmother and mother were like dictators. I believe the aunt was right and my grandmother was wrong.
My 2^nd great-grandfather was a captain in the German Army in the 1870’s when he deserted the German Army and came to the United States. Of course if you are running away from the German Army you bring your pregnant wife and your 1½ year old little girl along with you. I believe he left Germany because he belonged to a religious faith that was pacifist, and wanted to avoid conscription into the German Army.
My grandmother also believed that she was part Native American. How she ever came to this conclusion, I have no idea. Her mother was born in Germany and her father in the US born to a father born in England and a mother born in Canada to parents who came from Scotland. She had this information, so where does the Native American heritage come in to the equation? I don’t think it does at all. She might have wished it to be so because she admired the Native American’s. DNA to the rescue, my DNA shows no Native American Ancestry.
My grandmother said that her grandmother’s maiden name was Fischer, she came from Canada, and she was related to the people who owned the Fischer Body Company that make the Auto bodies for Chevrolet. Remember the famous tag “Body by Fischer” displayed on the door still plate? Fischer Body Company was started by Fred and Charles Fischer of Detroit Michigan in 1908.[1] In 1913 they became so successful they expanded their company into Canada, setting up a plant in Walkerville Ontario.[2] The only part true is that her grandmother was from Canada. Her Grandmother’s maiden name was Frazier not Fischer. Another story that was not true.
My father had told me that we had some ancestors who were killed by Indian’s in Wisconsin. I was able to debunk this story. John Desens owned a farm in Clark County Wisconsin and was killed by his neighbor. John’s son, Herman, accidentally shot himself and died. I wrote about both of these incidents in previous blogs. See Where there is a will and Misfortune . The truth is they were killed, but not by Indians.

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[1] Wikipedia Website at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_Body

[2] Ibid.

Misfortune

March 24, 2018 / Gail Grunst Genealogy / 2 Comments

John and Herman Desens farm on left side of road as it looks today.

Misfortune seems to have followed John Desens around. About six years before he was killed by his neighbor, Fred Zell, his son, Herman, was killed when he accidently shot himself.

The latest victim of careless handling of guns is Herman Desens, a man about thirty years of age who lived with his father across from Fred Zell’s place west of town (Greenwood, Clark Co). Friday evening, Oct. 18, 1901 as the two were about to leave the clearing where they had been working, the young man went after his shot gun, which he had left nearby standing against a log. He seized the gun by the muzzle and drew it toward him, and in doing so the hammer cocked, discharging the load of one barrel into his breast. The father hearing the shot, looked up, but noticing his son standing thought nothing of the shot and stooped to his work, when he heard his son give an exclamation and saw him start for the house. The man only went a few yards when he dropped to the ground dead. The funeral occurred at the cemetery on the West Side Sunday afternoon. Deceased, with his father, came to Greenwood about two years ago and have lived together on their small clearing.[1]

Another account is from Marshfield Times October 25, 1901.

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