Ancestors & Descendants of Nicholas Haas
The following is a work in progress describing the lifes of Joseph Haas (the father of Nicholas), and Joseph's siblings.....
Twins, Joseph and Maria/Mary Haas, were born on Monday, February 10, 1834 in the village of Aichhalden, in the Schwartzwaldkriese (Schwartzwald translates as “Black Forest” and kriese as “county") of the German duchy (or “duke-dom”) of Wuertenberg in the southwest of present day Germany.
They had two older brothers and an older sister. Nicholas was already 8, born in 1826, and Conrad was 3, born in 1831. Older sister Sabine was 6, born on October 24, 1828. Another older sibling was born January 1, 1833, the year before, but no other records seem to exist and it is assumed he/she passed away in early infancy. Two and a half years after Joseph and Maria's birth, a younger sister, Rosina, was born on Sept 27, 1836.
Their parents were Luzia (nee Auber) and Johannes Haas. Both had also been born in Aichhalden, as had X previous generations of their mother’s family and 5 previous generations of their father’s family. Their father, however, had been the only child of their grandparents, so there were no Haas aunts, uncles or first cousins for Joseph, Maria and their siblings. Their father, Johannes, was born May 24, 1802 and was 32 years old when Joseph and Maria were born. Their mother was older than their father by 7 years. She was born in November of 1795. They were married on ____ in the village catholic church of St. Michael.
12 days after their 5th birthday, on February 22, 1839, Joseph and Maria’s father died at the age of 37. Circumstances of his death are unknown. Joseph and Maria's 2 brothers and 3 sisters are now from 12 to 2 1/2 years in age. No record has been discovered of their mother having married a second time.
1850’s
Not much additional has been uncovered about the twins or their family until they are 19 years old, when, on April 1, 1853, their older sister, Sabine, at the age of 25, gave birth, illegitimately, to a daughter, Maria Louise Haas. Later that year Joseph, alone, immigrated to America, departing from Le Havre, France and arriving in New York on December 15, 1853, aboard the Sam M. Fox. A voyage at this time is typically aboard a sailing ship and lasts 1-2 months, meaning that Joseph departed Le Havre likely in the month of October or November. After arriving in America, for reasons unknown, he quickly made his way across country and settled in New Athens, St. Clair County, IL, which was a small farming community situated on the banks of the Kaskaskia River in southern Illinois. We know this because by 1854 he is involved in a group of 15 individuals meeting to form the Catholic congregation in New Athens, later
establishing St. Agatha’s parish church according to a brochure published to celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary. Also listed as part of the group is Peter Grau. He will later have two daughters who will become the brides of Joseph’s son and stepson. Much later, Joseph’s great-grandson, Father Ralph Haas, will serve as pastor of St. Agatha’s for a time, including during the 100 year anniversary.
From this point on quite a bit more can be reconstructed about the life and times of Joseph Haas and his siblings:
In February 1855, Joseph, 21, was joined in New Athens by his older brother, Nicholas, now 29 years old, who had arrived in New Orleans on the 24th, traveling alone and sailing from La Havre, France aboard the Lexington.
On the 20th of June 1859, 25 year old Joseph married 16 year old Lena Ohmer in Freeburg, St. Clair County, IL, a town approximately 10 miles north, between New Athens and Belleville, the county seat. Later in 1859, on the 19th of November, Joseph's mother, Luzia, at the age of 64, his twin sister, Maria, 25, his younger sister, Rosina, 23, his older sister, Sabine, 31, and her daughter, Maria Louisa, 6, and his older brother, Conrad, 28, all arrived in New Orleans aboard the Cumberland, sailing from La Havre, France. Both this group, of 5 females and 1 male, and earlier, his older brother, Nicholas, when he had arrived in 1855, after landing in New Orleans, no doubt, traveled up the Mississippi River to the St. Louis, MO area and then made their way to the small town of New Athens, IL. Also in 1859, Joseph's 28 year old brother, Conrad Haas, was the father of his first child, a son, Rinhold. His wife was Adeline Schuler. (This infers that Conrad either met and married his wife in short order in America or that he knew her in advance and married her in America or that they were married in Germany before arriving in America.)
Between 1859 and 1871 (i.e., the 1860’s, the time of the US Civil War), Joseph is married, all seven of Joseph’s children are born, four of them die in early childhood and he loses his young wife, Lena. Joseph also remarries and gains five stepchildren. All of his single siblings also marry during this period and begin establishing their own families. The details follow:
1860’s
On the 16th of January, 1860, Joseph's 25 year old twin sister Maria, within 2 months of arriving in America, is married to Urban Breitsch. The wedding is performed in St Clair County, IL. Breitsch is a very common surname in the village of Aichhalden. Together they had a daughter, Mary Magdalene, born on September 25, 1860. No further record has been found of Urban Breitsch and it is assumed he passed away before 1866. The only other record found of their daughter is her death date of July 6, 1895.
On March 9th, 1860, 26 year old Joseph's, and his 17 year old wife, Lena’s, first child, daughter Mari,e is born.
The 1860 census lists …. Conrad is listed as a jeweler and Nicholas and Joseph as farmers.
On March 6th, 1861, Joseph's 33 year old sister, Sabine Haas, married Peter Steiger. Her daughter Maria Louisa was 8 years old at the time. Nothing more is known about Maria Louisa Haas. On June 18th of 1861, Joseph's first child, 15 month old Marie, dies. At the time Joseph’s wife, Lena, is pregnant with their second child. And on September 15th, 1861, Joseph's second child, daughter Amelia "Emily", is born.
On July 29th, 1862, Joseph's 25 year old younger sister, Rosina Haas, married Johan Eberhard Winterbauer in St. Clair county. And on August 12, 1862, Joseph's 32 year-old twin sister, Maria, remarries to Andreas Schuhmacher.
In June of 1863, Joseph’s younger sister, Rosina Winterbauer, has her first child, son, Charles A., born on the 4th.
In July of 1863, on the 12th, Joseph's third child, his first son, Nicholas, is born. On August 25th, 1863, Joseph's twin sister, Maria, and her new husband, Andrew/Andreas Schuhmacher, welcome the birth of their first child, a daughter, Rosa.
In 1864, Joseph's brother Conrad, 33, had his second child, daughter Lena. And on December 14th , 1864, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria, has her third child, second by Andreas Schuhmacher, a daughter, Anna “Annie” Catherina.
On February 9th, 1865, Joseph's older brother, Nicholas, 39, married Margeretha Wegman. Later that year, on August 13th, 1865, Joseph's second son, his fourth child, John, is born. Also in 1865, Joseph's older brother Conrad, 34, had his third child and second son, Joseph, born October 2. Unfortunately, later in October, Joseph’s newborn son, John, 2 months old, passes away on the 17th. Also in 1865, Joseph’s younger sister, Rosina Winterbauer, has her second child, daughter, Johanna “Annie”.
On June 9th, 1866, Joseph purchases 120 acres of farmland for $1500. Prior to this the family had been living on a rented farm (?)
On September 20th, 1866, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria Schuhmacher, has her fourth child, a boy, Joseph George, and on the 28th, Joseph's fifth child, daughter, Marian, is born. The following year, on October 1st of 1867, Joseph's youngest child, daughter Marian, dies, 3 days after her first birthday.
Earlier in 1867, on February 27, Joseph’s brother, Conrad, purchases a lot in the town of New Athens. Today this lot is located at the corner of _____ and _____ in present day New Athens. And on the 14th of May, 1867, Joseph sells 40 acres of farmland for $800 and purchases, from the buyers of the acreage, a lot in Urbana (another name for the town of Freeburg) for $500.
Sometime during the 1867-68 timeframe, Joseph’s younger sister, Rosina Winterbauer, has her third child, daughter, Suzanne.
On August 11th of 1868, Joseph's sixth child, daughter Margaret Frederica "Freda", is born. And on October 12th, 1868, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria Schuhmacher, has her fifth child, a daughter, Regina.
In 1869, Joseph's older brother, Conrad, 38, had his fourth child, daughter Catherine, and younger sister, Rosina Winterbauer, has her fourth and last child, daughter, Rosa.
1870’s
On June 27th of 1870, Joseph's seventh and last child, daughter Agnes, is born. Unfortunately, however, on August 31 she passes away, a little more than 2 months after being born. In between these dates, on July 6th, Joseph’s 27 year old wife, “Lena”, passes away, undoubtedly due to the difficult childbirth 10 days earlier. She is buried the next day, July 7th, in New Athens City Cemetery. Their children are “Emily”, age 9, Nicholas, six days short of his 7th birthday, and “Freda”, almost 2 years old.
On October 11th, 1870, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria Schuhmacher, has her sixth child, daughter, Mary M.
Later, on November 1st, less than five months after his wife’s death, 38 year old Joseph marries his second wife, Maria “Mary” Wolf nee Redwitz, widow of Paul Wolf. The marriage is performed in Paderborn, IL. She has five children of her own to add to Joseph’s family of three children:
Andrew Wolf, age 14, born about 1856
George Wolf, age 12, born May 29, 1858
Henry Wolf, age 10, born October 26, 1860
John Wolf, age 8, born 1862
Barbara A. Wolf, age 4, born Octonber 1866.
In 1870, the census lists …..
On November 25th, 1870, Joseph's older brother, Conrad, 39, had his fifth child, daughter Katie.
In October 1871 and March 1872, Conrad and Joseph, respectively, become naturalized citizens.
In 1872, Joseph’s younger sister, Rosina Winterbauer, passes away, cause unknown, at the age of 36. Her four children are ages 3 to 9.
On March 31st, 1873, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria Schuhmacher, has twins, her seventh and eight (and last) children, Francisca “Frances” S. and John.
1880’s
On January 2, 1880, Joseph's older brother, Conrad, 49, was killed in a fall from a railroad trestle. News of this is printed in the Marissa weekly newspaper. Conrad’s five children are ages 10 to 21.
Later in 1880 the census lists ……
On January 17th, 1884, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria, passes away at the age of 50. Her husband is left with their eight children, ages 11 to 19, plus a stepdaughter, age 24.
On August 26th, 1884, Joseph’s stepson, Henry Wolf, marries Margaret Grau, daughter of Peter Grau, another long-time resident of New Athens.
Later, on November 18, Joseph’s oldest child, daughter, Amelia “Emily”, marries Michael Schuetz in New Athens.
The following year, in 1885, Joseph’s first grandchild, a boy, Nicholas Schuetz is born, but sadly, he passes on in 1886.
During 1887 Joseph’s second grandchild is born, a girl, Mary/Amelia Schuetz. In New Athens on September 27, 1887, Joseph’s son, Nicholas, marries Elizabeth “Liz” Grau, sister to Margaret Grau, wife to his stepbrother Henry Wolf.
On March 9, 1888, Joseph’s twin sister’s 2nd husband, Andreas Schuhmacher, passes away at the age of 75. Their 7 children range in age from 15 to 23, plus a step-daughter, age 28. Joseph has been named in Andreas’s will to serve as legal guardian for the minor children. Later, in August of 1888, Joseph’s third grandchild, Peter, son of Nicholas, is born.
In 1889 Joseph’s 2nd wife, Mary, passes away at age 69. Joseph is 55 years of age. By now his only child still remaining at home is his daughter “Freda”, age 21. Mary’s children are ages 23 to 33 and all but Barbara Wolf are presumed no longer living at home.
1890’s
On May 17, 1894, Joseph’s remaining daughter, Margaret Frederica “Freda”, age 25, marries Ludwig George Meder of Pinckneyville, IL in New Athens.
On May 24th, 1894, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria’s, daughter, Mary M. dies at the age of 24.
On July 6th, 1895, Joseph’s twin sister, Maria’s first child Mary Magdalen Breitsch, passes away at the age of ___.
1900’s
The 1900 census lists step-daughter, Barbara A. Wolf as residing with Joseph, age 66, in the town of New Athens.
On November 11th 1901, Adeline, the widow of Joseph's deceased brother, Conrad, dies and is buried in the New Athens Cemetery. She was 64 years old and born on January 29, 1837.
On February 22, 1907 Joseph passed away.
1910’s
1920’s
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