Monroe County, Illinois Church Records

My latest genealogy project is to put my transcriptions from original church records on-line, with a focus on Esther Kraus's ancestors and the Eckert, Krauss/Kraus, Lepp, Stumpf, Wehinger, and Wenkel families. Many other related families are also found in these records.

You can access the records here. Just follow the link to the church of interest.

So far, I have completed the following:

• St. Paul's Evangelical, Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois:
  - Member list
  - Confirmations (full transcription of 1938 confirmands directory, partial transcription of original records)
  - Marriages (partial transcription of original records)
  - Deaths (partial transcription of original records)
  
• St. Paul's Evangelical, Waterloo, Monroe County, Illinois:
  - Marriages (partial transcription of original records)
  

There are scans from the original record microfilms for many of the entries. Extracts from the baptism records of both St. Paul's in Columbia and St. Paul's in Waterloo are next on the agenda.

In addition to my transcribed records, I've compiled other online resources, including histories, photos and record indices, for St. Paul's Evangelical (Columbia), St. Paul's Evangelical (Waterloo), Zoar Evangelical (New Hanover), Immaculate Conception (Columbia), and Zion Evangelical (Millstadt, St. Clair County). Esther's ancestors (or their siblings) recorded baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths at each of these churches.

Corrections and comments are always welcome.

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Happy New Year!

May everyone have a happy and healthy 2006.



1952 New Year's photo of Esther (Kraus) Mabry, her mother Katie (Wenkel) Kraus, and her two daughters, Jacqueline and Nadine.

Happy New Year Mom and Aunt Nadine!

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World War I Draft Registration

In 1917 and 1918, all males born between 1872 and 1900 were required to register for the draft. The draft registration cards are a great source of genealogical information, with registrant's home address, occupation and physical description.

Esther's dad, Friedrich "Fred" Kraus, had to register:

Name: Fred Kraus
Address: Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
Birth: December 21, 1874, Native Born
Occupation: blacksmith, working for sel, Columbia, Illinois
Nearest relative: Katherine Kraus (wife)
Description: Medium height, medium build, black eyes, dark hair

Fred's younger brothers also registered (older brother John died in 1907):

Name: George Krauss
Address: Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
Birth: December 30, 1878, Native born
Occupation: car repairer, Missouri Pacific Ry., in Dupo, St. Clair Co., Illinois
Nearest relative: Mrs. Louisa Harres (sister) of Columbia, ILlinois
Description: Medium height, medium build, brown eyes, dark hair

Name: Henry Krauss
Address: Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
Birth: October 3, 1883, native born
Occupation: Blacksmith, working for self
Nearest relative: Mrs. Elizabeth Payne (sister), of Columbia, Illinois
Description: Medium height, medium build, brown eyes, dark hair

Name: William Krauss
Address: Dupo, St. Clair County, Illinois
Birth: April 5, 1889, born Columbia, ILlinois
Occupation: Car Inspector 23, Terminal RR Addn. GL? in Dupo, Illinois
Single
Description: Medium height, stout build, black eyes, black hair

Bill was the only Krauss brother to actually serve during "the World War". He was a Private in the 113 Engrs. 38the Division.

Esther had no uncles on her mother's side of the family.

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Our Ancestral Villages and Towns

Genealogy and How suggests that a little research on the literal meaning of German town names can provide some insight as to how our ancestors lived in the "old country." From what I've learned about our own ancestors' homes, it is often not as simple as looking up words in a German-English dictionary. While some names are based on a local geographic feature, others are named after early inhabitants, or are based on the old Roman town names. Most have become distorted over the centuries.

Below is a summary of some of the information I've found. Note that the linked English translations are very crude.

Becherbach: Krauss family
Becher: This probably refers to the "Pechbrennern" (pitch burners) that were used there.
Bach: brook

The Becherbach area has been inhabited since neolithic times. Roman roads criss-cross the region. Today it is in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

• Official Becherbach website
• Becherbach Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• For more information about the Krauss family start here.

Bregenz: Einsle family
Bregenz is a town in Austrian Alpine state of Vorarlberg. The area has been settled for thousands of years. The city of "Brigantium" was founded by the Romans in 15 BC. The name Bregenz is derived from the Roman name.

• Official Bregenz site
• Brengenz Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Bregenz photo album
• Start here for more information about the Einsle family.

Dornbirn: Wehinger Family
Dornbirn is a town in western Austria in the Alpine state of Vorarlberg. The name Dornbirn is derived from "torrin puirron", meaning the "settlement of Torro" after the name of a resident farmer. The the first recorded use of the name was in 895.

• Official Dornbirn web site
• Dornbirn Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Dornbirn Photo Album
• Start here for more information about the Wehinger family.

Ebeleben: Wenkel family
Ebeleben was first settled between the 4th and 6th century, and the first documented use of the name was in 1198 (Duke Fridericus de Eveleiben). The meaning of the name is unclear.
Ebeleben is in the German state of Thuringia.

• Official Ebeleben site (click the links under "Geschichte" for pictures).
• Wikipedia entry for Ebeleben (English translation
• Start here for more information about the Wenkel family. (See also Bierwirth.)

Grosswenden or Großwenden: Bierwirth family
Gross or Groß: large.
Wenden: in this case it refers to the old German word for "Slavs" (English translation). The towns of Grosswenden and Kleinwenden were founded during the Middle Ages by Slavs who had migrated west. Today Großwenden and nearby Klein(small)wenden are part of the greater municipality of Großlohra in the German state of Thuringia.

• Wikipedia article about Großlohra and its castle. (English translation)
• Großwenden Evangelical (Protestant) Church Information
• Start here for more information about the Bierwirth family. (See also Wenkel)

Gross-Zimmern: Stumpf family
Gross or Groß: large or greater
Zimmern: literally rooms, but the derivation is slightly different

• Official Groß-Zimmern website
• Groß-Zimmern Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Start here for information about the Stumpf family.

The town was first mentioned in 1250, when the Abbey of Fulda Groß-Zimmern gave the fiefdom of the deceased George von Zimmern to the counts Diether und Eberhard von Katzenellenbogen. The 13th century name "Cymmern Superior" developed into Groß-Zimmern (also called over the centuries "Obernzimmern", "Zummern", "Zymern", "Zymmern", "Großen Zymern", "Oberzimmern" und "Großen Zimbern").Groß-Zimmern is in the present-day state of Hessen in Germany.

Michelbach: Eckert family
Michel: Michael
Bach: brook
There are several Michelbachs in Germany. Our Eckert family was probably from the village of Michelbach that lies outside of Fränkisch-Crumbach in the Odenwald (Oden Forest) in the state of Hessen, Germany.

• Official Fränkisch-Crumbach website.(Map showing Michelbach).
• Odenwald Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Fränkisch-Crumbach Wikipedia entry (Enlish translation)
• Start here for more information about the Eckert family.

Nierstein: Leip Family
Nier: ? One interpretation of the name is "stone house of Naro".
Stein: rock or stone

Nierstein lies in the wine growing region along the Rhine river in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.Romans founded the town of Bauconica on this site almost 2000 years ago. The name Nierstein was first recorded in 882 ("Nerinstein" in a confirmation record).

• Official Nierstein website
• Nierstein Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Nierstein History Association (click on map)
• Nierstein photos
• Start here for information about the Leip family.

Oppenheim: Lepp Family
Oppen: probably after a Frankish nobleman named "Obbo"
Heim: home

Oppenheim lies in the wine growing region along the Rhine river, adjacent to the town of Nierstein (see above). By the 4th century there was a Roman settlement on the site. In about 510 a Frankish nobleman, probably named "Obbo" established a manor (Hofgut) around which the village of Oppenheim grew.

• Official Oppenheim website (click on map)
• Oppenheim Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Oppenheim photos
• Start here for information about the Lepp family.

Schönborn: Jaeger family
Schön or Schoen: beautiful
Born: spring or fount

Schönborn is near the village of Becherbach in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

• Official Schönborn website
• Schönborn Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• For more information about the Jaeger family start here.

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Evangelical St. Paul's Cemetery Photos

Esther (Kraus) Mabry was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Church (now UCC) in Columbia, Illinois, as were were her parents, grandparents and even several of her great+ grandparents. Most of her ancestors were buried in the Evangelical St. Paul cemetery.

Several volunteers, particularly Judy Lindquist (a cousin on the Wenkel side), have photographed gravestones in Evangelical St. Paul cemetery, and shared them with their fellow genealogists on the Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery Page.

Esther's Parents
• Fred Kraus (1874-1928) and Katherine (Wenkel) Kraus (1879-1964)

Esther's Grandparents
• Daniel and Margaretha (Eckert) Krauss (not pictured)
• John Wenkel (1853-1918) and Margareth Sophia (Lepp) Wenkel (1857-1949)

Esther's Great grandparents
• Daniel Krauss, Sr. (1817-1887) and Catherine (Jaeger) Krauss (1815-1882)

•(Margaretha (Eckert) Krauss's parents are not known)

• William Wenkel (1831-1905) : buried with his third wife Christina (Schuckhardt) Wenkel
• Catherine (Stumpf) Wenkel (1835-1862)

• William Lepp (1828-1912) and Paulina (Wehinger) Lepp (1832-1906)

Esther's Great-great-grandparents

• Conrad Wenkel (1800-1858) and Henriette (Bierwirth) Wenkel (1804-1881)

• Esther's Krauss, Jaeger, Eckert, and Wehinger great grandparents did not emigrate to America.

• Wilhelm Lepp's father died in Oppenheim, Germany. His mother, Johanna (Leip) (Lepp) Reitz probably died between 1850 and 1860 in Waterloo, Monroe County, Illinois. She is probably buried there.

• George Stumpf (1801-1875) and Elisabeth (Keim) Stumpf (1801-1853) are buried New Hanover Cemetery (only George's grave is pictured)

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Did Daniel Krauss serve in the Civil War?

The Krauss family emigrated from Germany in about 1861, first settling in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

“Shortly after their arrival in this country, the family’s oldest son, Daniel, entered the service as a blacksmith shoeing horses for the Union Army in the St. Louis area. Here he re-established connections with the Kuehner family* of Columbia, old friends of his parents. In time, they and young Daniel influenced his parents to leave Wisconsin and migrate to Illinois.” (from The KRAUSS Family of Columbia, Illinois and Descendants of the Second Daughter, Caroline, 1964 by Florence Young Barnes).

There was some irony in this, because one probable reason the Krauss family left Germany was the continuing political unrest and the liklihood their sons would be pressed into the military.

The question is, can we find any evidence of Daniel's service during the Civil War?

The short answer is that no clear evidence that Daniel was in the military has been found. There were enlisted men that worked as military blacksmiths. However, it is possible that Daniel was pressed into service as a civilian, thus was never officially in the military. So what information is out there?

1. The only Daniel Krauss (or Kraus, Krauss, Krause, Krausz, Krans) that is listed in the searchable Civil War records is probably not related. It is unclear whether Daniel began serving the army in Wisconsin, or if he traveled to the St. Louis area first.

• A Daniel Krauss enlisted in the 26th Infantry Regiment of Missouri Volunteers (company G). Daniel was an 18 year old resident of St. Louis when he enlisted on November 23, 1861. No occupation is listed. In 1861 our Daniel would have been 21, so it's unlikely this was the same person.

• A John D. Krauss (note that Daniel's father's full name was Johann Daniel) served in the 5th Regiment of the Missouri Infantry Volunteers, Company A. This regiment was formed in St. Louis. No additional details about John's service are known. According to the Civil War pension application files, he was married to a woman named Jacobina, so he was definitely not our Daniel.

2. If Daniel did serve during the Civil War, he could have been in the same unit as Louis Kuehner. Unfortunately, we don't know if Louis Kuehner was a civil war veteran either. In 1860 he and his family* were living in Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois. Some Monroe County men traveled to St. Louis to enlist, so it isn't unreasonable that Louis did so as well. (note that there was a different Louis Kuehner of approximately the same age that lived in St. Louis). Louis was 30 years old in 1861.

• A "Louis Kuerner" enlisted as a private in the 43rd Illinois Infantry, Company H. At that time he was a resident of St. Louis. Many of the other members of this unit resided in Monroe County at the time they enlisted.

• A "Louis Kuhner" enlisted in Company G of the 13th Enrolled Missouri Militia. Louis enlisted September 25, 1884 in St. Louis and was relieved from duty October 31 of that year (he was AWOL October 22 - November 2).

Unfortunately from this sketchy information, we cannot conclude that either Daniel or Louis were enlisted during the Civil War. On the other hand, there is no evidence that Daniel did not serve in the capacity of an unenlisted blacksmith, either. The question remains open. (Daniel did work as a blacksmith his entire life in Columbia).

* We know that the Kuehners were more than "old friends"; Louis' wife Catharine (nee Maurer) was Daniel's cousin. See the post about the Krauss family in Becherbach for more details.

CIVIL WAR DATABASES
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (maintained by the National Park Service)
• Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865
• Missouri Soldiers Database: War of 1812 - World War I
• Missouri's Union Provost Marshal Papers: 1861 - 1866 (not a database of soldiers, rather "thousands of pages of documents detailing the way the provost marshal affected the lives of Missouri citizens who came into contact with the Union Army.")
• Missouri Militias
• Database of Illinois Civil War Veterans
• Database of Illinois Civil War Veterans of Missouri Units
• Civil War Soldiers buried in Monroe County, Illinois
• German Americans in the Civil War

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Our Ancestors in 1800

I've been playing with the Google maps API to generate a map showing where the ancestors of Esther (Kraus) Mabry lived in 1800. I've pinpointed where the Krauss, Wenkel, Stumpf, Lepp, Eckert, and Wehinger families were living in what is now Germany and Austria.

The advantage of using Google maps is that I can insert "pins" with information at different locations. The viewer can zoom in on any point and see either a standard map or a satellite view. I am still learning how the system works, so comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

Map showing where our ancestors lived in 1800.

At the moment only the most recent web browsers (Firefox/Mozilla, IE 5.5+, and Safari 1.2+) can be used to view the maps. I've found that Firefox works the best.

Download Firefox for free.

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The Krauss family from Becherbach

Our Krauss (Krauß) ancestors lived in the village of Becherbach in what is now the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.

One Village Many States

Becherbach is nestled in the mountains east of the Rhine (Rhein) River in the parish of Gangloff, near the town of Roth. Coins and other artifacts found in this area show that it has been occupied since Roman times. (Map of Becherbach and region)

The earliest documented use of the name "Becherbach" was in 1325. The name apparently has nothing to do with drinking (bechern). Instead, a "Becher" or "Pecher" was a vessel for collecting pitch. "Bach" refers to the town's proximity to a brook.

Over the centuries, the region around Becherbach has been claimed by numerous states.

• In the 15th Century, this area was part of the Graftschaf Veldenz, then the Duchy of Pfalz-Zweibrücken.
• 1688-1697: War of the Palatinate, between France and a coalition lead by Britain.
• 1795 : France occupies the west bank of the Rhein. The region around Becherbach became part of the Cantonof Lauterecken, Département of Mont-Tonnerre (Donnersberg).
• 1816 : After the defeat of Napolean, the region became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria (Königreich Bayern). Note that this is not near the present day state of Bavaria. This region was known as Payrische Pfalz, Rheinpfalz, or Rheinbayern.

Becherbach was part of Bavaria until 1935

The Krauss Family
The earliest record we have of the Krauss family is the marriage of Johann Daniel Krauss and Marie Elisabeth Hoffmann on December 22, 1810 in Becherbach. Based on my (very rough) translation from the French, "Jean Daniel Krauss", age 28 years 8 months, was a bachelor farmer in Becherbach, the son of Jean Daniel Krauss, deceased and Anne Marguerithe née Krauss. He married Marie Elisabethe Hoffmann, age 16 years 6 months, daughter of Pierre Hoffmann and Marie Barbe neé Porr of Roth, both deceased, and granddaughter of Abraham Anne Elisabeth Hoffmann of Desloch.

Johann Daniel and Marie Elisabeth had at least seven children.

Their eldest daughter Catharine, born in 1811, married Abraham Maurer in Becherbach in 1834. The Maurers and their children Johann and Catharine emigrated to America in 1837. Abraham died in 1839 in Monroe County, Illinois. The widow Catharine married a second time, to Jacob Rau, and had three sons, Jacob, Peter and Benedict. Catharine died in Columbia, Illinois in 1869.

Johann Daniel's oldest son (and our ancestor), Daniel Krauss, was born in 1817. In about 1839 he married Catharine Jaeger, of Schönborn. In November of 1839, Daniel's parents gave him property in Becherbach, and by 1845* he had a residence with cellar, barn, stalls for animals and barnyard. As recalled by his daughter Caroline:

“Land was precious, and sheds for livestock were often attached to the house to save space. Cows were taken out each morning to graze where land was not being cultivated. Every member of the family had his work. In many respects it was a simple life.” (from “The KRAUSS Family of Columbia, Illinois and Descendants of the Second Daughter, Caroline” by Florence Young Barnes)

Daniel and Catharine and their eight children (Daniel, Catherine, Caroline, Phillip, John, Jacob, Elizabeth and Peter) emigrated to America in about 1861. They lived a couple years in Whitewater, Wisconsin before finally moving to Columbia, Illinois, joining Daniel's sister Catharine, and his cousins John Maurer, Catharine (Maurer) Kuehner, and the Rau boys. Catharine Krauss died in 1882, and Daniel died in 1887. Both are buried in Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery in Columbia.

*Becherbach Anno 1845 (property tax register). Copy received by Ralph Knowles from the Becherbach Burgermeister in May 1988, and kindly shared with me.

MAPS
•1789 Map of the Pfalz (Becherbach is in the northwestern quadrant, in Herzogtum Pfalz-Zweibrücken (light blue) south of Meisenheim).
•1813 Map of the Pfalz
•1820 Map of Central Europe (the Pfalz region is part of the Kingdom of Bavaria (Bayern)). This is essentially the same as the 1860 map.
1837 Map of "Rheinkreis" region of the Kingdom of Bavaria

BECHERBACH (and related) LINKS
•Photos and History of Becherbach (Stefan Arndt)
•Official Site of the Meisenheim Region (including Becherbach)
•Wikipedia entry for Becherbach (rough English translation - note that "Becherbach" literally means "Cup brook")
•Rockenhausen area (includes Schönborn and Bisterschied)
•History of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
•Emigration from Bavaria to America

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Monroe County, Illinois Funeral Cards: Wenkel, Kraus, Lepp

The ancestors of Esther (Kraus) Mabry (1905-1986) lived in and around Columbia in Monroe County, Illinois for several generations. The Monroe County Genweb site has added a lot of material recently. Among the interesting items are scanned funeral cards. There are a number for our relatives, including:

• Ida (Kraus) Schmidt - sister of Esther (Kraus) Mabry. [neither Esther, nor her sister Edna (Kraus) Baker]

Esther's maternal aunts (sisters of her mother Katie (Wenkel) Kraus):
• Pauline (Wenkel) Eckert
• Mathilda (Wenkel) Stumpf and her husband John Stumpf.
• Emma (Wenkel) Stumpf and her husband William Stumpf.
• Bertha (Wenkel) Landgraf and her husband Edmund Landgraf.
[not included: Esther's mother, Katie (Wenkel) Kraus; and aunts Clara (Wenkel) Schmidt and Ida (Wenkel) Eschmann.]

Esther's paternal aunts and uncle (siblings of her father Fred Kraus):
• Elizabeth (Kraus) (Payne) Penn
• Louisa (Kraus) Harres, and her husband William Harres.
• Annie (Kraus) Stumpf and her husband Philip Stumpf.
• Henry Krauss
[not included: Esther's father, Fred Kraus, and his siblings Clara (Kraus) Schroeder, John Kraus, George Kraus, Bertha Kraus, Bill Kraus, and Emma (Kraus) Wingate)

Other family:
• Sophia Margaretha (Lepp) Wenkel - mother of Katie (Wenkel) Kraus, grandmother of Esther (Kraus) Mabry. Also her twin brother Fred Lepp, Sr.
• William Lepp, Sr. - father of Sophia Margaretha (Lepp) Wenkel (listed with his third wife, Caroline Haller, who is not our ancestor).

I will post more links to information from this site!

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Mini bio: Daniel and Catharine (Jager) Krauss

Brief biography of Daniel Krauss (1817-1887) and his wife, Catharine Jaeger (1815-1882). Their position on the family tree.

Daniel Krauss

Birth: October 17, 1817 in Becherbach, Kingdom of Bavaria (now in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
Baptism: November 19, 1817 in Gangloff, Kingdom of Bavaria (now in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany)
Parents: Johann "Daniel" Krauss and Marie Katherine Elisabeth Hoffmann
Known Residences:
--- 1845 in Becherbach
--- 1861 (about) immigrated to Whitewater, Walworth County, Wisconsin with his parents
--- 1864 (about) moved to Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
--- continued to live in Columbia, Illinois until his death
Occupation: Farmer
Death: September 23, 1887 in Columbia, Illinois. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.

Catharine Jaeger

Birth: March 30, 1815 in Schönborn, Kingdom of Bavaria (now in Rheinhessen-Pfalz, Germany)
Parents: unknown
Known residences:
--- lived with husband Daniel until her death
Death: April 8, 1882. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.

Marriage and Children

Daniel Krauss married Catharine Jaeger in about 1839.

Children of Daniel and Catherine (Jaeger) Krauss
*** Daniel Krauss (the younger): born 1840, married Margaretha Eckert
--- Johannes Krauss: born 1842 (probably died young)
--- Catherine Krauss: born 1845, married Christian Niemeier
--- Caroline "Carrie" Krauss: born 1846, married Herman Huch, then Georg Carl Doerr
--- Philipp Krauss: born 1859, married Mary Koskula.
--- Johannes F. "John" Krauss: born 1852, married Mary Schnell?.
--- Jacob Krauss: born 1854
--- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Krauss: born 1856, married Heinrich Christian "Henry" Doerr, then Jacob Fischer
--- Peter Krauss: born 1859, married Minnie Giffhorn.

Posts about Daniel and Catharine (Jager) Krauss
• The Krauss Family of Becherbach
• Map of our ancestors in 1800
• Our Ancestral Villages and Towns

Off-site Links
• Gravestone photos:Daniel Krauss, Sr. (1817-1887) and Catherine (Jaeger) Krauss (1815-1882). Both are buried at St. Paul Evangelical Cemtery in Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois.
• Death records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia - with scans of both Daniel and Catharine's death records.

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Mini bio: Daniel & Margaretha (Eckert) Krauss

Brief biography of Daniel Krauss ("the younger", 1840-1905) and his wife, Margaretha Eckert (1848-1911). Their position on the family tree.

Daniel Krauss (the younger)

Birth: August 30, 1840 in Becherbach, Kingdom of Bavaria (now in Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany)
Parents: Daniel Krauss & Catharine Jaeger
Known Residences:
--- 1861 (about) immigrated to Whitewater, Walworth County, Wisconsin with his parents
--- 1864 (about) moved to Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
--- continued to live in Columbia, Illinois until his death
Occupation: blacksmith
Death: November 29, 1905 in Columbia, Illinois. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.

Margaretha Eckert

Birth: August 7, 1848 in Michelbach, Hesse-Darmstadt (now in Hessen, Germany)]
Confirmation: April 1862 at St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) in Columbia, Illinois
Parents: J. Eckert & Johanna Dahmer (?)
Known Residences:
--- 1859 (about) immigrated to the United States
--- 1862 living in Columbia, Illinois
--- continued to live in Columbia, Illinois until her death
Death: January 3, 1911 in Columbia, Illinois. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.

Marriage and Children

Daniel Krauss married Margaretha Eckert on November 7, 1867, by Rev. E. Otto of St. Paul Evangelical, Columbia, Illinois

Children of Daniel and Margaretha (Eckert) Krauss:
--- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Kraus: born 1868. Married to Edward Payne, then Arthur Penn.
--- Catharine "Louisa" Kraus: born 1870, married William Harres.
--- Caroline "Lina" Kraus: born 1871, married Gustav Schroeder
--- Johannes Philipp "John" Kraus: born 1873, married Lena Koenig.
*** Valentine Friedrich "Fred" Kraus; born 1874, married Katie Wenkel
--- Anna Margaretha "Annie" Kraus: born 1876, married Philip Stumpf, Jr.
--- George Kraus: born 1878, unmarried
--- baby boy: born 1881
--- Heinrich Hermann "Henry" Kraus: born 1883, unmarried
--- baby girl: born 1885
--- Bertha Kraus: born 1886, died 1887
--- Wilhelm Adam "Bill" Kraus: born 1889, unmarried
--- Emma Sophie Kraus: born 1894, married Herbert S. Wingate

Posts about Daniel and Margaretha (Eckert) Krauss
• World War I Draft Registration
• Funeral cards of children Elisabeth, Louisa, Annie, Henry, and Bill.
• 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis
• Emigrants from Michelbach, Hessent: The Eckert Family
• The Krauss family from Becherbach
• Our Ancestral Villages and Towns
• Map of our Ancestors in 1800
• Did Daniel Krauss serve in the Civil War?

Off-site Links
• History of Columbia from "Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, Illinois" published 1883. Daniel Kraus is listed as one of the town blacksmiths.
• Confirmation Records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia - Margaretha Eckert's confirmation
• Marriage Records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia
• Death records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia - with scans of both Daniel and Margaretha's death records.

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Mini bio: Fred & Katie (Wenkel) Kraus

Brief biography of Valentin Friedrich "Fred" Kraus (1874-1928) and his wife, Katherina Elizabetha "Katie" Wenkel (1879-1964). Their position on the family tree.

Valentin Friedrich "Fred" Kraus

Birth: December 21, 1874 in Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
Baptism: May 2, 1875 at St. Paul's Evangelical (UCC), Columbia, Illinois
Parents: Daniel Krauss and Margaretha Eckert
Known residences:
--- lived entire life in Columbia, Illinois
Occupation: blacksmith
Death: May 1, 1928 in Columbia, Illinois. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.


Katharina Elisabetha "Katie" Wenkel

Birth: September 15, 1879 in Columbia, Monroe County, Illinois
Baptism: May 29, 1880 at St. Paul's Evangelical (UCC), Columbia, Illinois
Parents: Johann Conrad "John" Wenkel and Sophia Margaretha "Margaret" Lepp
Known residences:
--- lived in or near Columbia, Illinois until the death of her husband Fred
--- 1930 living in St. Louis, Missouri at 3327 Carson Rd., with her daughter Ida (Kraus) Schmidt
--- subsequently lived with daughter Esther (Kraus) Mabry, also in St. Louis, Missouri
Death: August 2, 1964 at the Monroe County Nursing Home in Waterloo, Illinois. Buried in St. Paul Evangelical (UCC) Cemetery, Columbia, Illinois.

Marriage and Children:

Fred Kraus married Katie Wenkel on September 19, 1898 by Gottfried Dornenburg, minister of St. Paul's Evangelical (UCC) in Columbia, Illinois

Children of Fred and Katie (Wenkel) Kraus:

--- Ida Emma Kraus: born 1900, married William Andreas Schmidt
--- Edna Margarethe Kraus: born 1902, married Ralph Emerson Knowles, then Earl Baker
*** Esther Clara Kraus: born 1905, married Robert Neil Mabry

Posts About Fred & Katie (Wenkel) Kraus
• World War I Draft Registration
• 1915 Graduation of daughter Ida Kraus.
• Funeral card of daughter Ida (Kraus) Schmidt
• 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis

Off-site Links
• Gravestone photo: Fred Kraus (1874-1928) and Katherine (Wenkel) Kraus (1879-1964), buried in St. Paul Evangelical Cemetery.
• Baptism Records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia
• Confirmation Records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia
• Marriage Records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia
• Death records of St. Paul's Evangelical in Columbia

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1915 Graduation of Ida Emma Kraus

In 1915, Ida Emma Kraus, daughter of Fred and Katie Kraus (and sister of Esther Kraus) graduated from Columbia Public School.

Link to graduation program.

This appears to have been an elaborate ceremony for the 12 graduating 15-year-olds, with music performed by the Columbia Orchestra and the Columbia Octet. The class motto: "Labor Has Sure Reward".

Fred Krauss, presumably Ida's father, must have been especially proud , because he was a member of the board of education.

Note that Ida's last name is listed as "Krauss" rather than "Kraus". Ida's grandparents and great-grandparents spelled their name Krauss or Krauß (the German spelling). By her father's generation, the spelling "Kraus" was typically used, but this varied according to the document.

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