Caroline Koewler Lutz

Four days after Christmas, 1878, Anthony and Henrietta Koewler stood in St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio and witnessed the baptism of their three week old baby daughter, Caroline Catherine. Frederick Wucher and Catherine Gast served as her godparents. 

Caroline, or Carrie as she was called, was the eighth child of Anthony and Henrietta (Fischer) and spent her childhood in a house near Eagle Creek in Brown County, Ohio. When she was about 21 years old, she went to live with her brother, Henry, and his family in Evansville, Indiana. Not only did her brother live in that city, but both her paternal and maternal uncles, Thaddeus Koewler and Jacob Fischer, also lived in the city. In the 1900 census, Carrie can be found working in Evansville as a maid for the Christian Felker family. According to the August 13 issue of the Georgetown, Ohio News Democrat, she returned to Ripley. 

"Miss Callie [sic] Koewler, who has been making her home with her brother at Evansville, Ind., and returned here Friday, is reported to be seriously ill with typhoid fever at the home of her mother, near town."

After recovering from her illness, she returned to her brother's house. She met a German immigrant, Henry Lutz, who lived with his parents in Evansville. In October 1904, they obtained their license to marry and on December 26 of that year they were wed by Father L. W. Burkhardt in St. Boniface Catholic Church. Henry and Caroline made their home at 1222 West Michigan Street in Evansville.

The following summer, Caroline was expecting her first child. It is not known whether she had a difficult beginning to her pregnancy, but it is documented in the newspaper that in July she was hospitalized at St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville. On March 7, 1906, Walter John Lutz was born. Whether the pregnancy and subsequent childbirth brought about Caroline's organic heart disease or it was something she had previous to getting pregnant is not known, but it is apparent that giving birth weakened her to the point of exhaustion. On April 3rd, the Evansville Courier and Press reported that Caroline was seriously ill at her home on West Michigan Street. In addition, baby Walter never thrived and on April 5th, according to his death certificate, he died from marasmus and spasms which is a condition brought about from a lack of nutrition. The next day, Walter John Lutz was buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery while his mother   

"was unable, from her extreme weakness to even lift her hand to stroke the little one's dying brow and could not leave her bed to follow the baby's remains to the little grave in the cemetery." *

In fact, her condition was so serious that she died the very next day and was laid to rest next to Walter on April 10. Her death was reported in the Evansville newspaper and in the Ripley (Ohio) Bee.  

Ripley Bee, page 1, April 11, 1906

*  "Mother Follows Her Babe To The Grave", obituary, Evansville Courier and Press, 8 April 1906, page 13, Evansville, Indiana

Parents of Five; One Child Living

The Spiller Family
Peter, Mary Alma, Ernest, Barbara (Haitz)
circa 1901-1903

     Peter Paul Spiller married Barbara Bertha Haitz on April 8, 1891 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio. They were twenty-five years old; both having been born in 1865.  The witnesses for their marriage were Barbara's twin brother, Frank and Peter's younger sister, Magdalena. 

     Peter was the son of John and Elizabeth Spiller. Barbara was the daughter of Franziskus (Frank) Xavier Heitz/Haitz and Elizabeth Germann. In the first ten years of their marriage, Peter and Barbara would become the parents of five children, but tragically they would only see one of their children live to adulthood.

22 December 1903, Daily Public Ledger, Maysville, Kentucky; page 1

     Walter John Francis, their first son, was born January 8, 1892 in Ripley and was baptized by Father John B. Dickhaus of St. Michael Catholic Church on the same day. His godparents were John Spiller and Anna Elizabeth Heitz. On July 20, 1896 Walter died at the age of four years, 6 months, and 12 days from typhus. He was buried five days later in Maplewood Cemetery.

     The second child of Peter and Barbara was born August 21, 1893. Her name was Mary Alma and she was baptized a week after birth on August 27 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley. Charles Spiller and Mary Haitz were her godparents. Mary Alma would live just a short ten years before she contracted typhoid fever and died on December 17, 1903. Her burial was December 19 and it is not known if Maplewood Cemetery is her final resting place as the church record did not contain that information. 

     Barbara's third pregnancy resulted in fraternal twins, Emma Elizabeth and Carl George, who were born July 5, 1896.  Carl George would live only three hours before his death and the records from St. Michael Catholic Church state he had a private baptism. There is no information on his burial. His sister, Emma, was baptized at one week old on July 12 at St. Michael. Her godparents are not known as there is only a transcription available of the record which does not have them listed. Once again, Peter and Barbara would bury a child. At the age of four, Emma Elizabeth died from pneumonia on November 17, 1900. Her burial record is not available.

     The only child of Peter and Barbara who lived to adulthood was Ernest Xavier. He was born April 5, 1898. He would be only five when the last of his siblings were lost. 

     The above photograph of the family is labeled on the back as "The Spiller Family". Using birth and death dates and the fact that there are only two children in the photo, it is certain that the children are Mary Alma and Ernest Xavier. 

Frank Koehler, Victim of the Railway

How did a fifty year old husband and father of seven end up dead on a railroad track in such a gruesome condition that it was lucky he was identified for a proper burial? Was he a victim of a robbery? Or was he so impaired that he had little awareness of his surroundings and the danger he was about to experience? His family was left to just speculate what the last moments of Frank Koehler's life were like. 

Frank was born to parents Andreas (Andrew) and Catharina Emilie (Geisse) Koehler in or near the town of Germersheim, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany.  He was baptized Francicsus about June 8, 1862 in the Roman Catholic Church in the same town. According to the information given to the enumerator for the 1900 United States Federal Census on Ancestry, he immigrated to the United States in 1880 and was a naturalized citizen. In that census, he is also recorded as being a farmer in the Mays Lick, Mason County, Kentucky precinct and was living with his wife, Anna and six children. 

When he was living, Frank's grandson, John Koehler, told the story of how Frank would disappear for  periods of time and it was thought that he would be in Cincinnati. The thought was that Frank enjoyed his alcohol and Cincinnati was his favorite drinking spot. John's stories of his grandfather were secondhand as he was not quite three years old when Frank met his horrible end. Was the drinking explanation for Frank's disappearances the product of a resentful family or was there more to the story than that? The hunt is on for answers and they may never be found, but some of the mystery of Frank's life is coming to light with the help of current genealogical documents found online!

I already had the family's 1900 Mason County, Kentucky census information, and I knew from John's stories that Frank had died from a railroad accident in Cincinnati so the first thing I looked for and found was a death certificate. The name was correct. The cause of death was correct, however his age was reported as only 40 years old and his calculated birth year from the census data showed him to be born about 1861-62. If the death certificate was correct, this Frank Koehler would have been born about 1872. The other odd thing about the certificate was the listed occupation - butcher! That was not something that was expected, however the one clue that made me fairly sure I had the correct certificate was the burial information. This man's body was removed to Maysville, Kentucky for burial and that was a pretty big coincidence to overlook so I took the date of death, March 6, 1912, and looked further.

One of my favorite web sites, Newspapers.com, has the Cincinnati Enquirer as part of its collection so that was my next stop. Just as I had hoped, on page 3 of the March 7, 1912 issue, there was a short article titled Killed By Train. Readers of that day's issue newspaper learned of Frank's death. They discovered he was a butcher living on Lehman Road and was found on the tracks of the C., H., and R. railroad at Carll Street in North Fairmont early in the morning of March 6. The article also indicated that relatives had identified the body and that a coroner's inquest was to be held. A similar article was also found on page 5 in the Cincinnati German language newspaper, Tägliches Cincinnatier Volksblatt (Chronicling America) and also dated March 7. These were great finds, but only added to my questions. Who were the relatives and how were they found? I also wanted to know what the coroner's inquest decided about the supposed accident. I could find no other articles about Frank, his death, or the inquest.

I had been sharing all these discoveries with John's daughter whose curiosity about Frank had started me back on his trail after several years of letting it just sit in a file folder. She recalled her father telling her that there had been a Christmas card with his children's names on it in Frank's pocket which was how the authorities knew who to contact. With that question possibly answered, I turned my attention to the coroner's report and how to locate it. I was attempting to figure that out when I typed the three words, Cincinnati coroner records, into Google and hit the Search button. I totally expected to find the Cincinnati or Hamilton County government pages, but amazingly, I found a link to the Hamilton County, Ohio Morgue Records! I had already been using the online University of Cincinnati Digital Resource Commons, Birth and Death Records for several years, but had no idea that they had also put the morgue records on their site. I quickly clicked on the link and went to the page where I read about the collection and what all could be found in the records. Excited about what I might find about Frank, I clicked the big red button labeled Visit Digital Collection and proceeded to type Koehler into the search box. Three Koehler entries popped up and there it was, a copy of the original record created when Frank's mutilated body was brought to the morgue by Police Patrol 5! While the document doesn't answer all of the questions about Frank's life, it does give us some about his death. It shows that the age on the death certificate was mistakenly written as 40. This record has his age at death as 50 years old which is what I was expecting. He is still listed as a butcher, but I realized that Frank had to make money in some way in order to live and meet his expenses in Cincinnati. There were no farms in the city so maybe he did work for a butcher or some type of meat company. 

I had been wondering about where Frank might have stayed while in Cincinnati and found out that at the time of his death, at least, he was boarding at the home of a man named August Fischer. I have some research to do to see if his boarding there was just one of convenience and availability or one of some type of family relationship. 

The person with the gruesome task of identifying the body was Frank's oldest child, Dan M. Koehler who, in 1912, was twenty-five years old and living in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. I found it odd that if the coroner relied on Dan's information to complete his form, then why is Frank is listed as a widower? Or just who did give him that information and why? Anna was definitely alive in 1912. She didn't pass away until 1946.

One of the biggest questions is still left to speculation. Was Frank robbed and then placed on the tracks or was he just so severely inebriated from a night of drinking?  One clue is that the only personal effects found with his body were a pair of glasses and a beer check. I don't know what a beer check might have been, but I did notice that no money or wallet or purse was listed as being found. Looking at other reports in this collection, men's purses and money are listed on a large number of them so the lack of Frank's might indeed mean something. He could have been robbed before his death or, possibly, after. If he had been killed before being hit by the train, the condition of his body afterward would most likely have hidden any evidence of that crime. The other thing that is missing from his personal effects is the mention of a Christmas card or any other means of identification so that still makes me wonder how the coroner discovered who this poor mutilated man was and how did he know who to contact. 

I still don't know why Frank disappeared to Cincinnati every so often leaving a wife and children on a farm in Kentucky. I would like to think that he wanted to provide his family with more than the farm could provide and he saw an opportunity to work in the city. But, it could be that he and his wife just decided to separate. Anna is listed as head of household in the 1910 census so he may have been in Cincinnati for more than just a short period of time. It may also be entirely possible that the family's speculation of him having a second family is true, although I haven't seen any evidence of that except for him being listed as a widower. One of these days, there might be something that surfaces to help figure out what Frank was thinking and why he did what he did. I have done genealogy research long enough to know that you just never know what will pop up in the most unexpected places. The trick is to just keep looking and I plan on doing just that!

*To see the original morgue record, click on the "original record" link found in paragraph 6.

The Mysterious Marriages of Arthur Bauman and Margaret Haitz

I've heard of couples who get married twice, but usually they get a divorce first, think better of it, and then remarry each other. What I have never heard of is a couple who seemingly marry each other twice without ever divorcing, but I should never say never. I can now say that I think I have seen one and it's in my own family, too!

In 1929, Arthur Bauman and Margaret Haitz were supposedly married in the parish house of St. George Catholic Church in Cincinnati. I say supposedly because the only source I have found for this marriage is an article in the Ripley (Ohio) Bee dated 12 September 1929 and newspapers are not considered sources of proof. 

   An evening wedding Monday (Labor Day) at the parish house of St. Georges' Church, Cincinnati, united in marriage Miss Margaret Haitz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Haitz and Mr. Arthur Bauman, son of Mrs. Cora Bauman-Streif of New Richmond, O. The only witnesses at the ceremony were Robert and Elizabeth Haitz, brother and sister of the bride.

After a short honeymoon trip to the North they will life [sic] at 1402 Regent Avenue, Bond Hill, Cincinnati.

Everything was all well and good. I had entered this date into my Roots Magic genealogy software and made a note that I needed the marriage documents to consider this proven. Then I found the mystery element of this story. 

I was poking around on the Hamilton County Genealogy Society's website and found a marriage record for Arthur and Margaret in the Index of Marriage Banns at Hamilton County, Ohio Courthouse the society's free database. I thought I had found the document I needed to prove the 1929 marriage, but then I saw the date. This document was not for the 1929 marriage. It was a copy of a form that had been filled out and indicated a signature of Father Antoine Brockhuis. It said that he had married the couple on 20 February 1932 after banns had been twice published in St. George Catholic Church, Cincinnati.

Index of Marriage Banns at Hamilton County, Ohio Courthouse
Hamilton County Genealogy Society (database)

I wish I could say that I know why there are two marriages for Arthur and Margaret, but I can't. It could be that this form was copied, after the fact, into the marriage record book by someone in the church office and they mistakenly put that day's date instead of the date of the actual marriage. Maybe more research will enlighten me or maybe this is one of things that will remain a mystery forever. It wouldn't be my first unsolved genealogical mystery! Let me know by leaving a comment if you have a theory! 

Anthony Koewler Becomes a Naturalized Citizen

Journal of the Probate Court of Brown County, Ohio

Volume 9, page 269

April 1st 1872

Anthony Koewler

Naturalization

This day Anthony Koewler an alien and native of Bavaria and subject of the Emperor of Germany personally came before the judge of the said Probate Court and made application to be naturalized under the Laws of the United States and it appearing by sufficient testimony to the satisfaction of the Court that he the said Anthony Koewler had made application Declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States in due form of Law at least two years before making his said application: that he had been a resident of the United States for at least five years then last past and of the said State of Ohio at least one year then last past and also that during that time he had behaved as a man of good moral character attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and will disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. Whereupon By order of the said Court an oath of allegiance was administered in due form of Law to the said Anthony Koewler in open Court that he will support the Constitution of the United States and that he absolutely and entirely renounced and abjured all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Power Potentate State or sovereignty whatsoever and particularly to the Emperor of Germany whose subject he was. And thereupon It was ordered by the said Court that a certificate of Naturalization be granted to the said Anthony Koewler according to the form of the statute of the United States in such case made and provided which by these presents is done accordingly. Therefore the said Anthony Koewler is a citizen of the United States.

S.H. Stevenson

Judge

The Last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler

Anton Koewler wrote his will on November 10, 1894, six years before his death. His wife, Henrietta Fischer Koewler entered it into probate on April 10, 1900. The following is the court file for the Last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler. The original can be found in the Brown County, Ohio Wills, Volume 12, page 238.

In the matter of the last will and testament of Anton Koewler, deceased.

No. 1240

Probate Court held at the Courthouse in Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio on the 10” day of April A.D. 1900 before Robert E. Campbell, Probate Judge within and for said county.

Be it remembered that on the 10” day of April A.D. 1900, that Henrietta Kowler [sic] filed in this court a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Anton Koewler deceased and at the same time filed her application in writing asking that said paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of said Anton Koewler be admitted to probate and entered of record, which said application is in the words and figures following, to-wit,

Application for Probate of Will

Probate Court, Brown County, Ohio

In the matter of 

the Last Will and

Testament of

Anton Koewler,

deceased

To the Probate Court of said county:

your petitioner respectfully represents that Anton Koewler late a resident of the township of Union in said County died on or about the 26” day of March A.D. 1900, leaving instrument in writing, herewith produced purporting to be his last will and testament:

The said Anton Koewler died leaving Henrietta Koewler his widow who resides at Ripley, Ohio and the following named persons his only next of kin, to-wit:

Catherine Schwallie, daughter, Henderson, Ky.

Henry Koewler, son, Evansville, Ind.

Joseph Koewler, son, Henderson, Ky.

Mary DeFosse, daughter, Ripley, Ohio

Louisa Koewler, daughter, Ripley, Ohio

Caroline Koewler, daughter, Evansville, Ind.

Henrietta Koewler, daughter, Evansville, Ind.

Lena Koewler, age 16, daughter, Evansville, Ind.

your petitioner offers said Will for Probate and prays that a time may be fixed for the proving of the same, and that said above named persons resident in this State may be notified according to law of the pendency of said proceedings.

Henrietta Koewler, Petitioner

The State of Ohio, Brown County, ss.

The above named Henrietta Koewler being first duly sworn, says that the facts stated and allegations in the foregoing application contained are true as she verily believes.

Henrietta Koewler

Sworn to before me and signed in my presence this 4” day of April A.D. 1900.

Ernest Bambach

Notary Public

We the undersigned next of kin of the within named decedent, hereby waive further notice and consent to the probate of said Will.

Dated this 4” day of April A.D. 1900.

Mary DeFosse

Louise Koewler

Henrietta Koewler

Lena Koewler

Be it further remembered that on the 10” day of April A.D. 1900, the notice required by law to all the next of kin of said decedent, residents of the state of Ohio was issued by said court, which said notice was afterwards on the 13” day of April A.D. 1900, returned and filed herein which said notice together with the endorsement thereon are in the words and figures following, to-wit:

Notice to Next of Kin

The State of Ohio,

Brown County, ss

In the Probate Court.

In the matter of the last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler, deceased.

To Lena Koewler, a minor over 14 years of age, 

You are hereby notified that on the 10” day of April A.D. 1900 an instrument of writing, purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler late of Union Township, in said County deceased, was produced in open Court and an application to admit same to Probate was on the same day made in said Court.

Said application will be for hearing before this Court on the 16” day of April 1900 at 10 o’clock A.M.

Robert E Campbell, Probate Judge

Dated at Georgetown, Ohio, this 10” day of April A.D. 1900

Return

The State of Ohio,

Brown County, ss.

Ernst Bambach being duly sworn, says that on the 11” day of April, A.D. 1900 he served the within notice by delivering a true copy thereof to the within named Lena Koewler.

Fees Serving notice 50 cts.     Ernst Bambach

Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 11” day of April A.D. 1900.

G.G Bambach

Notary Public

due 40 cts.

the undersigned mother of the within minor & with whom said minor resides hereby acknowledges service of the within notice this 11 day of April 1900

Henrietta Koewler

Be it further remembered that at the hearing of the aforesaid application the testimony of the subscribing witnesses to the paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of said Anton Koewler deceased was taken and reduced to writing which is in the words and figures following, to-wit:

Probate of Will

The State of Ohio

Brown County, ss.

In Probate Court

Personally appeared in open Court G. Bambach and Ernst Bambach the subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler late of Union Township in said Brown County deceased who being duly sworn according to law, to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, in the relation to the execution of said Will, depose and say: that the paper before them bearing date the 10” day of November A.D. 1894, purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Anton Koewler, now deceased, is the will of said deceased Anton Koewler that they were present at the execution of said Will and at the request of the Testator, respectfully subscribed their names to the same as witnesses in the presence: that they saw the said Anton Koewler deceased sign and seal said Will and heard him acknowledge the same to be his last Will and Testament, and that the said Anton Koewler at the time of making, signing and sealing said Will, was of full age of sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint.

G. Bambach

Ernst Bambach

Sworn to and subscribed by said witnesses in open Court, this 16” day of April, A.D., 1900.

Robert E Campbell, Probate Judge

Be it further remembered that on the 16” day of April A.D. 1900, an entry was placed upon the Journals of said court which is in the words and figures following to-wit:

In the matter of the last will and testament of Anton Koewler, deceased.

The last will and testament of Anton Koewler late of this county, was this day presented to the court for probate and record, and it appearing to the court that the widow of said decedent and all the next of kin residents of the state of Ohio have been duly notified of the presentation of said will for probate - thereupon G. Bambach and Ernst Bambach, subscribing witnesses to said will appeared in court and were duly sworn and examined according to law, and their testimony was reduced to writing and filed. And it appearing to the court the testimony so taken that the said will was duly executed and attested and that at the time of executing the same the testator was of full age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint, the court now admits the said will to probate, and it is ordered that the same together with the testimony so taken be recorded according to the statute in such case made and provided.

Be it further remembered that the paper writing in said matter produced and ordered to be probated and entered of record as aforesaid is in the words and figures following to-wit:

I, the undersigned Anton Koewler of Union Township Brown County, Ohio, being of sound mind and memory, do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say - 

Item I.  I desire that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall be first paid by Executrix hereinafter named as soon as covenient [sic] after my death.

Item II.  I give devise and bequeath all of my property real and personal wherever the same may be located or situated to my beloved wife Henrietta Koewler -

Item III.  I hereby constitute and appoint my said beloved wife Henrietta Koewler the Executrix of this my last Testament and request that she be not required to give a Bond as such.

Item IV.  I hereby revoke all former wills by me made.

In testimony whereof I have here to set hand this 10” day of November 1894.

Anton Koewler

Signed in our presence and by us signed as witnesses in the presence of said Testator and in the presence of each other.

G. Bambach

Ernst Bambach

Anton Koewler

The News Democrat

Georgetown, Ohio

29 March 1900

 The death of Anthony (Anton) Koewler, my great-great grandfather, on 26 March 1900 was not unexpected. It came after receiving three gun shot wounds, including one in the chest, just over six months earlier.  His death left his wife, two sons, and six daughters to mourn him. 

  An argument over possession of a gun changed the lives of not only Anthony and his family, but, no doubt, the life of the young man who delivered the shots, William Sidwell. 

The News Democrat
Georgetown, Ohio
7 September 1899

  The newspaper article written at the time of the incident tells the story of what transpired in the melon patch on that Sunday afternoon. Anton is said to have had a reputation for being quarrelsome which really makes me wonder how he earned that description. We will never know what angry words were passed between the two parties to cause Anton to point his weapon at Sidwell which in turn enraged the 28 year old enough to retrieve his gun and actually fire three times. Were his actions those of a "peaceable young fellow" as the writer of the article claimed him to be? Was it regret that made him turned himself in for his crime?  Sidwell paid for his crime by serving four years in the penitentiary for killing Anthony Koewler. He can't be found in the 1910 or 1920 censuses, but is found living with his widowed mother on South Second Street in Ripley, Ohio in 1930. He was single and a farm laborer. Two years later, he was a resident of the County Home in Georgetown where he died at the age of 60 as a result of chronic nephritis. 

The Marriage Record of Graydon Reid and Margaret V Koehler

Margaret Veronica Koehler was the youngest daughter of Henry John Koehler and his wife Mary M Pfeffer. She married Graydon Reid in Peru, Indiana on 30 November 1942. It was the second marriage for Graydon and the first and only marriage for Margaret.

The record of their marriage can be found on Family Search in the database, Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007. This database has actual images of the records and this particular one is from the 1938-1942 Miami County, Indiana Index F. It is the fourth entry which begins on page 67. The record is spread out over three pages and contains a lot of information on the bride and groom including the street address.

The record reads as follows:

Groom: Graydon Reid
Residence of groom: Marion, Indiana (3212 W 10 or 20 - the street number is difficult to read)
Groom's age on next birthday: 36
Color: white
Occupation: machine operator
Place of birth: Bath County, Kentucky
Father: Nick Reid
Mother: Francis Colliver
Number of groom’s marriage: 2
Bride: Margaret V Koehler
Residence of bride: Marion, Indiana (1925 W 9th)
Bride's age next birthday: 24
Color: white
Place of birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
Father: Henry Koehler
Mother: Mary Pfeffer
Number of bride’s marriage: 1
Place of marriage: Peru, Indiana
By whom married: Mabel A Personett (Ms. Personett was the Justice of the Peace in Peru, Indiana.)
Date of marriage: 30 November 1942
Record Number: 1663

Henry Koewler's Obituary

Maplewood Cemetery, Ripley, Ohio

Henry Koewler was an older brother of my great-great grandfather, Anthony Koewler. His obituary was published in The Ripley (Ohio) Bee on March 28, 1906. It read

"Mr. Henry Koewler died last Wednesday evening at 6 o'clock at the home of his son John in the country, after an illness of several months duration. 

He was born in Schoenau, Germany, in 1832, and had he lived until May he would have been 74 years of age. The funeral was held Friday morning from St. Michael's Church, Rev. Father Theodosius officiating, burial in Maplewood.
His wife preceded him to the great beyond just three years ago, and the youngest son, Frank just two months ago. He leaves eight sons and one daughter to mourn the loss of a kind and indulgent father.

 Mr. Koewler came from Germany to Ripley in 1852. He obtained work here and later engaged in flatboating produce to New Orleans, making a number of trips. He afterwards went to Kentucky where he was engaged on the construction of the Kentucky Central Railroad. He again returned to Ripley where he formed a partnership with the late J. P. Helbling in the butcher business which lasted for over thirty years. He always maintained the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens as an upright and honorable business man. 

The later years of his life have been spent on a farm, but failing health prevented his taking any active part in that life.

The sympathy of the community is extended the relatives."  

Brickwall Busted! Nicholas Becker's Family Is Found!

There was a wall, a brick wall, sitting on my family tree behind the name of my great, great, great grandfather, Nicholas Becker. As recorded in his biographical sketch found on page 52 in the 1883 History of Brown County, Ohio, Nicholas was born about 1828 in Lorraine, France, and, with a portion of his family, came to this country about 1854, settling in Decatur County, Indiana. He later moved to Cincinnati and, in 1866 with his wife, Catherine Thill Becker, to Ripley. His parents and another portion of the family arrived in 1855. Apparently, the Becker family had more than several members, but their names were unknown to me...until Tuesday. 

That morning, an email arrived in my inbox from a cousin announcing the fact that The Ripley Bee and other Brown County newspapers were available online through the Digital Archives of the Union Township Library. After replying with a very grateful thanks, I forced myself to continue my morning chores because my parents had taught me that work should come before play. I'm not sure just how well those chores were completed that morning, but I was soon searching for family names that I knew would be in the Ripley papers. One of the very first was Nicholas Becker, Sr. and, with just a click, the brick wall came tumbling down!

Professor Nicholas Becker, as he was called in the newspaper, was a teacher of the German language in the schools of Ripley, Ohio during the latter half of the 1800's. He also owned a hat and cap store on Second Street in Ripley which his son, Nicholas, Jr. managed. Catherine Thill Becker, the wife of Nicholas, Sr, operated a millinery shop at the same address. 

On page 3 in the May 22, 1879 issue of The Ripley Bee there was a small article that was originally published in the Cincinnati Gazette the week before on May 15. It read

"Fatal Accident

At half-past 8 o'clock last night Mary Ann Becker who resides with a brother, living at No. 238 West Sixth street, while on a visit to her sister, a Mrs. Gross, who lives at No. 522 Elm street, fell down a flight of stairs and broke her neck, causing almost instantaneous death. It appears that she had started down the stairs, when her sister called her back and in turning, made a misstep, with the result above chronicled. Dr. Ratterman was called in but nothing could be done. Mrs. Becker was a native of France, and leaves one son. - Cin. Gazette. Mrs. Becker was the sister of Mr. N. Becker of this place."

One short little article about a very sad situation and I knew the names of Nicholas' two sisters and where they were living in 1879! After researching the census and city directories, I determined Mary Ann's sister, Mrs. Gross, was Rosa Becker Gross and with that discovery, I also found the brother, Victor and another sister Katherine. There is a much younger Nicholas Becker also living with the family in Cincinnati who is possibly the surviving son of Mary Ann mentioned in the newspaper article, but that will take more research to determine his relationship to the others.

As more and more newspapers, documents, and blogs appear online, I imagine numerous genealogy brick walls will start tumbling down. I have others that need blasting, but I am so happy to see the Becker one go. I can hardly wait to see what else I can find in the Ripley area newspapers!

The Last Will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz

The following is the transcription of pages 502 through 507 in Volume 8 of the Brown County, Ohio Record of Wills book which is the record of the probate proceedings for the Last Will and Testament of my great great grandfather, Franziskus Xavier Haitz.  I transcribed it exactly as it is written except for a few periods and commas that I added where the writing might get confusing without them. 

It is interesting to note that punctuation was of no great concern and neither was the spelling of names. You will notice that Haitz is spelled several different ways within the document. Heitz was fairly common as it is also seen on Frank's headstone and several other documents that I have collected. However, I have never seen it spelled Haizht nor Haight! Valentine Kubler's name is also spelled differently a couple of times. I can only guess that with all the writing that was required together with the lack of "white out", correct spelling just did not matter!  

Nicholas Lang, one of the executors of the will was Frank's brother-in-law. He was married to Elizabeth's sister, Mary. The other executor, Joseph Pfeffer, just happens to be my husband's great-great grandfather.  Charles A Linn, the attorney for Frank's family is also related to me. He is my 1st cousin, 4 times removed. His father, Charles Anton Linn, and my three greats-grandfather, Michael Linn, were brothers. 

Another thing that I find interesting about this document is the fact that the original will was written in German. Frank had been in the country for about thirty years, more or less, but was presumably more comfortable using his native language. It makes me wonder at what degree, if any, was he proficient in the English language. 

There is a question about the residence status of the Haitz family. This document states that he is late of Huntington Township which according to the 1870 census is true, but the family was recorded in the 1880 census as living in Union Township. It is possible, of course, they moved several times. My to-do list now includes looking at land records for Frank.

Volume 8

Page 502

No. 788 1/2  

Francis Xavier Haitz 

will

Probate Court held at the Court House in Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio before the Hon George P Tyler sole judge of said Court in and for said county on the 13th day of December AD 1886

Brown County, ss

Be it remembered that heretofore to wit on the 4th day of December 1886 an entry was made on the journal of said Court in the words and figures following to wit:

In the matter of the will of 

Francis Xavier Haitz, decd

This day C A Linn filed here a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Francis Xavier Haitz, late of Huntington Township, Brown County, Ohio and application made to probate the same. Ordered by the Court that all the next of kin of said Testator resident of the 

Page 503

state of Ohio have legal notice of the filing and time for hearing the same which time is fixed by the Court for the 13th day of December 1886 at 10 o’clock AM.

Said application to probate will in the words and figures following to wit:   

In the Probate Court Brown County, Ohio

In the matter of the will of Francis Xavier Haitz deceased  .. To the Honorable the judge of said Court

And now comes Charles A Linn and produced for admission to probate in said Court the last will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz late a resident of the Township of Huntington in said County, who died on the ____ day of November AD 1886

Said Testator died leaving Elizabeth Heitz his widow and the following named persons, all of his next of kin resident in the state of Ohio

Name Degree of Kinship PO Address

Elizabeth Heitz daughter Aberdeen, Ohio

Anna Heitz daughter “      “

Frank Heitz son “     “

Barbara Heitz daughter “     “

George Heitz son “      “

John Heitz son “      “

Nicholas Heitz son “      “

Joseph Heitz son “      “

Mary Heitz daughter “      “

The State of Ohio    Brown County  ss

The above named Charles A Linn being first duly sworn says the statement of the foregoing applications are true as he verily believes    Charles A Linn

Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this 4 day of December AD 1886   

George P Tyler  Probate Judge 

Thereupon was the same day that is to say on the 4th day of December 1886 notice to next of kin of said decedent was issued in the words and figures following to wit

Notice to Next of Kin

The State of Ohio

Brown County SS        In Probate Court

In the matter of the last will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz deceased  To Elizabeth, Anna, Frank, Barbara, George, John, Nicholas Joseph and Mary Heitz, the children of Francis Xavier Heitz deceased late of Huntington Township Brown County, Ohio    You are hereby notified that on the 4” day of December AD 1886 an instrument of writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haizht late of Huntington Township in said County 

Page 504

deceased was produced in open court and an application to admit the same to probate was on the same day made in said Court Said application will be for hearing before this Court on the 13th day of December AD1886 at 10 o’clock AM.  George P Tyler Probate Judge

Dated at Georgetown, Ohio this 4th day of December 1886

Said will was by Charles A Linn translated in to the English language an is in the words and figures following to wit

Copy and Translation of the last will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz decd

In the name of God  Amen

I, Francis Xavier Haitz residing on Eagle Creek Brown County Ohio, being of sound mind and memory and in view of the uncertainty of the Frail and Transitory life do make, order publish and declare the following as my last will and Testament. Namely, after all my just debts have been paid, I, grant, devise, and bequeath the residue of my estate real and personal without the least exception to my beloved wife Elizabeth Heitz whose maiden name is Germann. I also make appoint and constitute Joseph Pfeffer Sr. and Nicholas Lang Sr as Executors of this my last will and Testament and revoke all former wills by me made

In witness whereof I have subscribed my name this 27th day of October in the year one Thousand eight hundred and Eighty six  - signed Frank X Haitz

The above Testament is signed by the said Francis Xavier Heitz in our presence and by him in the presence of each of us being completed, is acknowledged and at the same time he published and declared that is his last will and testament and at the request of this Testator and in his presence we have subscribed our names as witnesses and opposite our names our names have written our respective places of Residence signed

Valentine Kuber   Eagle Creek  Brown County Ohio

Frederick Wucher  Brown County Ohio  Eagle Creek

Said will being written in the german language is in the words and figures following to wit:

(This section is the will written in the German language)

Page 505

The Testimony so taken and reduced to writing filed and ordered to be recorded is in the words and figures following to wit

The State of Ohio   The Probate Court

Brown County  Geo

Personally appeared in open Court, Valentine Kubler and Frederick Wucher the subscribing Witnesses to the last will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz late of Huntington Township in said Brown County deceased who being duly sworn according to law, to speak the truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth in relation to the execution of said will, depose and say. That the paper before them bearing date the 27th day of October AD 1886 purporting to be the last will and testament of Francis Xavier Haitz now deceased is the will of said of said (sic) will and at the request of the Testator respectively subscribed their names to the same as witnesses, in his presence; that they saw the said Francis X Haitz deceased sign and Seal said Will 

Page 506

and heard him acknowledge the same to be his last Will and Testament and that the said Francis Xavier Haitz at the time of making signing and sealing said will was of full age of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint

Valentine Kuebler

Frederick Wucher

Sworn to and subscribed by said witnesses in open Court this 13” day of December AD 1886

George P Tyler

Probate Judge

On the 13” day of December 1886 in said notice to next of kin of said deceased testator was returned in to said Court and filed, endorsed as follows

The State of Ohio  Brown County ss

Nicholas Lang Sr. being duly sworn say that on the _____ day of December 1886 he served the written notice by delivering a true copy thereof to the within named Elizabeth, Anna, Frank, Barbara, George John, Nicholas, Joseph and Mary Haitz subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 13” day of December 1886  Geo P Tyler

The undersigned persons within named hereby acknowledge service of the within notice this 6” day of December AD1886 Lizzie E Haitz, Anna Haitz Barbara Haitz Frank X Haitz George Haitz, John Haitz Nick Haitz Joseph Haitz Mary Haitz

on the 13” day of December 1886 the following entry was made on the Journal of said Court to wit

In the matter of the will of

Francis Xavier Haight decd

This day this matter coming on further to be heard on the application heretofore filed here to admit to Probate a paper writing purporting to be the last will and Testament of Francis Xavier Haitz, late of Huntington Township, in the County deceased and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that due and legal notice of the filing and time fixed by the Court for hearing the application to probate the same had been given to all the next of kin of said Testator resident of Ohio pursuant to a former order of this court. Thereupon this day came Valentine Kubler and Frederick Wucher the subscribing witnesses to said will who being duly sworn to speak the Truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth testified to the due execution and attestation of said will whereupon the Court finds that the aforesaid instrument of writing in the Last Will and Testament of the said Francis Xavier Haitz deceased That the same was duly executed and attested : and that the said Testator at the time of making signing and sealing said will 

Page 507

was of full age of sound and disposing mind and memory and not under any restraint. It is therefore by the Court ordered that the said will be admitted to Probate and that the same together with the Testimony of the witnesses above named as well as the proceedings had thereon by entered of record in this Court.