HEINRICH   BUECHER   Family

 

Compiled by Robert Buecher, 5400 Pernod Avenue, St. Louis, MO  63139-1537

E-mail:  rgb7847@aol.com

[Revised: 25 May 2006]

 

[This information corrects and updates the family sketch that was published on page 172 of the HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL, VOLUME 1, published in 1988 by the St. Clair County [IL] Genealogical Society]

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Henry/Heinrich BUECHER was a farmer in Section 14 of Millstadt Township, St. Clair County, Illinois.  He was born on Friday, 19 May 1820 at Mauloff, Hessen Nassau, Germany.  He was the third child and third son of Philipp Heinrich BUECHER (1775-1821) and Anna Margaretha, nee WEIMAR (1782-1843).  Both parents died at Mauloff where the family belonged to the Evangelical Church.

 

Mauloff is located about 26 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of Frankfurt.  It is located in the Kreis (county) of Usingen.  The town is too small to have its own post office so mail is sent through the neighboring one at "61276 Weilrod".  The town is also too small to have its own church, so the town is part of the Evangelical parish of neighboring Steinfischbach.  The church records for Mauloff are recorded with those of Steinfischbach.  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has filmed the Evangelical Church records for this town from 1648-1876.

 

According to page 9 of the "Family Register" of Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, Heinrich BUECHER left Germany on 18 March 1848.  The record also states that he settled in the Millstadt [1] area in June 1848 where he persued farming, although he had been a "Schneider" (tailor) in Germany.  The actual ship passenger list that was found in Dec. 1999 states that he landed at New Orleans, Louisiana on 3 June 1848 aboard the ship “Alhambra” which had sailed from the European port of Antwerp [2].  Also on the same ship was his fiancee, Magdalena HOFFMANN.  He is listed as “Heinr Busher” age 28 and she is listed as “Magdalin Haffmann/Hoffmann” age 24.

 

Heinrich BUECHER was married somewhere in the Millstadt area on Thursday, 15 June 1848 to Miss Magdalena HOFFMANN.  The wedding was performed by Rev. George A. Schieferdecker, the first pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt [3]. It is the first marriage recorded in the church's records [4] and it is also recorded [5]  with the Clerk of St. Clair County, IL .  There were two sons born to this marriage: Louis BUECHER (1848-1886) and Carl BUECHER (1851-1851).

 

Magdalena HOFFMANN was born on Friday, 6 June 1823 at Altweilnau, Hessen Nassau, Germany.  She was baptised as "Magdalena Margrethe HOFFMANN" and was the daughter of Johann Konrad HOFFMANN (1777-1856) and Maria Magdalena, nee WICK (1786-1857). 

 

Altweilnau lies only 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) northeast of Mauloff and 28 kilometers (17 miles) northwest of Frankfurt.  Since Altweilnau and Mauloff are so close together, Heinrich and Magdalena may have known each other before they came to the U. S.  Like Mauloff, Altweilnau is too small to have its own post office and its mail is sent through the neighboring one at "61276 Weilrod".  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has filmed the Evangelical Church records for this town from 1611-1876.

 

Mrs. Magdalena BUECHER died from dysentery on Wednesday, 1 Oct. 1851 at Millstadt [6] about 2 weeks after the death of her infant son, Karl Philippp  [7] from the same affliction.  She was buried on Oct. 2nd by Rev. Schieferdecker of Trinity Church and probably buried in the Old Millstadt [Centreville] Cemetery, although she has no tombstone there.  She reached the age of 28 years, 3 months, and 25 days.

 

Henry and Magdalena BUECHER were among the earliest members of Trinity Lutheran Church at Millstadt.  His brother, Philipp BUECHER, is credited with allowing the use of his home in Millstadt (then called Centreville) for the first Lutheran church services which were held during the fall of 1848.

 

Philipp Buecher was born at Mauloff on 4 Dec. 1815 and was baptised as "Johann Philipp Buecher" at the Evangelical church there.  He came to the United States before his brother, Henry; probably in early 1838.  Philipp was married at St. Louis, Missouri on 5 April 1838 by Pastor Georg Wendelin Wall, the minister of the Holy Ghost United Church of Christ,  St. Louis and the event is recorded in their records on page 177.  His wife was Louise LOTZ who was born about 1803 at Friedrichsdorf, Hessen.  Philipp died in Millstadt on 6 April 1885 and his wife died there on 21 April 1884.  Both are buried in the Old Millstadt Cemetery in Millstadt and both have tombstones there.  This marriage produced several children, but all died as infants.

 

The Heinrich/Henry BUECHER family first lived in Millstadt, where Henry purchased lots in the 300 block of West Washington Street on 4 May 1849.  He purchased his farm in Section 14 of Millstadt Township on 6 June 1861, with additional acres bought in 1867 and 1873.

 

Records in the office of the Circuit Clerk of St. Clair County, IL, show that Heinrich/Henry BUECHER filed his declaration of intent to become an American citizen on 29 May 1856.  He was naturalized there as a citizen of the United States on 30 March 1859, certificate number 211. 

 

Henry did not wait long to remarry after the death of his first wife in October 1851.  His second marriage took place on Sunday, 20 June 1852 [8]  and it was performed by Pastor John Rennicke, Lutheran pastor.  It is recorded in the marriage records of St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Columbia where the entry states that the marriage took place "at Columbia".

 

His second wife was the widow, Mrs. Christina Magdalena WALZ, nee LAUTERWASSER.   She was born on Sunday, 28 March 1819 at Rielingshausen, Wuerttemberg, a daughter of Zacharius LAUTERWASSER and his wife, Anna Maria, born WILDERMUTH.   Christina had one daughter from her previous marriage to Wilhelm Friedrich WALZ.   She was Magdalena Walz  [9] who was born in St. Louis on 7 May 1844 .  Magdalena married George BRUEHL in St. Clair Co., IL, on 20 Nov. 1864.  This BRUEHL family later owned a 100 acre farm across the road from Henry BUECHER in Section 14 of Millstadt Township.

 

There were two sons and one daughter born to this second marriage of Henry and Christina BUECHER:  Katharina BUECHER (wife of Jacob HOFFMANN) (1854-1908); Friedrich BUECHER (1858-1859); and Henry Traugott BUECHER (1860-1910).

 

Christina BUECHER died at her farm home in Millstadt Township on Wednesday, 11 March 1885.  She was buried the next day in the Old Millstadt Cemetery. Henry BUECHER died at his farm on Sunday, 22 January 1893 from the infirmities of old age.  He reached the age of 72 years, 8 months, and 3 days.  Burial was on Jan. 24 1893 in the Old Millstadt Cemetery [10]  by Rev. Ludwig Knief, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church.  Their tombstones contain the following inscriptions written in German:

 

                                                HEINRICH                                          CHRISTINA M.

                                                BUECHER                                           Gattin von   [wife of]

                                                GEB.  [Born]                                     H. BUECHER

                                                19 Mai                                                           GEB.  [Born]

                                                1820                                                               28 Maerz 1819

                                                GEST  [Died]                                     GEST  [Died]

                                                22 Jan. 1893                                        11 Maerz 1885

 

 

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The Heinrich BUECHER family is listed as follows in the various United States Federal Census Enumerations from 1850 to 1880.   It seems that the census taker always had trouble spelling the name correctly:

 

1850 Census; Microfilm Roll 126; St. Clair Co., IL; District No. 11, Centreville (now Millstadt area); page 284 handwritten; page 408 (B) printed; family no. 2214; census taken 27 Nov. 1850:

 

Bulher [BUECHER], Henry;   age 32;   occupation “Farmer”;   born in Germany   [NOTE]

Bulher [BUECHER], Hellena;   age 25;   born in Germany

Bulher [BUECHER], Louis;   age 2;   born in “St. Clair Co.”

 

                [NOTE: his "Value of Real Estate owned" is listed as 800]

 

family no. 2215 lists his brother (Phillip) and his wife's brother (Peter):

 

Bulher [BUECHER], Phillip;   age 36;   occupation “Shoemaker”;   born in Germany   [NOTE]

Bulher [BUECHER], Louisa;    age 48;   born in Germany

Hoffman, Peter;   age 22;   occupation “Tailor”;   born in Germany

 

                [NOTE: his "Value of Real Estate owned" is listed as $ 1000]

 

 

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1860 Census; Microfilm Roll 224; St. Clair Co., IL; Township 1 South, Range 9 West [Millstadt Township]; page 78 front; dwelling # 572; family # 591; census taken 19 June 1860:

 

Bicher [BUECHER], Henry;   age 40;   occupation “Farmer”;   born in Nassau   [NOTE]

Bicher [BUECHER], Madgal.;   age 41;   born in Wurtemberg

Bicher [BUECHER], Lena;   age 16;   born in Mo. [Missouri]

Bicher [BUECHER], Louis;   age 12;   born in Ill.

Bicher [BUECHER], Cath.;   age 6;   born in Ills.

Bicher [BUECHER], Henry;   age 3 months;   born in Ills.

 

        [NOTE: his "Value of Real Estate" is listed as 3000 and his "Value of Personal Estate" is listed as 400]

 

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1870 Census; Microfilm Roll # 280; St. Clair Co., IL; Township 1 South, Range 9 West [Millstadt Township]; printed page # 575 (front); written page # 9; dwelling # 53; family # 54; census taken 3 June 1870:

 

Prieecher [BUECHER],  Henry;   age 52;   occupation “Farmer”;   born in Nassau  [NOTE]

Prieecher [BUECHER],  Lena;   age 51;   occupation “Keepinghouse”;   born in “Wertenburg”

Prieecher [BUECHER],  Lewis;   age 21;   occupation “At home”;   born in Illinois

Prieecher [BUECHER],  Catharine;   age 16;   occupation “At home”;   born in Illinois

Prieecher [BUECHER],  Henry;   age 10;   occupation “At home”;   born in Illinois

 

 

                [NOTE: Henry is listed as being a "Male Citizen of the U. S."

 

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1880 Census; Microfilm Roll # 247; St. Clair Co., IL; Township 1 South, Range 9 West [Millstadt Township]; printed page # 510 (back); written page # 20; Supervisor District No. 7; Enumeration District # 54; census taken 12th & 14th June 1880; dwelling # 158; family # 163:

 

Bucher, Henry;   age 61;   occupation “Farmer”;   born in “Pr. Nassau”

Bucher, Magdalena;   age 61;   wife;   occupation “keepinghouse”;   born in “Wurtemberg”

Bucher, Henry;   age 20;   son;   occupation “Farming”;   born in Ills.

Kurzdorfer, Martin;   age 17;   occupation “laborer”;   born in Ills.

Ragon, Peter;   age 40;   occupation “laborer”;   born in Ireland

 

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The following two (2) children were born to Heinrich Buecher & Magdalena Hoffmann:

 

1A.)  Louis Philipp BUECHER

                born:  21 September 1848 Millstadt Township, IL

                died:  23 May 1886 Millstadt, IL

                married:  Christina Catherine HAMMEL on 2 February 1873 in Millstadt, IL

 

2A.)  Karl Philipp BUECHER

                born:  17 January 1851 Millstadt Township, IL

                died:  19 September 1851 Millstadt Township, IL

 

The following three (3) children were born to Heinrich Buecher & Christina Magdalena WALZ, nee LAUTERWASSER:

 

1B.)  Katharina Louisa BUECHER

                born:  3 January 1854 Millstadt Township, IL

                died:  27 March 1908 Millstadt Township

                married:  Jacob HOFFMANN on 11 February 1872 in Millstadt, IL

 

2B.)  Friedrich Carl BUECHER

                born:  18 May 1858 Millstadt Township, IL

                died:  12 September 1859 Millstadt Township

 

3B.)  Henry Traugott BUECHER

                born:  25 March 1860 Millstadt Township, IL

                died:  2 May 1910 Millstadt Township, IL

                married: Mary Wilhelmina DOHRMANN on 28 October 18883 in Millstadt, IL


[1] Millstadt was originally founded in March 1837 with the name of “Centreville” since it was mid-way between Belleville & Columbia.  The new town of Centreville was platted & surveyed on 13 March 1837 with 40 lots.  This is the part of town roughly bounded by Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe Streets.  On Sept. 14, 1878, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Centreville passed a revised ordinance to change the name of the village to “Village of Millstadt”.

[2] U. S. National Archives Microfilm Series M259 (Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, LA, 1820-1902), microfilm roll # M 259-28; ship # 206

[3]  The marriage is written in German and gives this information: “Philipp Heinrich Buecher, tailor from Mauloff, Amt [County of] Usingen, Nassau” and “Miss Magdalena Hoffmann, legitimate daughter of Johann Conrad Hoffmann in Altweilnau, Amt Usingen”

[4]  The marriage is also recorded in the records of  Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Sugar Loaf Township

[5]  marriage license # 2175.  The clerk mispelled the names as “Philip Henry Biher” and “Miss Magdalene Hufmann”.

[6]  Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, IL; burial records, year 1851, entry # 6

[7]  Karl Philipp Buecher died on 19 Sept. 1851 at the age of 8 months & 2 days and was buried on 21 Sept.;  Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, IL; burial records, year 1851, entry # 5.

[8]  Clerk of St. Clair County, IL;  marriage license # 3322

[9]  She was baptized “Marie Magdalene Catharine Walz” on 12 May 1844 by Pastor Georg W. Wall and the baptism is found in the records of St. Peter Evangelical United Church of Christ, St. Louis; year 1844 # 33.

[10]  The Old Millstadt Cemetery is also known as the “Centerville Cemetery” and is located at the corner of  South Jefferson and West Harrison Streets.  It was established on May 4, 1844 on land owned by Henry Randlemann.  A complete list of the tombstone inscriptions from this cemetery was published in the St. Clair County [IL] Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 10 (1987), No. 2, pp. 65 - 87