JOHANN  NICOLAUS  WAGNER  FAMILY

 

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

E-mail:  rgb7847@aol.com

[Revised: 24 May 2007]

 

[This information corrects and updates the family sketch that was published on page 705 of the HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL, VOLUME 2, published in 1992]

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Johann Nicolaus WAGNER was a farmer and early settler in Stookey Township, St. Clair County, Illinois.  He was born on 28 February 1795 or 1796 [1] at Wolfskirchen, Elsass/Alsace, France, a son of Johann "Hans" Nicolaus WAGNER (1771-1837) and his wife, Magdalena, nee KLEIN (1770-1810).  The family belonged to the protestant church at Wolfskirchen.

 

Wolfskirchen is a small French village that lies about 66 kilometers (41 miles) west of the Rhine River and about 14 kilometers (8 1/2 miles) north of Sarrebourg.  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has microfilmed the Evangelical Church records for this town from 1671-present (with some years missing) and also the civil records from 1794-present.

 

Wolfskirchen is located in a part of Europe that kept changing ownership between France and Germany.  Sometimes the town belonged to Elsass-Lothringen, Germany while other times it was part of Alsace-Lorraine, France.  The Evangelical church records for this town (1671-1846) are written in German, while the Civil Records (1794-1882) are written in French.  Today (2006), the town is located in the Department of Bas-Rhin, France.

 

Johann Nicolaus WAGNER was married to Eva SCHMIDT on 25 January 1816 [2] at Wolfskirchen.  Eva was also a native of Wolfskirchen where she was born on 5 April 1795 or 1796 [3]  and was the tenth child of Michael SCHMIDT (born 1751) and Margaretha, nee QUIRIN (1753-1837).

 

The Johann Nicolaus WAGNER family, which included 6 daughters and 2 sons, emigrated to the United States in 1838 and settled in Stookey Township of St. Clair County, Illinois.  The family arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana on 4 May 1838 aboard the “Ship Ville de Paris” [ship # 218] [4] which had sailed from the port of Havre in France.  The family then traveled north up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, MO.

 

    The family is listed as follows on the ship passenger list:

 

                NAME                                    AGE        SEX        OCCUPATION                    COUNTRY TO WHICH

                                                                                                                                                THEY SEVERALLY BELONG

 

            Jean Nicola Wagner      43         M         Farmer                         France

            Elisa [Eva]   "                43         F             "                                   "

            Catharina     "                19         "              "                                   "

            Christina     "                 17         "              "                                   "

            Magdalena     "              15         "              "                                   "

            Sophia        "                 13         "              "                                   "

            Theodotha [Dorothea]   11         "              "                                   "

            Henry                           8          M            "                                   "

            Carolina                        6          F             "                                   "

            George                         4          M            "                                   "

 

The couples last child was  Johann Nikolaus WAGNER who was born on 20 Sept. 1838 and baptized on 9 Nov. 1838 by Johann Jacob RIESS, the first minister of Zion Church.  The child was baptized the same day that his father died  [5] .

 

The family was among the early members of Zion Evangelical Church at Millstadt, which had been founded in January 1836 by Pastor Johann Jacob RIESS [6].  After Concordia Church was founded in 1851, most of the family belonged to that church [7].

 

According to his burial record found at Zion Church, Johann Nicolaus WAGNER died on “9 November 1838” [8].  He had only resided in the United States for 6 months.  He most likely died in Stookey Township although his burial record does not give a place of death. Burial was probably in Freivogel Cemetery which was established in 1837 by Zion Church, south of Millstadt. 

 

His widow, Eva, stayed in the area and was listed here with several of her family in the 1840 Census of St. Clair County, page 252:

 

                           Eva Wagner    [head of the house]  [9]

 

           1 male,  under 5 years                 [son Johann Nicholas born 1838]

           1 male,  5-10 years                     [son George born 1834]

           1 male, 10-15 years                    [son Heinrich born 1830]

           1 male, 20-30 years                    [?son-in-law Jacob LEPERE b. 1814]

           1 female, under 5 years               [might be her grandaughter, Sophia LEPERE, who was born July 1840]

           1 female,  5-10 years                  [dau. Carolina born 1832]

           1 female, 20-30 years                [dau. Katharina? born 1818, wife of Jacob LEPERE]

 

It is also unknown why 4 other daughters are not found with Eva.  They are: Christina born 1820; Magdalena born 1823; Sophia born 1825; and Dorothea born 1827.  Were they missed by the enumerator or were they possibly residing with neighboring families?

 

****************      ***************      ***************      ***************

 

The family is listed as follows in the 1850 Census [Roll 126; St. Clair Co., IL; District 10 - Belleville Prairie; dwelling/family # 1964/1964; census taken 22 Nov. 1850]:   Note that the WAGNER surname is spelled as "WAGONER".

 

                                                AGE                OCCUPATION          NATIVITY

            Wagoner, Eve              55        F                                              France     [NOTE]

                        Henry               20        M         farmer                          France

                        George             17        M         farmer                          France

                        John                 11        M                                             Ill.

                        Caroline           18        F                                              France

 

           [Note that her "Value of Real Estate owned" was 800.]

 

Next to Eva in the census was her daughter, Dorothea, and son-in-law [family # 1963]:

 

                                                AGE                OCCUPATION          NATIVITY

            Wagoner, Peter            28        M         farmer                          France

                        Doretha            24        F                                              France

                        Sophia              4          F                                              Ill.

                        George             2          M                                             Ill.

 

****************      ***************      ***************      ***************

 

Eva is listed with her youngest and last child (John) in the 1860 Census [Roll 224; St. Clair Co., IL; Stookey Township (Township 1 North, Range 9 West); page 416; family # 933]:

 

                        Waggoner, Effa            age 65              born Germany

                                    John                 age 22              born Germany  [NOTE]

 

                        [NOTE that John was actually born in Illinois and NOT Germany.]

 

Listed next to Eva at family # 934 was her son "H. H. Waggoner" [Heinrich Wagner] and his wife, Barbara.

 

****************      ***************      ***************      ***************

 

Eva WAGNER, nee SCHMIDT,  died on Monday, 21 March 1870 in Stookey Township at the age of 74 years, 11 months, and 16 days [10].  Her cause of death is listed as ‘senility’.  At her death, her survivors were numbered as 7 of her 10 children; 55 grandchildren (1 illegitimate); and 18 great-grandchildren.  She was buried in Concordia Cemetery on 22 March 1870 by the church's pastor, Rev. C. F. DOEHRING.  No tombstone has been found for her in that cemetery.

 

The following 10 children were born to Johann Nicholas Wagner & Eva Schmidt:

 

1.)  Heinrich WAGNER

                born:  5 Dec. 1816 Wolfskirchen

                died:  10 April 1821 Wolfskirchen

 

2.)  Katharina WAGNER

                born:  14 Nov. 1818 Wolfskirchen

                died:  20 April 1904 Stookey Township, St. Clair County, IL

                married:  (# 1.)  Jacob LEPERE 25 Feb. 1840 in Millstadt, IL

                                (# 2.)  Peter RUHMANN 27 April 1848 in St. Clair County, IL

 

3.)  Christina WAGNER

                born:  18 Nov. 1820 Wolfskirchen

                died:  4 March 1847 Stookey Township, IL

                married:  Johann George LEPERE 6 April 1843 in St. Clair County, IL

 

4.)  Magdalena WAGNER

                born:  19 Feb. 1823 Wolfskirchen

                died:  26 June 1908 Belleville, IL

                married:  Rev. William FLICKINGER on 2 March 1843 in St. Clair County, IL

 

5.)  Sophia WAGNER

                born:  17 May 1825 Wolfskirchen

                died:  8 Nov. 1886 Belleville, IL

                married: Michael WAGNER about 1846

 

6.)  Dorothea WAGNER

                born:  4 July 1827 Wolfskirchen

                died:  12 August 1881 Stookey Township, IL

                married:  Peter WAGNER before Nov. 1846

 

7.)  Heinrich WAGNER

                born:  29 April 1830 Wolfskirchen

                died:  18 June 1869 Stookey Township, IL

                married:  Barbara Katharine HAAS on 17 May 1853 in Stookey Township, IL

 

8.)  Carolina WAGNER

                born:  22 April 1832 Wolfskirchen

                died: 18 March 1894 Millstadt, IL

                married:  Heinrich ROOS on 18 Dec. 1850 in Millstadt, IL

 

9.)  George WAGNER

                born:  1 July 1834 Wolfskirchen

                died:  3 April 1881 in Stookey Township, IL

                married:  Salome MEROD on 11 Sept. 1854 in Stookey Township, IL

 

10.)  Johann Nikolaus WAGNER

                born:  20 Sept. 1838 in Stookey Township, IL

                died:  12 Feb. 1872 in Stookey Township, IL

                married:  Elisabeth SCHUBERT on 14 March 1867 in Stookey Township, IL

 


[1]  There are conflicting years for his birthdate.  A birthdate of “28 Feb. 1795” for Johann Nicolaus Wagner is found in the “Taufen (Kopie)” [baptism] records of the protestant church of Wolfskirchen on  Family History Library microfilm # 1069790, page 101.   A birthdate of  “28 Feb. 1796” for him is on his civil marriage record (dated 25 Jan. 1816) and recorded in the Wolfskirchen “Etat Civil” found on Family History Library microfilm # 1069793.  His death record at Zion Evangelical Church, Millstadt,  states he was born “6 March 1795”.  With such conflicting years, it is difficult to decide which year is correct.  Since the baptism records on the microfilm are copies “Taufen (Kopie)”,  I feel that the correct year is probably 1796, but then 1795 is found both  in the “Kopie” and on his burial record. 

 

[2]  The marriage is recorded in Wolfskirchen Civil Records “Etat Civil” found on Family History Library microfilm # 1069793.  The couples names are written as “Jean Nicolas Wagner and Eva Schmidt”.

 

[3]  Similar discrepancies give Eva either a birthdate of “5 April 1795” found recorded in the copied baptism records of the protestant church in Wolfskirchen or a date of “5 April 1796” that is found on her civil marriage record “Etat Civil” in 1816.  Her burial/death  record at Concordia Church states she was born “9 April 1795”.

 

[4]  National Archives Microfilm Series M259 (Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, LA, 1820-1902), roll # 16; ship # 218.

 

[5]  The baptism is recorded in Zion Evangelical Church baptism records, page 8, entry # 44.  Godparents are listed as “A. Wagner,  K. Vogel,  Elis. Wagner,  & the ‘Frau’ ” who I assume was the child’s mother, Eva.

 

[6]  Zion Evangelical  Church, Millstadt, IL,  has baptism records that start in Dec. 1835;  marriages that begin in 1836 and burials/deaths that start in 1836.  The records from 1836 thru about 1920 are written in German.  A microfim copy of the records can be found at the Belleville Public Library, Belleville, IL and at the St. Louis County Library in St. Louis, MO.

 

[7]  Records for Concordia United Church of Christ have been published as follows:  “Concordia Church Marriage Records, 1851-1900” by Robert Buecher in the St. Clair County [IL] Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 2 (1979) # 2, pp. 80-98;  Church & Cemetery Records of Concordia United Church of Christ, R. R. 3, Belleville, IL 62223, 1851-1986, (translated, compiled , & published by Martha Mae Schmidt, 1986).  This 255 page book includes baptisms 1851-1986;  confirmations 1866-1985;  marriages 1851-1985;  burials/deaths 1851-1986; and tombstone inscriptions from Concordia Cemetery.

 

[8]  Zion Evangelical Church, Millstadt, IL,  burial records, year 1838 entry #  6 .  The record is written in German and gives his birthdate as “6 March 1795”;  his death date as “9 November 1838”;  his parents’ names as “Johann Nickolaus & Magdalena Wagner”;  and his wife as “Eva Schmidt”.

 

[9]  Even though Eva (then age 45) is listed as the head of the house in this census, she is NOT included in the various age categories.

[10]  Concordia United Church of Christ, burial records 1870 entry # 1.  That entry (in German) states that the Widow Eva Wagner, born Schmidt,  was born “9 April 1795” at “Wolfskirch, Strassburg, Nieder Rhein”;  came to America in 1838;  and married John Nic Wagner in 1817.  It also gives her death and burial dates.