ANTON   WAGNER   FAMILY

 

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

 

E-mail:  rgb7847@aol.com

 

[Revised: 25 May 2006]

 

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Anthony/Anton WAGNER was a farmer and early settler in Section 27 of Stookey Township, St. Clair County, Illinois.

 

According to information found in his marriage record, Anthony was born on 30 January 1784 at Baerendorf, Elsass/Alsace, France.  He was the son of Jean/John WAGNER (1751-1813) and Catherina, nee BOUL (1757-1811).  The family belonged to the Catholic Church in Baerendorf.

 

Baerendorf is a small French village that lies about 66 kilometers (41 miles) west of the Rhine River and 12 kilometers (7 1/2 miles) north of the city of Sarrebourg.  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has filmed the Catholic church records for this town from 1681-1793 and the Civil Records ("Etat civil") from 1792-1882.

 

Baerendorf is located in the part of Europe that kept changing ownership between France and Germany.  Some years the village was in Elsass-Lothringen in Germany and other times it was in Alsace-Lorraine, France.  Presently, the village is located in the Department of Bas-Rhin, France.

 

Anthony WAGNER was married to Elisabeth FIEGEL on 5 Sept. 1815 at Baerendorf.  According to her marriage record, Elisabeth was born on 2 August 1783 at Baerendorf and was the daughter of Martin FIEGEL/FIGEL (1751-1835) and Margaretha, nee POIRSING (born 1764).

 

Anthony WAGNER and his wife had 10 children, 6 sons and 4 daughters, born to them in Baerendorf between 1816 and 1832.  At least one of their sons, Jean Francois (b. 1830), died at Baerendorf before the family emigrated to the United States.  Another son, Jean Piere WAGNER died at Baerendorf at the age of 19 years in Feb. 1835 after the remainder of his family left for the United States.

 

Various years have been given for the family's emigration to the United States.  It was certainly after the birth of their daughter, Christina in March 1832, but before Feb. 1, 1833 when Anton bought 80 acres in Section 27 of Township 1 North, Range 9 West [Stookey Township], from William Sample.

 

There is a sort of emigration record for this family found in the Archives of Bas-Rhin, France.  The original records were microfilmed by the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, and can be found on microfilm roll # 1070234.  The record states that this is a "Register of residents of the village of Berendorff [Baerendorf] who have emigrated for America between the years 1828 and 1837, inclusive, either singly, or within their families."  The document is dated 1 March 1838 and signed by the Mayor of Baerendorf.  It lists:

 

 

                                    WAGNER, Antoine         cultivateur  [farmer]

                                    FIEGEL, Elisabethe     

                                    WAGNER, Catherine

                                                Michel   [Michael]

                                                Pierre   [Peter]

                                                Margueritte

                                                Antoine  [Anton/Anthony]

                                                Barbe    [Barbara]

                                                Jacques  [Jacob]

                                                Christine

 

It is believed that this family came through the port of New Orleans, although no ship passenger list has yet been located for them.  It is also possible that the entire family did not emigrate at the same time which might also account for the different years [1828, 1831, 1834] given in later obituaries of their children. 

 

The Anton WAGNER family settled on an 80 acre farm in Section 27 of Stookey Township where Anton continued farming until his death in 1851.  He also bought an additional 40 acres in the same section.  He and his family were among the earliest members of St. Thomas the Apostle [Catholic] parish whose chapel was located southwest of Millstadt and which  had been founded on 26 Nov. 1837.  Some of his family were also  members of St. James Catholic Church at Millstadt after it was founded in 1851. [1]

 

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The first census record of this family in St. Clair County, IL, is their listing on the 1840 Federal Census, page 252:

 

                        Antony Wagner   [head of the house]

 

              1 male,   5-10 years old  [son John born ca. 1834]

              2 males, 10-15 years old  [sons: Jacob b. 1828 & Anthony b. 1825]

              1 male, 15-20 years       [son Peter born 1821]

              1 male, 20-30 years       [son Michael born 1820]

              1 male, 50-60 years       [father Anthony born 1784]

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

              1 female, 10-15 years     [dau. Barbara born 1826]

              1 female, 15-20 years     [dau. Margaret born 1823]

              1 female, 50-60 years     [mother Elisabeth born 1783]

 

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There is also a naturalization record on file with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois, for an "Anton Wagner".  He was naturalized as a United States citizen during the Oct. 1844 circuit court term and his certificate number was 3307.

 

The Anton WAGNER family is found listed as follows in the 1850 Census [Roll 126; St. Clair County, IL; District 10 - Belleville Prairie; dwelling & family # 1960; census taken 22 Nov. 1850; note that the surname is mispelled as WAGONER]:

 

                                                AGE  SEX  OCCUPATION      NATIVITY

           Antoine Wagoner          62        M         farmer              Germany  [NOTE 1]

           Elizabeth  "                    62        F                                       "     [NOTE 2]

           Antoine    "                    25        M         farmer                  "    

           John       "                      16        M         "?                                 Ill.

           Christina  "                     19        F                                  Germany

 

        NOTE 1: his Real Estate Value was 1200.  His age was actually 66.

 

        NOTE 2: her age was actually 67.

 

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According to an intestate record [2] filed in St. Clair County on 19/26 Sept. 1851, Anton Wagner died without leaving a will on the 26 August 1851 in St. Clair County .  A burial record by Priest H. Liermann can be found in the interment records of St. Thomas the Apostle [Catholic] Chapel which was located near Millstadt [3].  The record is written in Latin and translates as "August 27, 1851 - I interred Anthony Wagner, having been fortified by the sacraments.  He was seventy years of age."

 

A tombstone for Anton/Anthony WAGNER can be found in a pile of broken stones at the "Y" of Floraville Road and Saxtown Road, south of Millstadt.  This is in Section 16 of the north part of Millstadt Township.  The small cemetery that was once there had been an old Catholic cemetery and was probably the second one for Millstadt area Catholics and the first one for St. James Parish which had been founded in Millstadt in 1851.  Very little remains of this cemetery except for a pile of stones with some intact and many  broken pieces.  Also buried here were two of his grandchildren: Johann Reichert who died in 1851 and Cecilia Wagner who died on 18 Feb. 1853.  Tombstones still exist for these two children [4] .

 

The tombstone for Anton is written in German and translates into English as:

 

Antony  Wagner

from Berndorf Lothringen

born 31 Feb. 1789  ([5])

died 26 Aug. 1851

 

In the settlement of his estate in Jan. 1853, there is a note that this tombstone was bought from Pierre Wilhelm for $4.00 [four dollars!].  Other bills found in his estate settlement is a pharmacy bill from Dr. Killian [of Millstadt, IL] for $3.00 and a bill for $13.00 from Jacob Luerm? for his funeral. 

 

In early 1857, a Petition for Partition was filed in the St. Clair County, IL Circuit Court by John Dahm & others versus Elizabeth Wagner, widow, and others. The record is found in St. Clair County Chancery Records, File No. 145 in the year 1857.  The record is a genealogical goldmine since it names all their children and includes the husband's first names for their married daughters [6] .

 

The 11 children born to Anthony Wagner & Elisabeth Fiegel were:

 

(1.)  Jean Piere Wagner

                born: 10 Jan. 1816 Baerendorf

                died: 16 Feb. 1835 Baerendorf

 

(2).  Catharine Wagner

                born: 22 May 1818 Baerendorf

                died: 19 April 1905 Stookey Township, St. Clair County, IL

                married: Lorenz REICHERT on 14 Sept. 1835 by a priest from the Old Cathedral in St. Louis, MO

 

(3.)  Michael Wagner

                born: 2 Jan. 1820 Baerendorf

                died: 9 April 1869 Belleville, IL

                married: Sophia WAGNER about 1846

 

(4.)  Peter Wagner

                born: 30 Oct. 1821 Baerendorf

                died: 27 Feb. 1909 Belleville, IL

                married: Dorothea WAGNER before Nov. 1846

 

(5.)  Margaret Wagner

                born: 9 Nov. 1823 Baerendorf

                died: 19 Sept. 1894 Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

                married: William GREIF on 8 July 1841 by a priest from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Belleville, IL

 

(6.)  Anton Wagner

                born: 4 March 1825 Baerendorf

                died: 18 Sept. 1904 in Stookey Township St. Clair County, IL

                married:  Anna Marie LOY about 1858

 

(7.)  Barbara Wagner

                born: 20 Oct. 1826 Baerendorf

                died: 17 Feb. 1891 in Stookey Township

                married: Johannes DAHM on 7 Feb. 1843 by a priest from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Belleville, IL

 

(8.)  Jacob Wagner

                born: 7 Dec. 1828 Baerendorf

                died: between 1867 & 1871

                married:  Maria Anna MEROD about 1853

 

(9.)  Jean Francois Wagner

                born: 20 Sept. 1830 Baerendorf

                died: 1 Oct. 1830 Baerendorf

 

(10.)  Christina Wagner

                born: 9 March 1832 Baerendorf

                died: 18 Feb. 1915 Belleville, IL

                married:  Adam FINKLEIN on 26 Nov. 1850 by a priest from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Belleville, IL

 

(11.)  John Fridolin Wagner

                born in 1834 near Millstadt, IL

                baptized: 21 Sept. 1834 by a priest from the Old Cathedral, St. Louis, MO

                died: sometime after 1857


[1]  The records of St. James Catholic Church are found on microfilm roll # 109 housed at the Belleville Public Library.  Years included are the late 1850’s thru 1929.

[2]  Record Series 6.19, Administrator’s and Executor’s Letters, St. Clair County, IL Accession Number 6/22/3; found at the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System, SIU Carbondale; Record number 152 and dated 19 Sept. 1851

 

[3]  St. Thomas the Apostle [Catholic] Chapel was a log church that was built about two miles southwest of Millstadt somewhere near the present day intersection of Illinois Route 158 and Bohleysville Road.  The chapel was dedicated on 26 Nov. 1837 by Bishop Joseph Rosati of St. Louis, MO, who on that same day started the parish records.  St. Thomas was a mission church and never had a resident priest but was served by priests from the surrounding communities.  The records of St. Thomas the Apostle can be found on microfilm roll # 110 at the Belleville Public Library.  Years covered are 1837 thru about 1860 except for deaths which go to 1874.

 

[4]  This cemetery is also called the HAHN Cemetery and a complete inventory of the tombstones found there in 1987 was published in the St. Clair County [IL] Genealogical Society Quarterly; 1987 # 3, page 147.

 

[5]  NOTE: the birthplace should be spelled "Baerendorf" and  the birthdate should be "30 Jan. 1784". 

 

[6]  The 9 children are listed as:  Catherine (Mrs. Lorenz REICHERT);  Michael WAGNER;  Peter WAGNER;  Anthony WAGNER Jr.;  Margaret (Mrs. William GRIEF/GREIF [surname spelled both ways]);  John WAGNER;  Jacob WAGNER;  Christina (Mrs. Adam FINCKLANG);  & Barbara (Mrs. John DAHM).