MICHAEL  &  SOPHIA  WAGNER

 

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

E-mail:  rgb7847@aol.com

[Revised: 6 April 2009]

 

[This information corrects and updates the family sketch that was published on page 553 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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Michael WAGNER was born at 4 o'clock in the morning on Sunday, 2 Jan. 1820 ([1]) at Baerendorf, Alsace/Elsass, France.  His name as recorded on his French birth certificate was "Jean Michel Wagner".  He was the third child and second son of farmer Anthony WAGNER (1784-1851) and Elisabeth, nee FIEGEL/FIGEL (born 1783).  The family belonged to the Catholic church there and also later in St. Clair County, IL.

 

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 for 1681-1793 and the Civil Records ("Etat civil") for 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.

 

Michael WAGNER came to the United States with both his parents sometime after the birth of his youngest sister, Christina in March 1832 and before Feb. 1, 1833, when his father, Anton/Anthony, bought 80 acres in section 27 of Stookey Township, St. Clair County, IL.  It is believed that the family came through the port of New Orleans, although no ship passenger list has yet been found for the family.

 

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]

 

According to his wife's obituary [2] in 1886, Michael WAGNER married Sophia WAGNER [no relation to each another] in 1846.  No exact date or place has been found for this marriage.

 

Sophia WAGNER was born at 10 o'clock in the evening on Tuesday, 17 May 1825 at Wolfskirchen, Elsass/Alsace, France ([3]).  She was the 5th child and 4th daughter of day laborer, Johann Nicolaus WAGNER (1795-1838) and his wife, Eva, nee SCHMIDT (1795-1870).  Her parents belonged to the protestant church there and later the Evangelical church in St. Clair Co., IL.  The two Wagner families may have even known each other before they emigrated since the villages of Wolfskirchen and Baerendorf are only about 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles apart). 

 

She came to the United States with both parents, 2 brothers, and 5 sisters in 1838.  The family arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana on 4 May 1838 aboard the ship “Ville de Paris” which had sailed from the port of Havre in France [4].

 

Michael & Sophia spent their first 5 years of marriage living in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Michael is listed as a blacksmith on "Dryades north of Calliope" in the 1849 and 1851 City Directories.  The family is also listed in the 1850 Census [2nd Municipality, City of New Orleans, LA; 4th Ward; Parish of Orleans; page stamped 209; dated 31 July 1850; dwelling/family no. 97/88]:

 

              Michael Wagner                 29   M   Blacksmith               France

              Sophia    "                    24   F                            France

              Cecelia   "                     3     F                            Louisiana

 

      NOTE: Their 2nd child, Sophia, was born in New Orleans some 5 months later on 20 December 1850.

 

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

 

The Michael WAGNER family moved to Millstadt [then called Centreville], Illinois sometime in 1851 or early 1852.  Michael opened a blacksmith shop there that was apparently located on East Washington Street close to where the  First National Bank of Millstadt is presently located (2006). 

 

The family is listed as follows in the 1860 Census [Roll 224; St. Clair County, IL; Town of Millstadt; page 43; family # 302/320]:

 

              Wagner, Michl.            41   M   Mast. Blacksm.              France

                      Sophia                 35   M                                      France

                      Sophia                  9     F                                           Louisiana

                      Christina               7     F                                           Illinois

                      Frank                   4     M                                           Illinois

                      Wm.                     2     M                                           Illinois

 

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

 

Sometime about 1864, the Michael WAGNER family moved to Belleville where he is listed on page 105 of the 1868-69 BELLEVILLE CITY DIRECTORY as a "blacksmith; residence - corner of Illinois & Franklin". 

 

Although his parents were both members of the Catholic church, Michael and his wife, Sophia, belonged to Zion Evangelical Church while they lived at Millstadt.  After the family moved to Belleville, they were members of St. Paul's Evangelical Church [St. Paul's United Church of Christ] there. 

 

Michael WAGNER died from "consumption" [tuberculosis] on Friday, 9 April 1869 at Belleville at the age of 49 years, 3 months, and 7 days.  He was buried on April 11, 1869 at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville, but no tombstone has been found for him.  His survivors were his wife and 5 children [5].

 

The family is listed as follows in the 1870 Census [Roll 280; St. Clair County, Illinois; Belleville; page 72; family # 509; census taken 1 Aug. 1870]:

 

             Wagner, Sophie  45   F   Keeping house   France

                     Sophie                  20   F   at home            Louisiana

                     Christine               17   F     "                         Illinois

                     William                 12   M     "                         Illinois

                     Magdalene                6     F     "                         Illinois

                     Louis                    2     M     "                         Illinois

 

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

 

Sometime between 1877 and 1884, Sophia moved to West Main where the BELLEVILLE CITY DIRECTORY for 1884 lists her as residing at 446 West Main.  The 1880 Census [Roll 247; St. Clair Co., IL; Belleville; 2nd Ward; page 16; family # 143; census taken 7 June 1880] lists the family as:

 

           Wagner, Sophia                    55   F   widowed                     France

                   Louis                     12   M   son, at school              Illinois

 

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

 

Sophia WAGNER died at her home in Belleville at 2 A. M. on Monday, 8 Nov. 1886 from stomach cancer.  She reached the age of 61 years, 5 months, and 22 days.  Her burial was at 10 o'clock in the morning on 9 Nov. at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville.  She was buried in Block 20, Subdivision D, Tier 10, grave 5; but there is no tombstone on her grave.  Her obituary [6] states that she was the mother of ten children, although records of only nine have been found.  At the time of her death in 1886, she was survived by 3 grown daughters, 2 sons, and 11 grandchildren.

 

The following 9 children were born to Michael Wagner & Sophia Wagner:

 

1.)  Cecelia WAGNER

            born: 4 July 1847 in New Orleans, Louisiana

            died: 18 February 1853 in Millstadt, Illinois

 

2.)  Sophia WAGNER

            born: 20 December 1850 in New Orleans, Louisiana

            died:  22 December 1891 in Millstadt, Illinois

            married: Fred WETTEROTH on 9 August 1870 at Zion Church, Millstadt, IL

 

3.)  Christina WAGNER

            born: 5 November 1852 in Millstadt, Illinois

            died: 14 March 1916 in Belleville, IL

            married:  Charles A. KLEIN on 24 May 1874 in Belleville, Illinois

 

4.)  Cecilia Elisabetha WAGNER

            born:  3 October 1854 in Millstadt, Illinois

            died:  20 April 1855 in Millstadt, IL

 

5.)  Franz/Frank WAGNER

            born: 15 January 1856 in Millstadt, Illinois

            died:  25 August 1862 in Millstadt, IL

 

6.)  William WAGNER

            born:  about 1858 in Millstadt, Illinois

            died:  17 September 1913 in Belleville, Illinois

            married:  Anna Albina HARTMANN on 28 March 1880 in Millstadt, IL

 

7.)  infant WAGNER

            born: circa October 1861 in Millstadt, Illinois

            died:  1 August 1862 in Millstadt, IL

 

8.)  Magdalena “Lena” WAGNER

            born: 21 April 1864 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  2 February 1937 in Saint Louis, Missouri

            married: Jacob Eugene SPIES on 19 June 1889 in Belleville, IL

 

9.)  Louis WAGNER

            born:  24 October 1866 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  14 March 1917 in Belleville, IL

            married:  Minnie REBSON on 28 September 1890 in Belleville, IL

 


[1] Baerendorf (Bas-Rhin) Civil Records, “Naissances” [Births], year 1820, entry # 1; Microfilm No. 720566, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

[2]  Belleville, Illinois, ZEITUNG & STERN (daily edition), Monday, Nov. 8, 1886, page 4, column 6

[3]  Wolfskirchen (Bas-Rhin) Civil Records, “Naissances” [Births], year 1825, entry # 9; Microfilm No. 1069793, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[4]  U. S. National Archives Microfilm Series M259 (Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, LA, 1820-1902), microfilm roll # M 259-16; ship # 218

[5] Schmidt, Martha Mae, Church Records of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Belleville, IL, 1839 - 1939, (Belleville, IL: St. Clair County Genealogical Society, 1994), burials page 633 entry # 10  [photocopied]

[6] Belleville, Illinois, WEEKLY ADVOCATE, Friday, November 12, 1886, page 1, column 3 [photocopied]