HENRY   WEISSENBORN   FAMILY

 

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

E-mail:  rgb7847@aol.com

[Revised:  7 April 2009]

 

[This information corrects and updates the family sketch that was published on page 569 of the HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL, VOLUME 1, published in 1988]

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Henry/Heinrich WEISSENBORN was born [1] on Sunday the 4th of June 1815 at Felchta, Germany and was the first child of day laborer, Johann Martin WEISSENBORN (ca. 1791-1859) and Maria Catharina, nee FRITSCHLER (1790-1840).  Henry was baptized as "Johann Heinrich Weissenborn" on 8 June 1815 at Felchta by the minister of the Evangelical church there.  In the United States, he used the name of Heinrich or Henry.

 

Felchta is a small village located just south of Muehlhausen in the central part of Germany.  In July 1993 after the reunification of Germany, its postal code number was "99974 Felchta".  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has microfilmed the Evangelical Church records for this town from 1805-1874. 

 

Henry emigrated to the United States in 1844 with his father, Martin WEISSENBORN, and 3 brothers.  Their ship passenger list stated that they departed from the port of Bremen, Germany and landed at New Orleans, Louisiana on 26 October 1844 aboard the ship “Washington” [2]  Henry's mother, Maria Catharina WEISSENBORN, did not emigrate to the United States, since she had died previously at Felchta on 22 Dec. 1840. 

 

The first record of the WEISSENBORN family in St. Clair County, IL, is on 6 June 1845 when the father, Martin, bought land in Survey 378, claim 307.

 

In the 1850 Census the family was residing in "Ridge-Prairy District"; in the 1860 Census Henry is listed in Belleville; and the 1870 Census listed him in West Belleville.  Complete census entries for Henry will be found at the end of this sketch.

 

Henry WEISSENBORN was married in Belleville to Carolina Louisa JACOBI on Monday, 10 Oct. 1853.  Carolina had only been in the United States since May of that year.  The wedding was performed by Rev. Lepique of St. Paul's Evangelical Church [now St. Paul United Church of Christ] in Belleville [3]  [4].  There were two sons and two daughters born to this marriage.

 

Carolina Louisa JACOBI was born at 4 p. m. on Wednesday, 24 May 1826 at Rodheim, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany.  She was the 8th child and 5th daughter of Johannes JACOBI (1785-after May 1853) and Margaretha, nee SCHREINER (ca. 1788-1855).  Carolina was baptized by the minister of the Evangelical church of Rodheim on 27 May 1826. 

 

Rodheim, vor der Hoehe, is a small village located in the Kreis (County) of Friedberg in the present German state of Hessen.  It is located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) due north from Frankfurt.  The village is too small to have its own postoffice, so its mail is handled through the one at "61191 Rosbach".  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has microfilmed the Evangelical Church records for this town from 1661-1875.

 

Carolina emigrated to the United States with both of her parents and her sister, Marie, in 1853.  The family traveled in the ship called the "J. G. Costa" which sailed from Le Havre, France, and arrived at the port of New York City on 31 May 1853; ship # 467  [5].  The family is listed as:

 

                                                AGE  SEX     OCCUPATION  NATIVITY

            Jacoby, Johann             60  Male          farmer              Hesse

                    Margareth            60  Female                               Hesse

                    Caroline               27  Female                               Hesse

                    Marie                   23  Female                               Hesse

 

Carolina's brother, John JACOBI, and his wife, Susanna, preceeded the JACOBI family to the United States, where they were living in Belleville during the 1850 census.  Another married sister, Katherine, also settled here with her husband, Philipp Hoffmann, sometime between 1851 and 1855.

 

Henry WEISSENBORN was a laborer in West Belleville and the following entry for him can be found on page 178 of the BELLEVILLE CITY AND WEST BELLEVILLE DIRECTORY FOR 1877.  The family lived in West Belleville at 213 N. West Street which later became 213 N. 14th Street.

 

        Weissenborn, Henry, laborer, res. W. s. West, bet. 1st and 4th North

                     [laborer, residence west side of West, between 1st and 4th  North]

 

Henry WEISSENBORN died at 5 a. m. on Monday, 1 April 1878 in Belleville.  The attending doctor stated on Henry's death certificate that the cause of death was "cystitis" which he had for "20 years"; complicated by "Peritonitis uraemia" which he had for "one week".  His age was listed as "62 years, 9 months, 28 days" and his birthplace as "Fillstadt, Germany".  He had been a resident in Illinois for "34 years".  Burial was on April 2 in Walnut Hill Cemetery [lot 165, addition "maple"] in Belleville.  Although there are no tombstones on their graves, Caroline and Henry lie buried to the right of the tombstones for their son, Henry (1861-1922).

 

Mrs. Carolina WEISSENBORN was married a second time on 15 August 1878 to Daniel Zugenbuehler.  The wedding took place in West Belleville and was performed by Rev. Ferdinand FLEISCHER, pastor at St. Paul's United Church of Christ at Belleville.  The marriage is recorded in the marriage records of the church [year 1878; entry # 18] and with the Clerk of St. Clair County [license # 249].  The witness to the marriage was the bride's daughter, Mrs. Louisa LOECHER.  No children were born to this second marriage and it is unclear what happened to the second husband.

 

The following listings for Carolina are found in the following City Directories of Belleville, IL:

 

    1894-95 page 334; Weisenborn Lena, wid. Henry, res 213 N West [14th Street]

 

    1896-97 page 316; Weissenborn Lena (wid Henry), res 213 N West   "     "

 

    1901-02 page 279; Weissenborn, Carolina (wid Henry), r. 213 n West

 

 

Carolina WEISSENBORN died from a heart attack which she suffered about 1 a. m. early Saturday morning, March 21, 1903 at Belleville.  According to her obituary [6], she felt ill about midnight and went to the home of her neighbor, Gustave Beyer, to get help.  When Mr. Beyer opened the door, she fell forward to the floor having died instantly.  Her doctor, Gustave Vetter, was summoned and pronounced that she had died from heart failure.

 

She reached the age of 76 years, 9 months, and 25 days and her survivors were numbered in one of her obituaries as three children (Henry and Christian WEISSENBORN; and Louisa, wife of Charles LOECHER); 15 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.  The obituary also stated that she was born in Germany and came to Belleville in 1853 with her parents.  The funeral was held on Monday, March 23 at 2 o'clock in the afternoon with burial in Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville [lot 165; Maple Addition].  Rev. Meyer of Christ Evangelical Church officiated at the funeral service.

 

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    The WEISSENBORN family is found as follows in the various United States census enumerations:

 

    1850 Census; St. Clair County, IL; microfilm roll # 126; Ridge-Prairy District; page 499; dwelling & family # 594; census taken on 24 Nov. 1850:

 

                                                AGE       OCCUPATION      NATIVITY

        John Webble                    25   M              laborer             Germany

        Marian  "                          26   F                                       Germany

        Catharine "                       3   F                                         St. Clair Co.

        Henry Wisenber   [NOTE]  35 M             carpenter          Germany

        Martin    "                         58   M              teamster           Germany   [NOTE]

        Charles   "                        15   M                                      Germany

 

    NOTE: the WEISSENBORN surname is mispelled as "Wisenber". 

          Martin is listed as having real estate worth $150.

 

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    1860 Census; St. Clair County, IL; microfilm roll # 224; City of Belleville; page 625; family # 2474; census taken 28 July 1860:

 

                                                AGE    OCCUPATION          NATIVITY

        Henry Weissenborn          44 M   labr.                             Prussia    [NOTE]

        Lina                                  33 F                                         Darmstadt

        Maria                               5   F                                         Ills.

        Louisa                              3   F                                         Ills.

 

    NOTE: Henry had real estate worth $1200; and a personal estate worth $100.

 

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    1870 Census; St. Clair County, IL; microfilm roll # 280; West Belleville; page 17; date taken 9 July 1870; dwelling # 114; family # 133:

 

                                                AGE    OCCUPATION          NATIVITY

        Weisenborn, Henry           55   M   rockbrecker                Prussia   [NOTE]

            "       Carolina               43   F   keepinghouse               Darmstadt

            "       Maria                   15   F   at home                        Illinois

            "       Luisa                    13   F   at home                        Illinois

            "       Henry                   9   M   at home                         Illinois

            "       Christian               6   M   at home                         Illinois

 

    NOTE: Henry was listed as a citizen of the United States; his real estate was valued at $1500; and his personal estate at $150.

 

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    1880 Census; St. Clair County, IL; microfilm roll # 247; West Belleville;

page 51; family # 516; census taken 14 June 1880:

 

                                                AGE               OCCUPATION      NATIVITY

        Zugenbueler, Carolina       54  F                keepinghouse                H. Darmstadt

        Weissenborn, Henry         19  M  son       painter                          Illinois

             "       Christian              16  M  son       ???????                        Illinois

        Zugenbueler, Daniel          9  M  stepson   at school                       Ills.

             "       Edward               7  M     "          at school                       Ills.

             "       Kathrina              5  F  stepdau.  at school                        Ills.

 

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    1900 Census; St. Clair County, IL; microfilm roll # 340; Belleville, IL (Ward 3); Sheet 11B; Supervisor's District No. 15; Enumeration District No. 83; family # 240; census taken 7 June 1900:

 

                                                BORN     AGE   NATIVITY   OCCUPATION

    Weissenborn, Christ             Oct. 1863   36     Illinois           Iron Molder  [NOTE 1]

             Anna (wife)                 Feb. 1867   33   Illinois                [NOTE 1]

             Gust (son)                   Jun. 1884   15   Illinois

             John (son)                   Oct. 1885   14   Illinois

             Agnes (dau.)                Sep. 1887   12   Illinois

             Anna (dau.)                 Mar. 1889   11   Illinois

             Lilly (dau.)                   Oct. 1890    9   Illinois

             Caroline                      May  1826   74   Germany    [NOTE 2]

 

    NOTE 1:  "couple married 16 years"

    NOTE 2:  "immigrated to U. S. in 1853"

 

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The following 4 children were born to Heinrich Weissenborn & Carolina Louise Jacobi:

 

1.)  Maria WEISSENBORN

            born:  14 March 1855 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  13 August 1881 in West Belleville, Illinois

            married:  (#1.)  Alvin NAUMANN on 18 October 1871 in Belleville, IL

                          (#2.)  Christoph BUSCHMANN on 29 April 1879 in Belleville, IL

 

2.)  Anna Louisa WEISSENBORN

            born:  28 April 1857 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  7 December 1923 in Belleville, IL

            married:  Charles Gerhard LOECHER on 1 January 1874 in Belleville, IL

 

3.)  Henry WEISSENBORN

            born:  18 February 1861 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  19 August 1922 in Belleville, IL

            married:  Sophia EVERING on 6 May 1886 in Belleville, IL

 

4.)  Christian WEISSENBORN

            born:  10 October 1863 in Belleville, Illinois

            died:  29 June 1937 in Alton, Illinois

            married:  Anna ACKER on 24 March 1884 in Belleville, IL

 

 


[1]   Evangelical Church, Felchta, Baptism Records 1815 # 7

[2]   National Archives Microfilm Roll # M259-23

[3]   St. Paul United Church of Christ, Belleville, IL; Marriage Records 1853, entry # 39

[4]   St. Clair County, IL Clerk, marriage license # 3827

[5]   Glazier, Ira A. & P. William Filby; Germans to America, Volume 5, May 1853 – October 1853; page 22.

[6]   Belleville, Illinois, Post & Zeitung, Saturday, March 21, 1903, page 4, column 4.