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Our American Roots (Maternal Ancestor No. 44 Henry's Descendant No. 2)

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Joseph Nüchter
b. February 26, 1805 in House #14 Unterstork, Germany
d. November 28, 1854 in Brady, OH {Emanuel Cemetery, West Unity, OH}

Parents:
Father: Joannes Christian Nüchter
Mother: Anna Katharina Wiegand
Family:
Spouse: Salmenah Ruch
b. July 19, 1813 in Griesbach, Bas-Rhin, France
d. July 1, 1891 in West Unity, OH {Emanuel Cemetery, West Unity, OH}
Family History:
On August 30, 1850 Joseph Nechter, 48 year old farmer born in Germany with $1000 worth of personal property; Salmenah, 36 year old born in Germany; Elizabeth, 10 year old born in OH; Lany, 8 year old born in OH; Catharine, 5 year old born in OH; Eder, 3 year old born in OH; John, 1 year old born in OH; were living in household 125 at Brady, Williams County, OH. Elisabeth and Lany had attended school.
According to Mrs. B. M. Beach author of 'History of the Emanuel M. E. Church near West Unity, Ohio' (Stryker Advance Print, 1908): "Christov Hoefner who, in 1846, organized the few (Methodists) into a class…Among the first members were…Joseph and Salamina Nichter, Bonaparte Nichter...In 1848 Bonaparte Nichter married Margaret Billau. She joined the class in 1848...The first little frame church was built in 1851. Previous to the erection of this church, preaching services, prayer and class meetings were held at the different homes, and it was not an infrequent occurrence for our parents to take their children on their arms and walk out to old Mr. Gross's on a Sunday morning, a distance (for some of them), of seven miles, to prayer meeting…this constituted the only...opportunity of worship aside from the family prayer in their homes. The first subscription to build the first little frame church was started on January 7th, 1851. The names of the subscribers (were)…Joseph Nichter, Bonaparte Nichter…Total, $330. The above sum built the first German M. E. Church, on the same place where now stands the brick church (the original plat was obtained from Bonaparte Nichter)…It was ceiled throughout, for wood was plenty, and out of one kind or other of soft wood were made the cradles for the oldest of the children who came to bless those humble homes. "They were made like a trough." Troughs were also made and used to gather the sap every spring. From the sap was made their year's supply of sugar and maple syrup. Those were the luxuries of our pioneer fathers and mothers…These honest, stalwart, rugged, industrious pioneers began in this then dense wilderness to carve out homes from among these almost insurmountable obstacles. When a small plat of ground was cleared they would, in the springtime, plant their potatoes near the south side of the largest stumps, and take the best of care of them (by frequent hoeing), so as to get their next season's supply of potatoes. Their first chairs were benches, split out of logs, and feet manufactured out of this same abundant supply, viz., wood. To those pioneers so much was possible, with such an abundance of wood at hand. Bonaparte Nichter and a few others would make the splint-bottom chairs… wagons…when even the good old ox team was hitched to them, made the convenient buggy for themselves and family to ride to church in, with rough boards laid across the top of the box. Later came the spring seat, rudely constructed, but that, nevertheless, was the envy of the possessor. In due time the little frame church became the pride of those industrious, frugal Germans, and with a preaching service every three or four weeks, was the great event looked forward to, as the minister in those days would often come and preach for them on their mid-week prayer meeting night. Never would they neglect mid-week prayer meeting or Sunday forenoon prayer meeting, with Sabbath school at two p.m. On prayer meeting night, or if it chanced to be a preaching service, all would quit work an hour earlier, so all could get ready to attend prayer or preaching service. The minister would also make it a point to stop each time with a different family, so as to give no offense. Each one could know when their turn came to entertain the minister, as well as their turn at boarding the school teacher. On his return trip he would call on as many of his members as possible, and never left a home without asking for the family Bible, and would read therefrom and have prayer with the family, a practice long since obsolete among many Methodists…Joseph Nichter and his wife, Bonaparte Nichter and his wife…were all converted under Gustav Haefner…and Margaret Nichter under the labors of Nicholaus Nupher…As we go back in review, many of us remember the log cabin homes of…Joseph Nichter, Bonaparte Nichter…All were at one time, with their companions, members of this same German M. E. Church, who so sacredly attended with their families every Sabbath day. When there was no preaching service, they were none the less punctual at prayer and class meetings and Sabbath school. On Thursday evening they were just as punctual to attend unless too sick or worn out to be able to get to the little frame church on the hill. Within the walls of this same little church was heard the voice of no less a personage than that of the sainted Bishop Long of the Evangelical Association, who never questioned when an opportunity offered, to preach the gospel of the Son of God in its purity, embraced that opportunity nearest at hand to proclaim good tidings to all men, of whatever creed or tongue. Those were the days when bishops traveled on horseback, glad to find a lodging place on the Sabbath day among God's worshiping people. Many a grand, old fashioned revival was held within those walls. When the old frame church gave place to the present brick structure in 1869, proud was the whole community of the new church, to the building of which one and all had liberally contributed. Joseph Nichter died in 1861 {he actually died November 28, 1854}; Salamina Nichter died July 1, 1891...Bonaparte Nichter died July 2, 1891; Margaret Nichter died April 8, 1900...As we now take up the family history, eight of the honorary members, and four of them were members of the original Drum family, were with us at our first reunion, also Mrs. Margeret Nichter, ten short years ago. Today the record reads, "None of those dear ones are left." On the picture that was taken at the first reunion, Aug. 10, 1898, there are twenty-three that have in those few short years laid down this earthly warfare, and as we fall one by one, may we fall at our post and be reunited in that Home above, Where no farewells are said, And no tears are shed."
On June 23, 1860 Joseph Crow, 39 year old farmer born in Germany with $1500 worth of real and $450 worth of personal property; Sarah, 44 year old born in Germany; Elizabeth Nechter, 21 year old born in OH; Laura, 17 year old born in OH; Catherine Nechter, 16 year old born in OH; Peter, 14 year old born in OH; John, 11 year old born in OH; Mary, 7 year old born in OH; were living in household 381 at Brady, Williams County, OH.
According to Donna (Neister) Przecha (December 5, 2001): "Josef Nüchter was born in house #14 in the village of Unterstork. This building in 1986 was still a working farm and gasthaus and occupied by descendents of Jakob Nuchter. There is a note in the parish church record that Josef, Peter, Bonifatius and Anna Katharina "ausgewandert nach USA", emigrated to the U.S. The family tradition was that Josef and his brother Bonaparte left Germany to avoid military service, but the primary reason probably was that the eldest son inherited the land and there was very little opportunity for the younger men in the family. A descendant of Jakob Nuchter, Rose Schneider, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1957, offers the following explanation for the emmigrations in the 19th century: "In the time after the Napoleonic wars, Germany was divided in so many little states. The rulers of each of these little states were very hard on their people who were more like slaves. Through this Napoleonic time the thought of more freedom and liberty was created in many minds. This was the right time for rebellion against the old pressing rules. There was already an over-population. The farmer had very little land and a hard time to live on it, especially with larger families at this time. Only the oldest son inherited the farm. The other brothers and sisters had only one chance - to be a farm hand or to be a laborer on some place. This, of course, created hunger for land and property on one side, the other was to be free of this slavery and both of these important facts they weren't able to get in this homeland. America at this time had made a lot of propaganda to immigrate. When these people heard of this, that was their only chance and salvation. Whole families and groups left Germany at this time. At this time there wasn't any draft because each of the rulers had his own private volunteer army. Drafting came back to Germany about 1870 again when the German Empire under Emperor Wilhelm the First was established. There were soldiers enough at this time because the only thing to avoid unemployment was to join the military. Apparently Joseph was the first to leave as he married in the U.S. about 1833. It is not known where he arrived in the U.S., but many of the German families in Williams Co., Ohio came first to Lycoming Co., PA. He has not been found in the 1840 census. Joseph and Bonaparte bought land in Brady Township, Williams Co., Ohio, on Jan. 15, 1844. They lived in log cabins. Although they were raised as Catholics, they converted to the German Methodist Emmanuel Church which was very active in that area. Joseph was killed in an accident involving runaway horses. On Jan. 12, 1855, his widow Solomena relinquished her right to administer on the estate in favor of John B. Altman. The appraisal of personal property included 1 strap slaybells, $1.00; 1 clock, $1.00; 1 beaurough, $4.00; Table, 3 chairs, $ .25; dishes, $ .50; money on hand, $21.74. A Sale of property was held on Feb. 9, 1855, with total proceeds of $376.99 There is a schedule of property set off for support of Solomie Nichter his widow and Elizabeth Nichter, Madalain Nichter, Catharine Nichter, Mary Nichter, Peter Nichter, John Nichter and Joseph Nichter his minor children. This schedule dated Jan. 18, 1855, included feed for livestock, 2 hogs, 500 lbs pork and other items which came to approximately $110 value plus $155.73 in cash. "The deceased having left a widow and minor children, we set off for them the following property without appraising the same as directed by statute: All spinning wheels and 2 stoves, the family Bible, school books not exceeding $50 in value; 1 cow, 12 sheep, all the yarn and cloth, all wearing apparel of the deceased and family, 4 bedsteads and all the bedding; all the cooking utensils; 1 table; 6 chairs; 6 knives and forks; 6 plates; 6 teacups and saucers; 1 sugar dish; 1 milk pot; 1 tea pot; 12 spoons. Salamina (Salome) Ruch was born on 19 July 1813 in Griesbach, Bas-Rhin, France.6 She married Joseph Krah in 1857 in Williams Co, OH. She died on 1 July 1891 in West Unity, Williams Co, OH, at age 77.7 She was buried in Floral Grove Cem, West Unity, Williams Co, OH. Salome Ruch was born on July 19, 1813, but she always gave her birthdate as Oct. 22, 1813 which is St. Salome's day. Perhaps she never knew her exact birthdate or perhaps she followed the custom of celebrating her birth on her saint's name day. She gave her birthplace as Neiderbronn, but this was the district rather than the village. Her mother died in February, 1823, when Salome was 10 years old. Her father's marriage to Madelaine Meyer is not recorded in Griesbach, but their first child was born on June 28, 1824. Other children followed in 1827, 1828 and 1829. According to her obituary, at the age of 18 Salamina left home to go to America. Perhaps she was not happy with her step-mother or felt out of place in the rapidly growing second family. (Three more children followed in 1832, 1834 and 1836.) No passport record has been found for her but at that time many people left without passports. She was not mentioned in her father's will when he died in 1838. One table of statistics (FHL film 1070234) shows the numbers of people who left the Canton of Niederbronn during the years 1828 through 1837. It lists the number of people who left each of the 20 villages either as a family or individually. 1828 was the year of the largest emigration from the area with 424 leaving with family and 42 individually. The total for the 10 year period was 902 in families and 438 individually. Emigration from Griesbach was 6 in 1828 (4 in families and 2 alone), 5 in families in 1829, 4 (family) in 1830, 4 individuals in 1832, 2 individuals in 1833 and 10 (6 in families, 4 individually) in 1837. Salamina may have left with her siblings so it is difficult to know if she could have been part of the statistics, either family or individual, or if she was counted at all. She married Joseph Nichter two years after coming to the U.S. but the location of this event is unknown. The German obituary says she married about 1833, but that seems unlikely if their first child was born about 1838, as is shown in the census returns. According to the census, Elizabeth was born in Ohio, but the family has not been located in the 1840 census in Ohio or any surrounding state. After Joseph's death, she married Joseph Kraw, on Sept. 9, 1856. Gail Neister Hormell, daughter of Salamina's son Peter, said she didn't think Peter had a very happy childhood. Joseph Kraw committed suicide by hanging himself in 1893 or 1895 (after Salamina's death) and seemed to be quite unstable mentally at that time. He had threatened to kill his present wife and her daughter several times according to a newspaper article. He probably was a less than ideal stepfather for Salamina's young children. Salamina died of heart failure."

Children:

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Copyright 2001 Richard Joseph Bucknum