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Catherina Hungershewer
b. born June 11, 1821 in Irrel, Rheinland, Bitburg, Prussia
d. July 24, 1892 in Michigan City, IN

Parents:

Father: Joannis Hungershever
Mother: Elizabethae Hastert

Family:

Marriage: January 10, 1848 in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia
Spouse:Theodor Marx
b. August 05, 1814 in Meiningen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia
d. March 19, 1864 in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia

Parents:

Father: Mathias Marx
Mother: Maria Hauer

Family History:

On May 2, 1866 Katherina Hungershöfer was granted permission to emigrate from Prussia to the United States.
According to Theodore Marx "When grandfather died, my father was seventeen years old. At eighteen he would be pitch forked into the army. Now she had four boys two years apart and that was more than she was willing to give. So she decided to go to South America. Sold her home and with grandfather's insurance headed for South America. When she got to port with her six kids, the ship was in repair and would not sail for three weeks. Living in a hotel with such a bunch was out of the question. Now there was a ship there ready to sail to New York and there was a plus there. She had a cousin in Cincinnati. So after three months on the sea she came to NY, and then to Ohio and after a rest there she went to La Porte, then onto New Buffalo which was a port town, at that time with several large hotels. She was a skilled gardener and thought she found a garden spot and could help feed these immigrants on their way to the frontier city Chicago." She originally intended to emigrate to Brazil with her brother-in-law Nicholaus. Her sister-in-law Agnes had immigrated to Cincinnati the year before and Katherine decided to stay with her.
According to Susan Ingermann (November 12, 2001): "Was told family came from Trier. Grandma referred to it as Alsace Lorraine as well. She said the family had attended St. Matthias Catholic Church in Trier. Was rumored that there might be related in some way to Carl Marx?"
According to Chick Rezek (November 18, 2001): "During the 3 month voyage, Great-Grandma traded some eggs for a bottle of wine and I still have the brown bottle."

Children:

Mathias Marx

Christophorus Marx
b. June 22, 1850 (baptized August 10, 1850) in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia
d. November 30, 1853 in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia

Margareta Marx

Petrus Marx

Nicolaus Marx

Joannis Marx
b. March 28, 1858 (baptized March 29, 1858) in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia

Kathrina Marx

Christophorus Marx
b. May 14, 1862 (baptized May 15, 1862) in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia
d. May 29, 1862 in Edingen, Rheinland, Trier, Prussia

Family:

Spouse:Jacob Mosbrugger
b. 1824 in Austria
d. in Old Soldier's Home, Lafayette, IN.

Family History:

On June 2, 1870 Jacob Mosbrugger, 46 year old farmer born in Austria, with $2000 worth of real property and $400 worth of personal property; Catherine, 48 year old housekeeper born in Prussia; Matthias, 21 year old farm laborer born in Prussia; Peter, 16 year old born in Prussia; Nicholas, 14 year old born in Prussia; John, 12 year old born in Prussia; Catherina, 10 year old born in Prussia were living in household 51 at New Buffalo, Berrien, MI. The 3 youngest children were all attending school, but could neither read nor write. The adults and elder two children could read and write. The surname Marx was not specified for any of the children.
On June 4, 1880 Joseph Mosbrugger, 58 year old stonemason born in Prussia; Catharine, 59 year old housekeeper born in Prussia; Catharine Marks, 20 year old step daughter born in Prussia; were living in household 64 at New Buffalo, MI Village. Catherine the elder could neither read nor write English.
According to Christine Seimetz (Dec. 31, 1978): “When Grandma Marx began ailing she came to make her home with my mother and father in Mich. City, and her second husband Mr. Mosbrugger went to the Old Soldiers Home in Lafayette, Ind., where he died and is buried. Grandma Marx is buried in our family plot in Calvary Cemetery in Mich. City. All of this happened before I was born. My mother was the youngest of Grandma Marx’s six children, and of course all of them are now gone many years ago. I doubt if there are more than five grandchildren left, which would include Marie, Esther and Florence Marx, one of Aunt Margaret’s boys who is about 95 yrs old, and myself. I am 79. Grandma Marx’s son John left their home in New Buffalo before he married, and the family never heard of him after that. They never knew what became of him. Several times when reading Catholic papers, I have come across articles written by a Fr. Paul Marx, and often wondered who he might be. I too, have blood pressure and arthritis problems, and often wonder how much longer I ought to stay alone in our home. It is terribly lonely without my sister, Elizabeth, and so hard to be the last one of your family.“
According to Susan Ingerman (December 3, 2001), following trip to Michigan City, IN and New Buffalo, MI: “Wow. What a fun day yesterday was. Started off a little scary as the fog was so thick I could not see overpasses until I was under them. I could not see billboards or traffic lights from across the median. Needless to say I had to get off the highway and wait for things to clear a bit. Most of the way I drove with 1/2 mile visibility. I was glad I decided to make the trip on my own. It would have been much harder with complaining children. And I would not have been able to do as much. (I was meeting my parents in Michigan City to pick up their 7 1/2 ft. artificial Christmas tree.) My parents did not want it anymore and we were looking for a larger one. So it worked out great for both of us. Well now for the interesting info! I decided to look around at the Michigan City Cemetery after learning that so many family members were buried there. I had no idea where Great- Great Grandmother Marx was buried until hearing from you. I learned that there was no Calvary Cemetery in Michigan City. There was the Greenwood Cemetery and the Catholic Cemetery which was across the street from Greenwood. I tried the Catholic Cemetery first it was small and there were graves from the 1800's. I looked through about 1/6th of the cemetery with no luck on finding anyone. I asked another person who was visiting a grave if they had heard of Calvary Cemetery and they said it was Greenwood. Unlucky for me as that cemetery is quite large. I drove in and said a little prayer to Great-Great Grandma to help me to find her and I found her within 10 minutes. (I smiled and said thank you.) She is very close to the corner of Greenwood Street and Tilden. She is in the 5th row back from Tilden and the 3rd family grouping over from Greenwood. Small sign near the road in the cemetery says (Calvary III). Her grave stone is in need of some work. Her name and dated were still clear but the words under it, I'm not sure if we can still make out. The words are all in German. I tried making a rubbing with only a little success. I don't know German but Keith knows a little and he can find some people at DaimlerChrysler to help us. Maybe we can still make it out. Do you happen to have any record of what the gravestone says? Her stone is the soft white marble.
Interesting thing on Great-Great grandma's stone was written:
GATHARINA MARX
GEB. 11 June 1821
GEST 24 Juli 1892
The G to begin her name was just as clear as the G's in Geb. and Gest.
perhaps in immigration her name got changed but I would think that her stone would be correct.”

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Copyright 2001 Richard Joseph Bucknum