Nicholas and Maria ( Nimsgern ) Hay Maria was the daughter of Johann and Susanna Nempsgern. She came to America with her parents and brothers Peter and John and sisters Anna Marie and Susanna on 15 Apr 1852. They settled in McHenry Tws, McHenry Co., IL, Sec 2 along what today is Miller Road just northwest of the village of Johnsburg. The following spring Maria married Nicholas Hay, son of Johann Hay and Eva Fredericks, on 4 May 1853 at St John The Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, McHenry Co., IL.
Nicholas's parents, Johann Hay and Eva Fredericks were early settlers in the state of IL, having settled in Chicago. It is said their farm land was located in the vicinity of where the courthouse now stands. I have not researched this information as yet, but plan to do so in the future as well as locate records which show when the family immigrated. Nicholas was a veteran of the Mexican War as well as the Civil War. At the time of the Civil War, he was a part of the 9th IL Cavalry, Company D.
Six children were born to Maria and Nicolas in McHenry Tws. between 1854 and 1861. Sometime after the birth of their daughter Rosalia in 1861, Maria and Nicholas left the area. They re-located to Ottawa, IL where their son William was born in 1866, and in 1872, their daughter Catherine was born in Delevan, IL. Their youngest child Edward was born abt 1873. I am still trying to locate the family on the 1870 census, by 1880 they had returned to McHenry Co., McHenry Tws, IL.
There is a family story passed down to Maria's decendants. Maria's parents Johann and Susanna were well-to-do and had gone to Rome, Italy when Maria was a child. While there, they got her a beautiful gold cross, which was buried with her. It is said that this cross had been blessed on the robe of Christ. There is a self-portrait of Maria taken while she was quite young and in this portrait she is wearing the gold cross.
Maria died 15 Apr 1909 and is at rest at St John's Cemetery in Johnsburg, IL. Nicholas was living in the household of his son William in the 1910 census in McHenry Tws. However, shortly after the census was taken, Nicholas re-married Mrs Anna Fowler, wid., nee Boucher on 16 Apr 1910, and moved to Kearney, Buffalo Co., Ne. He passed away here on 15 Oct 1911 from heart failure.
Maria was the sister of my 2x gr grandfather John Nimsgern. Information in Family Group Records was obtained from church records, vital records, census records, obits, and information passed down by family members.
Family Group Records
Nicholas Hay
Son of Johann Hay and Eva Fredericks
Born Oct 1828/Alsace, France
Married Maria Nimsgern 4 May 1853/St John The Baptist Catholic Church, Johnsburg, McHenry Co., IL
Died 15 Oct 1911/Kearney, Buffalo Co., Nebraska
Buried in Kearney, Buffalo Co., Nebraska
Maria Nimsgern
Daughter of Johann and Susanna Nempsgern
Born 20 Jan 1831/France
Died 15 Apr 1909/Johnsburg, IL
Buried at St John's Cemetery, Johnsburg, ILChildren of Nicholas and Maria
1.Nicholas
Born 1854/Johnsburg, IL
Died aft 1860
2.Susanna
Born 28 Jan 1855/Johnsburg, IL
Married Frank Young 13 Feb 1879
St John's Church, Johnsburg, IL
Died 12 Dec 1921/Spring Grove, McHenry Co., IL
Buried at St Peter's Cemetery, Spring Grove, IL
3.Maria Helena
Born 6 June 1856/Johnsburg, IL
Married 1. John Hergott 18 Dec 1878 2. Joseph P. Schaefer m 1891
Died 15 Feb 1931
4.Johann
Born 18 Apr 1858/Johnsburg, IL
Died/Infant
Buried at St John's Cemetery, Johnsburg, IL
5.Anna (Jennie)
Born 12 May 1859/Johnsburg, IL
Married Mathias J. Schaefer 13 Nov 1879
St John's Church, Johnsburg, IL
Died 24 Apr 1930/McHenry, IL
Buried at St Mary's Cemetery, McHenry, IL
6.Rosalia
Born 17 Mar 1861/Johnsburg, IL
Married Herman Berke 21 Feb 1881
Northfield, MN
Died 7 Nov 1933/Montrose, SD
Buried in Montrose, SD
7.William
Born 31 Dec 1866/Ottawa, IL
Married Helena Schaefer 7 Feb 1888
St John's Church, Johnsburg, IL
Died 22 Feb 1948/McHenry, IL
Buried at St Mary's Cemetery, McHenry, IL
8.Catherine
Born 30 Dec 1872/Delevan, IL
Married John B Young 11 Nov 1890
St Peter's Church, Spring Grove, IL
Died 15 Nov 1957/St Joseph's Hosp., Elgin, IL
Buried at St Mary's Cemetery, McHenry, IL
9.Edward
Born abt 1873
Married/spouse-date unknown
Died/date-location, unknown
Additional Family Group Records will be added for Nicholas and Maria's children, please check back for up-dates.
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