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one of our maternal great-great grandfathers
*marks my direct-line ancestors. The (-3G), etc., after the names indicates the number of generations before Erven Thoma. - - - - - - - - - - from his birth (early 1825) to his immigration (Feb. 1855) - - - - - - - - - -I do not have his birth or baptism record yet but his birthplace Wesel is mentioned on his marriage record. According to the International Genealogical Index, batch C987031 source call 0948167 of document 8, he married Sibilla Theresia Bregnik; their daughter was Johanna Sibilla Vossler, born Aug. 4, 1853 in Düsseldorf city in the Rheinland area of Preussen (Prussia?). There was a Christoph Gottfried Vossler who was married to Sibilla Therese Breynck in civil ceremony in Düsseldorf city on 3 Sept. 1852. Probably there are mistakes in the reading of the handwriting or the data entry (Bregnik=Breynck?). In the IGI Index there are no other people with the Bregnik surname, whereas there are several with the name Breynck. After examining the two church records, I believe that they are one and the same person, and the spelling should be "Breynck". According to the marriage records, Christoph was born in Wesel, which is in the North Rhine-Westphalia district, about 20-25 miles north of Düsseldorf. He was 27 and she was 26 years old when they married. Sibilla was perhaps also born in Wesel. Wesel is ca. 20-25 miles north and a little west of Duesseldorf in the North Rhineland district of Prussia. Christoph's parents are mentioned in the marriage records. His father, Jacob (-5G), probably died in Prussia sometime before May 1854 because he did not immigrate with his wife Theresia and three of his sons in that month and also did not immigrate with his son Christoph and Christoph's family. Also the father Jacob does not appear to be in any of the St. Louis records. He in not mentioned in any of the probate records of Theresia. His mother (Theresia Vossler, age 64) and three brothers and the wife of one brother immigrated from LaHavre to New Orleans, arriving there on 01 May 1854 on the ship Manchester. The brothers were Jacob Vossler (-4G) age 28, Friedrich Vossler age 34 and Michel Vossler age 24. Along with them came Minah [sp?], age 27, probably the wife of Friedrich also known as Wilhemina. Christoph, his wife, and their first child, Johanna, arrive at New Orleans on 22 Feb. in 1855. They traveled from Havre on the ship "Elizabeth". The passenger list says he and his wife were farmers in Prussia and were both 29 years old. Their daughter Johanna was 11 months old. - - - - - - - - - - from his immigration (Feb. 1855) to the 1870 Census - - - - - - - - - -In 13 May 1857 (when daughter Cecilia was born) and in 1859 (when daughter Theresia was born) the family was living in Missouri. Cecilia was baprized at Holy Trinity R. C. Church on 03 June 1857. It seems that his brother Jacob (-4G) died in Oct. 1859 and his mother became the administrator of his estate. I have not found the family in the 1860 Fed. Census for Illinois. There is no Vossler in the South Illinois Census Index for 1860. There is a Christopher Vossler in the 1860 Census for Missouri, in Saline County, Cambridge Township, p. 538, but he is living alone and is only 18 years old whereas our Christoph would be ca. 35 in 1860. His mother (recorded as Theresia Vossler) died 09 Mar. 1861 and was buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery in St. Louis. Her death is recorded in the St. Louis Death Records, 1850-1908, p. 187 (County Lib. RDSL6; SLGS roll 306; Missouri Archives C10364). Her birth country was Germany and her death place was St. Louis. There are no Vossler households listed in the 1861-63 St. Louis City Directory, but at the time of son Christopher's (-3G) birth ca. 1861, the family was living in Missouri. In Feb. of 1864, when son John Wm. Vossler (-3G) was born, the family was living in Missouri. The 1864 City Directory lists a Christopher Vossler, a tailor, living at 194 N. 10th St. in St. Louis. He is the only Vossler listed in 1864. The 1865 Directory does not list any Vossler family. I have not found them in the 1865 Illinois State Census for St. Clair County. Son Theodore Vossler (-3G) was born ca. 1866 in St. Louis. The 1866 City Directory lists a Christoph Vossler, a tailor working for Ticknor & Co. and living on 13th St. between Cass Ave. and Mullanphy. The 1867 Directory lists him (as a tailor) living at 1516 N. 13th St. in St. Louis. He and Frederick Vossler (-4G) are the only ones with that surname. The St. Louis City C. C. C. C. has the naturalization record for Christopher Vossler dated 13 July. 1867 (Naturalization Cards, vol. 04, page 57). His country of origin in given (Germany) but no witnesses and address are listed. Daughter Sophia Vossler (-3G) was born ca. 1868 in St. Louis and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis. The 1868 and 1869 Directories do not list Christoph Vossler. Since he and his family are in the 1870 Census for St. Clair County, IL, they probably moved there in 1867 or 1868.
Christoph is listed in the 19 Jul. 1870 Fed. Census for South Illinois Census Index (p. 32) along with his wife and 7 children. They are living in the O'Fallon P.O. area, township 2 house #229, of St. Clair County. He is listed as a tailor, 45 years old, born in Prussia. The real estate is valued at $800 and the personal property at $400. The last name is spelled "Vosseler". The census was taken July 19. The ages of the children are: Johanna (17), Cicilia (13), Theresia (10), Christopher (8), John (6), Theodor (4), and Sophia (2). His wife, Sibilla, is 44, born in Prussia, keeping house. Johanna was born in Prussia, all the others in Missouri. (Microfilm roll 280, p. 514, Series M593) - - - - - - - - - - from the 1870 Census to his death (Feb. 1881) - - - - - - - - - -His household is not listed in the 1870 and 1871 St. Louis Directories. Presumably they are still in Illinois. When his daughter Johanna marries Eugene Charles Thake* (-3G) on 8 Nov. 1872. Christoph and his family are living in St. Clair County, IL. Johanna and her husband move to St. Louis. Christoph and the rest of his family follow Johanna back to St. Louis. He is not listed in the 1872 and 1873 St. Louis Directories, so he is probably still in Illinois. No Vossler families are listed in 1872 and there is no Christoph in 1873. Daughter Sophia died ca. 14 Mar. 1874 in St. Louis. He and a couple of the sons are listed in the St. Louis City Directories
for the years 1874-81:
His brother Michael died ca. 1878, probably in St. Louis. Other Directory listings are: He and his family are listed in the 1880 Fed. Census for Missouri (1st enumeration, Natl. Archives T9_722, ward 14, supv. dist. 1, enum. dist. 104, page 2, stamped page 23B, Ancestry.Com image 0050, dwelling 10, family 21, dated June 1). He is indexed under Christofe Vassler but reading the actual Census image shows the surname as Vossler). The family is living at 2119 13th Street in St. Louis. Christoph is a 55 year-old tailor, born in Germany. His wife Sebilla is also 55, born in Germany, and is keeping house. Daughter Secilia [sic!] is 22; daughter Teresia is 20; son Christ is 18; son John is 16; and son Theodor is 14. Secilia and Teresia are bookbinders, Christ is a plumber, John is a clerk in a store, and Theodor is a lithographer. All children were born in Missouri. [Their eldest child Johanna is now married living elsewhere. She was born in Germany.] He is listed in the 1880 Fed. Census for Missouri under Christopher Vossla (2nd enumeration, Natl. Archives T9-0732, supv. dist. 71, enum. dist. 259, page 5, stamped page 123A, dwelling 33, family 45, dated Nov. 9). He is 53 years old, born in Germany. He is listed as a tailor. His wife Sebilla is also 53, born in Germany. Her occupation is keeping house. There children, all born in Missouri, are daughters Cecelia (23) and Theressa (21), and sons Christopher (18), John (17), and Theadore (15). Christopher is a plumber, John a reporter, and Theodore a lithographer. [Johanna is married living elsewhere and Sophia died in 1874.] They are living at 2119 N. 13th St. in St. Louis. I found his Census listing by using the LDS Family Search 1880 U.S. Census and National Index on CD, and searching on "Christoph V." or "Christopher V." and "Missouri" (without a full surname in the search criteria). In the St. Louis Directory of 1881 he is listed as a tailor living at 2119 N. 13th St. His son Theodore, also residing there, is listed separately as a lithographer. His son John, also living there, is listed separately as a reporter. His son Christoph Jr., also living there, is listed separately as a plumber. The Missouri Death Index has his death listed (3 Feb. 1881) in vol. 11, page 60.00, County Library RDSL 20, Missouri Archive C10377, SLGS Roll 316.00. He is buried in section 11, lot 462, grave 9001 in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis. Apparently he died while near Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. Perhaps he was visiting the grave of his daughter Sophia (d. 1874) in Calvary Cemetery nearby. According to the death report in the Missouri Archives he died of a self-inflicted gunshot. The undertaker was Jno. Amend. He was 56 years old at death. -------------------- The 1882 St. Louis Directory lists Siballa [sic!] Vossler, the widow of Christopher, living at 2119 N. 13th St. Also living there is her son Theodore, lithographer, and probably some of the other children, though the son Christopher is living with his sister Johanna and her family. The same is true in the 1884 Dir. Sibilla died in 1885. His brother Frederick died ca. 02 Sept. 1904 in St. Louis and was buried on the 5th in Calvary Cemetery. His daughter Theresia neither married nor had children. She died on 14 Oct. 1942 in Riverside, CA. His daughter Cecilia neither married nor had children. She died in after 1930, perhaps in Sept. 1937 in California. His son Theodore married Frances Schloemer on 26 jan. 1888 in St. Louis. They had at least three children (Theodore, George and Lawrence). He died 02 Aug. 1893 in Denver, CO. Son Christopher married Josephine Oberfoell on 25 Mar. 1896 in St. Louis. They had at least five children. He died on 22 Dec. 1902 in St. Louis, MO. His daughter Johanna had 5 children, 3 of which lived to adulthood. She died on 16 Apr. 1930 in St. Louis County, MO. His son John Wm. married Rena P. Mears on 30 Sep. 1891 in Palestine, TX. They had two children, James and Alma. John died on 24 May 1939 in Texas.
Created Wed, Apr. 25, 2000. Last updated 09 Apr. 2007.
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Brother, 
