27 Dec 2009

Weik Family History

hristian, Catharine, and Rosine are three children of Johannes and Jakobine Weik who are known to have emigrated from the Kingdom of Württemberg to the United States. All were born in their ancestral village of Hertmannsweiler before the family moved to neighboring Nellmersbach. Each child then left here separately to settle in northeastern Kansas.

Christian Weik

Home of Christian Weik
and Johanna Peisker,
bef. 1911 Johann Christian Weik was the first to make the voyage across the Atlantic. He was the third child, born 01 Jun 1837, and the only son who survived past infancy. On 02 Feb 1854, Christian applied to emigrate to "Amerika" at his nearest emigration office in Waiblingen. Only three months later, on May 1, he had already arrived in New Orleans, Louisanna, as a 16 year old immigrant aboard the ship, "Manchester", which had set sail from Havre, France.

Tombstone of Rosine
Leonberger, 2006 Christian apparently first lived in Missouri, since he stated on two later census records that he had lived there prior to settling in Kansas. Nearly two years after his arrival, Christian's future wife, Rosine Leonberger, arrived in New Orleans aboard the ship, "Johannesburg", along with others from their hometown on 02 Apr 1856. It is not known exactly when or where they married, but since Rosine's census records show that she had also lived in Missouri, it was most likely in that state. Their first child was then born in August 1861 in the territory of Kansas, probably in Doniphan County. Christian was listed as a resident of this county when he purchased 80 acres of land here for the sum of $495 in January 1864.

Later the same year, Christian was sworn into the Kansas State Militia on July 1. He was drafted into service during "Price's Raid", and briefly served in the 9th Regiment, Company M, for 16 days from 12-27 Oct 1864. According to the 1906 book, The Battle of Westport, by Paul B. Jenkins, Christian's regiment may have been present near the end of the conflict near Kansas City, but did not see battle. Christian and his family then appear on the Kansas State Census in Wayne Township, Doniphan County, Kansas in September 1865.^note1

Tombstone of Christiane
Weik, 2006 Between 1870 and the time of the census in the Spring of 1875, Christian's family had moved to the Good Intent neighborhood in Shannon Township, Atchison County. Although only three are listed on this census, he and his wife now had six daughters with two more to arrive in the next couple years. In 1879, Rosine passed away and was buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Atchison, Kansas, next to their 10 year old daughter who had died the year before.^note2 In all, they had the following children:

1. Elizabeth (1861-1931) who married August Hagen, Sr.
2. Mary E. (1863-1933) who married Henry F. Klostermeier, Sr.
3. Caroline Louise "Carrie" (1865-1952) who married Rudolph O. Mueller and died in Ponca City, Oklahoma.
4. Christiane (1868-1878) who died as a child.
5. Dorothea Pauline "Dora" (1870-1929) who married Myron L. Stephens.
6. Rosine Katherine (1873-1957) who married Ira E. Graves and died in Los Angeles County, California.
7. Anna (1875) who apparently died soon after birth.
8. Lydia Emma "Liddie"(1876-1953) who married Gus A. Hekelnkaemper.

Tombstone of
Christian Weik and
Johanna Peisker,
2006 Christian remarried to Johanna Peisker on 30 Apr 1880 in Troy, back in Doniphan County. She was also recently widowed and had two very young sons of her own. In 1885, when Christian was almost 48 years old, his first and only son was born. Being much younger than the others as well as the only child Christian and Johanna had together, he was often referred to as their "goldengel", or golden angel. He was Johannes Heinrich (John Henry) (1885-1961) who married Lida Eylar in 1906 and later Matilda "Tillie" Neuman in 1925.

Christian Weik died 10 Feb 1911 and was buried next to his daughter and first wife in Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Johanna continued to live on the farm with their son until they moved into the city of Atchison in 1922. Here she died 10 Dec 1925 and was buried with Christian.

Catharine Weik

Weik Family Migration to Kansas
1. Hertmannsweiler & Nellmersbach, Württemberg
2. St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri
3. Doniphan & Atchison Counties, Kansas The second sibling to come to America was Luisa Catharine Weik who travelled on the same voyage in April 1856 as her brother's wife-to-be, Rosine.^note3 Catharine was the oldest child of the family, born 26 Jun 1833. She too first lived in Missouri where she married a Viennese shoemaker named Anton Holzhey in St. Joseph on 16 Apr 1857.^note4

While in Missouri, Catharine and Anton had their first four children, and maybe their fifth, which means they remained here through at least 1864. By the time of the 1865 census, the family had moved to Wayne Township, Doniphan County, Kansas, where Anton took up farming and their remaining children were born. This is also where Christian had moved a year or more earlier. By 1880, Anton and Catharine had relocated to Wolf River Township, Doniphan County, Kansas. However, the family moved to Missouri the following year, and Anton died and was buried in the German-Lutheran Cemetery in Sarcoxie, Jasper County, Missouri, in 1884. The rest of the family returned to Doniphan County in 1889. Catharine died here on 18 Aug 1890 and was buried in Moray Cemetery in Bendena, Doniphan County, Kansas. Catharine and Anton had the following children:

1. Rosine "Rosa" (1857-1940) who married Johann Albers.
2. P. (1859) who apparently died before 1865.
3. Caroline "Carrie" (1863-1932) who married Charles M. Overmiller.
4. August (1864-1938) who first married M. Hettick and later Dora Jenkins.
5. John (1866-1931) who married Ida G. Clemetson.
6. Martin (1868-1945) who married Virginia L. Sell.
7. Joseph (1872-1906) who died as deputy marshall in Kennewick, Washington, after being shot by an ex-convict.

Rosine Weik

Rosine Weik, the sixth child of Johannes and Jakobine, was born 29 Jun 1844. She was the last to emigrate, leaving from Hamburg aboard the "Borussia" in April 1866 and arriving in New York on May 7. Rosine is first found in the United States on the census in July 1870, living near her two older siblings in Wayne Township, Doniphan County, Kansas. With each of the three families moving around the area quite independently of each other after this date, this is the only time that all are known to have been living in the same vicinity. By this time, Rosine was already married to Anton Thaden, and their first child had already been born more than a year earlier in May 1869.

Rosine's husband, Anton, died in September 1875 and was buried in the Doniphan Cemetery near Doniphan, Doniphan County, Kansas. This left Rosine widowed with three young children. In 1878, Rosine and her children moved to the city of Atchison, in Atchison County, Kansas, where as found in an 1880 newspaper advertisement, she was apparently earning a living by renting out rooms in her home. After the death of her married daughter in 1901, Rosine lived with her son-in-law and two grandsons, helping care for the boys. She passed away on 30 Jun 1908 and was buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Atchison. Rosine and Anton's children were:

1. John Henry (1869-1932) who married Barbara L. Scheibe.
2. Anton Christian (1870-1895) who died unmarried.
3. Karolina Rosina "Rosa" Thaden (1874-1901) who married John Zschoche.

Württemberg

Illustrations of Hertmannsweiler and Nellmersbach, c.1685 The parents of Christian, Catharine, and Rosine were Johannes Weik and Jakobine Pfleiderer. They were married 29 Aug 1831 in the small village of Hertmannsweiler, Neckarkreis, Württemberg, situated north of the city of Stuttgart. Johannes was born here 21 Jun 1805. Jakobine was born as a daughter of Johann Georg Pfleiderer and Anna Clara Prinz on 11 Sep 1808 in the same village.

Between 1849-53, when Hertmannsweiler church records began indicating that Johannes and Jakobine were from Nellmersbach, the family must have made a short move to the neighboring village. This is the village which Christian listed as his residence when he emigrated in 1854. They also began attending church in nearby Leutenbach which is where Jakobine was buried after passing away on 26 Sep 1866. Johannes died 14 Nov 1875. They had the following children:

1. Luisa Catharine (1833-1890) previously discussed.
2. Maria Dorothea (1835-1892).
3. Johann Christian (1837-1911) previously discussed.
4. Johannes (1839-1841).
5. Louisa (1842) who married Johannes Aldinger 1867.
6. Rosine (1844-1908) previously discussed.
7. Jakobine Friederike (1847-1897).
8. a stillborn child (1848).
9. Caroline Wilhelmine (1849) who married Carl Conrad Wurst 1875.

Gottfried Weik, Jr.

The parents of Johannes Weik were Johann Gottfried (Gottfried) Weik and Dorothea Müller who were married 01 Mar 1791 in Hertmannsweiler. Gottfried was born 07 Jan 1768 in Hertmannsweiler, and Dorothea was born 03 Jun 1767 in nearby Hoefen as a daughter of Friedrich Müller and Magdalena Haller. Gottfried died 12 Oct 1832, and Dorothea died 26 Dec 1834. They had the following children:

1. Johann Friedrich (1792-1811).
2. Jacobina (1794-1845).
3. Gottfried (1796-1799).
4. Johann George (1799-1839).
5. Elisabeth Catharina (1802-1882).
6. Johannes (1805-1875) previously discussed.
7. another Gottfried (1807-1857) who married Anna Magdalena Widmann 1835.

Gottfried Weik, Sr.

The parents of Gottfried were Gottfried Weik (Sr.) and Jacobina Weik who married 22 Jun 1762 in Hertmannsweiler. Jacobina was born here 17 Oct 1735 and died 04 Feb 1821. Gottfried’s details are not known. They had the following seven children, only three of whom lived past infancy:

1. Johannes (1763-1766).
2. Eva Catharina (1766) who died at four months old.
3. Johann Gottfried (Gottfried) (1768-1832) previously discussed.
4. Johann Georg (1769) who died at one week old.
5. Jacob Friedrich (1770) who died at six months old.
6. Christian (1772-1848) who married Elisabetha Catharina Pfleiderer in 1793.
7. Jacobina (1776-1841).

Two Weik Families

At this point, the Weik family splits into two lines. The parents of Gottfried Sr. were Johann Georg Weik and his wife, Maria Catharina. The parents of Jacobina were Stephan Weik and Anna Maria Dautel who were married 25 Oct 1729 in Hertmannsweiler. It is assumed the two families were related in some way, but it is not known how or how closely.

Both families had most likely been in the Hertmannsweiler area for many generations prior to this, since church records show the name Weik continuing here well into the sixteenth century. In addition, several of these are shown marrying into the same families as some of the later generations.

Weik Homeland

Hertmannsweiler, Neckarkreis, Württemberg, was the homeland of the Weik family. It is located approximately 20 miles northeast of the major city of Stuttgart and 10 miles northeast of the smaller city of Waiblingen. Nellmersbach, where the family later lived, is just over one mile northwest of Hertmannsweiler, and Leutenbach is the same distance southwest of Nellmersbach and west of Hertmannsweiler.

Württemberg (also spelled Wuerttemberg) was originally a part of the region of Swabia. It became a duchy in 1495 and a kingdom in 1806. The Kingdom of Württemberg became a part of the German Empire when it was formed in 1871. In 1952 after World War II, it became incorporated into the state of Baden-Württemberg of the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. West Germany then reunified with East Germany in 1990 to form the current nation of Germany. The following table lists the former and current names of each of the locations mentioned.

Notes

1. [Although he had a relatively small farm, Christian's agricultural schedule on the 1865 census shows that he produced 1500 gallons of molasses, several times more than any other farmer in the area. In fact, this is so much more that it is probably a mistake.]
2. [Since Rosine died in the year 1879, and Christiane died 28 Dec 1878, it is possible that the two could have died only days apart of the same ailment.]
3. [The ship's passenger list for the "Johannesburg" shows a group of eight individuals from Württemberg including Rosine Leonberger. They are followed by seven from Baden including Cathrine Weick. The Waiblingen Emigration Applications, which are very incomplete for this time period, contain at least two individuals who were on this trip, Georg Friedrich Baum from Hertmannsweiler and Johan Gottlieb Rapp from Nellmersbach. Gottlieb is listed with the first group, and Georg with the second group. This means that the Baden group which includes Cathrine is obviously from Württemberg as well.]
4. [There is no evidence to show where Christian Weik had lived in Missouri, however, it would be typical that he and his sister would have initially lived in the same location. On the other hand, since Christian's marriage record cannot be found in Buchanan County, this may not be the case. Therefore it should not be taken for granted that he was in St. Joseph.]

* * * * * * * * *

Links

• Johann Christian Weik {fam group1, fam group2, lineage, fam hist}
• Rosine Leonberger {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Luisa Catharine Weik {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Rosine Weik {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Johanna Peisker {fam group1, fam group2, lineage, fam hist, query?}
• Johannes Heinrich (John Henry) Weik {fam group, lineage, fam hist}
• Johannes Weik {fam group, lineage, fam hist}