01 Dec 2009

Peisker Query

How are other Peiskers in Doniphan County, Kansas, related to the sisters Johanna and Amelie Peisker of Schurgast, Silesia, Prussia

Chain Migration

Between approximately 1863-1872, a large chain migration took place of up to sixty individuals from and around the village of Schurgast, Prussia, in the region of Silesia. They came to live in Kansas near Troy and Wathena in Doniphan County or in Shannon Township in Atchison County. Many may have originally gone to St. Joseph, Missouri, and soon moved to Kansas. Among them were the sisters Amelie and Johanna Peisker who immigrated on 9 Jun 1869 and 2 Oct 1872, respectively. Also among the many interlinked families and individuals were several other Peisker families as well as a few others of particular interest. Some or maybe even most of these must have been related to the sisters.

Anna Marie Peisker Schwope

The first person to look at is Anna Marie Peisker (usually listed as Mary). Mary was born 1838 in Prussia, and according to the 1910 census, she immigrated in 1863. She married John Charles Schwope who was from Nicoline, a short walk from Schurgast. It is not known if they married before or after emigrating, but according to the 1900 census, they married the same year that this took place. They already had one child and were living in Center Township, Doniphan County, Kansas, during the 1865 Kansas census. In 1870, a year after her own marriage, Amelie Peisker now lived next door to them. Anna Marie died 1920 in Doniphan County and was buried in Bell Cemetery near Wathena, Kansas.

Anna Peisker Wurghardt

The second probable relative is Anna Peisker who married Hermann Wurghardt 12 Nov 1871 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Neither Anna's age nor her date of immigration are known. However, because a bride had to be at least eighteen years of age to marry without parental consent, Anna must have been born prior to 1853. No other references to Anna or any families in the area named Wurghardt have been found. (The most similar surname found in the area is Wykert.)

Johann G. Peisker

The family of Johann G. Peisker also immigrated in 1863, so Anna Marie Peisker could have come along with his family or even been a part of it. From at least 1865 onward, Johann and his family lived in Marion Township, Doniphan County, Kansas. According to the state census of 1865, he farmed in Missouri during 1864, therefore he could have very recently relocated to Kansas. Johann and his wife were buried in Rosedale Cemetery near Wathena, Kansas. He and his known family consisted of the following:

1. Johann G. Peisker (1826-1908).
2. Anna R. Scholtz (1829-1889), his wife.
3. Caroline (1855) who was born in Prussia.
4. Johanna E. (1858), also born in Prussia.
5. Emma (1864) who was born in Kansas.
6. John (1866), born in Kansas.
7. William (1868), born in Kansas.
8. Henry (1870), born in Kansas.
9. Charles "Charley" (1872), also born in Kansas.

A Charles Peisker (c.1829) lived with this family in 1875. Since they are similar ages, Charles would most likely be a brother or cousin of Johann.

Adolph Peisker

Adolph Peisker bought the NE 1/4 of Section 35, Township 4, Range 20, in Doniphan County on 15 Sep 1868. It may have been purchased on speculation, or he may have decided to move elsewhere. He sold half of it only one month later to Gottlob Wolff and the remaining half in August 1869 to Ernst Wolff who immigrated on the same ship as Amelie Peisker. Because property owners were required to be at least 21 years of age, Adolph must have been born before 1847. No other records of him have been found.

Shipmates

During Amelie Peisker's 1869 trip on the ship "Germania", there were eleven other people on board who are known to be from the Schurgast area. Among these was a family that included:

1. William Handke (1842-1901).
2. Rosine Klinnert (1848-1931), his wife.
3. Karl Traugott (Charles T.) Handke (1868-1950), their son.

Likewise, another part of this same family was on Johanna Peisker's 1872 voyage on the ship "Hammonia". This group included Rosine Klinnert's mother, two brothers, stepfather, and three step-siblings:

1. Johann Gottlob Peuker (1828-1876).
2. Caroline Geppert (1818-1901), his wife.
3. Julius Peuker (1857-1888), their son who later ran a pub in Atchison.
4. Anna Peuker (1859-1880), their daughter.
5. Emma Peuker (1862-1898), another daughter.
6. William Klinnert (1844-1888), one of Caroline's sons from a previous marriage.
7. Fredrick Klinnert (1853-1918), another son from a previous marriage.

Johanna continued to reside near members of this family long after arriving in Kansas. Part of the family had moved several miles away from the rest of the group to Shannon Township in Atchison County, and Johanna moved here as well after remarrying to Christian Weik in 1880. However, no direct relationships have been found between her and any of this family.

Areas to Explore

Since immigrants, especially single young ladies, typically first lived with relatives or friends from home, it may be helpful to work out with whom they had lived with and when. In February 1874, Johanna Peisker married Christian Glamann. The 1875 state census shows that she first lived in Missouri before moving to Kansas. Since Christian was already well established in business in Troy, Kansas, long before their marriage, Johanna must have lived in Missouri with someone else sometime between then and her arrival. The obvious choice would be that she was living with her married sister. Amelie Peisker had married in 1869, however, she was already living in Kansas by 1870. Besides, Amelie must have lived with someone else prior to her own marriage as well. Therefore, Johanna probably lived in Missouri, probably in or near St. Joseph, immediately after her immigration with someone else who was part of the group.

Another source of potential clues may be in the list of people from the Schurgast area who were married in St. Joseph, Missouri, during the 1870's. Many there were married by the Justice of the Peace, but Johanna and several others were married by a German Lutheran minister who resided there, Henry F. Kirchoff. Finding records for his church, if any still exist, would be extremely helpful. The people known to have been married by Pastor Kirchoff and also suspected of or known to be part of this group are:

1. Anna Peisker married Hermann Wurghardt 12 Nov 1871.
2. Karl Peuker married Margaretha Kohler 25 Jun 1872. This was witnessed by Gottfried and Johanne Scholz.
3. Elizabeth Koehler married Heinrich Ebel 22 Oct 1872.
4. Johanne Peisker married Christian Glamann 14 Feb 1874.
5. Charles Peuker married Louisa Schilg 15 Jun 1874.

It was not uncommon for people to cross the Missouri River to get married in St. Joseph, so this does not necessarily mean that they lived there at the time.

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Links

• Johanna Peisker
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• Amelie Peisker
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• Anna Marie Peisker
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• Anna Peisker
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• John G. Peisker
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• Caroline Geppert and John Gottlob Peuker
  {fam group1, fam group2, query?}