52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 8 "Migration"

MIGRATION OF MY SECOND GREAT GRANDFATHER, JOHANN JACOB FEUCHT:

I will be incorporating in 16 of my posts this year, a feature on each of  my 16 second great grandparents.  Today, on the topic of migration, I am featuring my paternal second great grandfather, Johann Jacob Feucht.

Johann Jacob Feucht, my father's great-grandfather, was the earliest of my ancestors to migrate to the US, arriving in 1857.  Throughout all of the records on him in the US, he was known simply as "Jacob" Feucht.

Jacob Feucht was born on August 12, 1826 in Tamm, Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, Germany.  He was the 5th child of Johannes Feucht (1783-1854) and Ana Barbara Meile (1789-1865).  I have been fortunate to have gained access to the actual vital records for my Feucht ancestors, however, they are not of a high enough clarity to be clearly visible on Blogger.

Map of Tamm, Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, Germany:

According to the Württemberg, Germany Emigration Index, Johann Jacob Feucht emigrated to the US as follows:

District:  Ludwigsburg

Name:  Johann Jakob Feucht

Birth Date: 12 Aug 1826

Birth Place:  Tamm

Application Date:  1857

Destination:  America

Number:  837991

Jacob settled in Detroit, Michigan and on February 20, 1859 he married Magdalena Helena Bauer (1840-1885) who was from Schwarzenbach by Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.

In the case of Jacob and Helena Feucht, I have uncovered their marriage record in three different places in the US.  I have the marriage record from the City of Detroit, one from the State of Michigan and another (with the most vivid details) from Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit where they were married.  All of the records agree on the facts involved but an added bonus was that on the Trinity Lutheran Church record, the places of birth of Jacob and Helena were listed with precise detail down to the villages of birth.  This was an exceptional bonus allowing me to quickly write to the two villages - Tamm in Ludwigsburg, Württemberg and Schwarzenbach by Nürnberg, Bavaria from which I received documents of their births.

Jacob and Helena Feucht were blessed with 10 children as follows:

Johann Georg (1860-1860)

Anna Margarethe Elizabeth (1861-1937)

Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa (1864-1908)

Johann Conrad (1866- ?)

Karoline Margarethe Mary (1868-1869)

Christine Katharine Juliane (1870-1907)

Margarethe (1872-1936)

Helene (1875-1957)

Johann Georg (1877-1933)

Charles Henry (1881-1945)

There is a possibility that Jacob served in the Civil War based on war memorabilia and Grand Army of the Republic memorabilia that I was given by my grandfather who was a grandson of Jacob Feucht.  Upon research, some records were found of a Jacob Feucht having served in the Civil War in the years from 1861-1863 but there wasn't enough information to definitively state that this was MY Jacob Feucht.  Looking at the birth years of his children there was a 3 year gap between daughter Elizabeth (1861-1937) and daughter Kunigunde (1864-1908).  Their other 8 children seemed to appear every 2 years without fail.  This will require further research to confirm.

On census records and city directory entries, Jacob was listed alternatively as a beltmaker or a tailor.  

Jacob's wife, Helena, died on September 22, 1885 leaving him with 8 children.  Jacob died on November 25, 1892 and both are buried in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery on Mt. Elliott Avenue in Detroit in Lot 4C.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of Jacob or Helena but in 1993 I visited Germany and was able to travel to 16 of the villages of my ancestors where I was able to take photos of the villages and in some places visit the various churches.

Photos of Tamm, Germany:

With the advent of DNA research, I was pleased to receive notification from Ancestry.com of a DNA match for my brother with a person in Germany.  Upon further research and correspondence I was fortunate to connect with a wonderful and sharing gentleman with shared ancestry with my Feucht family.  Through him I was able to obtain vital records going back several generations from my Jacob Feucht as follows:

My second great-grandfather, Johann Jacob Feucht (1826-1892), son of:

Johannes Feucht (1783-1854) and Ana Barbara Meile (1789-1865).  Johannes Feucht was the son of: 

Matthaeus Feucht (1732-1791) and Christine Ade (1748-1805).  Matthaeus Feucht was the son of:

Matthaeus Feucht (1701-?) and Anna Maria Kraus (1700-?) who were my fifth great grandparents.

I am pleased with the progress I have made on tracing this line of my family.  

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 3 "Nicknames"

WHAT NAME DO YOU USE:

In my genealogical research I have often found interesting naming patterns in specific families.  While it was common to name children after a grandparent or a sponsor, in one of my lines I found patterns that could not be linked to a specific reason.

I did learn after much research, that in the 19th century, German children were often given multiple first names, including biblical names, names of saints and old family names.  Common names for boys were Johann, Friedrich, Wilhelm, while common girls names were Anna, Maria, Elisabeth.  Typically only one of the names was used throughout the person's life.

In my paternal Feucht family this was certainly true and many times the chosen name was substituted for another of the two or three names making research very difficult.

My second great grandparents, Johann Jacob Feucht and Magdalena Helena Bauer, were both born in Germany.  Johann Feucht was born in Tamm, Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, Germany and Magdalena was born in Schwarzenbach by Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.

They both immigrated to Detroit, Michigan at separate times, and married in Detroit on February 20,1859 at Trinity Lutheran Church. 

Ten children were born to them as follows:

 Johann Georg Feucht - born February 25,1860 and died July 25,1860.

Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht - born July 12, 1861 and died February 17,1937.  She was known as Elizabeth or Liz throughout her life

Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht:

Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht - born January 12,1864 and died November 11,1908.  She was known alternately as Rosa, Rose and even Kunigunde on various documents throughout her life.

Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht:

Johann Conrad Feucht - born June 29,1866 and died after November 1908. Documents over the years have noted him listed as Johann, John and Conrad.  He disappeared from records after November, 1908 and he is still a brick wall for me.

Karoline Margarethe Mary Feucht - born August 2, 1868 and died May 7,1869.  Documents in her brief life have shown her listed as Karoline and Mary.

Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht - born February 16,1870 and died January 14,1907.  This was my great-grandmother and throughout her 37 year life she was known as Julia, Julie, Juliane and Julia Anna.

Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht:

Margarethe Feucht - born July 4,1872 and died January 1,1936.  The multiple naming pattern seemed to stop with her though she was known alternately through her life as Margaret, Maggie, Meg.

Margarethe Feucht:

Helene Feucht - born March 6,1875 and died June 3, 1957. She was mainly known as Lena or Helene throughout her life.  She lived the longest of the Feucht siblings.  She was also the only one of the daughters that was actually named after her parent.

Helene Feucht:

Johann Georg Feucht - Another child given the same name as their firstborn son.  This son was born October 20,1877 and died January 7,1933.  Documents over his lifetime indicated he was using the name George.

Charles Henry Feucht - The last of the children of Jacob and Helena Feucht.  He was born January 15, 1881 and he died October 6,1945.  He used the name Charles throughout his life.  He was only 4 when his mother died and 11 when his father died.

There were 4 sons with 3 of them given the first name of their father - Johann and 1 daughter named after her mother.

Every one of the 10 children had multiple baptismal sponsors but none could be connected to any known relatives - aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc even after I was able to trace both the Feucht line back many generations in Tamm, Württemberg, Germany and trace the Bauer line back 15 generations! in villages surrounding Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.

Despite the various names chosen for my great-grandmother and her 9 siblings, I am pleased that I have been very successful in tracing both lines of my family back in Germany and to have connected by DNA matches with 3 different "cousins" still living in various parts of Germany.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

From Whence I Came - Juliane Feucht

CHRISTINE KATHERINE JULIANE FEUCHT

On February 16, 1870, in Detroit, Michigan, a baby daughter was born to Johann Jacob Feucht (known as Jacob) and his wife, Magdalena Helena Bauer (known as Helena).  This daughter was named Christine Katherine Juliane but was called Juliane or Julia for her entire life.  She was one of my great-grandmothers.

Juliane was the 6th of what would be 10 children born to Jacob and Helena and at her birth she joined her older siblings Elizabeth, Rosa and Johann Conrad.  Two other siblings, Johann Georg and Karoline, had died as infants.

A devout Lutheran couple, Jacob and Helena had their baby daughter baptized on March 20, 1870 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit.  Her sponsors were Peter and Christine Lutz and Katharine Feucht.  The minister performing the baptism was the Rev. J.A. Huegli who served Trinity from 1860-1902.  It is unknown to me at this time who these sponsors were in relation to the Feucht family but in all likelihood Katharine Feucht was in some way related.

The 1870 Detroit, Michigan, US Census shows the Jacob and Helena Feucht family with Juliane listed as a 3 month old infant.

The 1880 Detroit, Michigan, US Census showed the family, living on Macomb Street in Detroit, with Juliane now 10 years old.

No data is known of Juliane's life from 10 years old until she married, nor how she and her future husband met, but I do have this photo of her that was taken when she was a teenager.  I feel she was one beautiful young woman:

On October 7, 1891 Juliane married Rudolph Myer Schulte at Bethany Lutheran Church in Detroit.  Their witnesses were Margaret Feucht, the sister of Juliane and Felix Hauer who in 1893 would marry Rudolph's sister, Elizabeth:

On May 14, 1892 a baby daughter, Irene Elisabeth, was born to Rudolph and Juliane, however, she passed away at birth and is buried in the Feucht family plot at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery on Mt. Elliott Avenue in Detroit.

On August 4, 1894, Juliane and Rudolph welcomed a baby son, Elmer Meyer Schulte, into their family and it was obvious that Juliane was a loving mother.  When I was growing up, my grandfather, Elmer, talked lovingly to me about his mother and his memories of her.

The above photo I also have in a locket which is a treasured possession.

In 1900 Rudolph, Juliane and Elmer appeared in the 1900 Detroit, Michigan, US Census showing them living on St. Aubin Avenue.  An error by the census taker shows Rudolph's name as W.F. Schulte:

In 1906 the following photo was taken of the Rudolph and Juliane Schulte family with son, Elmer, age 12:

On January 14, 1907 my great-grandmother, Juliane Feucht Schulte, passed away from cancer of the liver.  She was buried in her Schulte in-law's family plot at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery on Mt. Elliott Avenue in Detroit.  I was told that there was a gravestone on the grave but over the years it was vandalized and removed.  I have visited the cemetery over the years and, hopefully, my great-grandmother has felt the fact that her only great-granddaughter thinks often of her.

Today I am thinking of my great-grandmother on what would be the 151st anniversary of her birth. Very few photos of Juliane exist though I am happy for the three that I have.  Despite only having his mother for 12 years, my grandfather carried many warm memories of her with him for his entire life.  He was the most wonderful and loving grandfather and I am sure these qualities came to him from his mother.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte