Guardianship

I don't know much about my 3rd great-grandfather, Isaac Joseph Ogle, the son of Revolutionary War hero Rev. Benjamin Ogle and his wife Jane Garrison.  Isaac was born in the county of St. Clair in the Northwest Territory¹ about 1793.  Illinois didn't become a state until December 3, 1818.  Isaac was married to Priscilla Badgley and died in 1841 in Belleville, St. Clair Co., Illinois.

It seems that by 1845 the children of Isaac and Priscilla Ogle required a guardian.

According to the Illinois Revised Statutes in 1845, "Courts of probate in their respective counties, shall admit orphan minors, above the age of fourteen years, the father being dead, to make a choice of guardians, and appoint guardians for such as are under the age of fourteen years." ²

A guardian was appointed by the courts to supervise Isaac's five minor children,  Benjamin, Lucy, Abraham B, William, and Isaac Ogle.³

William Porter was appointed guardian of the five children on 15 Mar 1845

A sixth child, Samuel Kinney Ogle, my 2nd great-grandfather, was over the age of 14 so he was able to "choose" his guardian. Samuel chose William Porter on 14 Mar 1846.⁴

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¹ "Blue Book of the State of Illinois, complied and published by James A. Rose, Secretary of State, Springfield, Illinois 1905.  Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers, 1906. Referencing "Territorial Records of the Northwest Territory, St. Clair Papers, Volume 2, page 165.  St. Clair County was one of the earliest Illinois counties formed while still in the Northwest Territory.

² Revised Statutes State of Illinois, held in the Years, A.D., 1844-'5, prepared by M. Brayman. William Walters, printer 1845, Chapter XLVII. Guardian and Ward, p 265.

³ "Illinois Letters of Guardianship 1836-1849, Book B #128. March 15, 1845.  Film held at the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.

⁴ Illinois Letters of Guardianship 1836-1849, Book B #161. March 14, 1846.  Film held at the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.

The Immigrant Press

If your ancestor's family immigrated from another country, it is important to see if a newspaper was published in their native language in their new area.  Many times important information may not even be published in the English newspaper but you will find it printed in the paper of their language.

This is the case of my great-great aunt Louisa Roos Theobald, wife of Louis Theobald.  Louisa's parents immigrated from Germany to Illinois and were married in Millstadt, Illinois in 1850.  All of their children were born and raised in Millstadt.

I found an article in the Belleville Weekly Advocate newspaper dated Aug. 14, 1891 stating that "Mrs. Louis Theobald, nee Roos, is lying at the point of death at the residence of her mother.  She was brought home from her sister's in Missouri about a week ago suffering with typhoid malaria fever and has been growing worse ever since." I was unable to able to find an obituary for Louisa in later editions.

However, Louisa's obituary was actually published on Aug. 20, 1891 in the German newspaper, The Belleville Post, in Belleville, St. Clair Co., Illinois.¹ 

Transcription:
Last Wednesday Louise Theobald, nee Roos, died after just a short illness of typhus at the age of 29 years, 2 months and 21 days.  She left behind an elderly mother, as well as some siblings.   She was interred to her last rest under great sanctification at Millstadt Cemetery by Pastor Buchmiller.  May the earth be light upon her!


Louisa died in 1891 at the home of her mother, Carolina Wagner Roos, my 2nd great grandmother.

 

Luisa Roos

   Born May 1864

Died Aug 13, 1891 

Theobald 

Centreville Cemetery, Millstadt, Illinois

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¹ "Louisa Theobald," obituary, The Belleville (Illinois) Post, 20 Aug 1891, p5.  Microfilm on file at Belleville Public Library,  Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois.

A Revolutionary War Hero

On September 27, 2015 in Shiloh, Illinois, I was honored to attend the monument dedication to Captain Joseph Ogle by the Ogle/Ogles Family Association.

Joseph Ogle was born 17 Jun 1737 in Maryland. His first wife was Prudence Drusilla Biggs (b. abt 1746, d. abt 1777 in western Virginia).  Joseph married his second wife, Jemima Meigs abt 1779 and they lived near the site of current day Wheeling, West Virginia.

Joseph was an illustrious fighter for his country. He served in 1775 as a Lieutenant in Captain George McColloch's company. He was commissioned to the rank of Captain by Gov. Patrick Henry of Virginia on 2 Jul 1777.  Among his many battles, he defended Ft. Henry in two attacks. He was also involved in battles at Foreman's Massacre in 1777 and the Coshocton Campaign in 1781.

In 1785 Joseph headed west to the area now known as Illinois.  Battling Indian attacks and dangerous currents on the Ohio river, and keeping his family safe, Joseph settled in the area known as The American Bottom in Illinois across the river from St. Louis.

Living with Jemima and raising his nine children, he was considered a local leader and was involved in several expeditions to deal with Indian attacks. Joseph was also the first Methodist baptized in Illinois and later became a preacher. He died on his farm on 24 Feb 1821 at the age of 84 in Ridge Prairie, Illinois a few miles from the current town of O'Fallon.

In 1836, a northern Illinois county was named Ogle County in honor of Joseph Ogle.

On September 24, 2015, a Tribute to Captain Joseph Ogle was entered into the Congressional Record in the United States House of Representatives.¹

The dedication on September 27, 2015 was attended by about 200 people. It was co-hosted by the Illinois Society Sons of the American Revolution Lewis and Clark Chapter, and the Belleville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.

The pageantry and speeches were a fitting tribute to this great man.

I am proud to say that Captain Joseph Ogle was my
 fifth great grandfather.

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^1. Volume 161, Number 138, Pages E1353 by the Hon. Mike Bost of Illinois.

Great Aunt Jennie

I just received a document in the mail from IRAD (Illinois Regional Archives Depository) at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

I requested the birth record of my grandmother Matilda Albertus (10 May 1876).  She was born into a large German family living on a farm on the outskirts of Freeport, Illinois.  It is very possible that all the children were born at home and there may not be any record of their births at that time.  I had requested the birth documents of both Matilda and her younger sister, Jennie Albertus (12 Jul 1878).

The answer I received was that Matilda's birth record could not be found and a certificate with the name Jennie Albertus, also could not be found.

 However, they did find this record.

The parents names are correct, the birth date is correct, but there is no name for the child.  This is, however, the record for Jennie Albertus because she was, in fact, the 13th child born into this family.  She is also probably the first of the children to have a recorded birth record.  Even though this is not a record for my grandmother, I am thrilled to have it.  A wonderful find!

Other items noticed on this form are the parents places of birth.  I had already done considerable research on their origins and know that Peter Albertus was born in Veenhusen, Ostfriesland, Germany and Taalke was born in Petkum, Ostfriesland, Germany.  The dates were exact to my research so I can only guess that the written village names on this form are spelled as the person recording this information heard them.

So!  A surprise birth record with validating information from the State Board of Health, Stephenson County, Illinois.

Thank you IRAD!

A New Land

One of my immigrant ancestors is Gepke Janssen Smit Wessels. She is my 2^nd Great Grandmother. She was a woman whose husband, Heije Renken Wessels¹, had died in Germany in 1854. Two of her sons had also died at a young age in Germany. She left her homeland, memories, and life as she knew it in Neermoor, Ostfriesland, Germany and came to America in 1860 at the age of 56. She traveled on the ship Bremen with her four youngest children. As indicated on the Passenger list, she traveled under the name of her husband, Heye Wessels and her children are enumerated: Jantjen, 18, m, farmer; Jana, 16, female; Gretje 13, female; and Gerd 13, male.²

When she arrived in Illinois, Gepke was able to live on farmland with her family in German Valley, Winnebago Co. Her four older children had come separately to the area earlier. She lived in Illinois for about three years before moving to Timbercreek Township, Marshall Co., Iowa. In her lifetime, she was able to see her children marry and begin their families in a new land.

Laurel Methodist Cemetery is a small cemetery amid the cornfields in Laurel, Marshall Co., Iowa. Here lies the grave of Gepke Janssen Smit Wessels, 1803-1872.

It is so humbling to stand before an old tombstone of an ancestor and reflect. Thinking about who might have come to gather around there for the burial. Who has visited since? How many descendants have come from that one person? How many have made the pilgrimage to the site to pay their respects?

Well done, Gepke, well done.

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¹ Thorsten Harms, editor,  (Die Familien der evangelisch-reformeirten Gemeinde Neermoor (1669-1900), Emden, Germany. T. Harms 2007), p1280, #4965.

² "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957" (Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.), Year: 1860; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237; Microfilm Roll: 206; Line: 12; List Number: 1086.