Some research notes as I work on the Wagners
**Updated 1/30/22 with a missing child, Elisabeth Wagner**
Michael Wagner
First, Michael is the only child, that was born in France. All the others were listed as being born in Switzerland on the family's passport application.
He was born 2.5 years before his parent's marriage. Did his father Jacob have a prior marriage or was Michael born out of wedlock? Many Mennonites were denied marriage due to their beliefs.
** Just got a message from a fellow Anabaptist Mennonite Swiss research who said they have a book with the Montbeliard (France) Mennonite Church register and it has Jacob Wagner being married twice, once before Barbara Eicher. Michael likely has a different mother. The local genealogical library has a copy of this book, so I'll look it up soon. **
1856 Belfort, Alsace, France Census shows Michael with his mother listed above him, although her name was misspelled.
Neichers, Babette age 40 widowed
Wagner, Michael age 19 eldest son
Wagner, Catherine age 1 daughter
They were living in Delle, Bourogne, Belfort, France
Where were the other children? I looked through the rest of this census, 40 pages total, and there are no other Wagners listed.
The passport information that I looked up a few years ago when I was searching for their immigration had the family living in Mulhouse, France. Perhaps the other children are there.
Jacob Wagner, Barbe's husband, had died recently on 4 October 1855 in Delle, Bourogne, Belfort, France.
1856 or 1857 Immigration (according to the 1900 and 1910 censuses)
1860- US Census, age 21, birth year 1839 in France. Living in Chester, Wayne, Ohio with an occupation listed as a beer running. He is living in a home with the Barnhart family and two other boarders.
1862- Enlisted in Union Army 19 August 1862 and was discharged on 16 February 1863.
1863- He signed on Civil War Draft on 1 July 1863 in Chester, Wayne, Ohio.
1866- 15 February Michael married Mary Hawk in Wayne County, Ohio. He was listed as 21 years old and she was 18 years old.
1870- Census, Age 30, living in Chester, Wayne, Ohio with wife Mary and daughter Margaret age 2. Gives estimated birth year of 1840 in France.
1900 Census, Michael says that he immigrated in 1857.
Margaret listed she was the mother of 6 children and 4 were living. We only have 5 children listed for them, so we're missing a child. There are no big gaps that stand out except maybe at the very beginning. Michael and Mary were married 15 February 1866 in Wayne, Ohio. Their first child is listed as Margaret Jeanetta "Nettie" Wagner born 13 July 1868 in Cedar Valley, Wayne, Ohio.
They could have had a child in December of
1866 if they immediately got pregnant. They would have gotten pregnant
with Margaret Jeanetta "Nettie" in October 1867. There would be plenty
of time to have had a child before Margaret Jeanetta "Nettie". Based on the other children's birth year spacing, the missing child is likely either the first born or the last born after 1876.
1910- Michael is listed as widower age 71 being born in Germany. He was living in Chester, Wayne, Ohio and a naturalized citizen. Living in the home was his daughter Ellen S Wagner age 39 and Charles J Wagner age 35.
1912- Died 28 December 1912 in Wayne County, Ohio at the age of 74 (according to his obituary). The Ohio Death record index gives a place of Chester, Wayne, Ohio. Find a Grave gives Orville, Wayne, Ohio as his death place.
The US Soldier Ohio Grave registrations says he enlisted on 19 August
1862 and was discharged on 16 February 1863. His birth is listed as 24
September 1838 in Alsace, Loraine, France and died 28 December 1912 in
Chester, Wayne, Ohio and buried in Overton, Wayne, Ohio.
Someone posted a copy of his death certificate on the Find A Grave memorial-
Michael Wagner, 74 years, 2 months, 29 days old, born 24 September 1838 in Alsace, Loraine, France. Father listed as an unknown Wagner and mother as Barbara Eicker. Informant was daughter Ella Wagner, Died 28 December 1912 from pneumonia
Request: Obituary for Michael- Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; Spiegel Grove, Fremont, Ohio; Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s to 2011 (Ancestry)
Jacob Wagner
1840- born 23 August in Binningen, Basel, Switzerland although all previous family trees state near Belfort, France. From the family's emigration records, they were born in Bunningen.
1859-Immigration year- He left France before his mother and younger siblings. 1900 census states he arrived in 1859. Additional records needs to be searched.
1868- Marriage *need marriage record
1870- He is residing in Wayne County, Ohio with his wife, Catharine Wagner, and two children, David Wagner age 2 and Elam Wagner age 4 months. In the house is also his mother, listed as Barbary Magner age 56. His birth is listed as 1843 in Switzerland.
1880- Jacob is listed as 34 years old, about 1846 living in Goodwin, Deuel, Dakota Territory. Catherine is 31 years old with children David Wagner age 12, Elam Wagner age 10, Jacob Wagner age 8, Minnie Wagner age 6, Joseph Wagner age 4 and Catherine Wagner age 1 month. His birth place was listed as Switzerland with both his parents being born in France.
Next door is his sister Catherine Brenizer with his mother, Barbara Wagner age 60 living with her. Next door to them is Jacob's younger brother, Christ Wagner and his wife Anna
1900- Jacob Wagnor is listed as 58 years old with a birth date of August 1841 and born in Switzerland. He is now living in Bradley County, Tennessee with his wife Catherine Wagnor and children Minnie Wagnor age 26 (Dec 1873- Ohio), Emma Wagnor age 20 (May 1873- South Dakota), May Wagnor age 12 (Oct 1887- South Dakota), and Gussie (Augusta Ruth) Wagnor age 6 (Jan 1894- Tennessee).
Jacob and Catherine's marriage is listed as 1868 with 32 years of marriage. Catherine's says she is the mother of 9 children with 7 living. (There are 9 children listed on FamilySearch with 1 for certain dying before 1900. There are two children without death dates- Ernie May (Likely the May listed in this census born in 1888) and Olie Ray born in 1888). Jacob's immigration year is 1859 with his parent's birthplace as Switzerland. He was a naturalized citizen.
1910- Jacob is listed as Buford Wagner. I've never seen him listed with this name before. He is 67 years old being born 1843 in France and living in Bradley County, Tennessee. His parents were listed as being born in France. In the household is Catherine age 61, Minnie Wagner age 36, Joseph Wagner age 33, Mary (May) Wagner age 22, and Routh (Augusta Ruth) Wagner age 16. Catherine also states here she is the mother of 9 children with 7 living.
1912- Death. Find a Grave has his death listed as 14 November 1912 in Cleveland, Bradley, Tennessee and is buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery. *Need better source for death.
Joseph Wagner
1843- birth in Binningen, Basel, Switzerland
1864- immigration- he appears on the families passport documents from France. Age 19 living in Mulhouse, France.
On ship records- Jos Wagner age 19.
I have 3 documents with Joseph at the time of his immigration. I cannot find any records of him after they arrive. Did he stay in New York City? Did he go with the family to Wayne County, Ohio?
John Wagner
1845- birth in Binningen, Basel, Switzerland
1846- death in Binningen, Basel Switzerland
I have no sources
John Wagner
1847- 9 March- Binningen, Basel, Switzerland ** need proof
1864- immigration with his mother and younger siblings. *See family immigration records.
1868- Marriage to Elizabeth Hitty **need marriage record
1870- John, age 23, is living in Chippewa, Wayne, Ohio with his wife, Elizabeth Wagner and son David Wagner age 11 months. His birth year is listed as 1847 in France.
1880- John Wagoner is 33 with a birth year of 1847 in Germany. He is living in Milton, Wayne, Ohio with his wife Elizabeth Wagoner and children David Wagoner age 10, Lydia A Wagoner age 9, Leah Wagoner age 6, Catherine Wagoner age 5, John Wagoner age 3, and Christian Wagoner age 1. All children were listed with Ohio as their birth place.
1900- John Wagner is 53 and living in East Union, Wayne, Ohio. He was born in Switzerland in March 1847. His immigration year of 1864 is confirmed by records and naturalized citizen. He was married in 1868 (32 years) and his parents birth places is Switzerland. In the household are Elizabeth Wagner age 58, Christ L Wagner age 21 and a 10 year old boarder named David Boss.
Elizabeth says she is the mother of 9 children with 6 living. FamilySearch has 10 children with 4 deceased by 1900.
1908- Marriage to Helen P **Need marriage record
1910- John Wagner is 63 and living in East Union, Wayne, Ohio. Born in Switzerland, parents birth place was Germany and he immigrated in 1864. He is married to Helen P Wagner and had been married for 2 years. Elizabeth died about 1903.
1916- 12 October- John died in Wayne County, Ohio according to the Ohio Death Record Index.
*Naturalization records
Christian Wagner
**my direct ancestor, see other posts for detailed information**
Barbara Wagner
1851- birth probably still Binningen. (The family moved back to France closer to 1855 when Jacques died)
1853- death- Binningen, Switzerland or Belfort, France.
I have no sources.
**Elisabeth Wagner (New child) **
I was looking through the Belfort, Alsace, France, Birth, Marriage and Death Registers 1792-1917 records on Ancestry and came across a record for Elisabeth Wagner with parents listed as Jacques Wagner and Barbe Eicher. Super excited about this find, I asked someone to translate the French record.
There may be a chance that this child is actually Barbara above since there are no records. We won't know for sure unless we can find additional records. I rather error on the side of an additional child then not.
1851- Binningen, Basel, Swizterland
1855- May 28- Bourogne, Delle, Belfort, France
The translator gave me the following:
Elisabeth Wagner who died at Bourogne, Kanton of Delle, of Belfort (then Alsace) on 28 May 1855. She was the daughter of Jacques Wagner, then 44, and Barbe (maybe short for Barbara) Eicher, then 43. She was born in Switzerland, name of the place Binningen and died at the age of 4. Her death was not reported by her father or mother but by two men. She died in one of the men's house.
(second record)
Katharine Wagner
1853- 12 July Binningen, Switzerland according to the family's immigration records.
1856- Belfort, Alsace, France Census- age 1 born 1855. Living in Delle, Bourogne, Belfort, France. Michael Wagner age 19 and their mother, Babette Eicher age 40, is also listed on the record.
1864- Immigration
1873- 13 February-Marriage to Simon Peter Brenizer in Wayne County, Ohio. (Ohio County Marriage records) She is listed as Emma C. Wagner on the record.
1880- Catherine Brenizes is living in Goodwin, Deuel, Dakota Territory. She is 26 with a birth year of 1854 in France. She is listed in the household with Simon Brenizes age 40 with Maudia Brenzies age 5, Jennie Brenzies age 4, and Elmar age 1. Catherine's mother is living with them and Barbara is 60 years old.
1883- Katharine dies on 24 April 1883 in Altamont, Deuel, South Dakota. Her husband and 4 children survive her and the funeral service was performed by a blind minister. her birth is listed as 12 July 1853. (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US Mennonite Vital Records) She is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery, Clear Lake, Deuel, South Dakota. A child is listed next to her, Cora C. Brenizer born 3 March 1883 and died 10 July 1883 at age 4 months. Did Katharine died from child birth?
