Kinfolk Klippin's #11, March 1992
This issue's topics:
This is the story of... George Jacob Wahl Sr. biographical
sketch
Fairley Eugene Wahl... Obituary for Bud Wahl
A new addition... Nathaniel Parks birth announcement
The early family reunions... Excerpts from some of the
reunion minutes
This is the story of...
my great-great-grandfather based on what we have been able to find so
far.
George Jacob Wahl Sr. was born in 1820 to 1823 in Baden, Germany. Both of his
parents were also born in Baden. I assume he was married in Baden because his
oldest son, Henry, was born in Baden in 1853. We do not know at this time
whether Baden refers to the town of Baden within the state of Baden, Germany or
simply to the state of Baden. Somewhere between his first son's birth in 1853
and his second son's birth in Sangamon County, Illinois in 1858, the family
moved to America. He apparently settled in Salisbury Township, Sangamon County,
Illinois and stayed there. This township was originally known as Sackett
Township and is listed that way in the census for 1860 and 1870. The township
plat for 1874 shows a 40 acre farm owned by J. Wall in Section 33. This was, in
fact, George Jacob Wahl's farm. He purchased it on 17 March 1864 for $460 from
Elias Satzenstein. There is no record of his first wife's death. However, there
is a record of marriage between Jacob Wall and Mary Shaffer on 28 Feb 1856. It
has not yet been proven that this George Jacob Wahl Sr. and it has not yet been
disproved. It could be argued that this is George Jacob Wahl Sr. based on a
combination of things: 1) His name was consistently misspelled as Wall except
for his will. 2) One of his obituaries indicated that he came to Sangamon County
about a855. 3) He was in Sangamon County by 1858 and could have been there by
1856. 4) He was the only Jacob Wall in that area at the time. 5) The 1860 census
shows his wife's first initial as "M". On the other hand, we do not
have definite proof of the exact date when George Jacob came to this country; he
may have arrived after 1856.
All of George Jacob Wahl Sr's children, except his oldest son who was born in
Germany, were born in Sangamon county. They were probably all born on the farm
which he bought in 1864. Between the years 1858 and 1864, George and his wife
had four children. Their son Charles was born in 1858, their daughter, S. Mincy,
was born in 1860, son George was born on 3 Feb 1863 and son Jacob Jr. was born
on 27 Jan 1864. The names of the male children as shown above are probably their
middle names rather than their first names. This is based on the fact that the
German custom of that time was to use middle names. In county directories of
Sangamon County, the son Jacob is referred to as Jacob Jr. and the father as
Jacob Sr.
Jacob Sr.'s wife apparently died in 1864 because on 20 Feb 1865, he married
Melvina Cox. The marriage certificate shows license number "1233 Wall,
Jacob & Cox, Melvina married February 20 - 1865 by N.M. Broadwell, County
Judge. Sworn to age of parties." Melvina was born in Kentucky in 1854 to
Robert and Francis Adeline Cox who were also born in Kentucky. She was the
oldest child in the family and was the sister of Frank, James, and Mary Cox who
all married into the Schumacher family.
George Jacob and Melvina Wahl had eight children Their daughter S.(G.) was born
in 1865, Daughter Loatta in 1867, daughter Cora in 1869, Son Louis Sylvester in
1875, son James Alfred on 27 Feb 1877, daughter Florence A. in 1879. The two
youngest sons, Harry and John, were born in the 1880's.
On 7 Jan 1890, George Jacob Wahl Sr. died in Salisbury Township, Sangamon
County, Illinois. The obituary from the 8 Jan 1890 issue of the Daily Illinois
State Journal reads: "Died at his home in Salisbury, Jan. 7, Jacob Wahl,
aged 71 years. He leaves a wife and ten children. Mr. Wahl has been a resident
of Salisbury for the past 35 years. The funeral will occur today at 11 a.m. at
Sackett cemetery. Rev. T. Clark will officiate." The obituary from the 9
Jan 1890 issue of the Daily Illinois State Register reads: "Jacob Wahl died
Tuesday in his home in Salisbury Township, aged 70 years. He is survived by his
wife and ten children." Prior to his death, he dictated his will --
probably from his deathbed. He is buried in the old Sackett Cemetery just
southeast of Salisbury, Illinois. The cemetery is not taken care of and there is
no stone that marks his grave.
Fairley Eugene Wahl...
(George Jacob Wahl, Jacob Wahl, Hallie Ephram Wahl) passed away. His
obituary reads as follows: "Fairley Eugene 'Bud' Wahl, 72, of Roodhouse
died Friday, Dec. 20, 1991, at Passavant Area Hospital. He was born Nov. 11,
1919, in Roodhouse, the son of Hallie and Edna Morgan Wahl. He Married Shirley
J. Heinzke on May 6, 1944, in Bowling Green, Mo. He is survived by his wife; one
son, Jay Wahl of Rood house; one daughter, Mrs. Dennis (Sheila) Cumby of
Roodhouse; five grandchildren; two brothers, Wilbur Wahl of Peoria and Harold
Wahl of Peoria; and two sisters, Mildred Young of Jacksonville and Vera Doane of
Murphysboro. Mr. Wahl was a veteran of World War II. He worked for the GM &
O and ICG railroads and was also a self-employed plumber. Graveside services
will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Fernwood Cemetery in Roodhouse. Friends may call after
2 p.m. Saturday at Mackey Daws Funeral Home in Roodhouse with family meeting
friends 6-8 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Parkinson Foundation."
A
new addition...
to the family tree is Nathaniel Dean-Thomas Parks (George Jacob Wahl,
Jacob Wahl, Mildred Wahl, Thomas Wahl Sr., Thomas Wahl Jr., Teresa Wahl Parks)
born on 18 Jan 1992.
The early family reunions...
were recorded by Edna Ruth Schumacher Richardson. She wrote the minutes
in verse. Here are some excerpts from those minutes. 1828: "In reunions we
did decide to meet. Annually we'll gather for this feat. The first time at the
home of Alice Kern. Part of our relation we did learn. Just a few of our
relatives did attend. But never mind, we did meet again." 1929: "Yes!
At Harry Schumacher's we saw our race. And again met our relatives face to face.
But not all. These meetings were yet not in their prime. Tho' sixty-seven
relatives we saw this time. This year a rain broke in upon our meeting. But not
before each one exchanged their greeting. At mealtime it sprinkled on our food.
We went, when a downpour made us seek shelter. As the clock began to point its
hand. A late hour and coming dusk thru-out the lands. We bid adieu, and took our
homeward way. We hoped to see each other next year in August the Second
Sunday." 1932: "The fifth reunion back to Springfield we came. Lincoln
Park the place, the Sunday the same. Entertainment we had after we'd eaten. Our
dinner just couldn't have been beaten. Austin and Dragoo of the Pawnee Four sang
one song and that called for more. Again we find the officers retained. Those
eight-one attending relatives demanded the same. But to our list of officers
were added a committee. Entertainment next year we must have if only a ditty.
Willis Schumacher, Fred Cox, Tom and Ephriam Wahl. From their ranks of duty must
they never fall."
Copyright © 1996 Harry Wahl. All rights reserved