Emma Jane Weiss (1864-1926)

This is a post from my WikiTree Project.

Emma Jane Weiss (1864-1926)

Emma Jane Weiss was born in December 4, 1864 in Brighton, Macoupin County, Illinois. She was the daughter of Henry Weiss and Catherine Holton. (There is some uncertainty about the date of her birth, See the research note on her WikiTree profile).

Emma married Henry Jacob Kolk on April 30, 1894 in Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois. They had two sons together, Harry Holton and William Clyde.

After her marriage, Emma lived on her father-in-law’s farm with her husband and two sons.[5] She remained on the farm until about 1914, when she moved with her sons to a home at 213 W. 16th Street in Alton, Madison, Illinois. Emma later moved to the home of her son William.

Emma died at William’s home at 2514 Salu street in Alton, Madison County, Illinois on September 24, 1926. At the time of her death, Emma was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal church in Alton. She is buried in Godfrey Cemetery in Godfrey, Illinois.

This biography was first published to WikiTree. You can find the latest version of his biography by clicking here.

Sources

1. Death Certificate for Emma Jane Kolk, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 24 Sep 1926, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, File # 0037327, Roll 219, accessed 8 Jan 2004.
2. Marriage Record for Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss, Marriage Record, Madison County Register of Marriages, File # 3125, Madison County, Illinois, 30 Apr 1894, photocopy from microfilm, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
3. Emma Weiss in the 1870 U.S. Census, Brighton Post Office, Township 7, Range 9, Macoupin County, Illinois, 25 Jun 1870, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1870," database with images,,” image 9 of 46, citing NARA microfilm publication M593, accessed 7 Feb 2019.
4. Emma Weiss in the 1880 U.S. Census, WEISS, Henry & PADDOCK, Robert Families, Brighton Township, Macoupin County, Illinois, 9 Jun 1880, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1880, index and images,” image 64 of 819, citing NARA Series T9 Roll 232 Page 30, accessed 9 Oct 2014.
5. Emma Kolk in the 1900 U.S. Census, Fosterburg Township, Madison, IL, 18 Jun 1900, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1900," index and images,” image 18 of 25, citing NARA microfilm publication T623, accessed 31 May 2015.
6. Emma Kolk in the 1910 U.S. Census, Fosterburg Township, Madison County, Illinois, 18 Apr 1910, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1910," database with images,” image 3 of 24, citing NARA microfilm publication T624, accessed 5 Feb 2019.
7. Emma Kolk in the 1920 U.S. Census, KOLK, Emma household, Alton-Ward 2, Alton Township, Madison County, Illinois, 2-5 Jan 1920, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1920, database with images,” image 7 of 20, citing NARA microfilm publication T625, accessed 17 Feb 2019.
8. Obituary for Emma Jane Kolk, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 24 Sep 1926, page 1, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 15 Mar 2020.
9.  Funeral notice for Emma Jane Kolk, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 25 Sep 1926, page 1, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 15 Mar 2020.
10. Burial of Emma Jane Kolk, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 28 Sep 1926, page 2, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 20 Aug 2009.

Henry Jacob Kolk (1866-1916)

 Here is my first post from my WikiTree project!

 Henry Jacob Kolk (1866-1916)

 Henry Jacob Kolk was born in May 1866 in Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois. He was the son of Jacob Kolk and Mary Smith.

Henry married Emma Jane Kolk on April 30, 1894 in Upper Alton, Madison County, Illinois. They had two sons together, Harry Holton and William Clyde.

Henry was a farmer, as was his father. In 1900 he lived with his wife and two young sons on his father’s farm, where he worked as a farm hand. By 1910, his father had died and he owned the farm.

Henry died in the Jacksonville State Hospital in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois on July 28, 1916. His funeral service was held at the Congregational church in Godfrey. He is buried in Godfrey Cemetery in Godfrey, Illinois.

This biography was first published to WikiTree. You can find the latest version of his biography by clicking here.

Sources 

1. Henry Kolk in the 1900 U.S. Census, Fosterburg Township, Madison, IL, 18 Jun 1900, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1900," index and images,” image 18 of 25, citing NARA microfilm publication T623, accessed 31 May 2015, 
2. Marriage Record for Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss, Marriage Record, Madison County Register of Marriages, File # 3125, Madison County, Illinois, 30 Apr 1894, photocopy from microfilm, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
3. Henry Kolk in the 1870 U.S. Census, Monticello Post Office, Township 6, Range 9, Madison County, Illinois, 26 Jul 1870, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1870," index and images,” image 35 of 44, citing NARA microfilm publication M593, accessed 1 Jun 2015.
4. Henry Kolk in the 1910 U.S. Census, Fosterburg Township, Madison County, Illinois, 18 Apr 1910, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1910," database with images,” image 3 of 24, citing NARA microfilm publication T624, accessed 5 Feb 2019.
5. Henry Kolk in the 1880 U.S. Census, Fosterburg (T.6 R. 9), Madison County, Illinois, 16 Jun 1880, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1880," index and images,” image 82 of 887, citing NARA microfilm publication T9, accessed 1 Jun 2015.
6. Death Certificate for Henry Kolk, Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, File # 0028642 Roll 11, 28 Jul 1916, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, accessed 8 Jan 2004. (also available at FamilySearch.org.
7. Obituary for Henry Kolk, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 29 Jul 1916, page 2 , Newspapers.com, accessed 1 Apr 2020.
8. Funeral announcement for Henry Kolk, Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 31 Jul 1916, page 2, Newspapers.com, accessed 12 Apr 2019.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 7: Love and a Double Wedding

Valentine’s Day was this week and appropriately, the prompt this week is ‘Love’. And what can symbolize more love than a double wedding?! Today I am going to tell you about one double wedding that is part of my family history.

Paul W. Kolk and his younger brother, Albert Phillip Kolk, were sons of John J. Kolk and Emma E. Lauck. Born in Madison County, Illinois in the early 1900s, they spent most of their adult lives in Alton. Paul was a farmer, working on his father’s farm. His brother was employed by the International Shoe Company in nearby Hartford.

On July 14, 1935, they married sisters in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Carlinville, Illinois. Carlinville is in Macoupin County just north of Madison County. However, the residence in the published marriage license notification is listed as Alton for both brothers and both sisters, so I’m not sure why they traveled to Carlinville to marry. Albert listed his age as 29, and his bride, Mabel, listed her age as 27. Paul gave his age as 32 and Gladys gave hers as 28.

Albert and Mabel had one son together. They were married for 53 years before Mabel’s death in April 1988. Paul and Gladys had a marriage of 52 years for the death of Gladys in January 1987.

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 6: Surprise! He's married!

 The prompt this week is ‘Surprise’. I’m sure every genealogist has had her share of surprises along the way. I certainly have! This week I am going to tell you about one of those surprises.

Harry Holton Kolk was my grandfather’s older brother, the son of Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss. He was born in 1895 and died in 1949, having never married. I’d seen a couple of pictures of Uncle Harry when he was a child, but I knew very little about him, except that he was my father’s uncle and that he’d never married.

I continued my family history research, I was able to learn a bit more.

• Harry Holton Kolk was my grandfather’s older brother, the son of Henry J Kolk and Emma Weiss. He was born in 1895 and died in 1949, having never married. I’d seen a couple of pictures of Uncle Harry when he was a child, but I knew very little about him, except that he was my father’s uncle and that he’d never married.When he registered for the WWII draft, he was 5 foot 4 inches and weighed 135 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
• He was a laborer, working first at the glass works and later at the flour mill.

Imagine my surprise when I was searching NewspaperArchives.com one day, and came across an obituary for Mrs. Lillian Smith that say, in part:

"Mrs. Smith was married here Dec. 24, 1931. In a previous marriage she had been the wife of Harry H. Kolk and will be remembered by many friends here by that name."

 Things get a little confusing from there. My asumption was that I would find a marriage reference for Liilian Twyman and Harry Kolk, find a divorce reference, and then find a marriage reference for Lillian Kolk and Mr. Smith. Instead, I found an article in the 29 Dec 1931 Edwardsville (IL) Intelligencer listing marriage licenses issued. A license was issued to Harry H. Kolk of Alton and Lillian E. Smith of Chicago. 

 Found on Newspaperarchive.com

A notice of a divorce for Lillian E. Smith from Fred K. Smith appeard in the 25 Oct 1924 Alton (IL) Evening Telegraph. 

 Found on Newspaperarchive.com

Lillian was married to Mr. Smith BEFORE she married Harry Kolk! So I am truly confused. Did Lillian divorce Harry and then remarry; to another Mr. Smith? Or is the newspaper mistaken. She died less than five years after she married Harry.

I’ve searched before for a death record for Lillian Smith, and for Lillian Kolk, and came up empty. However, I did some creative searching this week. Let me tell you about it.

• I started by searching both Family Search and the Illinois State Archives death index for Lillian Smith in Madison County Illinois — nothing!
• I searched both sites for Lillian Kolk — nothing!
• I searched Family Search for Lillians (no last name) who died in 1936 in Madison County — BINGO! I found Lillian E. Koek who died 12 Oct 1936 in Alton, Madison County, Illinois. Her spouse is listed as Harry H. Koek. Images are available only in a Family HIstory library or affiliate. I hope to stop by tomorrow evening to download the image and check out the handwriting for myself.
• I searched the Illinois State Archives death index for Lillian Koek and came up empty. So I tried again, this tiime using the minimum two letters required and searched for Lillian KO. The index returned a listing for Lillian E. Kock. If I can’t download and image from Family Search, I will request a copy from Molly Kennedy. (If you do research in Illinois, she is a good person to know. She can retrieve death certificates for much less than the fees charged by most court houses in Illinois!) UPDATE: Molly's website is down. I don't know if she still is available for this.
  

So why did we all think that Harry never married? I don’t really know. His marriage was short-lived, less than five years, whether it ended by divorce or by the death of Lillian. They had no children together (that I know of!!!) But Harry did have four nieces and nephews who would have ranged in age from 5 to 10 years old when he married, and ages 10 to 15 when Lillian died. But they were all convinced he’d never married and passed that information along. The only explanation I can think of is that perhaps, though they may not have divorced, Harry and Lillian separated very early in the marriage, and the nieces and nephews just didn’t remember her existence. I need to explore city directories and other records to see if I can learn more about this marriage. And maybe I will find another surprise! ​​​​

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 3: Unusual Name, Permilia

 

The prompt for week 3 is ‘Unusual Name’. I’ve come across a lot of names that I’ve considered unusual when I first came across them, eg. Myrtle, Magdalena, Ester. But when I think of it, I realize that while they are a little unusual, I have come across the names in other places. But one name I’d not come across in other places is Permilia. Permilia Jane Farthing was the mother of Susie Bierman Knicker Kolk, the wife of Centralia George. (We met Centralia George last week!) Susie also has a sister named Permelia. (Susie's obituary spells her mother's name with an 'i' and her sister's name with an 'e'. Her marriage record to George shows her mother as 'Pernelia, with an 'n'.)

I’ve not researched either Permilia to any extent, and I don’t really plan to, at least until I have established that Centralia George is definitely part of my family tree. Instead, I did a little research on the name of Permilia. While at first I thought it was a bit, um…’different’….the more I learned about it, the more the name grew on me.

According to Think Baby Names, Permelia is a form of Pamela, and means ‘with sweetness’. Already, the names is sounding more pleasant to me! Nameberry states that the name may be a combination of Pearl and Amelia. While Permelia was never really a popular name—it never broke the top 1000 list— it was used relatively frequently in the late 1800s. It seems that currently a lot of names from earlier centuries are making a comeback. I wonder if Permilia will be one of those?

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 2: Challenge, Part II: Centralia George

The prompt this week is ‘Challenge’. In part I I talked about a genealogy challenge I have; to learn more about George Kolk! The earlier post lists most of what I know about George Kolk, the grandson of Jacob Kolk. Today I want to talk about George Kolk from Centralia, Illinois, who may or may not be the grandson of Jacob.

Here is some of the information I’ve found about ‘Centralia George’.

George W. Kolk registered for the WWII 27 Apr 1942. He resided in Centralia, Marion County, Illinois. He listed Mrs. Susan Kolk, of the same address, as the person who would always know his address. He stated he was born 11Jan 1889 in Alton, Illinois.

The 1930 Census shows 42 year old George W Kolk living in Cliinton County, Illinois with his wife, Susie, stepson, Paul D Knicker, and foster son, Arnold Knicker. He is listed as a WW veteran and a truck farmer, #41 on the farm schedule.

George’s obituary details many facts of his life. He was 88 years old at the time of his death in 1976. He married Susie Bierman Knicker in 1927 in Centralia. He moved to Centralia in 1952 after retiring from Illinois Central Hopspital in Chicago as an attendant, where he lived 10 years. Prior to that, he worked as a registered nurse in St. Louis area hospitals. He served in the hospital corps in France during WWI. It also tells me that George was born near Alton, the son of Henry Kolk—good news/bad news, as I’ll discuss later.

I found a marriage record that shows George married in Clinton County, Illinois 31 May 1927. He is 40 years old and was born in Alton, Illinois. His parents are shown as Henry Kolk and Emma Ricks.

Ancestry has an entry in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index for George William Kolk, born 11 Jan 1889 in Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois. Godfrey abuts Alton to the north, so this is in agreement with the obituary. His parents are shown as Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke.

All the above applies to ‘Centralia George’ but does it prove he is the grandson of Jacob Kolk?

A lot of the facts line up. Centralia George was born near Alton, Illinois and presumably, grandson George was born near his grandfather and uncles, also near Alton. So far, I have not found a Kolk in the Alton area who was not descended from Jacob. Centralia George was born in 1889. Grandson George was a minor in Dec 1900, under age 21. This means he was born after 1879 (but before 1900). His uncle William posted bond as George’s guardian in 1908, which means he wasn’t yet 21. This means George was born sometime after 1887, but before his grandfather's death in 1900, which fits the 1889 birthdate on Centralia George’s draft registration and his social security claim. The middle name on the social security document, William, could be a nod to his guardian and uncle, perhaps a favorite brother of his Kolk parent.

This all sounds good, but there is one problem, and it is a big one. Centralia George’s parents are recorded as Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke. Jacob Kolk did have a son named Henry, but he was not dead in 1900! He was born in 1867 and didn’t die until 1916! And to make things even more interesting, he did marry a woman named Emma, but her name was Emma Weiss! (I wrote about Emma for week 1 here).

Is it possible that Jacob had another son named Henry? It is possible, but it seems highly unlikely. I have seen incidents of a second child carrying the name of a previous child who had died, but as I mentioned, George’s uncle Henry was very much alive when he was born, meaning there would have to be two living sons named Henry at the time of George’s birth.

I’ve been unable to find a marriage record for Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke, however, interestingly, I did find a marriage record for Henry Rieke and Emma Kolk, married in 1893 in Montgomery County, Illinois. 

Emma was born in 1871, the daugher of John Kolk and <> Smith. Could she be the long lost Anna Kolk I mentioned in part !? Anna was 2 years old in the 1870 census, obviously born before 1871, but a small discrepency in age on a marriage record is not that unusual. Anna’s parents were Jacob Kolk and Mary Smith. It’s possible ‘John’ is a mistake and should have been ‘Jacob’. Another possibility is that Anna did indeed die before the 1880 census, and Emma was a younger sister born after 1870, She would have been only 7 when her mother died, and possilby sent to live with another family when her father was not able to care for her. That may explain why she didn’t know her parents’ names. But even with all this rationalization, this marriage occurred 3 years AFTER the 1889 birth of Centralia George.

And it still doesn’t explain why Centralia George had the last name Kolk instead of Riecke. It’s possible that after his parents died, that George was raised as a Kolk by Kolk relatives and he didn’t realize that his mother was a Kolk and his birth name was Reicke. Maybe, because he went by Kolk, he assumed his father was a Kolk and his mother a Reicke (or Rieke).

All of my reaching to make the facts fit is no proof that Centralia George and Grandson George are the same person. I am still left with the challenge of finding Grandson George. I strongly suspect that Centralia George is also Grandson George, but I have no smoking gun to prove it! I can search for military records for George, I can order the Social Security application, but if George believed his name was Kolk and his parents were Henry Kolk and Emma Reicke, that is what he would have reported and wouldn’t clear up my mystery at all! Unless I can find a birth record created while George’s parents were still living, this may be a challenge I will never solve! ​​If you have some ideas or evidence to add, it would be very much appreciated. Just leave a comment or contact me!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 2: Challenge, Part I: Grandson George

 The prompt for week 2 is ‘Challenge’. George Kolk has DEFINITELY been a challenge to me! Who is George Kolk? I only wish I could tell you.

The first time I came across the name ‘George Kolk’ was listed among the survivors in the probate file of Jacob Kolk, dated Dec 1900.

 “and George Kolk - son of a deceased child of said Jacob Kolk - (said George Kolk being a minor, under the aged of twenty one years)”

That sounds pretty straight-forward, but….  I have only found four sons for Jacob, all under age 10 in the 1870 census, and all are still living at the time of Jacob’s death in 1900. The only unaccounted for child is a daughter, Anna, who was 2 at the time of the 1870 census.

 Anna has not been seen since! By 1878, when Anna would have been approximately 10, her mother, Mary Kolk, has died. Is it possible that Anna’s father found that raising a young daughter along with four boys too difficult, and that he sent her to liive with relatives or neighbors? Could George be a child of Anna? The surname Kolk seems to imply he was the child of a dead son, but perhaps Anna gave birth to him outside of marriage?

Whoever George is the son of, in 1908 the Alton, Illinois city directory shows he is living at the same address as his guardian, his uncle William Kolk, the youngest of the sons of Jacob. In a 1908 court filing, William has posted a $1000 bond as George’s guardian. In 1913, George is defendant in a partition suit instituted by his uncles for the estate of Jacob Kolk.

I have found a George Kolk living in Centralia, Illinois who is of the right age, and there is some evidence that he is ‘my’ George, but there is other evidence that makes me wonder. But I’ll share more about this George in part II of ‘Challenge'!

To learn more about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, visit her website here.

Sources:

• 1870 U.S. Census, KOLK, Jacob Family, Monticello Post Office, Township 6, Range 9, Madison County, Illinois, 26 Jul 1870, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1870," index and images,” image 35 of 44, citing NARA microfilm publication M593, accessed 1 Jun 2015.
• KOLK, Jacob, Probate File, Madison County, Illinois, 1901, Box 79 Tray 241, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
• KOLK, George, guardian approved, “Edwardsville Intelligencer,” Edwardsville, Illinois, 29 Jan 1908, page 1, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 7 Aug 2018.
• KOLK, George et al, Probate Book PR105, Madison County Illinois Circuit Clerk , Madison County, Illinois, Declaration of Intention, page 201, 215, Jan 1908, Madison County Circuit Court, accessed 9 Jan 2019.
• KOLK, George, partition suit, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Illinois, 18 Dec 1902, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 7 Jan 2019.
• KOLK, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, McCoy Directory Co, 1908-1909, page 173, Ancestry.com, image 90 of 220, accessed 21 Sep 2015.

52 Ancestors in 2019 - Week 1: First: Bonding with Emma Weiss

It’s time for a new start to 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. For more information about the project, visit her website here.

The prompt this week is ‘FIRST’! This can be interpreted in anyway you choose; first child, first college grad, etc. I’ve chosen to write about Emma Jane Weiss, the FIRST ancestor I bonded with as I learned about her. When I started my research, I didn’t know much about Emma. I knew the name Emma Weiss as I was growing up—she was my father's grandmother. But she'd died when he was only a year old, so of course, I never knew her. As I researched her and learned about her I felt as though I came to know her and I bonded to her. I caught myself wondering what her life was like growing up in rural Illinois, what she made for dinner, and what stories she knew of her grandparents, and how she survived the cold winters. Here is some of what I’ve learned about Emma:   

Emma Jane Weiss was born 4 Dec 1864 in Brighton, Macoupin County, Illinois to Henry Weiss and Catherine Holton Weiss, possibly the last of 10 children. At least that is what her obituary states[419]; but it also gives her name as Mary Jane at one point, so there is a problem with the accuracy of the article! Also, a much younger child, Bertie, listed on the 1880 census[40] as a daughter of Catherine and Henry, but I’ve been unable to learn anything further about Bertie, so I can’t verify the accuracy of that, either!

Emma grew up on her father’s farm northwest of Brighton in Macoupin County, Illinois, where he raised livestock. On 10 April 1894 Emma married Henry Jacob Kolk in Upper Alton, Illinois[46], transitioning from farmer’s daughter to farmer’s wife. Her marriage record states that would be 27 on her next birthday, making her birth year 1868, but all census records and her death record[195] indicate that she was born in 1864. It’s possible that she misled her groom to believe she was younger; it’s possible he wasn’t sure of her age when he made the affadavit; it’s possible the informants for the census and death certificate just didn’t know her exact birth year. I’ve been unable to confirm her exact age with a birth record.
Emma and Henry had two sons together, Harry Holton and William Clyde, who were raised on their farm in Madison County, Illinois. Emma became a widow in 1916 at approximately age 51. The farm was sold shortly after and Emma and her sons moved to town, where the young men took up jobs as laborers.

Emma died ten years later on 24 Sep 1926 in Alton, Madison County, Illinois from Bright’s Disease. The funeral was officiated by the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, possibly in Alton. Emma was buried next to Henry in Godffey Cemetery, Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois.

Sources:

• 40. 1880 U.S. Census, WEISS, Henry & PADDOCK, Robert Families, Brighton Township, Macoupin County, Illinois, 9 Jun 1880, FamilySearch.org, viewed in “United States Census, 1880, index and images,” 64 of 819, citing NARA Series T9 Roll 232 Page 30, accessed 9 Oct 2014.
• 46. KOLK, Henry J - WEISS, Emma J, Marriage Record, Madison County Register of Marriages, License # 3125, Madison County, Illinois, 30 Apr 1894, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois.
• 195. KOLK, Emma Jane , Death Certificate, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 24 Sep 1926, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, Roll 219; File #0037327, accessed 8 Jan 2004.
• 419. KOLK, Emma Jane obit, “Alton Evening Telegraph,” Alton, Madison County, Illinois, 28 Sep 1926, page pg 2, NewspaperArchive.com, accessed 20 Aug 2009.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 39: On The Farm

 I’ve missed a couple of weeks, but I’m back with Week 39. I’ll catch up on the others as soon as I can.
This week the magic phrase is ‘On The Farm’. I have a lot of famers in my ancestry — a lot! So rather than choosing one, I’m going to give a quick synopsis of the farming background I have.

 I have farmer’s in virtually every branch of my ancestry. I created this color-coded chart to give me a quick visual on my farming background and where the farms were located. 

 The white backgrounds are ancestors who either weren’t farmers, or I’ve not yet determined their careers. For the most part, the female ancestors are blank. In general, their occupations have been listed as ‘housewife’, however, if they were married to a farmer and lived on a farm, I’m pretty sure it would be safe to label them as ‘farmers’, too!
More recent generations, my parents and grandparents, have chosen occupations other than farming,

My mother’s paternal ancestor’s were from Italy, indicated by purple. My maternal great-grandfather did not farm once he came to the United States, but I have no doubt that he at least helped his parents with farming while he was still in Italy! Both he and his wife grew up in a very small village in Tuscany, and their parents and grandparents were all farmers!
​
My mother’s paternal grandfather was also a farmer. He lived in central Illinois when he first came to the U.S. and may have farmed there. I’ve not found evidence of this, but I do know he owned a farm in Michigan, indicated by pink. Here is a picture of him on his farm, probably during the Great Depression.

 My dad’s side of the family were also farmers. My paternal grandfather farmed with his father as a young man, but moved on to other things as industry moved into the area. However as you move back, you can see that almost all of his ancestors were farmers, with farms very close in proximity. The red, yellow, and green all indicate farms in Fosterburg Township of Madison County, Illinois. The turquoise indicates a farm in the next county, Macoupin, that abuts to Fosterburg, so it was just a few miles away. Below is a plat map of Fosterburg Township illustrating just how closely located they were. 

 The red indicates farms owned by my dad’s paternal grandfather and his brother. The yellow and green are farms owned by his maternal ancestors. And the blue? Well that came as quite a surprise to me. It turns out that those farms were owned by farmers who are probably part of my sister-in-law’s ancestry! It just shows that you never know who you will connect with!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 32: Youngest

 Week 32 is brought to you by the word ‘YOUNGEST’! Anna Colk was the youngest child and only known daughter of Jacob and Mary Colk (later spelled Kolk). Very little is known about Anna. In fact, the only mention I’ve found of her is in the 1870 census, when she was found living with her parents and four brothers in Madison County, Illinois. Her age is stated as 2 years old at the time of the census, which was taken in July of that year. That indicates that her birth occurred 1867-1868. I’ve been able to find all four brothers in later censuses, but have been unable to locate Anna.

 

I can think of two possible reasons for my inability to find her. The first, and most obvious possibility, is that Anna may have died before the 1880 census was taken. A young child dying in the 1800s was, sadly, not an unusual occurrence. I’ve not been able to locate a death record yet, but because death records were kept only sporadically in Illinois before about 1877, it’s possible I never will.

The other possibility I’ve thought of is that she was not living with her father’s household in 1880. Anna’s mother, Mary, died in 1878, when Anna would have been only about 10 years old. It’s possilbe that with only four young boys and himself in the household, Jacob sent his daughter to live with friends or relatives when her mother died. She may be living in another household, even using a different surname. I’ll need to spend some time looking at census records to see if I can find an Anna who was about 12 years old in 1880 census that could might Anna Colk. With Anna being a relatively common name, I don’t hold out much hope for success.

Beyond that, I’m out of ideas. If you’ve got suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancestors in 2018 - Week 1: Start

The prompt for week 1 is ‘START’. This prompt made me think back to how I got started on my family history research. The truth is that I have always been interested at some level on who my ‘people’ were. I can remember hearing comments as I was growing up similar to ‘she’s a SMITH’ or ‘she married a JONES’. My grandma also had handwritten notes with her parents’ names and their parents’ names—or as much as she knew about them. There was nothing formal—no family Bible, no photos of previous generations—just Grandma’s memories and her stories.

I knew even less about my dad’s side as both of my paternal grandparents died long before I was born. I knew their names, and that Grandma was from Germany and spoke German, and Grandpa was from Holland and did not speak German and got very annoyed when Grandma spoke German! (I’ve since found out that what I ‘knew’ was wrong. Both of my paternal grandparents were actually born in the USA!) I knew the WEISS surname was somehow connected to my dad’s family, but tI didn’t know how. And I had no idea, and no hope really, to ever go back beyond be great-grandparents, so I never pursued it.

Then one day, probably about 2002, after dropping my son off for swim practice, realized that instead of driving the 30 minutes home and turning around an hour later to drive the 30 minutes back, I could drive over and hang out at the library 10 minutes away! And as it turned out, it was the branch that housed the genealogy collection! I didn’t go planning to use the genealogy collection, but I had 90 minutes to fill, so I started browsing the shelves. I found a book by Robert P Sweiringa listing all of the Dutch households in the U.S. I’m not sure of the title, but I believe it must have been "Dutch Households in U.S. Population Censuses, 1850, 1860, 1870: An Alphabetical Listing by Family Heads”. Whatever the title, I found a Jacob KOLK living in Madison County, Illinois in the 1870 census listing! I was so excited! He had four sons, and I was able to find them in later censuses, and to link them to my grandfather! From there, I was off!

I’ve learned a lot about the process of doing genealogy since I made that discovery. I know I need to source my findings; to take good notes about what I’ve found and where I’ve found it. But I didn’t know that then. I only knew that I’d found them—my ancestors! I don’t have notes about what I found, and truthfully, I probably don’t need those notes. I have copies of the actual census records. But just the same, I wish I had a copy of that page, if only to help me remember how far I’ve come. Next time I go to the library, I think I will look for the book so that I can make a copy of the page!

I still haven’t traced the family back to Holland, and in a way I’m right back where I was back in 2002—feeling there is no hope to ever tracing the family back into Holland. But I’ve traced other branches of the family, including one branch back to Italy, so I will never say never. It just takes one breakthrough. I just have to START!

To learn more about my 52 Ancestors in 2018 project, read my introductory blog post.

52 Ancetors, Week 1…..Nancy Jacqueline Schneider Siglock, New Years Baby 1945

 As mentioned in this blog post, in 2017 I am attempting to complete a 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Since I am starting this at the first of the year, it seems appropriate to start with a New Years baby! My cousin Nancy was the first-born of all my cousins and the first baby born in her home town in 1945. Happy New Year!

Nancy Siglock - July 2005
photo by KM Kolk

 

Nancy Jacqueline Schneider was born on January 1, 1945  at 2:56 a.m. in Alton, Madison County, Illinois, at St. Jospeh’s Hospital. (1049) Nancy was the daughter of Jack Robert Schneider, who at the time was stationed in Florida while serving as a Lieutenant with the U.S. Army, and his wife, Alice Marie Kolk (1049). Nancy’s birth was the first birth in the Alton area in 1945, and she had her moment of fame when she was acknowledged as the first baby of the new year.

Nancy graduated from Alton Senior High School in 1963. The caption on the photo from her high school yearbook lists the many organizations she was active with while in high school including the Future Nurses of America, the chorus, the dramatics club, the Latin club and the pep club.

After graduation, Nancy pursued her dream of becoming a nurse, training at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the same hospital in which she was born. After graduating from nursing school, Nancy had a career as a psychiatric nurse and a surgical nurse at area hospitals, and later as a home health nurse.

Nancy married her high school sweetheart in 1966 at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Alton. (639) It was a beautiful wedding and reception, and as one of the first weddings I remember attending, it left a lasting impression on me. Nancy was a lifelong Catholic; after her marriage she was a member of St. Kevin’s Catholic parish in Wood River and Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Bethalto. ​

Nancy died 12 Nov 2011 after a battle with multiple myeloma. She was survived by her husband, 3 children, 2 brothers, 4 sisters, and many friends, cousins, and grandchildren.

Sources:

• SIGLOCK, Nancy, “obituary,” The Telegraph (Alton, Illinois), viewed 14 Nov 2011.
• SCHNEIDER-SIGLOCK, “Wedding,” Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, 23 Aug 1966, pg A8, NewspaperArchive.com, 9 Apr 2015.
• The Tatler 1963 Yearbook, Alton Senior High School, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, Jim Crane, editor, The Internet Archive, Hayner Public Library Genealogy Collection, https://ia601204.us.archive.org/29/items/AltonHS_Tatler_1963/tatler1963.pdf, viewed 29 Dec 2016.
• ​SCHNEIDER, Nancy Jac, “birth,” Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, 2 Jan 1945, pg 2, NewspaperArchive.com, 29 Dec 2016.

 

The Mysteries of Jacob Colk

It looks like my earlier blog post was a little premature. Jacob Jans Colk may not be my Jacob Kolk after all. I did some searching in the Madison County, Illinois online archives and found something new. I've search the archive for Jacob more than once, but always using the spelling KOLK. However, after coming across Jacob Jans COLK this past week, I decided I should pay more attention to the spelling and did a search for COLK. I came up with an exciting find — I found the naturalization papers for Jacob COLK, who I believe is my Jacob KOLK!

The first paper I found is Jacob's Declaration of his intent to become a citizen of the United States, dated 27 Sep 1875. You can see the complete document on the Madison County Archive site, as well as Jacob's final naturalization paper, but here is a clip of the important information I found in the Declaration.

Here are the important facts I see in this document:

1. Jacob signed his surname with a 'C'; COLK
2. Jacob states he is about 51 years old; that would give us his birth as 23 Sep 1823 to 23 Sep 1824.
3. Jacob was born a subject of the Kingdom of Holland.
4. Jacob immigrated to the United State in 1849, about May, and landed in New York City.
5. Jacob has lived in Madison County, Illinois for the past twenty years, or since September 1855.

How does this compare with what I knew about Jacob before this?

1. I already knew that I can sometimes find Jacob's surname spelled with a 'C'. I didn't realize until now that this was a choice and not a mistake. Until now I'd assumed that someone had misspelled it. I wonder when Jacob decided to drop the 'C' in favor of a 'K'?
2. The 1900 census states Jacob was born Sep 1822. Both the 1870 (age 47) and 1880 (age 57) censuses give ages consistent with a birthdate between 1 Jun 1822 and 31 May 1823. There is a discrepancy of 1-2 years in the naturalization record. I don't know which is most likely to be correct, but the information on the Declaration presumably came directly from Jacob.
3. Jacob's birthplace is listed as Holland on numerous sources including the 1870 and the 1880 census, which agrees with information passed down orally through the generations. (The 1900 census gives his birthplace as Illinois, probably a mistake by the informant or the census taker.)
4. Family legend tells us that Jacob immigrated from Holland but does not tell us when he immigrated. As I've not been able to find Jacob in a US census prior to 1870, I'd assumed that he had not immigrated until the early 1860s. If Jacob gave correct information when he stated that he immigrated from Holland about May 1949, Jans Jacob Colk can not be my Jacob Kolk. (However, I've not yet ruled that out completely.)
5. Obviously, if Jacob lived in Madison County for the twenty years prior to his Declaration in 1875, he immigrated before 1855.

Other things to consider.

1. Jacob may not have been married when he immigrated. If Jacob was 51 when he filled out his Declaration in 1875, he was born in 1823-1824. This mean that when he came to the US in 1849, he would have been 25-26 years old. It would not be unusual for a man to be single at this age in the mid-1840s, meaning Jacob may not yet have been married to Mary Schmidt/Smith. This may explain why his oldest son was not born until 15 years later in 1864.
2. Another possibility is that Jacob was married at the time of his immigration, but not to Mary. His marriage to Mary may have not have been his first marriage. This would also explain why his oldest son was not born until 15 years later in 1864.
3. It is also possible that Jacob had older children, either with a first wife, or with Mary, who were not in the home at the time of the 1870 census. I know that Jacob had a grandson, George, who was the son of a deceased child of Jacob at the time of Jacob's death in 1900. I'd assumed this was his daughter Anna, who disappears after the 1870 census. The grandson used the surname 'Kolk', but I believe it was common for children to adopt the surname of families they lived with.

Things to do next.

1. Look for a marriage record for Jacob and Mary, possible in Madison County, Illinois, but not necessarily.
2. Look for census records for Jacob in 1850 and 1860; Jacob should appear in Madison County, Illinois in 1860. These may list Jacob's wife and older children.
3. Continue to seek passenger records for Jacob Kolk. I've done some preliminary searching in both the Family Search New York Passenger Lists and the Castle Garden site, but I need to look for alternate spellings.
4. Visit the library reference section to look through some of the books authored by Robert Swierenga, including Dutch households in U.S. population censuses, 1850, 1860, 1870 : an alphabetical listing by family heads, and Dutch immigrants in U.S. ship passenger manifests, 1820-1880 : an alphabetical listing by household heads and independent persons.
5. Seek information on the parents of George Kolk, grandson of Jacob. I'll do a separate post on what I know about George Kolk at another time.

Meanwhile, if you have any information on Jacob, or any ideas on how to find Jacob in the 1850 and 1860 census, or the New York Passenger Lists of 1849, PLEASE HELP! You can leave a comment, or contact me!

THANKS!

Is Jacob Jans Colk really Jacob Kolk?

I MAYBE....just maybe....found Jacob Kolk in the New York Passenger Lists! I can't be sure, but there is nothing in the record that would discourage me from believing this is him! Here is bit I found about Jacob in the New York Passengers List database on Family Search.

 Here is what I can see on the ship manifest

• Name: Jacob Jans Colk
• Event Type: Immigration
• Event Date: 1852
• Event Place: New York City, New York, United States
• Gender: Male  
• Age: 29    
• Birth Year (Estimated): 1823  
• Birthplace: Netherlands
• Ship Name: Victoria 

CITATION

"New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16946-45639-52?cc=1849782 : accessed 27 January 2016), 112 - 24 Apr 1852-11 May 1852 > image 253 of 837; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

So how does this compare to what I already know about Jacob Kolk?

Well, first of all, let's look at the surname. Today I know it is KOLK, with a 'K'. However, this is not the first time I have some across the spelling COLK, with a 'C'. The first census record I've found for Jacob list him as COLK in the 1870 census. Because he is living in the same township with the same family members as he is found in later censuses, I have no problem saying this Jacob is my Jacob KOLK. The surname spelling on the ship manifest is not an issue for me.

I can also look at the birth information. The ship manifest states Jacob is 29 years old and was born in the Netherlands. I have found numerous sources that state my Jacob Kolk was born in Holland, one census record states his birth occurred in Sep 1822. He would have been 20 years old at the time of this sailing in Apr/May 1952; he would not have turned 30 until September. So the birth information is consistent with what I know.

What information did I not have until now? One piece of new information is the full name. I have never had a middle name for Jacob. Whether or not this is my Jacob, and I now have a middle name for him is uncertain.

I also had no year of immigration. I have always assumed that Jacob Jacob came over in the early 1860s, simply because I've been unable to find him in the 1860 census, and I knew the family was in Illinois at the time of birth of his oldest son, James, in Sept 1864. I need to look a little harder for Jacob in the 1860 census, perhaps expanding my search outside of Illinois!

I also notice that there is no Mary Colk/Kolk traveling with Jacob. I have always assumed that Jacob and Mary married before the came to the United States and traveled here together. It makes a pretty picture! However, I also have always wondered how it came to be that the met, as Jacob was born in Holland and Mary was born in Bavaria! I always thought that was a remarkable coincidence. The fact that Mary does not show up on the ship manifest does not necessarily mean they did not meet and marry in Europe. It was not unusually for men to come to the US without their families and send for them later! However, I now have to rethink this. The first born child of Mary and Jacob was James, in 1864. If the Jacob on the ship manifest is indeed my Jacob Kolk, this would mean James was born 12 years after Jacob came to the United States; a long time later if Jacob and Mary were married at the time! It's possible that Mary traveled to the United States separately from Jacob, and did not meet and marry until after they were both here, possibly in the early 1860s. I also need to look for a marriage record for Mary and Joseph, as well as any ship manifest that might indicate Mary traveled here as Mary SCHMIDT!

One other interesting thing I came across is just a few lines above the listing for Jacob Jans COLK. On the same page I see Jans Jans COLK.

There is no indication that they are related or that they were traveling companions. However, there is another KOLK family in Illinois with many of the same names found in the Jacob KOLK family. They settle a little north of here in Whiteside County, IL, but I have always wondered if there is a family connection. I have another avenue to explore!

You can see the complete record here on Family Search.
If you have information to add to this or a correction to make, please leave a comment or contact me!

Thanks to Michael John Neill and his Genealogy Search Tip blog for keeping me updated on genealogy resources. If you don't follow him, you should!

What I Know About.....Jacob Kolk

Jacob Kolk was born in September 1822 according to his listing in the 1900 US Census. This census incorrectly listed him as having been born in Illinois, however his birthplace is listed as Holland in the 1870  and 1880 US Census.

Jacob was a farmer. The 1870 census shows Jacob as living in Monticello township in Madison County, Illinois, but later censuses show his residence as Fosterburg Township in Madison County. This is probably the same farm listed in various locations as the boundaries changed through time. Here is a legal description of the farm found the probate files for the Estate of Jacob Kolk.

I hope to at some point track the location to present day to learn what exists on this piece of land currently.

Jacob was married to Mary SCHMIDT/SMITH, probably before they immigrated to the US. Mary died in 1878 in Anna, Illinois. They had at least five children.

James J. (1864-1947)
John J. (1867-1948)
Henry Jacob (1867-1916)
Anna (ca 1868)
William J. (1870-1951)

I just noticed that John J. and Henry J. were both born in 1867. Were they twins or is this a mistake. I will need to go through my notes to figure that out. That's a problem for another post!

Jacob also had a grandson, George, who was a minor at the time of Jacob’s death. Probate papers indicate that George was the son of a deceased child of Jacob. Clearly that could not have been James, John, Henry, or William. Was there another son, or was George possibly the son of Anna? I have quite a bit of information about George, which I will post another time, but nothing that tells me who his parents were. I need more research, here, too.

Jacob died in Madison County on or about 5 Dec 1900 and is buried in Godfrey Cemetery, Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois. You can view the family group sheet for this family here.

UPDATES:
 27 Jan 2016:  Is Jacob Jans Colk really Jacob Kolk?
 31 Jan 2016:  The Mysteries of Jacob Colk

Sources                        

• “1900 U.S. Census,” KOLK, Jacob Family, Fosterburg Township, Madison, IL, 18 Jun 1900, FamilySearch.org, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12390-269681-26?cc=1325221, 31 May 2015.
• “1880 U.S. Census,” KOLK, Jacob & FREDRICKS, Tho Families, Fosterburg (T.6 R. 9), Madison County, Illinois, 16 Jun 1880, FamilySearch.org, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11131-119568-8?cc=1417683, 1 Jun 2015.
• “1870 U.S. Census,” KOLK, Jacob Family, Monticello Post Office, Township 6, Range 9, Madison County, Illinois, 26 Jul 1870, FamilySearch.org, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12873-283316-48?cc=1438024, 1 Jun 2015.
• KOLK, Mary, “Death Record,” 10 Nov 1878, Union County Register of Deaths, pg 134, Union County, Illinois, File #195, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois, 28 Mar 2007.
• KOLK, Jacob, “Probate File,” Madison County, Illinois, Box 79 Tray 241, 1901, IRAD, Carbondale, Illinois, 2004.