Christian Schrock

Notes:

He fathered 17 children, who lived mostly in California.

Birth:
Date from Willard Smith, place from Don Roth.

Joseph married Mary Risser on 5 Dec 1861 in Woodford Co., IL. Mary was born in Feb 1840 in FR; died between 1920-1930 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• USR1: Cholera
• Residence: 1828, Dompcevrin, Meuse, FR
• Immigration: 1830
• Residence: Abt 1835-1840, Butler Co., OH
• Census: 1850, Washington Twp., Tazewell Co., IL

Notes:

Andrew was in America by 1835 when his first child was born, but even though various descendants give his immigration date as either 1830 or 1831, Andrew’s name is not on the Baltimore ship list as traveling with his brothers Johannes and Peter in 1831.

“Andrew and Anna lived about four miles west of Washington (Section 18?), Tazewell Co., IL. They had to drive or walk approximately ten miles to take a ferry to get to Peoria. He started to build a large brick home, but passed away before it was finished. Children Andrew and Mary, who were young, carried all the brick for this home, which is still standing with little repair.

“One night Andrew, Sr. stayed with a neighbor who had cholera. The same night he became sick with cholera and died before morning, leaving a family of small children, the oldest sixteen, the youngest was born after his death. One of the children in later years finished the large brick home, using the original plans, half of the second story was planned to be used for church services.

“The Schick farm joined the Schrock farm and near these farms lies an old cemetery where the Andrew Schrocks and Joseph Schicks are believed to be buried.”


The guardianship bond (for $10,00) for Andrew’s children, dated 10 Aug 1857, reads as follows:
Know all Men by these Presents, That we Anna Schrock, Peter Guth, Johannes Schrock and Joseph Schrock...for the use of Anna Schrock, Andrew Schrock, Mary Schrock, Peter Schrock and Madaline Schrock, minor heirs of Andrew Schrock, late of said County, deceased....

Document contains signatures of Peter Guth and Johannes Schrag (Anna’s brothers-in-law), Joseph Schrock, her nephew; and the mark of Anna Oyer Schrock.

Birth:
Probably at the mill in Gondrexange. NASL: Messidor XII or July 3, 1804. Witness to Andrew’s birth record: Antoine Bouquely 36 years old, maçon (stone mason); second witness Hubert Barthelemy 40 years old, both living in Gondrexange.

Translation of birth document by Neil Ann Levine: (confirmed 18 Apr 2011):

Mayor's office in Gondrexange, arrondissement of Sarrebourg, 14 Messidor XII of the French Republic [July 3, 1804], birth certificate of André Schrack, born the same day, about 8 a.m., son of Joseph Schrack, miller, and Marie Neyehouser, living at the said Gondrexange. The sex of the infant has been recognized to be male. The baby has been presented to me by the witnesses, Antoine Honquet [spelling taken from the man's signature], 36, mason, and Hubert Barthelemy, 40, school teacher, both living in the said Gondrexange. And following the declaration made to me by Joseph Schrack, father of the child, they have signed [the document]. Prepared according to law by me, Joseph Thiébeau, mayor of the community (commune) of Gondrexange, serving as public official for recording vital statistics of citizens (l'état civil).

Residence:
Was witness there to birth of brother Peter’s son Peter.

Immigration:
according to F. S. Unzicker letter to H. H. Schrock

Residence:
The first four children were born in Ohio, but the fifth was born in 1843 in Illinois.

Census:
#203 Andrew Schrock, age 45, born Germany, farmer, $2000
Ann, age 35, b. Germany; Joseph 15, b. OH; Susan 13, b.OH; Anna 10, b. OH; Andrew 7, b. IL; Mary 5, b. IL; Peter 1, b. IL.

Buried:
Guth Cemetery (located along the road in Sunnyland Plaza) Sunnyland, 8 Bridgate St, on Route 8. Guth Cemetery
http://graveyards.com/graveyard/?id=3497
http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/tazewell/zGuth.html
(See Mennonite Heritage December 1976 for list of interments)

André married Anna Oyer in 1830 in Turquestein, Meurthe, FR. Anna (daughter of Jacob Oyer and Suzanne Shertz) was born on 31 Aug 1815 in Niderhoff, Moselle, FR; died after 1877. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Immigration: 12 Oct 1830, New Orleans, LA
• Residence: 1837, OH
• Residence: Between 1837-1842, Washington Twp., Tazewell Co., IL
• Census: 18 Jun 1860, Washington Twp., Tazewell Co., IL

Notes:

Magdalena was born after André’s death.

Immigration:
Ship Superior arrived 4 Dec 1830 (53 days). Amish passengers arrived in Cincinnati, OH 25 Dec 1830.

Residence:
There when Susannah was born

Residence:
Was Anna born in Ohio or Illinois? 1850 census says OH, 1860 census says Illinois

Census:
P. 61-Listed as Head of Household, 45 years old, Farmer with real and personal property. Born in France. Children listed as Susan 23 B. OH; Ann 20, b. IL; Andrew 17 b. IL; Mary 13 b. IL; Peter 11, b. IL; Magdaline 4 b. IL

Died:
Named Grantor on a land deed in this year.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller In Gondrexange and Imling, And At Rhodes (Bachat) At The Time Of Death
• Occupation: Unskilled Laborer In 1827 At Time Of Peter’s Marriage
• Religion: Amish
• Residence: 1797, Rhodes, Moselle, FR
• Residence: 1799-1807, Gondrexange, Moselle, FR
• Residence: 1811, Imling, Moselle, FR
• Residence: 1822, Rhodes, Moselle, FR
• Residence: 1826, Rhodes, Moselle, FR

Notes:

At the time of Joseph’s brother Jean’s marriage in 1797, he was living at Moulin Les Bachats near Rhodes. Bachats is attached to Rhodes, 9 km north of Gondrexange. There is a walled Anabaptist cemetery at the edge of town, bordering a cow pasture, where Pelsy, Esch, Abresol families, and more, are buried.

The 'ferme des Les Bachats' at Rhodes is still operational and maintains an inn. It is located on a peninsula in L'Étang de Stock (Stock Pond). A bachat is a feeding trough for cattle, indicating that it may have once been a dairy farm.

Joseph married his first wife, Marie Engel at Alzing farm near Gosselming in 1798. Very soon after they were living at Gondrexange, for their first and only child (Joseph, who lived only 5 years) was born there. Marie died there, possibly as a result of child birth complications. A second time Joseph went to Alzing to marry his second wife, Marie Neuhauser, but returned to Gondrexange to live and work. Their first three sons and one daughter (Anne, who evidently died as an infant) were born between 1801 and 1806.

Joseph and his wives could have lived at Domaine Ketzing for a time, a nobleman’s possession, who hired workers to farm and run the mill, blacksmith workers, brick kilns, etc., but this isn’t documented. Living quarters were provided in the woods some distance from the main chateaus. Today one can find a few foundation stones of buildings, and the remains of a well that served the workers. (2012) There was no persecution of Anabaptists during this time at Ketzing, as the Duke of Lorraine protected them. Today Ketzing is owned by an insurance company: a newer building is used for training seminars. The domaine is part of the forestry department and the chateaus provide lodging for hunters.

But more than likely the family lived at the mill in Gondrexange, since Joseph was the miller there for a number of years from about 1800 to 1811.

By 1811 the family had moved to Imling near Saarebourg. They lived at one of the three mills along the Saare River, Remeling, when their first daughter was born. The other two mills were Rimling, and Rot (Roth) (also called Rotmuhle). All three mills were situated side by side along the banks of the Saare. Eleven years later Joseph and Marie were back at Bachats, and were there in 1826. No doubt they lived there continuously until Joseph’s death in 1830. Marie was still living in 1826, but what happened to her after that is still unknown.

“Joseph Schrack, 33, miller, ...witnessed the civil birth record of Johannes Gascho, Born on 8 Jan, 1806, son of Joseph Gascho, lease-manager of the agricultural property called Canardiere in Gondrexange, and Katharina Swalter.”

“Gondrexange had two mills, one was sacred for the construction of the Marne-Rhine canal. It is logical that in a given period an Anabaptist was a miller. Joseph Schrag from Bellegarde, commune of Bistroff, had the mill turned from about 1800 to 1807. He was married to Marie Neuhauser who gave him several children in Gondrexange. Did he then go to Rhodes where he died in 1830?

“His sister Catherine, born in Oderfang, Saint-Avold, married the mill boy Joseph Oyer in 1804 and went to Niderhoff's mill. Joseph Schrag was probably replaced or was he in competition with André Schertz enumerated in 1809 as head of the family. He was the son of Christian Schertz and Elisabeth Reitiger. The only act that reveals his presence is his testimony at the death of his father at the age of 55 years.”

Birth:
Belgrade farm. Commune of Grostenquin. Belgerade (Bellegarde) farm was built around 1818 according to Jean-Claude Koffel.

Residence:
Living at Moulin les Bachats at time of brother Jean’s marriage.

Residence:
At the mill in Gondrexange where four children were born.

Residence:
Lived at the mill Remeling near Imling at the birth of Magdelaine in 1811, was still there in 1813 according to source 1056.

Residence:
Living at the mill at Bachats at time of Johannes and Catherine’s marriage

Died:
“On Apr. 5, 1830, Joseph Serack, 58, miller, a native of the farm called Belgrade [canton of Bistroff], Moselle, husband of Maria Neuhauser, died in Rhodes. The death was reported by son Peter Serack, 27, miller at Dompcevrin, Meuse.”
(Translation by NASL)


Buried:
Most probably in a burying ground on the farm/mill Bachats.

Joseph married Maria Neuhauser about 1800 in Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR. Maria (daughter of Nicolas Christian Neuhauser and Catherine Marie Ritzieker (Regsecker) (Lithzieker)) was born about 1772-1773 in Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR; died after 1826. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Anabaptist

Notes:

Alzing was already mentioned in 1525 as being a farm of the seigniory of Sarreck. In 1556, she was a possession of the counts of Lutzelbourg, then of the count de Custine. Alzing seems to have been in ancient times an important locality. The heart of Alzing remained an Anabaptist community.

Marie is almost certainly part of the Neuhauser family which lived in Gosselming and was well known to Schrag and Engel families--a sister to Jean Neuhauser, who was a witness to Joseph’s marriage to Marie Engel, since Marie’s mother had secondly married Jean’s father, Nicholas Neuhauser.

Her death is still a mystery. There is a Mary Gerrard listed along with Anna and Madeline Gerrard on the ship Baltimore, on which the family sailed to America in 1831. Her age is given as 52, and that fits fairly well with her probable birth date. However, except for a notation by son Peter in his Bible saying his mother died 27 January 1839, there has been no other data found about when (or where) she died, and no mention of her by any family members in America, or researchers finding evidence of her presence in America.

Gosselming (part of Meurthe before 1870 had 795 people in 1836, 542 in 2001) is situated at the extremity of a forest named Selvald, on the left bank of the Saar River, 6 km south of Fenetrange, 9 km from Sarrebourg, and 72 km from Nancy. The farm Alzing is 5 km west of Gosselming.

Birth:
Birth year calculated from son Johannes’ marriage document--she was 53 at the time. No doubt born at Alzing farm.

In a letter dated Aug 16, 1953, Homer Schrock (Ohio) writes to a cousin:
In going thru some of my great grandfather’s papers today (Peter, Sr.) in his Bible it said My mother died 27 January 1839 maiden name Bropfin and was born in Mariabirch. So far I haven’t found his father’s name.


Died:
She was present at Johannes and Catherine’s marriage in 1826.
In a letter dated Aug 16, 1953, Homer Schrock (Ohio) writes to a cousin:
“In going thru some of my great grandfather’s papers today (Peter, Sr.) in his Bible it said My mother died 27 January 1839 maiden name Bropfin [?] and was born in Mariabirch [Merlebach].”

Notes:

Married:
Alzing?

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller at Hermersbergerhof farm near Landau
• Residence: Abt 1815, Turquestein, Meurthe, FR
• Immigration: 1830

Notes:

On the journey to America Jacob and his second wife were accompanied by Susanne and Anna, two daughters born to Jacob in his earlier marriage to Susanne Schertz. A son, Joseph, was born to Jacob and Elisabeth at sea, ten days before they disembarked in New Orleans. Jacob had married Elisabeth in February of 1830, only a few months before their departure. The aged Johannes lived with Jacob and Elisabeth in the community of Turquestein immediately before they emigrated. Jacob had a total of 10 children.

Peter Guth (Good) was administrator of Jacob’s estate.

Birth:
Hermersbergerhof, near Landau.

Buried:
Family plot on his farm

Jacob married Suzanne Shertz about 1807. Suzanne was born about 1780; died on 2 Jul 1829 in Turquestein, Meurthe, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]