Barbara Oyer

Notes:

Birth:
Gravestone reads 24 Aug 1825

Buried:
Evangelical Mennonite Cemetery

Barbara married Benjamin Rediger on 28 Mar 1842 in Woodford Co., IL. Benjamin (son of Benjamin Reidiger and Barbara Geisert) was born on 18 Feb 1818; died on 27 Mar 1906 in Washington Twp., Tazewell Co., IL; was buried on 30 Mar 1906 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Joseph Rediger was born on 9 Jan 1844; died on 23 Jan 1875 in IL; was buried in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller at Hemersbergerhof near Landau (compagnon meunier)/Farmer in America
• Residence: Abt 1807-1830, Niderhoff, Moselle, FR
• Immigration: 12 Dec 1830, New Orleans, LA
• Residence: 1831, Butler Co., OH
• PURC: 20 Aug 1838, Tazewell Co., IL
• Census: 1860, Groveland Twp., Tazewell Co., IL

Notes:

Joseph lived near Turquestein, in the village of Niderhoff, where he was the community's miller. Joseph was married first to Catherine Schrag. Joseph Oyer and family and his brother Jacob Oyer and family and their 85-year-old father, Johannes Oyer, along with others came to America in 1830. He made the voyage with his wife and twelve children: Magdalena, Catherine, Anna, Joseph, John, Peter, Christian, Mary, Elisabeth/Barbara, Andrew, Elise/Elisabeth, David. Eight of these children were born to Joseph's first wife, Catherine. They sailed from the port of LeHavre, France, and after a 53-day trip across the ocean landed at the port of New Orleans in November. After living a while in Butler County, Ohio, the Joseph Oyer family moved to Tazewell County, Illinois.

Birth:
Hermersbergerhof, near Landau. Calculated date from marriage document. (30 years at the time)

Residence:
Miller at Niderhoff

Immigration:
Ship Superior

Residence:
In 1838 To IL

PURC:
From Peter Ringenberg, brother-in-law

Census:
Listed as a Farmer, age 42, with wife Ann, age 33, both born in France, and children all born in Illinois:
Joseph age 15; Catharine 14; Ann 12; Peter 10; John 8; Christian 6; Madaline 4; Mary 1; and Catharine Shrock age 64, widow born in France.

Buried:
In a plot at the edge of the property line of his brother Jacob’s farm.

Joseph, married Magdalena Litwiller on 20 Nov 1823 in Niderhoff, Moselle, FR. Magdalena (daughter of Johannes Litwiller and Francoise (Veronica) Zehr (Serre)) was born on 30 Mar 1801 in Kerprich-Aux-Bois, Moselle, FR; died in 1861/2 in Livingston Co., IL; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1859, Gridley Twp., McLean Co., IL

Notes:

Of Repaix.

Married Joseph Oyer when 24 years old. Both of her parents had died by 1822 (French civil records, Niderhoff, Moselle). Peter Litwiller, Magdalena's younger brother, also accompanied her to America on the Superior. We can speculate that he, as a young orphan at the time of his parents' death, may have lived with Joseph and Magdalena at Niderhoff. He was later known as a miller in the US, and it seems reasonable that he would have learned this trade from his brother-in-law, Joseph Oyer.

Birth:
Another date given is 2 Apr 1801

Residence:
Gridley Prairie - Lived with her daughter and son-in-law until her death.

Died:
1862 according to Don Roth

Buried:
Rediger burial plot 1/2 mi. east of Salem Church

Notes:

Married:
Joseph’s brother Jacob was a witness to the marriage.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Laborer, In 1798
• Occupation: Miller/Farmer, 1807-1830
• Religion: Amish
• Residence: 1795, Grostenquin, Linstroff, Moselle, Lorraine, FR
• Residence: 1817, Niderhoff, Moselle, FR
• Immigration: Oct 1830, New Orleans, LA

Notes:

Also known as “Hans Oyer der Junge.”

"Mennonite" at Hermersbergerhof, Palatinate, Germany, in 1776 and 1777. At Hingsange near Morhange, Moselle, FR, in 1796. At Turquestein, Moselle, FR, 1829-1830.

Hermersbergerhof was originally a farm belonging to Eusserthal, a Cistercian monastery. Then it became part of the Duchey of Zweibrücken. In 1774 the Dukes leased it to a Mennonite named Michel Albrecht, and by 1776 both Johannes’s worked there for leaseholder Albrecht.



In marriage record of Joseph to Katherina Schrag, Johannes is called a “laborer.”

Between 1807 and 1830, the family operated a mill at Niederhof (Niderhoff). They were probably a part of the Repaix congregation.

According to research by Gordon Oyer in 1999, “The village of Niderhoff is where the extended Oyer family that emigrated to Butler County Ohio, in 1830 was formed. Local records include sixteen Oyer births, six deaths, and one marriage. Since the two brothers, Joseph and Jacob, are listed as millers at Niderhoff in many of these records, their place of residence can be pinpointed. The community actually has three nineteenth-centuy mills, however, so the task was not as easy as it seemed. One, le Moulin des Caillaux” was not built until the 1820s, so it could be ruled out. Another, named ‘Neuve Grange’ is situated in the nearby countryside; and the third is on the edge of the village. The fact that records consistently refer to the brother as millers at Niderhoff--never at Neuve Grange--coupled with the recent discovery of one of the Oyer mill lease contracts, establishes the village mill as the Oyer residence.”

Proprietors at Niderhoff at the time of son Johannes’ and Catherine’s marriage in 1817.

The family departed LeHavre 12 Oct 1830 on the ship SUPERIOR; landed New Orleans 4 Dec 1830 (53 days). Amish passengers arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, 25 Dec 1830.

Residence:
also, abt 1789-1793?

Residence:
Proprietors at Niderhoff at the time of son Johannes’ and Catherine’s marriage in 1817.

Immigration:
Ship Superior, arriving 4 Dec.

Johannes + Jakobine Regle’ (Ruschli, Roeschly). Jakobine was born about 1750 in Scheppach, Haut-Rhin, FR; died on 20 Mar 1820 in Niderhoff, Moselle, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Upper Rhine according to her death record.

Birth:
Imbrehof

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Residence: 1819, Repaix, Moselle, FR

Notes:

No doubt part of the Hochburg congregation on the Hochburg estate in Baden-Durlach, Germany before 1800.

Buried:
Repaix Cemetery, (Association Francaise d’Histoir)

Johannes + Francoise (Veronica) Zehr (Serre). Francoise (daughter of Christian Zehr and Veronique (Frenni) Elisabeth Martin) was born in 1766 in Diane-Capelle, Moselle, FR; died on 9 Aug 1819 in Repaix, Moselle, FR; was buried in Repaix, Moselle, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller

Notes:

Probably the son “Hans Jakob Eyer” listed as son of Benedict “Benz” Eyer.,
Also known as “Hans Oyer der Alte.”

Referred to as "Mennonite" at Hermersbergerhof, Palatine, Germany in 1776 and 1777.

In 1776, both Johannes Oyers are listed among subjects of the Duchy of Zweibrücken and were living at Hermersbergerhof. In both 1793 and 1796 records, Johannes was listed as a day worker/miller at Hingsange in Lorraine (Linstroff community, half way between Saarbrucken and Nancy). The Amish congregation there was named "Morhange" after a nearby town and it originated in the 1720s, when Anabaptists first appeared here.
See IMH Sept 1989, p. 19, for a photo and description of Hingsange.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Domevre-sur-Vezouse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, FR

Notes:

Residence:
At the time of marriage to Elisabeth

Christian + Veronique (Frenni) Elisabeth Martin. Veronique was born in 1765; died on 4 Apr 1806 in Nitting, Moselle, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
NASL says 1729/30

Died:
(57)