Johannes Kinsinger

Notes:

The oldest child of Christian Kinsinger was Johannes Kinsinger, who came to be known as John Kinsinger in America. He was born on October 21,1815 in Contwig, Germany. He was considered to be a very bright young man. At the age of 19 years, he determined that his future lay in coming to America and he traveled with a small group of Mennonite immigrants by ship from the Netherlands to New York, and on through Pennsylvania to Butler County, Ohio , a center of Amish and Mennonite life in the Midwest. John (Jean) Kinsinger (19) is listed on page 1 of the Passenger List of the ship "Sully" which arrived in New York from Le Havre on November 5, 1834. 

In Ohio, he was a hired laborer on Amish and Mennonite farms. In a few short years, the frugal John had saved enough money to operate his own farm. He continued the family tradition of leasing land. In 1836, he met another recently-arrived Mennonite immigrant, Barbara Smith and they were married in 1837. 

In 1840, the family (as John Kensinger) was living in St. Clair Township, Butler County, Ohio and consisted of 1 male and 1 female (John and Barbara) age 20-30 years, and 1 male and 1 female under 5 years (John Jr. and Magdalena). St. Clair Township in Butler County is in the far southwestern corner of Ohio surrounding the village of Overpeck.
1840 US Census, Ohio, Butler Co., St. Clair Township, Sheet #4.

In 1850, the family was living in Fairfield Township, Butler County, Ohio and consisted of John (34), Barbara (34), Malinda (12), Barbara (10), Jacob (8), John (6), Anna (4), and Elizabeth (3 months) along with two laborers: John Reddigel (Rediger) and Wendel Greaser. It is unclear whether the family moved slightly south, or whether the township line moved north.

They had seven children when Barbara died in 1860. Shortly after Barbara's funeral, the devastated widower loaded his children into a wagon and left for Illinois, stopping near Groveland in Tazewell, County. He knew some of the residents of Groveland (Christian Bechler) who had lived in Butler County before coming to Illinois and was able to lease some farmland almost immediately. 

One of those Groveland families was the Christian Wagler family. John knew Christian and his wife Catherine Ulrich Wagler and their children well. The Wagler's and John had all came to America around the same time and had been members of the same congregation in Ohio. Even so, it was a surprise to many when the 41 year-old widower with seven children married the 21 year-old daughter of Christian and Catherine Wagler, Barbara Wagler, in 1861.

John and Barbara Wagler Kinsinger had eight children. John became a highly successful farmer in Tazewell County. In addition to raising a total of 15 children, the couple opened their home to several orphans. John was gregarious, articulate, and well-informed. He was very interested in politics and business. He also taught himself to read and write English. That made him an important man in the largely German-speaking Mennonite community. He often served as a translator or go-between for transactions between the German-speaking Amish and Mennonites, and the English-speaking locals. For this reason, he was frequently called to court. It is said that he provided this service free of charge and earned much good will among his brethren. 

John Kinsinger died in October, 1900 at the age of 85. Barbara Kinsinger died two years later. Both are buried in the Landes Cemetery, one mile southeast of Groveland. Of the 15 children of John Kinsinger, almost all grew to be successful. They spread from Pennsylvania to Wyoming and John Kinsinger's descendents are now present in every state of the Union. (Copied from FindAGrave website)

Birth:
Heckenaschbacherhof

Buried:
Landes Mennonite Cemetery, Plot #4 on cemetery map dated 8/12/2013

Johannes married Barbara P. Smith in 1834 in Butler Co., OH. Barbara was born in 1817 in Schwartzwold, Black Forest, GR; died in 1851 in Butler Co., OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John Kinsinger was born about 1842 in Butler Co., OH; died before 1850.
2. Magdalena Kinsinger was born on 19 Feb 1840 in Hamilton, Butler Co., OH; died on 26 Jul 1931 in Big Horn, Sheridan Co., WY; was buried in Big Horn, Sheridan Co., WY.
3. Barbara Kinsinger was born about 1841 in Butler Co., OH; died in May 1921 in Butler Co., OH.
4. Jacob Kinsinger was born about 1842 in Butler Co., OH; died in 1900.
5. John Kinsinger
6. Anna Kinsinger
7. Elizabeth Kinsinger was born on 3 May 1852 in Butler Co., OH; died on 18 Nov 1913 in Bloomington, McLean Co., IL.

Johannes married Barbara Wagler on 10 Mar 1861 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL. Barbara (daughter of Christian H. (Jacob) Wagler and Katharina Ulrich) was born on 19 Feb 1837 in Butler Co., OH; died on 9 Oct 1902 in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL; was buried in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Katharina Kinsinger was born on 27 Dec 1862 in Elm Grove Twp., Tazewell Co., IL; died on 7 Oct 1903 in Deer Creek Twp., Tazewell Co., IL.
2. Jacobine (Phoebe) Kinsinger was born on 11 Jan 1864 in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 20 Jul 1953 in Chicago, Cook Co., IL; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL.
3. Fannie Kinsinger was born on 16 Oct 1866 in Pekin, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 19 Jun 1927 in Union Twp., Benton Co., IN; was buried in Goodland, Newton Co., IN.
4. Sarah Kinsinger was born on 11 Feb 1870 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 21 Jun 1891 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; was buried in Groveland Twp., Tazewell Co., IL.
5. Samuel Kinsinger was born on 28 Jul 1873 in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 20 Apr 1924 in Morton, Tazewell Co., IL.
6. Jonnie Kinsinger was born on 23 Mar 1875 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 26 Jan 1880 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; was buried in Morton, Tazewell Co., IL.
7. William Daniel Kinsinger was born on 21 Apr 1876 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 20 Jul 1936 in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL.
8. Carrie Kinsinger was born on 3 Jun 1880 in Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 1 Aug 1945 in Mineral, Bureau Co., IL; was buried in IL.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• Immigration: Bef 1850

Notes:

Lived at Heckenaschbacherhof until 1840, then on the Faunerhof near Pirmasens. Emigrated to the US prior to 1850.

Christian married Magdeleine Schrag on 1 Nov 1814 in Contwig, Zweibrücken, GR. Magdeleine (daughter of Johannes Schrag and Christiane Esch) was born on 8 Apr 1798 in Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR; died on 9 May 1824 in Contwig, Zweibrücken, GR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Heckenaschbacherhof

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer

Notes:

Married Veronica Imhoff. Second to Marie Grub.

Johannes married Veronica Imhof about 1789 in GR. Veronica died on 31 May 1806 in Weisenheim-am-Berg, Palatinate, GR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From the Ernstweilerhof.

From 1797 was leaseholder on the Heckenaschbacherhof, Palatinate. With him at this place was his father-in-law Christian Esch of the Fleckensteinerhof, who died there in 1809 at the age of 81.


"It is likely that his great-grandfather Caspar Schrag had already emigrated after 1700 from Switzerland...."
Five children: Johannes b. 1786; Barbara, b. 1790; Christiane, b. 1794; Christian, b. 1797; Magdalena, b.1798.

Birth:
Gersbergerhof

Died:
Heckenaschbacherhof

Johannes + Christiane Esch. Christiane (daughter of Christian Esch and Magdalena Hauter) was born in 1759. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Johannes married Marie Magdalena Schwarzentruber about 1764. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1759, Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR
• Residence: 1776, Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR
• Residence: 1804, Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR
• Residence: 1812, Ingolstadt, Bavaria, GR

Notes:

Of Ernstweilerhof.

"Documented in 1759 and in 1776 on the Gersbergerhof. In 1804 at the home of his son Jakob Schrag on the Kaplaneihof near Zweibrücken. Went with him to Bavaria in 1812 and died in Ingolstadt."

Birth:
Ernstweilerhof

Residence:
Gersbergerhof

Residence:
Gersbergerhof

Residence:
Kaplaneihof, home of son Jakob

Residence:
Moved with son

Died:
Gradhoff?

Ulrich married Maria StalterZweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR. Maria (daughter of Johannes Stalter and Maria Weiss) was born on 25 Dec 1739 in Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, GR; died on 25 Dec 1837 in Bavaria, GR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish Mennonite

Notes:

Birth:
Offweilerhof

Notes:

Married:
Ernstweilerhof

Christian + Magdalena Hauter. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Of the Fleckensteinerhof.