Christian Oesch

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Immigration: 6 Oct 1848, New York, New York
• Census: 1870, Elm Grove Twp., Tazewell Co., IL

Notes:

Obit: Gospel Herald, November 1908:
"Christian Oesch was born in Germany, Dec. 19, 1818; died Oct. 12, 1908; aged 89 y. 9 m. 24 d. He was married twice, first to Magdalena Zehr; to this union were born 3 children; then to Mary Ebersole; to this union were born 10 children. He leaves to mourn his departure, three daughters [Magdalena, Maria, and Leah], 1 brother, 36 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted by Andrew Schrock; text, I Cor. 15: 21,22, and Samuel Gerber, text, Phil. 1:21."

Census:
The family appears on the 1870 census of Elm Grove as farmer Christian Oesch, 43, Bavaria; Mary, 30, France; Madelaine, 18; Christian, 16; John, 14; Catharine, 11; Joseph, 7; Barbara, 3; and Mary, 1 (all children born in Illinois). Presumably the older children Madelaine, Christian, and John were born to Christian's first wife Magdalena Zehr.

Buried:
Pleasant Grove Mennonite Cemetery

Christian married Magdalena Zehr on 17 Jun 1851 in Tazewell Co., IL. Magdalena (daughter of Johannes Zehr and Madeleine Stepp) was born on 5 Oct 1825 in Lembach, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 29 Apr 1864; was buried in Elm Grove Twp., Tazewell Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Magdalena Oesch was born on 7 Oct 1852 in Dillon Twp., Tazewell Co., IL; died on 31 Dec 1939; was buried in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL.
2. John Oesch was born about 1856; died after 1870.
3. Christian Oesch was born on 30 May 1854 in Pekin, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 15 Jan 1890 in Dillon Twp., Tazewell Co., IL; was buried in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL.

Christian married Maria (Mary) Abresol (Abersoll) (Ebersol) on 8 May 1860 in Woodford Co., IL. Maria was born on 17 Nov 1839 in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, FR; died on 29 Apr 1884 in IL; was buried in Tazewell Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Catharine (Katie) Oesch was born on 15 Mar 1861; died on 26 Mar 1886.
2. Joseph Oesch was born on 21 Oct 1863; died on 18 Feb 1886; was buried in Elm Grove Twp., Tazewell Co., IL.
3. Daniel Oesch was born on 7 Oct 1864.
4. Barbara Oesch was born on 2 Aug 1867; died in 1907.
5. Maria Oesch was born on 16 Jul 1869 in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 21 Dec 1928 in Foosland, Champaign Co., IL; was buried on 24 Dec 1928 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.
6. Leah Oesch was born on 12 Feb 1871; died on 14 Mar 1947.
7. Benia Oesch was born on 16 Jul 1873 in IL; died on 19 Apr 1901; was buried in Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL.
8. Aaron Oesch was born on 16 Feb 1876; died on 7 Jun 1894; was buried in Pekin, Tazewell Co., IL.

Other Events and Attributes:

• CLER: Y
• Occupation: Became a “minister of the book” in 1835-36.
• Religion: Mennonite

Notes:

Andreas has not been found in America, and was not mentioned as a bequeathed heir in his father’s 1869 probate will.

Birth:
Sarre-Buckenheim

Andréas + Katharina Augsburger. Katharina (daughter of Noah (Noe) (II) Augsburger and Anna Muller) was born on 1 Apr 1793 in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 15 Oct 1850 in Hanfeld, Bavaria, GR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Canardiere estae Neuhof, Wissembourg

Notes:

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Religion: Mennonite
• Immigration: Abt 1803, Hanfeld, Bavaria, GR
• Residence: 1803, Hanfeld, Bavaria, GR

Notes:

Oesch Swiss roots begin in Oberlangenegg, a district far in the valley beyond Schwarzenegg. Here lived Taufer named Oesch. The Steffisburg, Switzerland records speak of Uli Osch, "The exiled disobedient Anabaptist," whose son Christian was baptized in 1684. It is easy to conclude that the family had to flee to the hills. This family later moved on to Alsace and the Palatinate and produced a large progeny of Amish Mennonites.

It was in connection with the resettlement of Amish tenants from the Alsace and the Palatinate to Bavaria, encouraged by the Elector Max (the later King Max I. Joseph of Bavaria) that Christian Oesch (1755) and his wife, Katharina Burki, and seven children immigrated to Hanfeld near Starnberg about 1803.

Christian and his family came from Saarbuckenheim (Sarre-Union in French) in the "crooked Alsace" and was born on the Waderhof (beo Diemeringen in Unterelsass, 1803 nach Hanfeld) near Lorenzen about 1755. At Hanfeld, Christian owned the "zum Streicher" estate in this purely-Catholic village south of Munich. The native population was not friendly to these new Mennonite settlers.

They refused to permit any Mennonite burials in their cemetery and forced the Mennonites to bury their dead in a meadow instead. The local Catholic priest even insisted upon the Mennonites paying him for his usual fee when someone died. Christian, as well as his son, Andréas, refused to make the payment after Christian's wife, Katharina's, death. As a result, the priest informed the government and was told that he could sue for the fee at court. The Munich State Archives reports that apparently no action was taken. The old Mennonite cemetery at Hanfeld no longer exists today.

Birth:
Waderhof

Immigration:
Court Starnberg, with seven children. Besitzer des Streicherhofes

Residence:
Moved here from Sarre-Union

Died:
Court Starnberg

Buried:
Oesch Cemetery

Christian married Katharina Burki in 1783. Katharina was born in 1764 in Lorentzen, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 6 Mar 1829 in Hanfeld, Bavaria, GR; was buried in Mar 1829 in Hanfeld, Bavaria, GR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer’s daughter
• Religion: Mennonite

Notes:

Who was Katharina/Catherine Bürki, who married Christian Oesch/Christian N. Oesch, and died at Hanfeld March 6, 1829?  We could make two reasonable guesses, but the information to verify them is lacking.  She may have been a sister to Christian 'Christel' Bürcky/Bircki ('Big Birkeys'), who was born circa 1760; this would make sense because of Christel's link to the Gentersberg estate (and presumably to the nearby Dorsterhof estate) where Oesches farmed.  Or, she may have been a sister to Johannes Birky or Bircki ('Little Red Birkys'), who was born circa 1748.  This would make sense because his son Andreas/André/Andrew owned property at Söcking, which is now part of Hanfeld.

According to Rudolf Ingold and Hermann Guth, the Mennonite tenants at Hanfeld fell into a disagreement with local Catholic clerics, and were obliged to bury their dead in a meadow. When Katharina/Catherine Bürki died in 1829, one priest asked for a death fee. Christian refused, and the priest complained to the local administration. He was told that he could take the matter to court, but no action was taken.

Birth:
Waderhof estate

Died:
Court Starnberg

Buried:
Oesch Cemetery

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Plowman (laboureur)
• Residence: 1786, Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, FR

Notes:

“Noe Augsburger, Hanfeld, realizes his real estate on 9-30-1818 with the permission of Knight von Ertl’s administration of properties.”

Residence:
Arrived within the jurisdiction of Strasbourg in 1786

Noah married Anna Muller before 1784. Anna died on 6 May 1806 in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• CLER: Y
• Occupation: Ancien De Rauschenbourg Fermier
• USR1: Mennonite
• Residence: 1776, Ingwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, FR

Notes:

Settled at Hagenau, Lower Alsace (14 miles east of Ingwilller) in 1755; became a minister under his father-in-law Nikolaus Koch; and died before Aug. 14, 1836.

In 1776 Abraham and Anna lived on the Rauschenburg Estate near Ingweiler, Alsace, France. Abraham was an elder of the Rauschenburg congregation near Ingweiler, according to a Dutch list of preachers.

Birth:
Rauschenbourg esstate

Residence:
Rauschenbourg estate

Died:
Rauschenbourg esstate

Abraham + Anna Koch. Anna (daughter of Nikolaus Koch) died before 14 Aug 1836 in Hanviller, Moselle, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Canardiere estate

Noah + Julia Diebler (Dobler). Julia died before 1796. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]