Christian Esch (Oesch) b. 26 Aug 1819 Walschbronn, FR d. 25 May 1888 Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL: The Schrock-Birkey Connection
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Christian Esch (Oesch)

Male 1819 - 1888  (68 years)


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  • Name Christian Esch (Oesch)  [1, 2] 
    Birth 26 Aug 1819  Walschbronn, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    • Dorst farm
    Gender Male 
    Immigration 1837  New Orleans, LA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • On the ship Marengo, as a steerage passenger, along with his adoptive Nafziger family
    Census 1870  Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Farmer Christian Esch, 62, Bavaria; Annie, 56, Bavaria; and Lena, 18, Illinois.
    Occupation Farmer and minister 
    Religion Mennonite 
    Death 25 May 1888  Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Metamora, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Hickory Point Cemetery
    Person ID I8848  Schrock-Birkey Connection
    Last Modified 30 Jul 2022 

    Father Christian Esch (Oesch),   b. Abt 1788, Walschbronn, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Jul 1824, Walschbronn, FR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 36 years) 
    Mother Magdalena Nafziger,   b. Abt 1792, Waltembourg, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 Sep 1824, Hanviller, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 32 years) 
    Marriage 13 Sep 1813  Walternbourg, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5] 
    Family ID F6199  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Anna Gerber,   b. 10 Aug 1827, Gensbourg, Oberhaslach, Haut-Rhin, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 May 1898, Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years) 
    Marriage 30 Aug 1846  Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Aug 20? source 552
    Children 
     1. Peter Esch,   b. 29 Dec 1847, Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 31 Dec 1912, Washington, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)
     2. Joseph Esch,   b. 16 Jul 1851, Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Aug 1927, Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)
     3. Magdalena Esch,   b. 6 Sep 1861, Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Jul 1946, Metamora, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years)
    Family ID F6245  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 25 Jul 2008 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 26 Aug 1819 - Walschbronn, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsImmigration - 1837 - New Orleans, LA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 30 Aug 1846 - Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1870 - Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 25 May 1888 - Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Metamora, Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • He was orphaned in 1824 at 5 years of age, and raised by a Güngerich or Nafziger family at Bourscheid, Moselle. (Descendant Susan Esch Lees writes that Daniel had at least two siblings. Sister Katharina Esch was born in 1816. Brother Joseph Esch was born in 1822. He married Elisabeth Güngrich, a daughter of Johannes Güngrich and Elisabeth Imhoff of the Wilensteinerhof at Mittelbach near Zweibrücken. The couple had 'adopted' him and gave Joseph and Elisabeth a house as a wedding present.)

      In 1837 he sailed from Le Havre on the Marengo, arriving at New Orleans Nov. 25. The Marengo was the same ship that had brought elder Christian Engel's son Joseph to New Orleans in 1836. The customs list includes these passengers from steerage: Jean Nafziger, 35; Anna [Gerber], 29; Pierre, 4; Cath, 2; Catherine Murer, 57 (Catherine Maurer, mother of Jean Nafziger); Madelaine Nafziger, 25; Catherine, 19; and Christian Esch, 18.

      For several winters Christian worked at a flour mill near Pekin, returning to his home on weekends; he cultivated his own crops in summer. His household appears on the 1850 census of Woodford County as farmer Christian Ash, 30, France; Ann, 24, France; and Peter, 2, Illinois.

      Christian was ordained as a minister of the Partridge Mennonite congregation in 1852. The congregation had been established by elder Christian Engel, and was later called Metamora Mennonite Church. The 1860 census of Worth has farmer Christian Esch, 41, France; Ann, 36, France; Peter, 12, Illinois; and Joseph, 8, Illinois. In 1867 Christian was ordained bishop of the Partridge congregation. His bound ledger of sermons 1849-82 is now in the archives at Goshen College. [1]

  • Sources 
    1. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co.

    2. [S1310] Susan Esch Rynearson (Adapted by Sharon Schertz), Knowledge, Dedication and Determination.

    3. [S807] Neil Ann Stuckey Levine, The Gerbers at Strasbourg--One Family, Two Letters, Gives birth year as 1818.

    4. [S677] Oesch Genealogy.

    5. [S1310] Susan Esch Rynearson (Adapted by Sharon Schertz), Knowledge, Dedication and Determination, Waltembourg, sp?.


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