Christian Birki b. 14 Mar 1788-1789 Rimsdorf, Lower Alsace, FR d. 14 Feb 1866 Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL: The Schrock-Birkey Connection

Christian Birki

Male 1789 - 1866  (76 years)


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  • Name Christian Birki  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Birth 14 Mar 1788-1789  Rimsdorf, Lower Alsace, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7, 8, 9
    • Near Diemeringen
    Gender Male 
    Residence Bef 1800  Völlerdingen, Alsace, FR Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Lutterbacherhof. This is assumed because we know his brother Valentine lived there before going to Bavaria.
    Residence 1811  Flugelsberg, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location 
    PURC 10 Nov 1815  Arzbach, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Near Dachau, borough Rohrmoos. A half farm, the “Pasten estate,” house No. 8. Purchased from Jakob Hiser (Heiser) from Hanfeld, Country Court Starnberg. Size of the half farm was 84 days work and included a potato distillery.
    Residence 1818-1824  Pellheim, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Mennonite and partial leaseholder on the grounds of the Pellheim estate of major general Maximilian Graf von Spreti at Arzbach, Bavaria, a few miles north of Dachau.
    Immigration 13 Mar 1851  Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location  [10
    • Applied for emigration
    Immigration 7 Jun 1851  Le Havre to New York Find all individuals with events at this location  [11
    • On French Bark, Adhimary (Adhema?), with his second wife and nine children, and Christian’s brother-in-law, Georg Kettner and his family (husband of Maria Birki).
      Traveling with Christian and Elisabeth were Andréas (29), Anna (18), Elizabeth (23), Katharina (17) and Veronika (15) -children of Christian and his first wife - and Jakobine (5), Heinrich (4), Jakob (3), and Helena (6 mo.) - children of Christian and Elisabeth. He left capital of10,000 guilders. He deposited 2225 guilders for the children of his first marriage.
    Census 1860  Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Listed as age 72 with wife Elizabeth, age 48.
    Occupation In Europe A Bauer (Farmer), In USA Farmer 
    Reference Number 97 
    Religion Mennonite 
    Burial Feb 1866  Groveland Twp., Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location  [12, 13
    Death 14 Feb 1866  Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Estate document from Tazewell Co. on file. Burial site is in Section 22 of Groveland Two., Tazewell Co., IL.
    Person ID I97  Schrock-Birkey Connection
    Last Modified 15 Jan 2022 

    Father Johannes (Jean) Bircky (Bircki, Percky),   b. Abt 1748   d. 1802 (Age ~ 54 years) 
    Mother Barbara Bircki,   b. 1748   d. 24 Jan 1826, Perlach, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years) 
    Family ID F7888  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Maria Anna Gascho,   b. 1798, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 1840-1841, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 43 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1815  Pellheim, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location  [14
    • Arzbach was the name of an estate outlying the village of Pellheim (about 1.7 miles north of the center of Pellheim. It was the site of Schloss Pellheim, the house or palace of a count. The house is now a restaurant. Pellheim was administratively incorporated into Dachau in 1972.
    Children 
     1. Maria (Mary) Birky,   b. 18 Apr 1816, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 May 1903, Roanoke Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 87 years)
     2. Joseph Birky,   b. 25 Feb 1818, Pellheim, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1888 (Age 69 years)
     3. Christian Birki,   b. 25 Apr 1820   d. USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Magdalena Birky,   b. 26 Feb 1822, Arzbach, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1908 (Age 85 years)
     5. Barbara Birky,   b. 19 Feb 1824, Arzbach, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 31 Mar 1885, Hopedale, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 61 years)
     6. Elizabeth Birky,   b. 28 Feb 1828   d. 26 Feb 1899 (Age 70 years)
     7. Andrew (Andréas) S. Birky,   b. 3 Mar 1830, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Sep 1895, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)
     8. Anna Birky,   b. 20 Jan 1832, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1903 (Age 70 years)
     9. Katharina (Catharine) Birky,   b. Nov 1834, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Feb 1874, Livingston Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 39 years)
     10. Veronica (Fronica,fannie) Birky,   b. 16 Jan 1837, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Feb 1916, Reno Co., KS Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 79 years)
    Family ID F219  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 22 Feb 2019 

    Family 2 Elisabeth Stalter,   b. 18 Apr 1813, Gern, Munich, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 24 Sep 1872, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 59 years) 
    Marriage 4 Aug 1841  Kirchstockach, Munich, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this location  [15, 16
    • Just east of Munich
    Children 
     1. Jacobina Birky,   b. 1846, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1870 (Age > 25 years)
     2. Henry Birky,   b. 1847, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1870 (Age > 24 years)
     3. Jacob Birky,   b. 17 Mar 1849, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1870 (Age > 22 years)
     4. Helene Birky,   b. 19 Jun 1850, Bavaria, GR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Oct 1878 (Age 28 years)
     5. Johann Birki (Birky),   b. 13 Jan 1852, America Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Aft 1870 (Age > 19 years)
    Family ID F37  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 2 May 2018 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 14 Mar 1788-1789 - Rimsdorf, Lower Alsace, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Bef 1800 - Völlerdingen, Alsace, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1811 - Flugelsberg, Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - Abt 1815 - Pellheim, Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsPURC - 10 Nov 1815 - Arzbach, Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1818-1824 - Pellheim, Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 4 Aug 1841 - Kirchstockach, Munich, Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsImmigration - 13 Mar 1851 - Bavaria, GR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsCensus - 1860 - Tazewell Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - Feb 1866 - Groveland Twp., Tazewell Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 14 Feb 1866 - Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Of Kirshstockach, Bavaria. Lived first in Odenstockah, near Munich, Bavaria, then moved to Neukirchstock, also near Munich.

      According to Hermann Guth's 1989 research, “at 62 years of age Christian applied to emigrate to Illinois on 13 Mar 1851, with his second wife Elizabeth Stalter, age 37. He had 10,000 fl of assets and his wife had an additional 2,225 fl. This was much more than most immigrants had. Traveling with them were Elizabeth 23, Andréas 29, Anna 28, Katharina 17, Veronika 15, from his first wife, and, Jakobine 5, Heinrich 4, Jakob 3, and Helena 6 mo. from his second wife. Christian noted to authorities that several older children were already in America.

      Christian's daughter, Barbara Birki, from Kirchstockach (unmarried, but with child, Jacob, whose father was Thomas Luiderer from Putzbrunn) applied on 29 Feb 1849 for permission to emigrate to Illinois. Her father gave approval because she wished to travel with his brother, Valentine Birki from Gern, who was the child's guardian. The document indicated that three brothers/sisters were already in America. Barbara and Valentine planned to travel via Mannheim-Le Havre-New York, with ship agent Karl Dick from Augsburg, but evidently plans changed since they are on the ship list of the Minnesota sailing from Liverpool, England to New York in 1849. Included were Valentine Birki (1794) with niece Barbara and her illegitimate son; Valentine's daughter, Mary Burkey Birky (1833); and Daniel Zehr. “
      —————————————————————————————
      “Christian Birkÿ, farmer at Mair in KIrchstockach and widower, intends to marry Elisabeth Stalter, forestry farmer’s daughter from Gern, and sought reception into and consent of the community. Since Christian Birkÿ possesses an entire estate, and his future bride brings a dowry of 800 guilders, and their advancement is adequately assured, and they are liable for insignificant debts, we agree to this marriage on behalf of the entire community.
      In confirmation of this, Brunnthal the 13th of August 1841, the local authorities of Brunnthal:
      Andreas Zimmermann, Georg Fischer[?], Johann Heiss[?]”

      “Christian’s assets at the time of immigration were 10,000 fl. and the assets of his children’s mother was a further 2,225 fl. for the children of his first marriage. He emigrate from Bavaria to the New World with one of the higher known fortunes. His brother Valentine also left the Europe with 10,000 fl. Many immigrants left with only a few hundred.”

      “In the 1860 Illinois census, Christian and Elizabeth "Berky" are found in Groveland Township where Christian had purchased 120 acres of land in Section 22. Seventy two year-old Christian and 48 year old Elizabeth lived with their children, Henry, Jacob, Helena, Jacobina, and John (born in Illinois after the family arrived). Upon arriving in Illinois, Christian purchased 80 acres of farmland just north of Groveland in Tazewell County. Christian died on February 14, 1866 and was buried on his farm next to Heinrich Stalter, his father-in-law. His son Joseph was appointed administrator of his estate. The estate was valued at $2050.75 plus 120 acres of land valued at $4400. Each child received $264.13 from the estate settlement on 4/15/ 1868. Elisabeth received her widow's share. The last documentation of Elizabeth Stalter "Burky" is in the 1870 Census when she was living in Groveland, Tazewell County with her 5 children, Jacobine, Henry, Jacob, Helena, and John. Elisabeth died on September 24, 1872 and was buried next to her husband and father. In 1875 the children sold the land to Meinrad Biender, reserving one quarter of acre where the cemetery lay. It is now referred to as the “Birki Cemetery”. [15, 17, 18, 19]

  • Sources 
    1. [S551] Herbert Holly, The Amish Bircky and Bürcky Families in Bavaria.

    2. [S209] Remi Stalter Records.

    3. [S937] Herbert Holly, Bircky Story {Draft of article to be published}.

    4. [S2] Ruth Berkey Reichly, The Berkey Book, (Arlington, VA).

    5. [S1285] Herbert Holly, Preacher Heinrich Stalter---Head of the Amish Mennonite Congregation of Munich.

    6. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co., Date.

    7. [S912] Herbert Holly, News from the Bircky’s.

    8. [S670] Hermann Hage, Amish Mennonites in 19th Century Bavaria, Gives year as 1788.

    9. [S937] Herbert Holly, Bircky Story {Draft of article to be published}, 1788.

    10. [S1028] Christian Birki (Birky) (b. 1789) Immigration papers.

    11. [S670] Hermann Hage, Amish Mennonites in 19th Century Bavaria, Only the Bavarian part of the information.

    12. [S1] Donna Schrock Birkey, Personal knowledge and family records.

    13. [S1060] Find-A-Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155137550/christian-birki.

    14. [S68] Pellheim 21 House Chronicle: “Castle Builders”.

    15. [S610] Gary L. Yordy, Heinrich and Jacobina Stalter of Gern near Munich.

    16. [S1072] Marriage record of Christian Bircky & Elisabeth Stalter.

    17. [S1094] Confirmation of Reception Document-Birki (Birky).

    18. [S604] Friedrich Blendinger, Die Auswanderung nach Nordamerika aus dem Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern in den Jahren 1846-1852.

    19. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co.


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