John Kraeger

1854 - 1920  (65 years)

• Name	John Kraeger
  Born	5 Apr 1854	Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany
  Gender	Male
  Died	Feb 1920
  Person ID	I10684	All
  Last Modified	10 Dec 2006

  
  

  Family	Maria Sophia Orth,   b. 16 Jun 1848, Fürstengrund, Germany ,   d. 1904, Cass County, Nebraska  (Age 55 years)
  Married	15 Nov 1870	Tazewell County, Illinois
  Children	1. Elizabeth Margarethe Kraeger,   b. 27 Aug 1871   2. George Leonard Kraeger,   b. 12 Jan 1873   3. Adam Kraeger,   b. 8 Jun 1875   4. John E. Kraeger,   b. 9 Jan 1877   5. Anna Kraeger,   b. 9 Jan 1879   6. Louise Kraeger,   b. 8 Nov 1882   7. Jacob Kraeger,   b. 28 Dec 1884   8. Mary Kraeger,   b. 6 Nov 1886   9. Henry Kraeger,   b. May 1887   10. Sophia Kraeger,   b. 23 Jul 1889   11. William Kraeger,   b. 10 Feb 1893
  Family ID	F2895	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Found on Feb 23, 2005 at http://www3.sympatico.ca/don.orth/story.htm#E The family name of Kraeger was known as "Kräger" in Germany. Information concerning emigration from the Odenwald in Germany indicates that a Johannes Kräger (Widow) came to America in 1864 when she was 50 years old (b. 1814) and settled around Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois. It further indicates she was joining her brother-in-law, Philipp Meisinger and his wife and their family of seven children who had come to America in 1854 and were living in Pekin, Illinois. The widow Johannes Kräger was a Hallstein before she married. Her sister was Anna Margaretha (Hallstein) Meisinger, the wife of Philipp Meisinger. The Hallstein family came from Sandbach in Hessen. The parents of the widow Kräger and Anna Margartha were Johann Leonhard Hallstein and his wife, Anna Eva Hartmann. Johann and Anna Eva emigrated to the United States in 1856 along with another son, Johannes and his wife and children. There were also other children already living in the United States at that time. Two children accompanied Mrs. Kräger to America in 1864, Adam, aged 25, and Johannes, aged 20, so this would most likely be the John Kraeger who married Sophia as this would make his birth date 1844. The Kraeger family came from the village of Sandbach in Hessen which is only about six kilometers north of Fürstengrund. A number of Philipp Meisinger's other brothers and sisters were also living in Tazewell County at the time. Philipp Meisinger had a brother named Johann Baltazer Meisinger living in Tazewell County. One of his children was John George Meisinger (b. 1840) who married Mary Elizabeth Orth (see above). It appears that Sophia and John had eleven children. It is interesting to note that two of their children married Meisinger's and two other of their children married Engelkemier's, this family also having connections with the Meisinger family. Around 1879, Sophia and John and their family move to Cass County, Nebraska, around the town of Plattsmouth. Sophia died in 1904 and John died in 1920. They are both buried in Cass County, Nebraska. An interesting article concerning Sophia and John Kraeger was found at the Nebraska GenWeb Project Website which was reprinted from the "Portrait and Biographical Album of Otoe and Cass Counties, Nebraska" (Chicago, Chapman Brothers, 1889). JOHN KRAEGER is one of those earnest, hard-working German-American citizens who have contributed so largely by their perseverance and skill to make the State of Nebraska the fruitful garden it is to-day. He resides on his fine farm of 320 acres located on section 2 of Mt. Pleasant Precinct. He is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he was born April 5, 1854. There he lived with his parents, John and Eve Krueger, attending school until he reached the age of fifteen years, when he began learning the trade of stonemason, which trade he followed for six years. His life from that time to the present has been passed in farming. In the fall of 1864 he took passage for America in a sailing-vessel from the port of Bremen, and after a voyage of thirty-one days landed at New York City. After he had reached that city our subject went direct to Tazewell County, Ill., where he lived until 1878, in which year he came to Cass County, Neb., where he has since lived. He was married to Sophia Orth, Nov. 15, 1870, in Illinois. The lady was born in Germany, June 16, 1848, and is the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Orth. She came to America with her parents when she was five years old, and settled with them in Canada, where the parents still reside. In 1867 she came alone to Illinois. They have become the parents of nine children: Elizabeth was born Aug. 27, 1871; George, Jan. 12, 1873; Adam, June 8, 1875; John, Jan. 9, 1877; Annie, Jan. 9, 1879; Louisa, Nov. 8, 1882; Jacob, Dec. 28, 1884; Mary, Nov. 6, 1886, and Henry, in 1887. Mr. Kraeger emigrated with his family to Cass County, Neb., in the spring of 1878, and settled on the farm where he now lives, to the improvement of which he has from that time to the present devoted his every energy. His buildings, provided for general farm purposes, barns, sheds, etc., are among the best in the precinct; his residence is large and tastefully designed and handsomely furnished. The grounds about the house are ornamented with evergreens and shrubbery. A thriving orchard of choice varieties of fruits, and both natural and planted groves, add value to the premises. When our subject arrived in America he had no means with which to help himself. He contracted a debt of $20 to tide him over his necessities until he could settle down to work at something. He is truly a self-made man, and in gathering the fine property together which now surrounds him, he has shown an immense amount of energy and perseverance. In all things he has been ably assisted by his wife, who has at no time ever hesitated to assume any responsibility or enter upon the discharge of any duty, however hard or unpleasant it might be, that would forward the interests and welfare of husband and family, and now having attained the fulfillment of their hopes and desires, they are enjoying a full competency, which they have striven so long and hard to reach, and have been so richly rewarded. The friends and neighbors of the subject of this sketch have frequently solicited him to accept official positions at their hands, which he has invariably refused, except the office of School Director, in which position he felt that he could accomplish the greatest amount of good, and the duties of which office he has filled in a highly acceptable manner. Himself and wife are valued and honored members of the Lutheran Church. He is a Republican in politics, and is an earnest worker in behalf of that party. He is one of the leaders in the social life of the precinct. The obituary for John Kraeger also provides some very useful information concerning John and his family: DEATH OF JOHN KRAEGER, AN OLD RESIDENT PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT HIS HOME WEST OF MYNARD CAME TO COUNTY IN 1878 Born in Hessen-Damarsdt, Germany, April 5, 1844 - Came To This County in 1864. From Saturday's Daily Another of the old residents of Cass county who have played an important part in the development of the county and was numbered among the most estimable citizens of the community, John Kraeger, has been called to his last long rest. Mr. Kraeger, who has been in poor health for quite a long period, suffering from diabetes, has gradually been growing weaker until death came to his relief yesterday afternoon at 1 o'clock at his farm home in Eight Mile Grove precinct. John Kraeger was born April 5, 1844, in Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, where his parents, John and Eva Kraeger, were numbered among the leading residents of their home community, and at the age of 15 years John took up the trade of stone mason which he followed for a period of six years, and then entered the pursuit of agriculture which he has made his life work and at which he was very successful. In the fall of the year 1864 he took passage in a sailing vessel from Bremen, Germany, and after a voyage of 31 days landed in the new world at New York. After reaching America Mr. Kraeger came direct to Tazewell county, Illinois, where a large number of his friends and countrymen were located and where he made his home until 1878, when he came to Cass county, Nebraska, and located on the farm where he resided until his death. Enduring the privation of the early years and struggling for the betterment of himself and family, Mr. Kraeger made a great success of his work and was numbered among the most successful farmers of the county at the time of his death. He was married to Miss Sophia Orth November 15, 1870, in Illinois. the wife was also a native of Germany and came to Illinois in 1867 from Canada where her parents had settled. To Mr. and Mrs. Kraeger were born ten children, two of whom preceded the parents in death, those remaining to mourn the loss of the father being Elizabeth, George, Adam and John, residing at Fort Collins, Colo., Mrs. Louisa Engelkemeir, Jacob, Mrs. Mary Meesler of Denver, and Sophia and William Kraeger. The loss of this grand good man is one that will be deeply felt in his home community and his family will have in their hour of grief the deepest sympathy of a host of friends. The funeral services will be held on Monday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the Eight Mile Grove Lutheran church and the body laid to rest in the cemetery near the old home. 2 - 23 - 1920 Monday (Obituary kindly provided by David Gochenour (Coordinator for USGenWeb Cass County, Nebraska, Website).