This site will help me find more information on my ancestor, after I have exhausted all the other traditional resources. I came across a term that Elizabeth Shown Mills created called the FAN Club standing for Friends, Associates and Neighbors or other wise known as the clustering of people that our ancestors associate with. That would be the neighbors, church members, family, lawyers, priest, etc. The FAN club could very will hold answers to what I am seeking.
Documenting the steps that I am going to take to find out information, can lead me to new avenues to try. I will start with telling you about the story of my ancestor, giving some background history and documents that I have uncover. My search is for his parents and siblings and where he was born at. Will be focusing on this one ancestor at this time.
Life Story of Johann Schmitt
Johamn
Schmitt was born 11 Nov 1834 in Bavaria. The
date comes from his head stone at St. Mary’s Cemetery,
Huntley, McHenry Co., IL.[1]. I have a document that pinpoints
Johann Schmitt being in United States, that would be his first son’s, Joseph, baptism record[2] at St. Mary Parish (Buffalo
Grove, Lake Co., Illinois) in 1866. Then I have
the 1870[3] census of John Smith, (yes he change the spelling of his name) living at Grafton twp, McHenry Co., Illinois with his wife, Mary, and their three sons, Joseph,
Adam, and Andrew along with a sister-in-law Annie Tomrouff (Dumerauf). Joseph’s death certificate states that he was
born in Buffalo Grove, Ill.[4]
There is a plat map of Grafton twp, McHenry county in 1872[5] that mentions a Jno. Smith having land in McHenry County, Grafton twp. 43 N Range 7 East Sec 22 E ½ NW ¼. In 1875 John Schmitt passed away, I have two separate death notice from the newspapers. In the first death notice,[6] it states that John Smith lived on Crystal Lake Road. The second death notice, said he lived about a mile north of Huntley.[7]
Then comes the 1880[8] census John had passed away in 1875 and left his wife Mary with the five young boys. On the census it gives a number on how many years she was married, I really cannot tell how many years was mark. The census ask how many children Mary gave birth and how many children are alive, mark as having five children and five are alive. In the 1880 census, five boys were listed Joseph, Adam, Andrew, Michael, and John. In the 1900[9] census you see Andrew and John are living with their mother, and Joseph[10] is living with his wife Nellie [Malone] and his brother Adam his family is listed a page before their mother. By 1900 Michael was living in Osborne Co., KS. This counts for their five boys. In the 1900 census where Mary is listed it looks like the last child might have been named Harry / Henry it is hard to read, born in 1878. So who is the sixth son living with Mary? This cannot be John’s child, the husband of Mary, because he died back in 1875. Can this one child unlock the mystery to this family?
The Grafton Township plat map of 1892[11] marks that John Smith has Est. 80 acres in section 22 of Grafton twp. The 1908[12] plat map shows John and Jos. Schmitt 80 acres in Section 22. You will notice the last name of Smith is now spelled Schmitt. Plat map 1940[13] shows Jos Schmidt 80 acres in Section 22, John his father’s name has been drop. Using the site Historic Map Works site: 1951, 1956 and 1963 were not provided for viewing but 1965[14] was and to my surprise the streets were name. I did not see the county section line that was named Schmitt Road but I did find the street named Huntley-Crystal Lake road. As you might recall in one of John’s death notice it stated he lived on Huntley-Crystal Lake road. That road shows up in Section 23 from what the 1965 plat map shows. In addition, the same road that my ancestor lived on is named Albrecht Rd in 1965. I think the name of the roads was changed to the name of the family that was living there at that time.
On February 9th, 1899[15] Joseph Smith and Ellen “Nellie Malone where married at St. Mary’s Church, at Woodstock. This leaves me questioning, where is this church located and did the family use this church?
In 1902[16] Anna Mary Schmitt, John’s wife, had passed away. In her death, notice it mention five sons survive her. In addition, the funeral took place at a Catholic Church and Father Gormely officiating, so which church did Father Gormely belong to? The sixth child was not mention.
In the 1910[17] census, Joseph is living with his wife Ellen and their two children, Walter and Marie on Schmitt Road and the family right below them, Kreutzer, is the parents to Andrew’s wife Rosa Kreutzer. Andrew is living with his wife Rosa and their two children Edward and Marcella on West Main St.in the 1910[18] census.
In the 1920[19] census, Joseph is living with his with his two children Walter J and Marie, Joseph’s wife Ellen had passed away in 1918. This census does not mention the name of the street he lives on. Andrew is living again on West Main St. with his wife Rosa their children Edward, Marcella, Francis, Herald, and Harry on the 1920[20] census.
On Adam Schmitt’s death certificate record[21], his daughter Mabel Francis Schmitt Ruby Cline was the informant and she gave the wrong names for her father’s parents or the funeral home type it in wrong. The funeral record[22] says John Schmitt and the Death certificate has the parents as Joseph and Mary. Unless Joseph could of been a middle name for John Schmitt.
Michael Schmidt death certificate[23] and funeral record[24] shows the wrong parents’ names as William and Katherine Dumruff Schmidt which is wrong. Michael’s eulogy says he was born in Huntley, Illinois. The parent’s names should be John and Anna Mary Dumruff. I would have to do more research to make sure his birth date is 1871 or 1872.
For Andrew Schmitt I have an article out of the Rockford Register-Republic[25] that states that Andrew Schmitt of Huntley estate is worth $8,200 dollars. The article has been consolidated so there must be a large writing in the Woodstock newspaper, which I do not have. Enclosed is Andrews probate record[26] and on the third page mentions he lived on West Main Street this ties together with the census I have on Andrew.
Andrew and Rosa had a son named Harry, the same child that is executor of his father’s estate. Could this be Andrew's son living with his mother in the 1900 census. Need to find Harry's birth. Harry had an article put into the At Hone In Huntley 1851-2001[27] by Huntley Sequel Committee by Tom Conley. Harry mentions that his grandfather John Schmitt signed up in the Union Army I have not been able to find references to this, maybe because the common named John Smith or John Schmitt not knowing for sure what area he lived in when he signed up. In the article Harry said that John Schmitt saved enough money to buy some land on Haligus Road, if you look back at the 1965 plat map Haligus Rd. most of went down into section 22 in the mid-1860s.
Mrs. John (Dumrauf) Schmitt, [Anna Mary Dumrauf Schmitt] had a brother that lived in Kane Co., IL Adam Schmitt[30] I have his and his wife’s[31] death notice Mrs. Adam Dumerauf has two-death notice.[32] I had also found Declarations of Intent[33] in McHenry County Illinois for Michael and Andrew Dumerauf, which are brothers of Anna Mary Schmitt. On Joseph’s baptism, record of Buffalo Grove, IL it mentions a godparent as Joseph Dumerauf, could this be Anna’s oldest brother named Joe. I don’t know where Joe had moved on from her. I found a Joe Dumerauf in Saline Kansas with a wife name Jane and a daughter Katie. If this is the right family Jane’s maiden name would be Carpet.
Probate Records book 1844-1985 Vol. 4[34], for John Smith.
This is a lot to swallow at one time, being careful to document all my sources, not knowning which ones I will need to come back to you.
The next blog will be about how do I find this FAN Club!
There is a plat map of Grafton twp, McHenry county in 1872[5] that mentions a Jno. Smith having land in McHenry County, Grafton twp. 43 N Range 7 East Sec 22 E ½ NW ¼. In 1875 John Schmitt passed away, I have two separate death notice from the newspapers. In the first death notice,[6] it states that John Smith lived on Crystal Lake Road. The second death notice, said he lived about a mile north of Huntley.[7]
Then comes the 1880[8] census John had passed away in 1875 and left his wife Mary with the five young boys. On the census it gives a number on how many years she was married, I really cannot tell how many years was mark. The census ask how many children Mary gave birth and how many children are alive, mark as having five children and five are alive. In the 1880 census, five boys were listed Joseph, Adam, Andrew, Michael, and John. In the 1900[9] census you see Andrew and John are living with their mother, and Joseph[10] is living with his wife Nellie [Malone] and his brother Adam his family is listed a page before their mother. By 1900 Michael was living in Osborne Co., KS. This counts for their five boys. In the 1900 census where Mary is listed it looks like the last child might have been named Harry / Henry it is hard to read, born in 1878. So who is the sixth son living with Mary? This cannot be John’s child, the husband of Mary, because he died back in 1875. Can this one child unlock the mystery to this family?
The Grafton Township plat map of 1892[11] marks that John Smith has Est. 80 acres in section 22 of Grafton twp. The 1908[12] plat map shows John and Jos. Schmitt 80 acres in Section 22. You will notice the last name of Smith is now spelled Schmitt. Plat map 1940[13] shows Jos Schmidt 80 acres in Section 22, John his father’s name has been drop. Using the site Historic Map Works site: 1951, 1956 and 1963 were not provided for viewing but 1965[14] was and to my surprise the streets were name. I did not see the county section line that was named Schmitt Road but I did find the street named Huntley-Crystal Lake road. As you might recall in one of John’s death notice it stated he lived on Huntley-Crystal Lake road. That road shows up in Section 23 from what the 1965 plat map shows. In addition, the same road that my ancestor lived on is named Albrecht Rd in 1965. I think the name of the roads was changed to the name of the family that was living there at that time.
On February 9th, 1899[15] Joseph Smith and Ellen “Nellie Malone where married at St. Mary’s Church, at Woodstock. This leaves me questioning, where is this church located and did the family use this church?
In 1902[16] Anna Mary Schmitt, John’s wife, had passed away. In her death, notice it mention five sons survive her. In addition, the funeral took place at a Catholic Church and Father Gormely officiating, so which church did Father Gormely belong to? The sixth child was not mention.
In the 1910[17] census, Joseph is living with his wife Ellen and their two children, Walter and Marie on Schmitt Road and the family right below them, Kreutzer, is the parents to Andrew’s wife Rosa Kreutzer. Andrew is living with his wife Rosa and their two children Edward and Marcella on West Main St.in the 1910[18] census.
In the 1920[19] census, Joseph is living with his with his two children Walter J and Marie, Joseph’s wife Ellen had passed away in 1918. This census does not mention the name of the street he lives on. Andrew is living again on West Main St. with his wife Rosa their children Edward, Marcella, Francis, Herald, and Harry on the 1920[20] census.
On Adam Schmitt’s death certificate record[21], his daughter Mabel Francis Schmitt Ruby Cline was the informant and she gave the wrong names for her father’s parents or the funeral home type it in wrong. The funeral record[22] says John Schmitt and the Death certificate has the parents as Joseph and Mary. Unless Joseph could of been a middle name for John Schmitt.
Michael Schmidt death certificate[23] and funeral record[24] shows the wrong parents’ names as William and Katherine Dumruff Schmidt which is wrong. Michael’s eulogy says he was born in Huntley, Illinois. The parent’s names should be John and Anna Mary Dumruff. I would have to do more research to make sure his birth date is 1871 or 1872.
For Andrew Schmitt I have an article out of the Rockford Register-Republic[25] that states that Andrew Schmitt of Huntley estate is worth $8,200 dollars. The article has been consolidated so there must be a large writing in the Woodstock newspaper, which I do not have. Enclosed is Andrews probate record[26] and on the third page mentions he lived on West Main Street this ties together with the census I have on Andrew.
Andrew and Rosa had a son named Harry, the same child that is executor of his father’s estate. Could this be Andrew's son living with his mother in the 1900 census. Need to find Harry's birth. Harry had an article put into the At Hone In Huntley 1851-2001[27] by Huntley Sequel Committee by Tom Conley. Harry mentions that his grandfather John Schmitt signed up in the Union Army I have not been able to find references to this, maybe because the common named John Smith or John Schmitt not knowing for sure what area he lived in when he signed up. In the article Harry said that John Schmitt saved enough money to buy some land on Haligus Road, if you look back at the 1965 plat map Haligus Rd. most of went down into section 22 in the mid-1860s.
Mrs. John (Dumrauf) Schmitt, [Anna Mary Dumrauf Schmitt] had a brother that lived in Kane Co., IL Adam Schmitt[30] I have his and his wife’s[31] death notice Mrs. Adam Dumerauf has two-death notice.[32] I had also found Declarations of Intent[33] in McHenry County Illinois for Michael and Andrew Dumerauf, which are brothers of Anna Mary Schmitt. On Joseph’s baptism, record of Buffalo Grove, IL it mentions a godparent as Joseph Dumerauf, could this be Anna’s oldest brother named Joe. I don’t know where Joe had moved on from her. I found a Joe Dumerauf in Saline Kansas with a wife name Jane and a daughter Katie. If this is the right family Jane’s maiden name would be Carpet.
Probate Records book 1844-1985 Vol. 4[34], for John Smith.
This is a lot to swallow at one time, being careful to document all my sources, not knowning which ones I will need to come back to you.
The next blog will be about how do I find this FAN Club!
[1] St. Mary’s Cemetery Huntley, IL map drawn by Bobbi of
St Charles, IL. Raven_Fan tm5173@comcast.net
showing how the Schmitt plots are layout along with St. Mary’s Cemetery index along an a map of
the cemetery.
Photos of John Schmitt, Anna Mary Dumerauf
Schmitt and Joseph Schmitt headstone
Photos of Joseph & Ellen Malone Schmitt headstone
Photos of Joseph & Ellen Malone Schmitt headstone
[2] Joseph Schmitt’s Baptism Record,
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12347-79937-74?cc=1452409&wc=M66G-2PR:40151701,40151702 - Image 19
[3] 1870 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry county,
Illinois, John Smith
[4] Joseph Schmitt death certificate, 25 February 1936
Grafton, McHenry Co., IL
[5] 1872 Plat map of Grafton twp. 43 N Range 7 East. Owned the plat map book.
[6] Woodstock Newspaper, June 10, 1875 Thursday Col. 1 Pg
5
[7] Rockford Weekly Gazette, Vol X, No. 23 Thursday
Morning June 10, 1875
[8] 1880 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry county,
Illinois Mary Smith
[9] 1900 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry County, Illinois
Mary Schmitt
[10] 1900 Federal census Grafton twp., McHenry county,
Illinois Joseph Smith
[11] 1892 Plat map from www.historicmapworks.com, Grafton
Township, McHenry County, Illinois, T43N-R7E
[12] 1908 Plat map from www.historicmapworks.com, Grafton
Township, McHenry County, Illinois, T43N-R7E
[13] 1940 Plat map from www.historicmapworks.com, Grafton
Township, McHenry County, Illinois, T43N-R7E
[14] 1965 Plat map from www.historicmapworks.com, Grafton
Township, McHenry County, Illinois, T43N-R7E
[15] Nunda Herald Newspaper, Wedding Bells marriage notice,
9 February 1899, Joseph and Ellen Malone Schmitt
[16] Nunda Herald Newspaper, Huntley Heading 31 July 1902,
Mrs. Anna Mary Schmitt death notice.
[17] 1910 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry County,
Illinois Joseph Schmitt and Frank Kreutzer
[18] 1910 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry County,
Illinois Andrew Schmitt
[19] 1920 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry County,
Illinois Joseph Schmidt
[20] 1920 federal census Grafton twp., McHenry County,
Illinois Andrew Schmidt
[21] Adam Schmitt death certificate, Denver, Colorado 23
Aug 1956
[22] Adam Schmitt funeral record, Denver, Colorado 23 Aug
1956
[23] Michael Schmidt Death Certificate Pawnee, Pawnee Co.,
OK March 9, 1966
[24] Mike Schmidt Funeral Record Pawnee, Pawnee Co., OK
March 9, 1966
[25] Rockford Register-Republic Thursday March 21, 1937
B1, $8,200 Estate Andrew Schmitt
[26] Andrew Schmitt probate records 15656 McHenry Co.,
Illinois, executor Harry Schmitt
[27] At Home in Huntley 1851-2001 by Huntley Sequel
Committee by Tom Conley – Andrew and Rose (Kreutzer) Schmitt Family
[28] 1917 McHenry & Boone co., IL Prairie Farmers
Directory, www.bchmuseum.org/1917mchenry-boone-farmers-directory.pdf
[29] Smith & Schmitt names only from the 1917 McHenry
& Boone Co., IL Prairie Farmers Directory.
[30] Adam Dumerauf The Broad AX Published Weekly Salt Lake
City Utah 15 Jan 1898
[31] Mrs. Adam Dumerauf Elgin Daily Courier 14 April 1914
[32] Mrs. Ada Dumerauf Wife of “Blind Adam” Dies at South
Elgin, Elgin Daily Courier 14 April 1914
[33] Declarations of Intent, McHenry County Illinois,
Michael & Andrew Dumerauf along with John Kritzer
[34] Probate Records 1844-1985 Vol. 4 McHenry County
Illinois, extracted all surnames.
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