Mourning the Loss of Frederick A. Wargowsky, Cousin, Author, Family Historian

This evening after work, I learned of the passing of my distant cousin Frederick A. Wargowsky on August 2, 2012. In the early 1990s, Fred Wargowsky, and our mutual cousin, Al H.,began communicating on the phone and via the U.S. mail, sharing information about our mutual roots. We are all descendants of J. Samuel Jaensch, who was originally from the province of Posen, Germany. Fred and Al encouraged me to find out all the birth and death dates of my particular branch of the family, that of Lena Piehl Yeager. Fred provided me with a copy of the large family history which documented the descendants of J. Samuel Jaensch. Fred spent hours and hours of research, and spent his own money securing vital records, obituaries, passenger records, and valuable family stories. Without the questions that Fred and Al asked me, I would never have learned how to do genealogical research. We will miss Fred so very much. Thanks for all your years of research, persistence, and generous spirit of sharing, Fred! Your work lives on!

Copies of Fred's book, Descendants of grandfather J. Samuel Jaensch (Johann Samuel Jänsch) of Ohio; compiled by Frederick August Wargowsky (Willison, Ohio, 1995),are at these two genealogical libraries:

R. B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio

and

Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

My personal copy of Fred's book is filled with sticky notes, annotations, and shows definite signs of heavy usage!

Here is a page in Fred's book that features a picture of my great grandparents:

God bless you, Fred, and may you rest in peace!

Marriage Records in Family Search for My Great Grandma and Grandpa Yeager

After spending a few minutes browsing through Family Search, I quickly learned interesting details about my father's maternal grandparents' marriage. First, I ran into their marriage record that was recorded at the Erie County Courthouse. I had always thought that they were married in Ottawa County, Ohio, since my great grandmother, Lena Piehl, was from Oak Harbor, in Ottawa County, Ohio. Their application for marriage was recorded on September 28, 1903, on page 115 of Volume 12 in the large books of Marriage Records housed in Erie County Probate Court. Judge U.T. Curran signed the license. Grandma's surname was misspelled Pheil, and her father's name was listed as Martin, instead of Ferdinand. The minister who was expected to perform the ceremony was Rev. Joseph Widmann, a minister at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sandusky, Ohio. I always recall hearing it said that Grandma Lena Piehl Yeager was a staunch Lutheran, and I was very surprised to hear that she was married in a Catholic Church, though I knew that Grandpa Andrew Yeager had been baptized as a Catholic in Germany.

Having at hand the exact date of the marriage license, I then looked up their marriage record in the St. Mary's Catholic Church Records, a part of the Ohio Diocese of Toledo Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 available at Family Search. The record states that Andrew Yeager married Helena Piehl at St. Mary's Catholic Church on September 30, 1903. Standing up for them were Uncle Frank Yeager and Aunt Martha Piehl. Father F.A. Reuter signed the record, and on the right hand side of the marriage record is written in Latin a phrase that roughly translated reads:

Mixed Religions

To the best of my knowledge they raised all their children in the Lutheran faith, and many of their grandchildren and great grandchildren also were brought up as Lutherans. Though they were labeled as having a marriage of "mixed religions" they celebrated both a 25th and 50th wedding anniversary, with large family gatherings to celebrate each. In my memory bank, I recall Great Grandma Yeager as a very quiet, soft spoken dear older lady. She was as gentle as could be, and I personally never heard her raise her voice to anyone. Looking at these 1903 marriage records makes me think that either Grandma or Grandpa Yeager, or perhaps both of them, may have been considered rebellious, for marrying outside of the faith in which they were brought up! On my way to work in downtown Sandusky, I pass by the Erie County Courthouse and St. Mary's Catholic Church several times a week. Now I can associate both of those buildings with my dear great grandparents!

Augusta Florentine Jaensch Piehl, 1858-1906

Augusta is the adult female in the first row in the Piehl family photo above, wearing a dark dress with a white bow. (Picture taken about 1906.) According to the book DESCENDANTS OF GRANDFATHER J. SAMUEL JAENSCH OF OHIO, compiled by Frederick A. Wargowsky (Williston, 1995), Augusta Florentine Jaensch was born in Posen, Germany to J. Samuel and Anna (Piehl) Jaensch on January 15, 1858. The 1900 U.S. Census indicates that Augusta emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1880. Ottawa County Marriage Records, available at the Ohio, County Marriages, 1790-1950 Collection at Family Search list the marriage date of Augusta Piehl to Gotthold Ferdinand Piehl as December 12, 1880. The marriage was performed by Rev. J. Bauch, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Ottawa County, Ohio.

Augusta and Ferdinand had a large family of eight daughters and nine sons. Further details about Ferdinand Piehl are found in DESCENDANTS OF GRANDFATHER J. SAMUEL JAENSCH OF OHIO. Ferdinand, who also came to the U.S. in 1880, cleared land in Ottawa County, Ohio, north of Oak Harbor. He built a log house on the land, and worked as a farmer. Ferdinand spoke only German. Little is known about his wife Augusta, who is my great great grandmother. Knowing that she came from Germany, and lived in a log cabin, I can guess that she worked very hard, helping on the farm, cooking meals, canning food, and raising her nine children. She probably faced many challenges in adapting to her new home, with an unfamiliar culture and language.

On May 22, 1906, Augusta and Ferdinand lost their teenage daughter Amanda to diphtheria. Later that same year, on December 13, 1906, Augusta Florentine Jaensch Piehl passed away. Her cause of death was listed as "dropsy of chest." Augusta was only 48 years of age. Dying so young, she did not live to see several of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I truly believe that the fruits of Augusta's labors resulted in her daughters' excellent homemaking skills, and their ability to also run a household in an efficient manner. Augusta was buried in the Piehl family lot in the Union Cemetery in Salem Township,Ottawa County, Ohio. She was a true pioneer woman. I only wish I had asked my Great Grandma, Lena Piehl Yeager, more about her beloved mother.

Note: This blog post was written for the 116th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. Many of the facts and images which appear in this posting have appeared in previous articles at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Family Heirlooms

The prompt for Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Family Heirlooms

For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?













The family heirloom for which I am most thankful is the antique wash basin set that was originally a wedding gift to my father's maternal grandparents, Andrew and Lena (Piehl) Yeager in September of 1903. The smaller pitcher, glass, and covered dish that are pictured above, sit on a piece of furniture in our living room. The wash bowl and larger pitcher are on top of our old piano.

To my family, this wedding gift that once belonged to Great Grandma and Grandpa Yeager is a connection to our family's past. I think often of how hard they both worked, in order to support their big family. Grandpa Yeager died when I was very young, but I had the opportunity to spend time with Grandma Yeager. She was a quiet, gentle soul, and she loved her family dearly.

The way this lovely set came to me was through my cousin Ruth. Long after my great grandparents had both died, I got together with Ruth, and she shared many Piehl and Yeager family stories. One day after we had lunch together, Ruth said she had a special surprise for me. She did not go into a lot of detail, but she said that somehow this antique set was given to her, when someone else in the family was downsizing. (I think this set may have been in several different homes of family members though the years.) She wanted me to have it, because it was from my line of the family, and she knew how much I loved our family heritage.





Thank you so much Grandpa and Grandma Yeager, and cousin Ruth B., for this lovely family heirloom!

So far, I have never learned the identity of the donor of this lovely wedding gift to my great grandparents. Grandpa and Grandma Yeager spent many years together, and they had family celebrations on both their silver and golden wedding anniversaries.

Piehl Family Lot in Union Cemetery

My great great grandparents, Ferdinand and Augusta (Jaensch) Piehl, and two of their children are buried in Union Cemetery in Salem Township, just outside Oak Harbor, in Ottawa County, Ohio. (Click on images to see a larger view.) Ferdinand and Augusta were both born in Germany,but came to the United States when they were still single. They were married at St. John Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, by Rev. J. Bauch, on December 12, 1880. Early records sometimes list Ferdinand's first name as Gotthold or Gottlod. They had a total of nine children, the oldest daughter being my great grandmother Lena Piehl Yeager.



















Here is a family picture of the Piehl family, taken about 1906.


















Back row: Lena, Hulda, Christian, Emma, Martha
Center: Anna
Front row: Bertha, Ferdinand, Wanda, Augusta, Amanda

Ferdinand was a farmer, and he spoke only German. Amanda Piehl died on May 22, 1906, after contracting diphtheria. She was the first of the Piehl family to be buried in Union Cemetery.














Mrs. Augusta Piehl passed away on December 13, 1906. Her cause of death was listed as dropsy of chest.















The only boy in the family, Christian Piehl, died on March 4, 1913, at the age of 24.
















Ferdinand Piehl died on September 17, 1927, of heart disease.
















In 1995, I visited with Wilma Voight Hanck, the daughter of Emma Piehl Voight. She said that every summer there was a large family reunion at the Piehl farm. Aunt Bertha and Aunt Martha lived close by, and they always helped out. Wilma said there were enough cousins to have four baseball teams! There was a lot of delicious food, including thick homemade biscuits, and lots of visiting and family pictures were taken. Oh how I wish I could have gone to one of these reunions! After the death of Grandma and Grandpa Piehl, and their children began to have large families of their own, it seems that the tradition of the annual reunion ended.

Many thanks to cousins Al Hemminger and Fred Wargowsky, for helping me to learn more about the Piehl and Jaensch families.

Sentimental Sunday: Articles about the Yeagers' Anniversary Celebrations

In this article from the October 4, 1928 issue of the Sandusky Register, the headline states that Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Yeager were celebrating fifty years of marriage. However, they were actually celebrating their twenty fifth wedding anniversary in 1928. (They were married in September of 1903.)



Over one hundred guests celebrated with Andrew and Lena (Piehl) Yeager at their home in Huron, Ohio. Guests came from Kelleys Island, Cleveland, Oak Harbor, Bay Bridge, and Fremont. The decorations were silver and white, and there were two cakes in honor of the happy couple. Sadly, in 1929, Mr. and Mrs. Yeager's daughter Norma Ernst would become a widow, and in 1930, Andy and Lena's youngest daughter Hilda would die from influenza, at the age of four.





Twenty five years later, the Sandusky Register Star News of September 24, 1953 featured an article about Andrew and Lena's Golden Anniversary.

















At the celebration in 1953, their son Andrew had died, and their daughter Norma had remarried. Of course many, many more descendants had been added to the Yeager Family Tree. Wilma Voight, who had been a young girl at the Silver Anniversary, was all grown up, and she helped prepare special dishes for the Golden Anniversary celebration.



Andy and Lena both worked very hard, and shared a lot of joys and sorrows together. I was delighted to track down these newspaper articles about their anniversary parties. Andrew Yeager died in 1958, and Lena Piehl Yeager died in 1978. They are buried in the Union Corners Cemetery just off Route 250 between Sandusky and Milan, Ohio.

Scrapbook Page: Grandma Lena Piehl Yeager's Birthday

Andrew and Lena Yeager

Andrew Yeager and Helena "Lena" Piehl Yeager are pictured to the left in the early 1950's. Andrew Yeager was born in Germany on November 12, 1876 to Lawrence Yeager (Lorenz Jaeger in his native language) and Maria Schweighardt. In 1881, the Yeager family came to United States. Andrew’s younger brother Frank was born after the family settled in Ohio.

Volume 38 of GERMANS TO AMERICA lists the following family members on the voyage aboard the ship “Pereire,” which traveled from Havre to New York:

Jager, Laurent age 34
Marie age 32
Andre age 6
Emma age 4
Louise infant

On September 30, 1903, Andrew Yeager married Helena “Lena” Piehl, daughter of Ferdinand Gotthold Piehl and his wife Augusta Jaensch Piehl, who were immigrants from Posen, Germany. Andrew, known as Andy, worked as a tenant farmer. He raised sunflowers at his home in Huron, Ohio. Lena was a wonderful cook and baker. Sugar cookies were one of her special treats. Lena was quiet and gentle natured. Her height was less than five feet.

Andrew Yeager died in April of 1958, while Lena Yeager lived to be 97, passing away on October 15, 1978. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Yeager are buried in the Union Corners Cemetery, just off Route 250, between Sandusky and Milan. The cemetery is associated with St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church.













Pictured below is the Piehl family about 1906. Lena Piehl Yeager is the first person on the left, in the back row. Click on the image for a larger view.