James Cross, Civil War Veteran

James Cornelius Cross was born March 14, 1843 to Charles Cross and Patience Manning Cross. His father was born in England, while Patience was a native of Kentucky. James Cross was a carpenter by trade, and was very active in the Catholic Church. He married Elizabeth Marshall, a German immigrant, who converted to Catholicism when she married James.

During the Civil War, James Cross served in Company G of the 123rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was a member of the McMeens Post of the G.A.R. in Sandusky. James Cross died on December 14, 1913, and is buried in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

The son of James and Elizabeth, Nicholas Charles Cross, became a brother in the Catholic Church. He taught school in Bardstown, Kentucky, and Peabody, Massachusetts.

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.