Christian Garst/Gerst v Fredereke “Ricky” Hormer Garst/Gerst (Journal 10 p116 - 8 Mar 1879; Roll 34 case number 590 - Mar 1879)
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 24 December 2021)
The couple was married on 19 Oct 1876, Defiance, Defiance Co, OH. The bride was the former Mrs. Hormer, with a son Adolph b 1859. Christian, b 9 Jan 1830 in Germany, was a Civil War soldier in the 55th Reg Illinois Infantry. She said that between 1 Mar 1877 - 24 Oct 1877 Christian was an 'ugly drunk', and struck and pushed her often. Her son Adolph, age 20, appeared in court to state that Christian wanted whisky and his mother would not get him any. Christian was guilty of gross neglect and violently struck her. His mother was a good Christian. The husband, Christian, said on 1 Nov 1876 his wife committed adultery with Patrick Brady in Defiance. The suit in this county was dismissed. Christian Garst of Bryan, Wms Co, OH applied for and received a CW veteran’s pension of $72 per month; he was legally blind.
Christian married Susannah McCullough Whinnery on 18 June 1879 in Defiance Co, OH and they were enumerated in the 1880 Washington Twp, Defiance Co, OH federal census p8 as Christian Gerst 50 Prussia-Pr-Pr and Susannah 56 PA-PA-PA; they had a son Fred, b 8 Sept 1883. Christian died on 12 Apr 1886 in Washington Twp, Defiance Co, OH of consumption @56Y 3M 3D and was buried in the Doll Cemetery, Washington Twp, Defiance Co, OH. On 2 July 1887 widow Susannah applied for a widow’s pension based on Christian’s Civil War service in Co F 55th IL Infantry. Susannah died on 30 June 1893 @ 72Y 11M 17D and was buried beside her husband. This information was found in the cemetery records for Defiance Co, OH; note that if this were correct, Susannah would have been a mother at age 62.
If you are interested in this couple, check out the comment section. I did find one correction to that – Christian came to the USA in 1836.
1 comment:
Christian's parents were Daniel Gerst and Marguerette Weber, He was born in Rountzenheim in the Alsace, which was and is part of France, but German was the dominant language of area at the time. He came to the U.S with his parents aboard the "Normandie", landing in New York on 29 Oct 1936. The family initially settled for a number of years in the area of Hamburg, Erie County, NY, where his mother died and his father married again to Magdalena Fix. In the 1850's the family moved to the Downers Grove, DuPage County, IL area. As noted, Christian enlisted with Company E, 55th Illinois Infantry in Sep 1861, and re-enlisted in Jan 1864 while the unit was in Larkinsville, AL He received the wound that left him blinded seveeral months later, in Aug 1864 while the unit was involved in fighting around Jonesboro, GA.
After the war he returned to Illinois, where the 1870 Census shows him living in the Downers Grove area with his sister Salome. In the meantime, his father and stepmother had moved to Ohio, where the 1870 Census shows them living in Bryan, Williams Co, OH (listed as Gersh on the Census form). Based on the mention of Fix families in the area, I suspect Magdalena may have been related somehow, but I have not established that connection yet. Sometime in the earlly 1870's Christian also moved to OH and married Fredereke Hormer. After their divorce he married Susannah McCullough Whinery. I'm not sure if this was her second marriage as well, but I suspect McCullough may have been her maiden name.
His father and stepmother died sometime after the 1880 Census. The last mention of them I have found was in a Hannum family genealogy, which indicates they were living in Stryker, Williams Co, OH in 1882 when their son John Henry Gerst married Roxy Belle Moon. Date, place of death and burial are still unknown to me at this time. Daniel and Magdalena (Fix) Gerst are my g-g-g grandparents.
Dan Jens
dan_jens at yahoo
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