Johann Christian and
Magdalena (Hoefflicker) Morman
Johann Christian Morman
According to the German naming custom, first names were "Saint's names" and people were commonly known by their "middle" name. Thus, Johann Christian was known as Christian. Cris was a variation of his name found in one census record.
The family last name was also spelled in various ways in census records -- Mohrman, Moormann, Moreman, etc.
1810-1852 - Life in Germany
Christian was born February 9, 1810, in Schwerin, Mecklenburg, Germany.[1] (This birth date was obtained from his death notice in one of Effingham’s papers. Possibly it is too early? Most other records indicate a birth year closer to 1820.)
“Traditionally Mecklenburg has always been one of the poorer German areas…. The reasons for this may be varied, but one factor stands out: agriculturally the land is poor and can not produce at the same level as other parts of Germany.”
“Life in Mecklenburg could be quite harsh. Practices such as having to ask for permission from the Grand Duke to get married, or having to apply for permission to emigrate, would linger late into the history of Mecklenburg (i.e. 1918), long after such practices had been abandoned in other German areas….” [2]
1850's ~ Christian Immigrates to the United States
“Archival records show Christian Moormann from Mecklenburg traveling to Ohio leaving from the port at Hamburg arrived October 05 in the year 1852 on a ship named Leibnitz. He was about age 33 years at the time and was listed in the customs manifest as a Farmer.” [3]
There were 149 passengers on the Leibnitz during Christian’s voyage.[4] Christian traveled in steerage and had only one box of possessions with him. He was also apparently traveling alone. There were no other Mormans listed on the ship. [5]
His stated purpose was "Staying in the USA." His destination was listed as Ohio, but I am uncertain if he ever lived there, because I only have records of him in Illinois. However, the fact that he listed Ohio as his destination could indicate that he had relatives or friends there.
At some point, Christian Morman ended up in Illinois where he met and married a young recent immigrant named Magdalena "Lana" Hoeffliger. To read more about her family, click --> here.
1860’s ~ A Mystery and Marriage of Christian & Lana
Lana is listed in the 1860 census as living in a rural suburb of Chicago called Northfield. Her husband is listed as George Morman, and there are two children, Eliza and Frederick. This is a mystery. Did she actually have two husbands -- George Morman and Christian Morman (perhaps brothers or relatives)? Or was the name George Morman listed in error, and she was actually married to Christian all along?
Here is the census record for our family in 1860:
1860 Census; July; Northfield, Cook County, Illinois
[Note: An 1860 agricultural census shows a George Morman living in Frankfurt, Will County, Illinois, about 50 miles south of Northfield. Could this be the same George Morman? He owned 30 acres of improved land. Details include: Cash value ~ $600, value of implements and machinery ~ $50, livestock ~ 3 milkcows, 2 working oxen, 4 other cattle. 3 swine. Value of livestock: $200. 300 bushels of Indian corn, 200 bushels of oats, etc. I'm not sure if there is any connection to our family in Northfield.]
Probably "George Morman" was written in error and Lana's first husband was actually Christian Morman. She had a son, our ancestor, John Christian Morman on May 25, 1861. Because of the shared name "Christian," it would appear his father was Christian Morman, not George Morman. And it seems unlikely (although not impossible) that a death, remarriage and birth would have occured within the short timeframe of July 1860 to May 1861.
My records say that John Christian, Jr., was born in Effingham County, Illinois. I don't have a source for Effingham as his birthplace, however, and it is likely that he was actually born in Northfield, Cook County. Apparently, the Morman family had not yet moved to Effingham, as evidenced by the birth and death of John Christian's younger sister in Northfield. Maria Magdalena Morman was born on Christmas day of 1862. She died in August of 1863, and her gravestone is in the cemetery of St. Peter's Church in Northfield (or possibly Northbrook.)
By 1865, the Mormans were living in Effingham County, for sure. The 1865 Illinois state census shows Christian "Mareman" living in the little town of Summit. Effingham County was about 230 miles south of Cook County. (The state census listed only the heads of families, and leaves no clues about his and Magdalena's marriage date.)
1870's
Magdalena's parents and siblings also moved to Effingham County. Both the Mormans and the Hoefflickers are listed in the 1870 U.S. census in the town of Douglas.
1870 Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois
1880’s ~ Tragedy
The 1880’s would be a tragic decade for the Morman family. It started out well, with a robust family of nine. Here is the family in 1880:
1880 U.S. Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois
Sadly, between 1885 and 1886, Lana's husband Christian, her oldest son Fred, and her youngest daughters Betty and Sophia all died.
A German language paper called the Effingham Volksblatt ran articles about the tragedies.
Thursday, February 26, 1885
"On Friday evening, the 20th of February, Farmer Christian Mormann died from an abdominal infection at the age of 75 years and 11 days on his farm located 3 miles northwest of here after a seven-week-Iong illness. The deceased was born in Mecklenburg Strelitz, had lived in the county for 20 years, and was revered and respected by all who knew him. The funeral took place at the local Lutheran cemetery on Sunday amid a large number of mourners. He leaves behind an elderly widow and eight children from 10 to 27 years of age. Rest in peace!"
Thursday, April 23, 1885
The Widow Mormann, who lives on a farm five miles northwest of here, has met with a sad fate. Her husband died about two months ago as was reported in the Volksplatt at that time, and now her two young daughters Sophie and Bertha have drowned at the age of 10 and 13 years. They attended the Lutheran school in Effingham, and left their parental home on Wednesday as usual, but didn't come home in the evening.Since it had rained profusely in the afternoon and since the children usually stayed with acquaintances or with their aunt Mrs. Hoefflicker on Green Creek when the weather was bad, their absence didn't raise the slightest suspicion. But when they also didn't come home on Thursday evening, Mrs. Morman had her son drive her to Effingham, and she learned here that her children were staying with their aunt mentioned above, Mrs. Hoefflicker. Then she sent word to the children that they didn't need to come home before Sunday, she would send them their Sunday clothes. When she had her son take the clothes to the Hoefflicker's on Saturday morning, he came back with the terrifying news that the girls hadn't been there at all. It emerged that the children had set off on the way home on Wednesday afternoon. They had to cross the Green Creek, and indeed on a log serving as a bridge. The creek was swollen to two feet under the log at that time and was moving quickly. It is assumed that the children fell off and into the water there. In favor of this opinion is the discovery of an umbrella belonging to one of the children some 300 feet from the bridge in question. Further, about an hour before the time the children had to cross the log, a son of Farmer Hoefflicker, who lived near the creek, rode through the creek, and when he came back later, he discovered that the grapevine, 1.5 inches thick, which spanned the creek next to the log as a kind of support, was broken. Since Sunday, 25 to 40 people have been searching for the children, the creek and the Wabash have been searched with a boat, and sandbanks have been dug up, but nothing but the afore-mentioned umbrella has been found so far. The opinion has been expressed by some that the children could have been abducted by tramps, but this is doubted.
Thursday, July 9, 1885
The Mormann children drowned on the 15th of April have finally been found, and this will put an end to all the sensational rumors which have been in circulation until now....
Hundreds of people gathered quickly on the bank on Sunday and watched in suspense as the people worked. The unlucky mother of the children sat constantly on the beach and let her tears run freely. In spite of the terrible misfortune, it is nevertheless something of a comfort to her that she now knows what has happened to her poor children. Since their death, she has been held in a constant state of agitation due to false rumors by foolish people....
Thursday, September 3, 1886
"It is once again our sad duty to report about a death in the Mormann family, which has been so horribly afflicted this year. The oldest son of Widow Mormann, Friedrich, died after a short illness at the age of 29 years on Sunday evening. The funeral took place on Tuesday at the Lutheran cemetery here. This is the fourth death in the same family in a period of not quite one year."
After all this sorrow, a celebration must have been a welcome reprieve. One happy occurence in the 1880's was the marriage of young John Christian Morman and Sophia Kuhlman. They wed September 27, 1887. [6]
1890's-1900's
John Christian and Sophia had five children: Carl (born 1888), John Christian Edward (born 1890), Theodore (our ancestor, born 1892), Emelia (born 1895), and Josephine (born 1898). They moved to a nearby town named Watson, while John Christian's mother Lana lived in the township of Douglas, with her single daughter Annie.
1900 Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois (Note: the 1890 federal census is not available, having been lost in fire.)
1900 Census – Watson, Effingham County, Illinois
[1] Effingham Volksblatt, February 26, 1885.
[2] “Mecklenburg.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg. Accessed July 19, 2010.
[3] “1852 Immigration Record Overview : Christian Moormann” http://www.germanimmigrants1850s.com/index.php?id=1695613&do=ab. Accessed October 22, 2014.
[4] “19th Century Germanic Immigrants to USA arrived on 10-05-1852.” http://www.germanimmigrants1850s.com/index.php?m=10&d=05&y=1852 . Accessed October 22, 2014.
[5] Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=nypl&h=445973&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t82872_p-2129789893_kpidz0q3d-2129789893z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid NOTE: Ancestry.com lists the ship as “Deburtz,” but I believe they transcribed the name incorrectly.
6. Illinois County Marriages, 1800-1940; Illinois Marriage Index, 1860-1920; and Illinois, Marriages, 1851-1900. All accessed through www.ancestry.com.
According to the German naming custom, first names were "Saint's names" and people were commonly known by their "middle" name. Thus, Johann Christian was known as Christian. Cris was a variation of his name found in one census record.
The family last name was also spelled in various ways in census records -- Mohrman, Moormann, Moreman, etc.
1810-1852 - Life in Germany
Christian was born February 9, 1810, in Schwerin, Mecklenburg, Germany.[1] (This birth date was obtained from his death notice in one of Effingham’s papers. Possibly it is too early? Most other records indicate a birth year closer to 1820.)
“Traditionally Mecklenburg has always been one of the poorer German areas…. The reasons for this may be varied, but one factor stands out: agriculturally the land is poor and can not produce at the same level as other parts of Germany.”
“Life in Mecklenburg could be quite harsh. Practices such as having to ask for permission from the Grand Duke to get married, or having to apply for permission to emigrate, would linger late into the history of Mecklenburg (i.e. 1918), long after such practices had been abandoned in other German areas….” [2]
1850's ~ Christian Immigrates to the United States
“Archival records show Christian Moormann from Mecklenburg traveling to Ohio leaving from the port at Hamburg arrived October 05 in the year 1852 on a ship named Leibnitz. He was about age 33 years at the time and was listed in the customs manifest as a Farmer.” [3]
There were 149 passengers on the Leibnitz during Christian’s voyage.[4] Christian traveled in steerage and had only one box of possessions with him. He was also apparently traveling alone. There were no other Mormans listed on the ship. [5]
His stated purpose was "Staying in the USA." His destination was listed as Ohio, but I am uncertain if he ever lived there, because I only have records of him in Illinois. However, the fact that he listed Ohio as his destination could indicate that he had relatives or friends there.
At some point, Christian Morman ended up in Illinois where he met and married a young recent immigrant named Magdalena "Lana" Hoeffliger. To read more about her family, click --> here.
1860’s ~ A Mystery and Marriage of Christian & Lana
Lana is listed in the 1860 census as living in a rural suburb of Chicago called Northfield. Her husband is listed as George Morman, and there are two children, Eliza and Frederick. This is a mystery. Did she actually have two husbands -- George Morman and Christian Morman (perhaps brothers or relatives)? Or was the name George Morman listed in error, and she was actually married to Christian all along?
Here is the census record for our family in 1860:
1860 Census; July; Northfield, Cook County, Illinois
- George Morman, laborer, age 36, born about 1824 in Mecklenburg, male
- Magdelene Morman, age 29, born about 1858 in France, female
- Eliza Morman, age 2, born about 1858 in Illinois, female Fredk Morman, age 1, born about 1859 in Illinois, male
[Note: An 1860 agricultural census shows a George Morman living in Frankfurt, Will County, Illinois, about 50 miles south of Northfield. Could this be the same George Morman? He owned 30 acres of improved land. Details include: Cash value ~ $600, value of implements and machinery ~ $50, livestock ~ 3 milkcows, 2 working oxen, 4 other cattle. 3 swine. Value of livestock: $200. 300 bushels of Indian corn, 200 bushels of oats, etc. I'm not sure if there is any connection to our family in Northfield.]
Probably "George Morman" was written in error and Lana's first husband was actually Christian Morman. She had a son, our ancestor, John Christian Morman on May 25, 1861. Because of the shared name "Christian," it would appear his father was Christian Morman, not George Morman. And it seems unlikely (although not impossible) that a death, remarriage and birth would have occured within the short timeframe of July 1860 to May 1861.
My records say that John Christian, Jr., was born in Effingham County, Illinois. I don't have a source for Effingham as his birthplace, however, and it is likely that he was actually born in Northfield, Cook County. Apparently, the Morman family had not yet moved to Effingham, as evidenced by the birth and death of John Christian's younger sister in Northfield. Maria Magdalena Morman was born on Christmas day of 1862. She died in August of 1863, and her gravestone is in the cemetery of St. Peter's Church in Northfield (or possibly Northbrook.)
By 1865, the Mormans were living in Effingham County, for sure. The 1865 Illinois state census shows Christian "Mareman" living in the little town of Summit. Effingham County was about 230 miles south of Cook County. (The state census listed only the heads of families, and leaves no clues about his and Magdalena's marriage date.)
1870's
Magdalena's parents and siblings also moved to Effingham County. Both the Mormans and the Hoefflickers are listed in the 1870 U.S. census in the town of Douglas.
1870 Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois
- Christian Moreman age 56, born about 1814, Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Magdalene Moreman age 39, born about 1831, France
- Gabel Moreman age 13, born about 1857, Illinois, male (Note: Another mystery. There was no Gabel Morman in the 1860 census. There was, however, an Eliza Morman, and she is not included in the 1870 census. Is this an enumeration error?)
- Fritz Moreman age 11, born about 1859, Illinois, male (listed as "Fredk." in the 860 census)
- John Moreman age 8, born about 1862, Illinois, male (our ancestor)
- Emily Moreman age 5, born about 1865, Illinois, female
- Anna Moreman age 5/12 months, born about 1870, Illinois, female
1880’s ~ Tragedy
The 1880’s would be a tragic decade for the Morman family. It started out well, with a robust family of nine. Here is the family in 1880:
1880 U.S. Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois
- Cris Mormon, born about 1820, Germany, Self
- Lana Mormon, born about 1825, France, Wife
- Elz. Fred Mormon, born about 1859, Illinois, Son (I think Eliza and Fred were accidently combined on the same line here.)
- John Mormon, born about 1861, Illinois, Son
- Emma Mormon, born about 1864, Illinois, Daughter
- Wittie Mormon, born about 1866, Illinois, Son (Note: for some reason, Wittie wasn't in the earlier 1870 census.)
- Annie Mormon, born about 1869, Illinois, Daughter
- Betty Mormon, born about 1871, Illinois, Daughter
- Sophia Mormon, born about 1875, Illinois, Daughter
Sadly, between 1885 and 1886, Lana's husband Christian, her oldest son Fred, and her youngest daughters Betty and Sophia all died.
A German language paper called the Effingham Volksblatt ran articles about the tragedies.
Thursday, February 26, 1885
"On Friday evening, the 20th of February, Farmer Christian Mormann died from an abdominal infection at the age of 75 years and 11 days on his farm located 3 miles northwest of here after a seven-week-Iong illness. The deceased was born in Mecklenburg Strelitz, had lived in the county for 20 years, and was revered and respected by all who knew him. The funeral took place at the local Lutheran cemetery on Sunday amid a large number of mourners. He leaves behind an elderly widow and eight children from 10 to 27 years of age. Rest in peace!"
Thursday, April 23, 1885
The Widow Mormann, who lives on a farm five miles northwest of here, has met with a sad fate. Her husband died about two months ago as was reported in the Volksplatt at that time, and now her two young daughters Sophie and Bertha have drowned at the age of 10 and 13 years. They attended the Lutheran school in Effingham, and left their parental home on Wednesday as usual, but didn't come home in the evening.Since it had rained profusely in the afternoon and since the children usually stayed with acquaintances or with their aunt Mrs. Hoefflicker on Green Creek when the weather was bad, their absence didn't raise the slightest suspicion. But when they also didn't come home on Thursday evening, Mrs. Morman had her son drive her to Effingham, and she learned here that her children were staying with their aunt mentioned above, Mrs. Hoefflicker. Then she sent word to the children that they didn't need to come home before Sunday, she would send them their Sunday clothes. When she had her son take the clothes to the Hoefflicker's on Saturday morning, he came back with the terrifying news that the girls hadn't been there at all. It emerged that the children had set off on the way home on Wednesday afternoon. They had to cross the Green Creek, and indeed on a log serving as a bridge. The creek was swollen to two feet under the log at that time and was moving quickly. It is assumed that the children fell off and into the water there. In favor of this opinion is the discovery of an umbrella belonging to one of the children some 300 feet from the bridge in question. Further, about an hour before the time the children had to cross the log, a son of Farmer Hoefflicker, who lived near the creek, rode through the creek, and when he came back later, he discovered that the grapevine, 1.5 inches thick, which spanned the creek next to the log as a kind of support, was broken. Since Sunday, 25 to 40 people have been searching for the children, the creek and the Wabash have been searched with a boat, and sandbanks have been dug up, but nothing but the afore-mentioned umbrella has been found so far. The opinion has been expressed by some that the children could have been abducted by tramps, but this is doubted.
Thursday, July 9, 1885
The Mormann children drowned on the 15th of April have finally been found, and this will put an end to all the sensational rumors which have been in circulation until now....
Hundreds of people gathered quickly on the bank on Sunday and watched in suspense as the people worked. The unlucky mother of the children sat constantly on the beach and let her tears run freely. In spite of the terrible misfortune, it is nevertheless something of a comfort to her that she now knows what has happened to her poor children. Since their death, she has been held in a constant state of agitation due to false rumors by foolish people....
Thursday, September 3, 1886
"It is once again our sad duty to report about a death in the Mormann family, which has been so horribly afflicted this year. The oldest son of Widow Mormann, Friedrich, died after a short illness at the age of 29 years on Sunday evening. The funeral took place on Tuesday at the Lutheran cemetery here. This is the fourth death in the same family in a period of not quite one year."
After all this sorrow, a celebration must have been a welcome reprieve. One happy occurence in the 1880's was the marriage of young John Christian Morman and Sophia Kuhlman. They wed September 27, 1887. [6]
1890's-1900's
John Christian and Sophia had five children: Carl (born 1888), John Christian Edward (born 1890), Theodore (our ancestor, born 1892), Emelia (born 1895), and Josephine (born 1898). They moved to a nearby town named Watson, while John Christian's mother Lana lived in the township of Douglas, with her single daughter Annie.
1900 Census – Douglas, Effingham County, Illinois (Note: the 1890 federal census is not available, having been lost in fire.)
- Magdelen Morman, head of household, born April 1831 in Germany. Eight children. Five living.
- Annie M. Morman, daughter, widowed, born April 1884, IL., one child.
- John Morman, grandson of Lana, son of Annie, Oct. 1890, Illinois
- Henry Morman, grandson of Lana, born June 1889, Illinois.
1900 Census – Watson, Effingham County, Illinois
- John C. Morman
- Sophia M. Morman
- Karl F. Morman
- John E. Morman
- Theodore M Morman
- Melia M. Morman
- Josephine L. Morman
[1] Effingham Volksblatt, February 26, 1885.
[2] “Mecklenburg.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg. Accessed July 19, 2010.
[3] “1852 Immigration Record Overview : Christian Moormann” http://www.germanimmigrants1850s.com/index.php?id=1695613&do=ab. Accessed October 22, 2014.
[4] “19th Century Germanic Immigrants to USA arrived on 10-05-1852.” http://www.germanimmigrants1850s.com/index.php?m=10&d=05&y=1852 . Accessed October 22, 2014.
[5] Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=nypl&h=445973&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t82872_p-2129789893_kpidz0q3d-2129789893z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid NOTE: Ancestry.com lists the ship as “Deburtz,” but I believe they transcribed the name incorrectly.
6. Illinois County Marriages, 1800-1940; Illinois Marriage Index, 1860-1920; and Illinois, Marriages, 1851-1900. All accessed through www.ancestry.com.