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Family: Johann Michael Martin Feucht / Margarethe Jacobine Christine Friedrik Schambach

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Excerpted from "The Feucht Family Record" dated ABT 1968

Johann Feucht (born Sept. 14, 1845) was married to Jacobena Schambach (born Nov. 24, 1853) in the spring of 1876 at Finsteroth, Wurttemberg, Germany. They owned several acres of ground, a little here and there, near the village of Finsteroth, on which they raised wheat for flour, hay for cattle, potatoes, etc., and all the food needed to sustain their family. They also had an orchard which fruit was mostly used for their family. Some was dried for use in the winter. At first the farming was all done by hand, but later with horses especially for the plowing. Cows produced the dairy products for the family and later goats were used for milk too.

Johann bought fruit and wood from others and then with his horses drove to the big town of Heilbron to sell them at a stand that he had set up. While the horses were resting, he would sell his goods and then return home.

Eleven children were born to this union; the first two being a set of twin boys, of which the one died at birth. Of the other three sons and six daughters, one of each died before they reached one year of age.  The other eight children, with the exception of Pauline  and William who were just six and five when they came to America, all attended the little village Lutheran school in Finsteroth.

Jacobena was brought up Lutheran, then went to the Methodist church awhile, but still was not satisfied.  A neighbor invited her to attend church with her once, which happened to be the Apostolic Christian Church. She felt that here was a faith that she had been looking for, and in 1894, she and her daughter Caroline, were taken up as members.

Jacobena had a cousin, George Schambach, living in Elgin, Illinois, and after some correspondence back and forth it was decided that one by one the children and then the folks would move to America where living conditions were better and where there was no military service for the boys.

So in May 1892, their oldest son Gottfried (14 years old) came over to America by himself. Two years later, in 1894, Rosena and Albert (ages 15 and 14) came over, followed by Carl and Frieda in May 1895 (then 14 and 11 years old).

In the spring of 1897, Father and Mother with their three last children, Caroline (14), Pauline (6) and William (5) packed up their belongings, said goodbye to their friends at Finsteroth, W^irttemberg, Germany, and headed for Antwerp, Belguin (a three days ride by train from Heilbron, Germany), where they boarded a ship called "Freesland .

They were on the ocean about 9 days and were often sick. When they finally landed in New York, they took a two days journey by train to Elgin, Illinois, where they were met by some of their family and the Geo. Schambachs.

Their son, Carl, was farming near Elgin at the time, so they moved in with him and were there for about seven years before moving to Stark, Illinois in 1904. They were near Stark for another four years, spending two years with Carl again (before he moved to Lester) and the other two years with their son, Fred. During the winter of 1906 and the spring of 1907, they, along with their daughter Caroline, made a visit to Germany.

In 1908, they moved to Iowa, living on a farm near Larchwood for about two years. In 1910 their daughter, Caroline, got married and they lived in with her and her husband until their deaths.               

Johann passed away on March 27, 1926, and Jacobena, who had been in ill health for some time, passed away on June 9, 1933.  Their final resting places are in the Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery south of Lester, Iowa.

Feucht, Johann - History

History of Johann Feucht from Feucht Family Record

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