'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
- Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky"
Background
In the last post, "John Willig's 90th Birthday Bash", I started to explore the relationship between 4 different Willig immigrants: John Willig, Wilhelmina (Willig) Steinhart, Johann Conrad Willig and Fred Willig. Wading through all of the information often felt like a Lewis Carroll nonsense poem... At this point, I can rather definitively say that Johann Conrad Willig and Wilhelmina Willig are brother and sister.
DNA match
The journey began when Dan, a great-grandson of Johann Conrad Willig, matched the DNA of "Scott". The predicted relationship was distant cousins, with a possible range of 5th to 8th cousins, and a confidence of "moderate". Although this seemed like a remote match, Scott included a "Wilhelmina Minnie Mina Anna Willig' in his Ancestry tree. She was born 1863 in Germany, the daughter of Carl Willig. She married Fidel Steinhart and died in 1933 in Blue Island! Dan and Scott turned out to be third cousins, once removed!
John Willig's 90th Birthday Bash
The newspaper article on John Willig's 1931 birthday party listed as attendees three of the children of Johann Conrad Willig, with their families. Johann's children attending were Mary, Louise and Roy, all of Hammond, Indiana. In addition, Minnie Steinhart attended with 7 of her children and their families, all from Blue Island. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Minnie Steinhart were listed as attending, Minnie's husband Fidel had died in 1918. At least 3 of her children were living with her and probably paying rent! Minnie's children attending were Amalia, Ada (daughter-in-law), Fidel, Amanda, Arthur, Erwin and Harold.Minnie Steinhart is a Willig
| Name: | Anna Mina Willig |
|---|---|
| Age: | 23 |
| Gender: | Female |
| Birth Year: | abt 1864 |
| Marriage Type: | Marriage |
| Marriage Date: | 5 Feb 1887 |
| Marriage Place: | Blue Island, Cook, Illinois |
| Spouse Name: | Fidel Steinhart |
| Spouse Age: | 26 |
| Spouse Gender: | Male |
Ancestry.com; Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920; Anna Mina Willig.
Death Certificates for Johann and Wilhelmina Willig
| Name | Minnie Steinhart |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 5 Jul 1863 |
| Birth Place | Kasal, Germany |
| Death Date | 26 Jun 1933 |
| Death Place | Chicago, Cook, Illinois |
| Burial Place | Thornton, Cook, Ill. |
| Cemetery Name | Hazelwood |
| Death Age | 69 |
| Occupation | Housewife |
| Race | White |
| Marital Status | M |
| Gender | Female |
| Street Address | 2450 James St. |
| Residence | Blue Island, Ill. |
| Father Name | Carl Willig |
| Father Birth Place | Kasal, Germany |
| Mother Name | Minnie Brill |
| Mother Birth Place | Kasal, Germany |
| Spouse Name | Fidel |
| Comments | Mrs. |
I managed to overlook Johann Conrad Willig's death certificate for many years! But the two death certificates, taken together, surely indicate a brother/sister relationship .
- PARENTS: The parents of Johann are Carl Willig and Brill.The parents of Wilhelmina are Carl Willig and Minnie Brill.
- BIRTHPLACE: Johann and his parents are just listed as being born in Germany, but family oral tradition says that Johann was from Kassel in the state of Hesse. Wilhelmina and her parents were born in Kasal, Germany.
- BIRTHDATE: Johann was born in September 1860. Wilhelmina was born in July 1863. Based on birth dates, they could readily be siblings and may have been immediately adjacent in birth order.
Life of Johann Conrad Willig
Johann Conrad Willig was born on September 4, 1860, in Kassel, Germany, the son of Carl Willig and Minnie Brill. On November 20, 1882, he arrived in New York City on the ship 'Werra'. The ship departed from Bremen, Germany, and appears to have stopped in Southampton, England. He is listed as a 22 year old laborer from Hesse, Germany, berthing in steerage, with one piece of luggage. He appears to have come alone. At least, I haven't yet identified any companions or likely relatives on the ship. (He was indexed as Joh Cour Willig, but they tended to abbreviate names and I read it as 'Joh Conr Willig'.) The 'Werra' was an express liner built in Glasgow, Scotland, for the shipping line North German Lloyd. The maiden voyage was in October 1882, one month before Johann's immigration. The ship allowed for 125 first-class passengers, 130 second-class passengers and 1,000 passengers in third-class or steerage. |
| Ancestry.com; New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957; Joh Cour Willig. |
Ancestry.com; Passenger Ships and Images; Werra (1882-1903).
In January, 1885, Johann married Wilhelmina Reinhardt in Morgan Park, Cook County, Illinois. It appears that they got their marriage license on January 5 and married on January 11. They had 10 children together: Emma Madlyn (1886), Mary (1888), Carl Louis (1890), Anna Marie Susana (1892), Louise Henrietta (1895), Christina (abt 1898), Carrie (abt 1900), Lucille (1902), Roy Paul (1904) and John Fred (1906). In a later census, we learn that Johann and his wife Wilhelmina both completed 8 years of education.
On October 19, 1892, John C. Willig was naturalized in the Superior Court of Cook County. Based on naturalization law of the time, this would have automatically resulted in the naturalization of his wife Wilhelmina.
From about 1889 - 1910, John lived in Hegewisch, Illinois, where he worked as a machinist foreman in the Pressed Steel Car company. In 1900, John lived at 13156 Houston Avenue, where he owned his home free of a mortgage! He lived there with his wife and 5 oldest children.
By 1910, he had moved to Hammond, Indiana, just over the Illinois border.He was renting at 187 Sheffield Avenue. He worked as a foreman in a machine shop and had been out of work for 26 weeks during 1909. He was living with his wife and 7 children. His eldest daughter, Emma, had married and 2 of his daughters, Christina and Carrie, were deceased. I have not found any records for Christina or Carrie, other than the indication in the 1910 census that 2 children were deceased. I only know about these 2 based on information from Bernice (Willig) Spatz.
By 1917, John is living at 189 Sheffield Avenue. By 1920, he owns this home with a mortgage. He is working as a foreman in a car shop. Also in the home are wife Minnie, daughter Anna, sons Roy and John, and daughter Louise with her husband Orville Collins. Anna is working as a stenographer for a motor car company and Orville is working as a clerk at a steel mill. Roy and John are both going to school. The 3 oldest children are married and Lucille died in 1911, at age 9.
By 1930, John owns his home at 189 Sheffield, which is valued at $6,000. He does not own a radio set. He is working as a foreman at a steel mill. The only other occupant of his home is Minnie! By 1931, he retired, although he did work for a while as a laborer.
In 1940, he is living in the same house, now renumbered to 4433 Sheffield! The house is now valued at $3,000, probably related to the Great Depression. He is living there with his wife Minnie, his son Roy, Roy's wife and Roy's 2 daughters. Roy is working as a chief clerk at a steel mill.
During his 30 years in Hammond, John served as a deacon in St. John's Lutheran Church. He was also a founder and director of the Concordia Cemetery association.
John C. Willig died at his home, in Hammond, Indiana, on July 27, 1940, aged 79. Cause of death appears to be kidney problems. He was survived by his wife and 7 children. Services were held at St. John's Lutheran Church and he was buried at Concordia cemetery in Hammond. Also buried there are his wife Minnie, daughter Emma (with husband John Paul), son Carl, daughter Lucille, son Roy and son John (with wife Gertrude).
Life of Wilhelmina Willig
Anna Wilhelmina Willig was born on July 5, 1863, in Kassel, Germany, the daughter of Carl Willig and Minnie Brill. It is not clear when she arrived in the United States. Two sources state that she arrived in 1882, one that she arrived in 1888 and one that she arrived in September 1887. Since she married in Blue Island in February 1887, perhaps 1882 is the likeliest date! If so, she would have been 19 years of age and would have come to the United States in the same year that her brother Johann came!
On February 5, 1887, Wilhelmina married Fidel Steinhart in Blue Island, Illinois. They had 8 children together: John Emil (born 22 Dec 1887), Amalia (1890), Oscar (1892), Fidel Walter (1894), Amanda Erma (1897), Arthur (1899), Erwin Reman (1903) and Harold Frederick (1906).
On October 15, 1892, Fidel Steinhart was naturalized in the Superior Court of Cook County, which resulted in the automatic naturalization of his wife Wilhelmina. It was just four days later that Johann Willig was naturalized!
In 1900, Wilhelmina lived with her husband and six children at 207 James Street in Blue Island. (Blue Island is about 10 miles from Hegewisch, where Johann lived.) Fidel was working as a contractor for the Sewer Building. The 3 oldest children were attending school. In addition, there were 3 men who boarded there. All of them were laborers and had been born in Germany. One had just arrived, one had been here 30 years and one had been here 50 years. The one who had been here 50 years was John Brill, who was born in 1828 and widowed. He could read and speak English, but was not able to write. Since Wilhelmina's mother was Wilhelmina Brill, I suspect this could be Wilhelmina's and Johann's uncle!
In 1910, Wilhelmina lived with her husband and all 8 children at 209 James Street. It is not clear to me if they moved next door or if there was an error in the census! In addition, there is a 40-year old lodger who was born in Switzerland and a young couple with a daughter living at the same address. Fidel owns his home with a mortgage. Fidel and his sons John (22) and Oscar (17) all work as cement contractors. The Swiss boarder works as a butcher in a market and the young man works as a bartender in a saloon.
Fidel died on January 17, 1918, in Blue Island, possibly of the flu. In 1920, Minnie is living with her sons Jack, Arthur, Erwin and Harold, and 3 boarders, at the same address on James Street. In addition, her daughter Amalia is living there with her husband and 3 children. Son Jack (32) is working as a steam fitter at a foundry, son Arthur (20) is working as a laborer and son-in-law Leonard Ames is working as a clerk in a railroad office. The three boarders are working as a steam fitter at a food concern, as a laborer at a gas plant and as a steam shovel engineer on the canal.
In 1930, Minnie is living at 2450 James, which is probably a renumbering of 209 James Street. Her house is worth $5,000 and she owns a radio! Numerous family members are living with her. Her son Arthur lives there with his wife and 4 children and he works as a steam shovel engineer. Her son Erwin lives there with his wife and 2 children and he works as a state policeman. In addition, her daughter-in-law, Ada, widow of son Oscar, lives there with her 2 children.
On August 16, 1931, Wilhelmina attended John Willig's birthday bash with 7 of her children and/or their families. Arthur, Erwin, and Ada, all living with her, attended the party. In addition, Amalia, Fidel, Amanda and Harold attended the party! The only child who did not attend was John, even though he was living in Blue Island.
Minnie died on June 26, 1933, aged 69, in Chicago. She is buried in Washington Memory Gardens (aka Hazelwood Cemetery) in Homewood, Illinois, near her husband Fidel and her son Oscar, both of whom predeceased her.
In 1930, Minnie is living at 2450 James, which is probably a renumbering of 209 James Street. Her house is worth $5,000 and she owns a radio! Numerous family members are living with her. Her son Arthur lives there with his wife and 4 children and he works as a steam shovel engineer. Her son Erwin lives there with his wife and 2 children and he works as a state policeman. In addition, her daughter-in-law, Ada, widow of son Oscar, lives there with her 2 children.
Ancestry.com; 1930 US census (Illinois, Cook, Blue Island); Minnie Steinhart.
On August 16, 1931, Wilhelmina attended John Willig's birthday bash with 7 of her children and/or their families. Arthur, Erwin, and Ada, all living with her, attended the party. In addition, Amalia, Fidel, Amanda and Harold attended the party! The only child who did not attend was John, even though he was living in Blue Island.
Minnie died on June 26, 1933, aged 69, in Chicago. She is buried in Washington Memory Gardens (aka Hazelwood Cemetery) in Homewood, Illinois, near her husband Fidel and her son Oscar, both of whom predeceased her.
Summary
Johann Conrad Willig and Wilhelmina (Willig) Steinhart are clearly related, based on a DNA match, and it is highly likely that they are brother and sister. The intersection points of their lives are as follows:
- Both were born in Kassel, Germany, children of Carl Willig and Minnie Brill. (Johann's death certificate does not give his mother's first name, but this seems like a minor matter.)
- Both probably immigrated to the United States in 1882. We have a definite immigration record for Johann in 1882 and the preponderance of evidence is that Wilhelmina immigrated in 1882, even though we cannot find her on a passenger list.
- They were naturalized 4 days apart! Wilhelmina's husband (and therefore Wilhelmina) were naturalized October 15, 1892, and Johann was naturalized October 19!
- They lived about 10 miles apart. Johann initially lived in Hegewisch, Illinois, and Wilhelmina lived in Blue Island, Illinois.
- They or their families both attended John Willig's 90th birthday bash. Wilhelmina only lived about 2 miles away from the party and attended with 7 of her children. Johann lived in Hammond, about 10 miles away from the party location. Johann and his wife did NOT attend the party. At least, they are not listed. But 3 of his children (Mary, Louise and Roy) did attend.
Sources
- Ancestry, www.ancestry.com.
- Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com.
- Bible of Irene (Connell) Willig, owned by Bernice (Willig) Spatz.
- Personal knowledge of James Vernon Willig, Jr.
- Photobucket, http://photobucket.com/images/borogoves, ChrisGunderson.
