Dear Reader,

By 1876 some of the Moschels had lived in the United States for nearly 20 years, some a bit longer. Margaret Schantz Moschel, the widow who had moved from Webenheim, Germany, to Peoria, Illinois, in 1862 with 6 children (two stepchildren coming earlier and one child coming later), had lived here for almost 14 years. In the spring of 1876 she is ready to make another big transition; another move; another new life. Margaret will continue to move West, this time to Beatrice, Nebraska, following some of her children who already live there. Margaret is 62 in the spring of 1876. Her children and stepchildren are adults and all leading their own lives. These lives are led in Chenoa, Illinois; Pekin, Illinois; Beatrice, Nebraska; and St. Louis, Missouri. Before starting this story, here are some facts about Margaret's nine children in 1876.

Louisa Moschel Muller Margaret's oldest stepdaughter is 43. She came to the U.S. in 1854 to the Peoria area. In 1880 she still lives in Pekin, Illinois, but she eventually moves to Beatrice, Nebraska, perhaps after her husband Jacob Muller dies. Louisa has four children by 1876 with one infant dying in Pekin.

Christian Moschel Christian, Margaret's second stepchild, was the first Moschel from this nuclear family to come to America. He arrived in 1853. Christian fought in the Civil War as a Captain in the Missouri regiment from April 1862 to November 1862. By 1870 he resided in St. Louis and became an owner of a gravel company by 1876. He was married to Johanna Huekel who had a child, Emil, by a former marriage. Emil worked in his stepfather's business.

Now let's review where Margaret's own children lived. First, those who came with her to the U.S. in 1862. One exception is Ludwig who came in 1861, a year prior to most of the rest of the children.

Moschel Children-Standing (L-R) Ludwig, Frederick, Charles, Jacob; Seated Catherine, Daniel, Margaret

Margaret Moschel Klein Margaret's oldest living child was also named Margaret. She married John Klein in 1864. This was the first of what was to be three marriages in which Moschel siblings marry Klein siblings. The Kleins came to America from Germany in 1855. It is unknown whether the Moschels and Kleins knew each other in Germany, but probably not. By 1876 daughter Margaret was 34 and she and John had five children. Margaret and John moved from the Peoria area to Chenoa, Illinois, specifically Pike Township, in 1869 and bought a farm there.

Louis (Ludwig) Moschel Louis was 32 in 1876 and married Catherine Klein in 1869, the second marriage of a Moschel sibling marrying a Klein sibling, meaning Catherine was a sister to John Klein which made Catherine a twice sister-in-law to Margaret! And hold on, we have one more of these marriages coming up. Louis and Catherine moved to Beatrice in 1875 and were farming in the area by 1876. Louis and Catherine had three children by 1876 and Catherine was pregnant with the fourth.

Frederick Moschel Frederick was 30 in 1876 and married to Louise Kriegshauser who was pregnant with their first child. They lived in the Chenoa, Illinois, area, Frederick having purchased land there as a bachelor in 1873.

Charles Moschel Charles was 29 in 1876 and married to Maria Braun who was born in Germany. In 1876 the couple had one infant child named Christian. Charles and Maria moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1875 to farm.

Jacob Moschel Jacob was 25 in 1876 and had just married Caroline Bietsch, a woman born in the U.S. (a first!) the year before and they already had their first child. Jacob bought farm land near Chenoa, Illinois, in 1887.

Daniel Moschel Daniel was 22 in 1876 and still single. In the spring of 1876 he was preparing to move to Beatrice, Nebraska, with his mother, Margaret.

Catherine Moschel Catherine was 26 in 1876. She is the one child of Margaret whom we think remained in Webenheim for a time after the rest of the family left in 1862. We don't know why. She came to America on the ship Bremen in March 1865, initially going to the Peoria area to join her family and then to Chenoa in 1871 after she married Jacob Klein, the third marriage in which a Moschel sibling married a Klein sibling, adding to the morass of double relationships. Catherine and Jacob moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1872, starting a general store. By 1876 they had three small children.

Thus, you can see by 1876 Margaret Schantz Moschel had three adult children living in Beatrice, Nebraska; three adult children living in Chenoa, Illinois; one adult step child in St. Louis; one adult step child in Pekin, Illinois, and one son, single, probably living with her.

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At the same time that the new generation was coming on, the generation of elder immigrants was dying. Let's briefly review the children of Georg and Maria Moschel who had come to America as adults in the 1850's after their parents died in Webenheim.

By 1876 the Moschels who had led the way to America were dying. Brother and sister Elizabeth Moschel and Frederick Moschel both died in Peoria, Elizabeth in 1864 and Frederick also in 1864. Johann Moschel, the first of that generation to come to America in 1853, died in 1870 in Peoria, Illinois. Still living of that generation were Johann Nickel Moschel who had come to America in 1861. Johann Nickel became a U.S. citizen in 1868, and then he traveled back to Webenheim in 1870, probably bringing more relatives back with him when he returned. He continued to live in the Morton, Illinois, area in 1876. Also still living in 1876 was Charlotte Moschel who initially lived in Peoria, Illinois, and then moved to the St. Louis area marrying a second time, possibly not divorcing from her first husband who was still living in Webenheim.

What this all means is Margaret Schantz Moschel was simultaneously being a part of a small group of Moschels of her generation still living and knowing the ways of Webenheim and adjusting to the ways of America culture as an older woman. She had already adjusted to arriving in a country in the midst of a Civil War and having a step son fight in that war, then the years of Reconstruction after the Civil War, and now she was ready to move further West with her youngest son where it she would take on the role of pioneer to a relatively new land of white people.

Why was she moving again? Three of her adult children were staying in Illinois, and four of her children cast their lot with going further West. Margaret, for whatever combination of reasons, was moving on rather than remain in the more settled region of Illinois. This woman is a survivor. We now join Margaret as she is packing and getting ready for the big move West.

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Early Drain Tile

It was a glorious spring day in Central Illinois. The farmers prayed for this kind of day to dry the wet lands in hopes that they could plant soon. In her 14 years in Illinois Margaret had come to know the rhythm of farming in Illinois. Corn was the main crop, and she had learned a lot about corn over the years. She had also learned a lot about the rich Illinois land and how to farm it. This land needed to be drained in order to be productive after it had been broken from prairie land.

It all had been so new to her. She had grown up following the rhythms of a cabinetmaker, first as an apprentice and later as he owned his own cabinet shop, with his own apprentices. Life in Illinois was totally different and it depended on the whims of the land and the good graces of nature to make money. She adjusted to that. She had to.

Margaret acquired land in Livingston County from Anna Wallace by quitclaim deed on July 19, 1869. The property was E' SW' in Section 16, Township 27, Range 4. Margaret purchased additional land on September 19, 1870, from the Illinois Central Railroad Co. This time it was the S ½ NE' in Section 22, Township 27. Margaret still owned these pieces of land in 1876. Yes, she, a woman and widow from Germany, owned land in America under her own name. Who would have ever thought that possible 14 years ago when she came to America. Certainly she did not think this would be the outcome. Margaret and her children worked hard over the years to make this happen. They lived through bad crop years and also the financial panic of 1873 which ended up affecting everyone in some way. For some of Margaret's children it was a spur to move on to what they hoped would be greener pastures by going West.

When Margaret reflected on it all, she was proud, very proud of what they had done. She felt she had launched almost all of her children into adult life successfully. They were all married except Daniel, and she was sure he would find someone soon. They had all married German people, and she was certain the values of the old world would be continued in this new world for at least the next generation.

The idea of the family being split apart gnawed at her deeply. Sure, step son Christian was in St. Louis, but he had always been very independent and he had made such a good life for himself in his business. Margaret had traveled to St. Louis to see his general store and gravel company and knew his father's business sense had been passed on to his oldest son. She felt assured that he would continue to well. No doubt about it. She did not have to worry about him. Step daughter Louisa would join them in Beatrice soon. That would be good for her.

Today Margaret was attempting to sort things to go to Beatrice and things to go to the children and grandchildren staying in Illinois. She had five wooden boxes set aside with names on them. Some of the boxes were larger and had these names on them: Margaret, Frederick, and Jacob. These were the children she would leave behind in Illinois. Both symbolically and for real she wanted to leave a part of herself here for them. She had thought carefully for days about what she would leave each of them. The other two boxes were smaller. The names on them were Jacobina and Christian. Jacobina was a favorite niece; Christian was a favorite nephew. Margaret decided you could not help to have favorites, and since these two were staying in Illinois and she was not, now was the time to show a bit of favoritism.

Margaret Moschel Klein

She looked first at the box labeled Margaret. Margaret was her oldest daughter, her namesake, and what would she put in this box. She already had some dishes and towels and other things she had sewed over the years in Illinois. Now it was time to put in the most important thing. She thought about it for days, and now she placed her husband's journal in Margaret's box. This was the journal he was given in 1813 by his father the first day of his apprenticeship in Webenheim. Christian was 13 at the time. It was the same journal Margaret had read the days after her husband died to comfort herself. Now she would leave it in Illinois. There was really no better symbol she could leave to her oldest daughter. Something that meant the world to her, but she knew it was time to pass on. With that thought she caressed it one last time, kissed it, and placed it in the box.

Mother Margaret wanted to put in something for each of daughter Margaret's children, her grandchildren. She had a small piece of jewelry for each of the girls: Katharine, Caroline, Anna, and little Matilda and tiny little cup for John D. with his name on it. She had spent so much time with these grandchildren in the last 11 years since Katharine was born. She told them stories about Einod, Germany, where she was born, and her family and their grandfather whom they had never met. She hoped they would remember. These were her oldest grandchildren and she would miss them terribly in the years to come. She knew that already.

Margaret consoled herself with the facts she knew. John Klein, her son-in-law, was a fine man; a hard worker; and he was clear he was going to be important in this new community of Chenoa. Her son-in-law had come to the U.S. from Bavaria, Germany, in 1855 with his entire family. John had been motivated to emigrate in order to avoid the draft. Margaret thought that wise, never knowing what the King of Bavaria would do. John had worked for one year after his arrival in America to pay off his passage. The second year the family rented a farm near Peoria before moving on to the Chenoa. His father purchased a farm in 1864. John learned to speak English on his own and started renting land in Tazewell County just four years after his arrival in Illinois. In 1869, after the marriage in 1864, Margaret and John Klein came to the Chenoa area and located on a partially improved farm of forty acres which they had purchased a year before. As their financial resources increased, John and Margaret added both acreage and then cultivation of land. John Klein became a citizen on March 28, 1872. He became a Democrat and voted for Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. John was a man that was destined to do much in this small community, Mother Margaret was sure of that. She had no need to worry about her daughter Margaret. She just had to worry about missing her and her grandchildren.

Mother Margaret decided to put an envelope in her daughter's box for her son-in-law as well. She added a small amount of money and note, "For your next bow tie." She liked how John looked when he dressed up.

Next, Margaret turned to the her labeled Frederick and Jacob. Each of her sons were just starting married life, Frederick and his wife Louise were just expecting their first child and Jacob and Caroline had a son less than one year old. Jacob's wife had not been born in Germany and her German was somewhat hard for Margaret to understand, and Margaret's english was far from perfect. Margaret felt she had to treat these new daughters-in-law alike so she put a set of dishes in each box; some silverware; a few pots and pans; and even some of her canned goods. Nothing too personal, Margaret thought, but it will leave a little of me here. Margaret still remembered how her own parents had treated her when she became Christian's wife. She wanted to be a little kinder than that.

Margaret tried to think of something more personal for her sons. She decided nothing could be more helpful now than money. She would take some time tomorrow to write each of them a letter and then give them some money. Frederick had owned land in the Chenoa area since 1873. Jacob rented land. But both would understand a gift of money, Margaret told herself.

Margaret gave a big sign. This sorting and gift giving was hard work emotionally. In many ways it was more difficult than moving from Germany 14 years ago. At that time she still felt she had time and energy and was needed by her family. Now she was older, and the family did not really need her in the same way. She was concerned about not being a burden to them.

Finally, Margaret decided to turn to the boxes with the names Jacobina (her niece) and Christian (her nephew) on them. She smiled. It was pleasant to think of giving something just because she wanted to do so. Both had been such favorites of hers.

Jacobina Moschel Sandmeyer

First, Margaret looked at Jacobina's box. She wanted to put things in the box not only for Jacobina but for her children as well since she felt equally close to them. They had started to arrive before her own grandchildren, and she managed to dote on them a bit before her own arrived.

Margaret thought about the intertwining of her family and her niece Jacobina's young family. Both of them had come to the Chenoa area from Peoria around 1869, both buying farms. Jacobina's husband, George Sandmeyer, had purchased the E ½ SE' par of Section 16, Township 27 in Livingston County on February 1, 1868. Margaret and her family had followed closely after that nearby. Jacobina had married George in 1858 when she was 20 and her children were now 17, 14, 12, and 10. John the oldest, was already looking to be out on a life of his own, but his father wanted him to stay and farm with him.

Margaret would have to think about this a bit longer. She wanted five items at the very least. One for Jacobina and one for each of the children that would be appropriate for their ages. Margaret fussed. This was getting harder than Christmas. Then, she realized, in a way this was Christmas, perhaps the last big Christmas she would have in Illinois. With that thought, she renewed a little vigor for the task at hand. At this moment all she could think of was she wanted to give Jacobina a broach, a rather favorite broach of hers. Somehow that seemed right to do. She would think of the rest of the items later.

The box with Christian on it now had to be contemplated. Christian was a special case and deserved some considerable thought. As was his nature, he had sent a very thoughtful gift to her for her departure. It was a beautiful little case which he made himself being the best tinsmith she knew. He had written a note telling her to put some dirt in the box from Illinois and take it to Nebraska for luck and then use the case to hold something special and remember him. That she would do, with or without the case.

Christian had been such a great little boy, and they lived just doors apart in Webenheim when he was growing up. Now he was in Peoria, had a very good business, a lovely wife, and five wonderful children. But on the sad side, he was separated from his parents in Webenheim; his sister had come to America and died; his other sister had also come to America and married his sister's widower; and now, she, too, was not in the best of health.

Margaret wanted to give Christian something that would remind him of the early days in Webenheim. She still had one of her son Daniel's early toys which he had brought to America with him and somehow Margaret thought this was just the thing to give to Christian for his son. She put it in the box and determined she would put a couple other things in later.

Today Margaret did not want to think any more of what she was leaving to others, she wanted to turn to what she was taking. It would be a difficult journey out to Nebraska, but made easier by being able to take rail most of the way. Even at that, the packing had to be judicious. Now she would turn to what she would take--for herself, for Daniel, and for the Moschels she would be joining in Beatrice. The rest would be put up for auction at a farm sale. That in itself would be another big job. All of her children and in-laws would help with that, of this she was assured. Yes, Margaret thought, I'll start to think of what needs to go and what needs to be put up for sale. We need all the money we can get for our new life in Beatrice, so Margaret thought she would sell as much as possible.

***

Dear Reader,

Before we take the next step to see Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1876 let's take a moment to see what the small community of Chenoa was like while Margaret was there for 14 years.

Even though Chenoa had been established in 1854 it was not until 1868 it was incorporated under a special charter. The charter forbade the granting of license of sale of liquor not only in the town but surrounding the town. Then in 1872 there was a vote called to organize a city. The total number cast was 169--150 for, 18 against.

Chenoa School 1867

In the beginning the city only had paths, but by 1879 there were 12 miles of well cared board walks in town. The first water system originated in 1870 when two reservoirs were built. Prior to that time city house had wells. The library was built in 1862. In the 1860's when the Moschels arrived there were few houses in the prairie outside of town. Chenoa built a second, better, schoolhouse in 1867 at a cost of $30,000. Many churches organized in Chenoa in the 1860's, including Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, Congregational, Mennonite (worshipers from France and Germany), and German Baptist Brethren. The Trinity Lutheran church was not to start until 1901 and there were five men on the building committee. The first listed on that building committee was John Klein, son-in-law to Margaret Moschel Schantz

The oldest continuous store in Chenoa was operated by a man born in Bavaria named Balbach. He was a cobbler in Germany, but started a grocery and dry goods store in Chenoa in 1863. The Chenoa history recounts tales of friends and relatives walking to the Balbach home and store every Sunday with baskets of food. They would leave the food and their "walking shoes" at the Balbachs and go to church with their Sunday shoes which resided at Balbachs. After church they would return and eat and then put on their walking shoes and go home. Sunday shoes stayed at Balbachs.

The first doctor in Chenoa came in 1863 and others followed in 1867, and by 1876 one of the town doctors was Dr. E. Holderness who, it appeared, tried to keep abreast of the latest medical techniques by going for post graduate work and attending lectures. Other businesses in Chenoa by 1870 included: carriage maker, law, real estate, flouring mill, hotels, insurance, lumber, dry goods, grain elevators, drugs, furniture and coffin manufacturer, nursery, hardware, agent for sewing machine company, butcher, harness maker, implement dealer, and liquor store. Chenoa also had two privately owned banks by 1864 and had a newspaper by that time as well. A paper in 1872 speaks glowing of the community's beauty and the change of the treeless prairie to a place where trees have been planted and invites capitalists to come. One selling feature was that there were less epidemic diseases in this area.

The population of Chenoa in 1867 was 2000, about twice as much as it is today. Many newcomers stayed in hotels or boarding houses until homes were built for them. Thus, Chenoa looked like an up and coming place in the mid 1870's, but Margaret was leaving. We have documentation of that leave in a family letter.

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Bureau sold by Margaret Schantz Moschel before moving to Beatrice, Nebraska

This is a letter written to Isabel Sandmeyer Nelson on June 23, 1945, and marked from Chenoa, Illinois. The letter was from George Sandmeyer, Isabel's uncle, born 1862. George Sandmeyer was a son of Jacobina Moschel Sandmeyer. The letter is currently in the possession of Elly Nelson Hess, George's great niece. Elly also has the bureau discussed below.

Belle Nelson and Family Belt, Montana

Dear Niece: Received your welcome letter and glad to note that bureau arrived in fine shape. We have had fine weather since the 21 of June and no rain. But I think we will not have so much hot weather this summer as the wind was in North east on the 21. That is my guess. Mother (Jacobina Moschel Sandmeyer) got the bureau in the spring of 1876. Aunt Margret Moschel and son Daniel had a sale and moved to Beatrice Nebraska. Mother wanted the bureau and she gave father orders to buy it and as none of her children bid on it Father got it. Anna Kline (Margaret Moschel Klein's daughter and writer of Moschel Book) was about six years of age at the time of sale. But as she became older and was at our house quite often she saw the bureau and its history. And she did not see why her Mother (Margaret Moschel Klein) did not buy the bureau as it was Anna's grandmother's bureau. And my mother's aunt. About five years ago I went to Peoria one day to visit George and Anna (Anna Klein Moschel) and she asked me what became of the bureau. I told her that I still have it and that I suppose that I would keep it as long as I live and she says that she wanted to keep track of it and get it some day and as none of the rest of family knew anything of the bureau, and Anna has passed on that ended her possession of the bureau. And most people do not want old things were they ever so nice and I only know of one of the Kline (Klein) family that would care for it and that is Kate Kline's daughter Leone, or Mrs. Hemken. You can find the family in the record book. Everything is going as usual and we are well but somewhat weaker. Uncle George

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Thus, Margaret Schantz Moschel and son Daniel were off to Beatrice in 1876 without the bureau. One wonders if it was a bureau built by Margaret's husband, Christian, a cabinetmaker in Germany. A bureau that she brought with her to the U.S. in 1862. We'll never know, but let's imagine that it was and that it is currently in the possession of a Moschel descendant living in California.

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On a personal note:

I, Theresa Margaret Ripley, am scribe for this group. It is a most enjoyable task, made more so by the excellent researching done by my first cousin Greg Rittenhouse, the research and perspective which could only be given to us by fourth cousin Markus Klein in Germany, and the lifelong preservation of family things that second cousin Elly Hess has done (the above letter and bureau being only two of many examples). I am blessed to have them on this journey to search our relatives and tell a portion of their story.

The next act will take place in Beatrice in 1876, where Margaret Schantz Moschels' children will be expecting her and we will write about that next. But by the next scene we will be in the 1890's. Margaret Schantz Moschel died in 1886. It's interesting how much that saddens me. The same way I felt saddened on June 11, 2001, when I visited her grave in Beatrice, Nebraska, on a day when it was 102 degrees and humid and we marched all over Scott Cemetery to find her stone. Her death occurred over 100 years ago, but she has been a part of my life for the last 30 years.

I can remember when I first was interested in genealogy in my 20's and Greg's mother, an avid genealogist, sat me down to give me all the names of ancestors she knew. This included Margaret Schantz Moschel. At the time she was only a name with dates. Nothing more. That is essentially how it stayed for years as I tried to find out more about my ancestors, first searching family lines other than the Moschels. I assumed we knew a lot about the Moschels because we had the book made by my great aunt Anna Klein Moschel and what possibly could be added to that effort.

Irony upon irony when in 1995 I put a message on a German email bulletin board and that led to tracing the Moschels back to the 1500's. My interest surged as my Uncle Don Phillips, a person who always supported my efforts, was dying. During our last month together we shared these new German discoveries. After Don's death, I turned to documenting his Prisoner of War experience, knowing full well the irony of our family coming from Germany and within a short time a family member fighting against Germany in World War II.

After completing Don's story, I turned to writing about my German past. How could people come from Germany in the 1860's and then within a few generations be fighting one another? It seemed if I could understand my own past, I could somehow understand war, death, and destruction which is what history tells us happens, instead of love and compassion between peoples. I conceptualized 10 parts to the story from 1600 to 1995. This initially led to writing about the Moschels in the 1600's. Then I picked up the story again in 1854 with Margaret becoming a widow with 9 children. Publishing those stories in cyberspace in 2000 led to finding Markus, a descendant of our German family that remained in Webenheim in the 1860's when the rest of the Moschels were coming to America.

Through this process I have been following the life of Margaret Schantz Moschel, who, to me, is a truly remarkable woman. We have tried to document and write about her life, but what we have researched and discovered has only led to more questions. I know I don't truly understand and know her life, her feelings, and her actions. Some documents have been discovered and we make assumptions, many based on my own reactions to how I think I would react to the same situations. But I know I don't know. I don't even know the basics. How did she look? We have no picture and her daughter Margaret looked stern. Did mother Margaret look that way as well? How did Margaret dress? Did she really wear hoop skirts made out of willow twigs as was popular in the day? How did she treat her children? Was she the stereotypical strong German disciplinarian or more ruled by the heart? How did she manage her money? As a single woman in America she bought land. How? Did she ever speak English? I doubt it. How did she cope with the political, social, and economic times both in Germany and America? And more importantly, how did she handle defeat, joy, glory, and grief?

Margaret Moschel's Grave in Beatrice

We know a few facts about Margaret after she left Chenoa in 1876 with her youngest son Daniel. The 1880 census has her living with daughter Catherine and son-in-law Jacob Klein in Beatrice, Nebraska. Margaret's death notice has her living with son Ludwig (Louis) and daughter-in-law Catherine Klein Moschel just outside Beatrice. This was the obituary in The Daily Express, Beatrice, Nebraska, on Thursday, October 7, 1886.

Mrs. Margaret Moschel, aged 73, died Monday evening Oct. 4 at the home of her son, Louis Moschel, three miles north of the city. Her death was the result of infirmities consequent upon advanced age. She had been living in the county about ten years. She leaves nine children, all married, five of whom are in this county. They are her sons Louis, Charles, Daniel, Mrs. J. Klein and Mrs. Miller. The others are living in Illinois. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon from the home of her son Louis. Services were conducted by the Rev. Peoveriein, of the German Lutheran church. There was a large attendance.

By the time of her death, her background in Germany was not mentioned except in passing as represented by her church affiliation. Nothing mentioned of her parents and many siblings, nothing mentioned of her husband, nothing mentioned of her trek to the U.S. with her children, and nothing mentioned of her farming in Illinois. That, luckily, was recorded elsewhere. I hope our efforts have added to the knowledge of her life's journey.

Our quest now continues on how the Moschels continue in America and back in Germany. My life has been made richer by the quest. I know this is not great writing; but the process we are going through in trying to get the facts and pass them on to others is priceless.