By 1896 the Moschels in Beatrice, Nebraska, had been in the state for as long as 24 years. To review, the first to go from Illinois to Nebraska was probably Charles Moschel (1872). Next was Jacob Klein and his wife Catherine Moschel Klein in 1873, then Louis Moschel and his wife Catherine who was a sister to Jacob Klein (1874), and then Daniel Moschel who moved west to Beatrice with his mother Margaret Schantz Moschel in 1876. In addition, Charles Klein, the brother to Jacob and Catherine Klein moved to an adjacent county in Nebraska.

If you are having difficulty deciphering the above paragraph, it helps to understand that the families of the Klein siblings (born in Oberweisen, Germany) and Moschel siblings (born in Webenheim, Germany) were interlinked to a degree that must have made family reunions and relationships either difficult or accepted easily. The second complication is the two families have a number of the same first names. Let's take a few examples. Catherine Moschel, daughter of Margaret Schantz Moschel, was born in Webenheim. Catherine comes to America and marries Jacob Klein. Fine, no problem. But in addition Catherine's brother, Louis Moschel, also born in Webenheim, comes to America and marries Catherine Klein, sister of the just mentioned Jacob Klein. Thus we have two women, both Catherine, marry and become double sisters-in-law, andexchange their married names with each other. One becomes Catherine Moschel Klein, and the other becomes Catherine Klein Moschel. In addition they both move to Beatrice, Nebraska, in the 1870's. To add to the same duo identity, both women were born in 1849 and both died in 1926 in Beatrice, Nebraska, having outlived their husbands by about a decade. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

To take another example. Charles Moschel was the son of Margaret Schantz Moschel and was born in Webenheim. Charles Klein was born in Oberweisen, Germany, and was a brother to Jacob Klein and Catherine Klein, mentioned above. Charles Moschel moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1872 and opened a store with his brother-in-law, Jacob Klein who was married to his sister Catherine. Charles Klein moved near Beatrice, Nebraska. At this writing we are unsure of the date.

The lives of the Moschel and Klein families were intertwined to say the least. For better or worse, they were in it together. And the place they chose to live was Beatrice.

What was Beatrice doing during this time? We last visited Beatrice in 1876 and now it is 1896. Beatrice was experiencing good times. Both the Moschels and Kleins were betting on it. Our writer for this piece is Catherine Moschel Klein. Unlike her sister living in the Chenoa, Illinois, area one would surmise Catherine was speaking English. Perhaps not, but it was more likely that she frequented the store owned by her husband and brother and negotiating with English speaking customers. Catherine was 47 in the autumn of 1896. What kind of community was she living in then?

Beatrice, Nebraska - 1896

In the Spring of 1888 the Daily and Weekly Express of Beatrice printed a special edition of the newspaper and the stated purpose was to print "resumes of the transactions of the past year and a prediction of what is probable for the ensuing year." This special edition of the newspaper was reproduced by the Gage County Historical Society in 1999. It is a record of Beatrice promoting itself in 1888 and encouraging others to become a part of a promising town. In reality, the population of Beatrice did not grow as they anticipated, but surely the hope of 1888 set a positive tone for citizens of the area.

Klein Lang & Moschel store 1888

The population of Beatrice in 1885 was 5000 people, by 1888 it was 12,000 and visions of 50,000 people were seen by the town fathers. The population of Gage County, the location of Beatrice, was 35,000 people and the main shopping center was Beatrice. It is no wonder that merchants like Jacob Klein were living in the most expensive homes in the area. The newspaper listed 76 homes built in the previous year costing between $1000 to $5000. Seven other homes are listed costing more than $5000. J. Klein is listed as having a home worth $8,000. It was, no doubt, a substantial symbol of the success of Klein's store. The newspaper shows a picture of the store of J. Klein - Lang & Moschel in 1888.

The growth of the area was enhanced by the coming of the railroads. By 1888 six lines operated in Gage County, the first coming to Beatrice in 1886 was the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway. There were six miles of street railway in Beatrice in 1988 and brick pavement was on the way. There was over a half a million acres of land in Gage County. In 1888 nearly 60% of that was improved land (selling for $20 to $75 an acre) and 40% unimproved land (selling for $10 an acre).

Reading through the 1888 edition of the newspaper reminds one of playing the computer game Sim City. As population grows, players of the computer game add parks, waterworks, sewer, churches, schools, and in modern times airports. Beatrice was no exception to the addition game. A number of churches were built or enlarged in the 1880's. The first high school, which also included the lower grades, was built in 1870, but a stand alone high school was built in 1884. Seven grade schools were built in Beatrice between 1886 and 1891, no wonder with the surge in population growth. The average cost of each school was $9000 (note about the amount of the Klein residence). In the larger county region there were 149 school districts with rural schools, much like we have discussed in the Illinois piece. The total number of students of school age in 1887 in the county was 8,825. A Catholic school started in Beatrice in 1884, and the Northwest Business College began in 1888. The Institute for the Feeble Minded was also located in town. Beatrice was selected as the location by an act of the state legislature in 1885. The first resident was admitted in 1887, and by 1888 there were 62 residents with total capacity for 70 children between the ages of 5-18.

The first telephone exchange started in Beatrice in 1880. Both the volunteer fire department started and water works started in 1886. An enlarged County Courthouse was completed in 1892. In 1893 the post office was built at a cost of $65,000. In 1893 the public library was established and was first housed in the newly established post office. As one can see, our Real City as compared to the computer Sim City is being established building by building.

The businesses started in this decade included: Sewer Pipe Works (1886), Beatrice Canning Works (1883), Dempster Wind Mill Manufacturing Company (1878), Beatrice Iron Works (1882), Beatrice Paper Manufacturing Co., Beatrice Cornice Works (1885), Beatrice Planing Mill (1884), Barb Wire Factory (1883), and Kilpatrick Bros. & Collins (railway contractors).

The Chautauqua Park began on the banks of the Blue River about 1888. The Chautauqua, as stated on one website was, "rural 19th century American's Public Broadcasting System. It was where, as one wag put it, ‘our ancestors went to recharge their intellectual batteries.' Many older Missourians and Illinoisans remember the traveling Chautauquans that brought education and entertainment to small Midwestern towns by presenting great oratory, music and drama under a big circus tent."

In Beatrice speakers visiting their Chautauqua Park included: President Hayes, William J. Bryan, Frances Willard, Susan B. Anthony, and Robert La Follette. Thus, Beatrice might have seemed isolated from the rest of the world, but events like this brought residents closer to it. The Chautauqua event lasted a week and special trains brought the crowds and tents were pitched and the audiences listened and talked in what is described as a very beautiful park setting which was later converted to a city park.

A Fictional Letter

C. Moschel Klein

If we were to imagine a fictional letter written by Catherine Moschel Klein to her families in Illinois and Webenheim in 1896, she would have a lot of material to cover as she had her own family as well as three brothers and a step sister who all lived in Beatrice. Catherine was 47 in 1896 and was the mother to five children who ranged in age from 23 to 5. In all likelihood they all lived at home since all were single. The two oldest, Jacob (23) and Frederick (20), no doubt already worked in their father's very successful store. The youngest two were in school, and Ida (19) probably helped her mother in the home.

Catherine's husband, Jacob Klein, had made many changes in his career during the two decades since we last visited Beatrice. The original partners in the store started in 1873 were Jacob Klein, Catherine's brother Charles Moschel, and Emil Lang. In 1887 the three divided the partnership, and moved from 2nd and Court to 5th and Ella, Klein taking one portion of the building for dry goods and Lang & Moschel the other portion for groceries.

Jacob moved once more in 1890 into the former Opera House and named this store Klein's N.Y. Racket Store. Sounds a bit pretentious for Beatrice, Nebraska, but perhaps it was the bee's knees at the time. This building burned and Jacob moves to 6th and Court and used the name of Klein's Mercantile Company. Bigger things were yet to come, but as we can see by the growth of Beatrice in the preceding decade Jacob was at the right place, at the right time, with the right goods to sell. Success was the name of the game for Jacob's store.

Catherine's brother, Charles Moschel, as we have mentioned, was involved in a grocery store with Emil Lang and a 3-way partnership, which included his brother-in-law, Jacob Klein. We don't know why the partnership dissolved in 1887, but we do know that Charles Moschel died at age 45 in 1892, leaving a wife with a four-month old infant and four older children who, in 1892, ranged in age from 14 to 6. Charles Moschel's wife, Maria, was left to cope with a family of six.

Catherine Moschel Klein's brother, Louis (Ludwig) Moschel, owned 320 acres 3 miles north of Beatrice in 1896. Louis and his wife, Catherine, had eight children by 1896. They ranged in age from 2 to 26. Any letter Catherine would write to Illinois would no doubt include news about her brother Louis and sister-in-law Catherine as this was one of the double relationships of Kleins marrying Moschels. As time developed, even the relatives in Webenheim must have been aware of the closeness of the Klein/Moschel relationships. One thing still unsolved by the Cousins writing this project is if the Kleins knew the Moschels before coming to America, or whether the Kleins had ever visited Webenheim before coming to America in the 1850's.

One last brother Catherine would mention would be her brother Daniel who, in 1896, owned 160 acres in Lincoln Township in Gage County, Nebraska. Daniel's family in 1896 consisted of his wife and five children who ranged in age from 14 to infant. Daniel raised cattle, horses, and swine in addition to raising crops.

Catherine's half sister, Louisa Moschel Miller, was 64 in 1896 and living in Beatrice. As far as we know, she never remarried after her husband died in Pekin, Illinois, in 1878, but in 1896 Louisa had four children ranging in age from 40 to 21 and 6 grandchildren. To what extent she was involved with all the Moschels and Kleins is unknown, but one must assume she moved to Beatrice to be with family and we know her children continued to live in the Beatrice area.

This would give any letter writer a challenge in keeping everyone posted on family, store, and crop news.

A Real Letter!

The Cousins Four were thrilled in August 2002 when a letter was made available by a another cousin in both the Klein and Moschel family lines. The cousin's name is Gretchen Klein Leenerts who has been a devoted genealogist for many years. She is thorough and careful and willing to share her research. On August 27, 2002, she sent us two letters written in 1893 and 1894 by John Klein (married to Margaret Moschel Klein) of Chenoa, Illinois, to his sister and brother-in-law Catherine Klein Moschel and Louis Moschel in Beatrice.

These letters document the suspected continuing contact between the Illinois and Nebraska relatives and, most importantly, documents the contact with Webenheim. In the letter John Klein mentions enclosing a letter written by Jacob Scherer. Jacob Scherer lived in Webenheim in 1896. The Cousins Four have speculated on this man for the past year. By family oral history Jacob had the chance to emigrate with his mother, Charlotte Moschel Scherer - one of the original Moschel emigrants. Charlotte, for those of you following the story, is the woman pictured in the case sent to Webenheim in the 1860's from Illinois.

When Charlotte Moschel decided to go to America in the late 1850's, her son, Jacob, declined to go, and elected to stay in Webenheim. By Webenheim tradition, the ocean constituted a divorce, and Charlotte was free to marry again after she came to America, which she did. By the letter below we are able to say with some certainty that not only was there ongoing contact with Webenheim relatives and America relatives, but, as suggested in the last scene, there were letters being exchanged between Illinois, Nebraska, and Webenheim in the late 1890's which is at least 35 years after emigration for most of the Moschels from Webenheim. We also know that Jacob Scherer, son of Charlotte Moschel Scherer, was specifically keeping contact with his first cousin, Margaret Moschel Klein in Chenoa.

John Klein

Here are two letters from John Klein (married to Margaret Moschel Klein) in Chenoa, Illinois to his sister Catherine Klein Moschel in Beatrice, Nebraska.

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Chenoa, Illinois
December 12, 1893

Dear Sister and Brother-In-Law Lui
We congratulate you heartily on the newest addition to your family and hope that she may be the most beautiful decoration soon at your silver wedding anniversary and wish that you will experience the joy of having her, that she will grow up and be healthy, so that she will be able to be the best of assistance to you in your old age. May God grant that this be so. As for us, we are all quite healthy, we hadn't even suffered with a little cold or flu. Until two weeks ago on November 27, we had beautiful weather. Since then it has been winter. First rain, then snow. The snow was a foot and a half deep in the corn fields, and that wasn't in drifts. Since then it has been rather cold, and then it has been thawing, and then new snow again, but the ground was never hard, in short real winter, and there is no talk of work, just feeding the animals. It is anybody's guess. Every day there is something to do in town, but since winter has arrived I've only been there twice, but young John more often. I sent him there today to have a look at the prices in the market. We wanted to shuck some corn which we have in a crib which isn't full, and my pocketbook is alarmingly empty, and that night before Christmas, when so many people would really like to sell something! Corn is running at 30 cents, one day a bit more, the next a bit less. That's a low price for such a poor crop, but who knows if it will get any better, there is still so much old corn here, a lot of people have three crops all put together. Last September I sold 2,600 bushels corn and 1,500 bushels oats. I got rid of a thousand dollar loan. This way I'm not yet running the risk that the banks will break me. Our harvest was somewhat better than yours. From 90 acres of corn we got about 3,000 bushels. Of that however, we had already chopped at least five acres green, which we had to use as feed for the beef cattle in the summer. Did another three acres. Our oats yielded 37 bushels per acre. We brought in 27 loads of hay, not half as much as last year, but of course I had plowed up 17 acres meadow, so just had 25 acres left.

December 14th
I got interrupted yesterday so am continuing today. We are getting ready for a Christmas celebration in the school house, and I have to act like I'm an organist and even a voice teacher. The pastor comes twice a week to teach voice to the big youngsters, and Saturdays to the small children in the school house. Four of the young boys, one of them is John, are supposed to accompany various pieces with the violin, and so that means some hard practicing if they want it to turn out well. So you can imagine how we are spending most of our time now. I will be sending you one of the choir pieces and the children's program and then you can see what it is, and if your youngsters want to practice it, it is very beautiful and lyrical. What else should I write? I think you had enough of the dry summer also. Oh, I do also want to say that I had 30 acres of pasture and half of it was still fairly new clover and timothy and this section was all dried up; I had to plow it up. The old blue grass turned nice and green in the fall, the young clover which had been sown in spring and the grass was quite nice for the harvest, but dried up then later, which is why I reduced my herd and still have to sell more. I still have 15 beef cattle and 12 horses, young and old. Since last New Year's I have already sold more than 300 dollars worth of beef cattle. Land prices are still high (despite low crop prices). So Stekly's old farm has been offered at 1,025 dollars. Old Mrs. Stekly died two weeks ago in Kansas. Wishing you happy holidays. Your brother-in-law and brother, John Klein. (An extra kiss for Bertha) I am enclosing a letter from Jacob Scherer, I recently wrote him 3 pages full. Gretchen wants the letter back.

***

Louis Moschel/Catherine Klein Family

Chenoa, Illinois
August 8, 1894

Dear Sister and Brother-In-Law Lui

Received your letter and read it with great interest, especially the report about Jacob and Kaetchen's trip. I still hope that he will give us some more details, more than just the general public. I still am planning to make the same trip once again, if God continues to bless me with health. But it won't be this year anymore, maybe next year, if I find the right company. What about you two or Lui alone. Gretchen would also like to go, but not at present. You saw in the newspaper what happened to Chenoa, it is a sad sight indeed. In two hours the entire city was just a pile of rubble, and now it looks like Oklahoma, everywhere the businesses have set up small board huts on empty lots where they are trying to do business until they have rebuilt, which will probably take till all the time up to winter. Jacob has almost finished his saloon made of wood covered with sheet metal. As for the outlooks for our harvest go, we can't complain in comparison to what you have reported, or to what the reports from all of the west sound like. The whole summer here was too dry, and it still is. But there was always enough rain at the right time so that the kernels could fill out. There was a little over a ton of hay per acre, excellent quality. In general the corn looks really good, but at present it is just too dry here. Two weeks ago we had a good rain just at the right time when the ears were shooting, and since then there have been a few showers, but since the ground has not yet been soaked this year, the corn standing on thick higher ground is already showing signs of dryness at the bottom, but on the richer, lower land it looks good and if we get some rain soon we can expect a good harvest. The pastures are completely dried up now, and it is now my job to put the cows out to pasture each morning. Our own harvest report is we planted too early in the spring and it froze. We plowed it up and put it into corn, 40 acres of it, so we have just 15 acres oats. Lui rented 40 acres of oats from us, of which we ____? , so our oat harvest isn't very big. What's there is pretty good. Potatoes are so so, we have enough other vegetables for what we need at home. A half harvest of apples, but very nice. The grapes have never been better and fuller, and all in all, we must be thankful and shouldn't complain. We are all healthy and hope that you are too, as that is the greatest and richest of God's gifts. And if we are healthy, there are always paths for us to follow in the next year. Wishing you this ??? Your brother and brother-in-law, John Klein.
My warmest regards to all and a kiss to Bertha, Margaretha Klein

***

The Cousins Speculate

Now we will share with the readers some of the email dialogue that was generated by this letter. First, an introduction Theresa sent when sending the letters off by email to the rest of the cousins on August 27, 2002.

"As Greg and Markus are aware, and Elly I'm making you aware, another cousin, Gretchen Klein Leenerts (pg 27 of the Moschel Family Record) has arrived on the scene. I had contact with her several years ago, and Greg has just contacted her. As before, she has lots of material. Here is what she just sent me today and has said I can send along to you. These are letters from John Klein (great grandfather to Greg and I) to his sister Catherine Klein Moschel, who is married to Louis Moschel. The letters are sent from Chenoa to Beatrice. IRONICALLY, they are written in 1894 and mention the Chenoa fire I just wrote about!!!

"AND speculate on this one. John mentions receiving a letter from Jacob Scherer. Do you think this is Charlotte's son? And, if so, is news being sent from Webenheim to Chenoa to Beatrice? The more I think about it, the more I think this could be the case. If so, it means Jacob was keeping contact with the Moschel and Klein family. Let me know what you think. I've asked Gretchen if the letters were written in English or German."

***

Elly Hess

Elly wrote a first comment back, "Hi T, I loved the letter, it was so neat. His first letter to Catherine was dated December 12, 1893, and my mother would have been two months old when he wrote it. I also felt that it could have been written yesterday, except for the prices. The Christmas celebration coming up just rings out that this is just a very nice family. These were gentle, heart of the earth people, what a good letter. It is amazing that he mentions the Chenoa fire and it was sent to you just after you had written about it."

***

Greg responded to Theresa's question on John Klein sending a letter from Jacob Scherer in 1894 with a very good observation. The Moschel Family Record states that Christian Scherer, son of Jacob, came to America in 1894 at the age of 17.

***

Greg comments,

Greg Rittenhouse

"Theresa,
John Klein's letters to his sister are a valuable find. And written in English, too. The most interesting information to emerge is that he corresponded with Charlotte's son Jacob. Do you remember that the Moschel book says that one of Jacob's sons immigrated to the U.S. in 1894?This is apparently how Anna Klein Moschel (ed. comment - author of Moschel Family Record) knew this and probably Jacob was the source of the Scherer family genealogical data in the book.
Greg"

***

Next is a portion of an email between the cousins on August 28, 2002. The email is started by Theresa....

"Greg, Elly, and Markus...OK, I'm trying to do a dialogue everyone will understand based on the comments you send me. Below are comments from me and Markus. I've noted when each speaker changes. Let me know if this is clear. Cheers, Theresa"

Theresa> But it is possible that Jacob Scherer was trying to line up places for his son to go after he arrived in America in 1893?

Markus Klein

Markus> Christian, Jacob Scherer's son, was very young when he came to America. (I wonder if he escaped from the draft ?!)In 1893 Christian was 16 and his father wants to line up places for his son to go? That would mean that they PLANNED Christian´s emigration one year before when he was 16 ? If so, I think Charlotte, Christian's grandmother, is dead in 1893, because if I was Jacob, I would plan the emigration of my son with my mother and not with a distant relative Another question , if Jacob planned with John Klein the emigration of his son, Christian surely went to the place where his relatives lives. At least that´s what I would do ! I think he moved to Texas later.

***

Now a part of another email among the cousins on August 29, 2002. In this email Markus comments about John Klein's letter in 1893 and 1894. Parts of John Klein's original letters are again reproduced to make it clear what Markus is commenting on.

Markus> Firstly, let me say that the letters are jewels ! Fantastic, that they survived such a long time. As I could see Gretchen ´s great-grandmother was Catherine Moschel, sister of Louis Moschel, who received the letters. So, was this the way Gretchen got the letters ?

Theresa> Here is what Gretchen Klein Leenerts said in her email to me about this question. "I got these letters from Helen Dvorak in Lincoln, granddaughter of Louis Moschel. Actually his first name was Ludwig, however he did not use it. I was interested to read about a Gretchen! I also have copies of a couple of letters Catherine wrote to Louis, as he went to Nebraska before she was able to go. As I said, will send things as I find them."

Markus> Personally, I think that the mentioned Jacob Scherer IS the son of Charlotte.

Theresa> I think we are all in agreement on this now. Gretchen is still not aware, but she has not followed the story of Charlotte. We will bring her along.

Markus then comments on beginning of John Klein letter, which is- "Chenoa, Illinois, December 12, 1893 Dear Sister and Brother-In-Law Lui."

Markus> "Lui" is 100% german language. "Lui" is the short name or nickname of Ludwig or here Louis.

More of John Klein's letter continues-> "December 14th I got interrupted yesterday so am continuing today. We are getting ready for a Christmas celebration in the school house, and I have to act like I am an organist and even a voice teacher. The pastor comes twice a week to teach voice to the big youngsters, and Saturdays to the small children in the school house. Four of the young boys, one of them is John, are supposed to accompany various pieces with the violin, and so that means some hard practicing if they want it to turn out well."

Markus> Wow ! His children seems to be well educated. I don´t think that Caroline´s and Friedrich´s children in Webenheim play violin or any other pretentious instruments! (Ed. Note, Markus means in the same time frame he does not think this was happening in Webenheim)

Theresa> Markus, there are family stories of John Klein playing the organ and piano. Perhaps Greg can add to this.

John Klein's letter continues> "So you can imagine how we are spending most of our time now. I will be sending you one of the choir pieces and the children s program and then you can see what it is, and if your youngsters want to practice it, it is very beautiful and lyrical."

Markus> Well, this is more than talking about hay, clover and corn prices. He is interested in the fine arts and now I can imagine how he is engaged in the Lutheran trinity community!

Theresa> I would agree that John Klein, for living in the country in rural Illinois, seems to have cultural interests. I don't know how these would have been cultivated.

John Klein's letter continues-> "Wishing you happy holidays. Your brother-in-law and brother, John Klein. (An extra kiss for Bertha) I am enclosing a letter from Jacob Scherer, I recently wrote him 3 pages full. Gretchen wants the letter back."

Markus>This is interesting! John is enclosing Jacob´s letter and sends it to Beatrice, but he notes that "Gretchen" wants the letter back. I tend to say "Gretchen "is the nickname of his wife "MarGRETha" and she wants to have Jacob´s letter back after Louis and Catherine have read it. How do you understand this ?

Theresa> Now this is an interesting fine point. I never thought of Gretchen being a nickname for MarGRETha. If so, Gretchen Klein Leenerts, our cousin, will be interested in this point as she wondered who the Gretchen was mentioned in the letter. Anyone else have an idea on this one?

John Klein and his wife Margaret finish letter "Your brother and brother-in-law, John Klein. My warmest regards to all and a kiss to Bertha, Margaretha Klein"

Markus> Only, the last sentence is from Margaretha. She is not writing much , right ?

Theresa Ripley

Theresa> Now again this is an interesting point. Did Margaretha not write as well as not go into town? Did John do everything? The only personal story I have is from my mother who said the following when I queried about a quilt I have which was suppose to have made by Margaret Moschel Klein. My mother, Blanche Phillips Ripley, wrote this in the early 1970's, "All I know about this is that Aunt Lizzie said Grandma made it. In past days, by the time a woman was my age, she sat and knit or sewed. I can't remember seeing either of my grandmothers wash a dish or cook a meal. Believe I'm better off!" My mother was very active in farm work and house work her entire life.

Theresa continues> The other comment I'd like to make is how interesting it is to me that John Klein signs his letters Your brother and brother-in-law. Personally, I think he is doing it as much for his sister as his brother-in-law Louis. I think he is REALLY saying to his sister, not only are you my sister, but you are my sister-in-law as well. That makes you even more special. Other speculations?

Whew...if you followed this one, you all get an A for this section of the story.

***

And that, dear reader, is some of the fun that the Cousins Four are having, now joined by another cousin particularly interested in the Beatrice sections of our story. Join us as we continue the journey to Webenheim in 1896.