52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-09)
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of February 28 is "Multiples." Some may remember that I covered this prompt in 2020 with the Multiple being the Original Olsen Twins - Clifford and Ludvig Olsen. For 2021, this prompt appears the week that I'm focusing on my Gillen family line. So let me introduce you to Johann Phillip Kräher who had multiple marriages.The basis for this blog post is based on the research of Virginia E. Summers Olsen as presented in her research report "My Maternal Ancestors: Gillen-Kräher Schmitz-Pirron" dated June 25, 2020.
Johann Phillip Kräher was born September 1, 1791, in Heidelberg, Germany to Johann Peter Kräher and Louisa Scharmann. At this time, research has not turned up any siblings for Johann Phillip so we can not be sure if he was an only child or not.
Johann Phillip's first wife was Justina Hahn Fuerst. Justina was the widow of Heinrich Fuerst and they had one child together, Gertraud who was born in 1821.
We don't know the exact dates, but we do know the rough timeframe. Sometime between 1821 and 1825, Heinrich died and Johann and Justina were married. They likely married in Grünstadt, Germany, which is located in the modern German state of Bavaria.
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| Grünstadt Coat of Arms. Parkordnung Grünstadt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Grünstadt about 1800, contemporary copper engraving. Specht, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Johann and Justina had two children. Their firstborn was Juliana and she was born on May 2, 1826. Their second child was Johann Phillip II. He was born on November 9, 1827, and died the same day. Sadly, Justina died on November 27, 1827. While we do not know the exact reason for her death, we can likely assume that it was due to complications in childbirth since she died just over two weeks after giving birth to Johann II.
As was often the case with a widower with small children, Johann married quickly after his first wife's death. He married Juliana Naeser on November 19, 1828. Juliana was the daughter of Phillip and Katherina Hass Naeser and was born in 1798.
Johann and Juliana quickly started having their own children, all born in Grünstadt. Johann Phillip III was born August 13, 1829; Franziska born March 16, 1831, and died February 19, 1832; Jacob born February 23, 1833; Gertrude born May 9, 1834; and Charlotte born January 22, 1836.
Sadly Johann died on May 20, 1836, leaving Juliana with her four surviving small children and most likely the daughter, Juliana, from his first marriage to Justina who would have been 10. And she may have also had Justina's child from her first marriage, Gertraud who was 15.
I am a descendant of Johann and Juliana's son Jacob Kräher.
How I'm related to Johann Kräher:
Grünstadt looks larger than I thought it would have been in 1800. Love the coat of arms.
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