Hello!

Johann Joseph Feltes was born 30. April 1869 in the village Idenheim, Germany. Idenheim lies about 12 Miles in the North of Trier and the Mosel River. Idenheim has actually about 450 inhabitants.
He emigrated 3. July 1880 with his sister Helena, born 24. June 1858, and his widowed mother Margartha Feltes (birthname: Braun)She was born 23. December 1819 in Gondorf, a village about 8 miles in the east of Idenheim. In 20. January 1841 she had married in Idenheim Theodor Feltes. Theodor died in the end of 1878 or in the beginning of 1879. The exact date I have to look for in the Archives in Trier.

The older brothers of Johann Joseph named Nikolaus (Nicholas), born 16. October 1841 and Wilhelm (William), born 23. March 1848, were living since circa 1868 in the USA. Both were seeked by the prussian governement as military fugitives in 1868 resp. 1871. The sister Katharina, born 6. May 1846, emigrated 6. March 1869. She had married Johann Kraus. They lived in 1879 in Trenton, Mercer County, NJersey. Nikolaus lived in 1879 in Millville, Cumberland County, NJersey. William was living in 1879 apparantly in Brooklyn, New York, because he contacted that year the public notary Peter Huberty in Brooklyn.
After the death of her husband Margaretha Feltes sold by auction all her mobiles and immobiles (House, Gardens, acres)and emigrated to her children in the States. I have a copy of the act, made by the notary Johann Nikolaus Knur in Bitburg (5 Miles northly of Idenheim)in 3. November 1879.

I published in 1999 a little essay about the Emigrants of Idenheim, and so I knew, that the Feltes family, was emigrated but not where they lived in the States. The notary act has showed it to me some years later. Accidently I`ve found now your question on Johann Joseph Feltes and I hope, I could help you a little bit. Sorry for my bad English.

My postal adress is:

Heinz Schmitt
Helenenstr. 20
54295 Trier
Germany

By the way, I am born in Idenheim in 1951.

your sincerely

Heinz Schmitt