In 1847, Philip Jacob Kirsch, born 1806 in Fussgoenheim, Germany and his wife Katharine Barbara Lemmert, born 1807 in Mutterstadt, Germany, boarded ships and sailed for America. They landed in New Orleans and continued their trip on steamboats up the Mississippi and then the Ohio Rivers, landing in Indiana at Aurora and finally settling in Ripley County, near Milan where Philip farmed and they raised their children. They are both buried in Riverview Cemetery, outside of Aurora. They had children Johannes about whom nothing more is known except that he moved to Indianapolis. Martin abotu whom nothing more is known and who may have served in the Civil War. Their son Philip did serve in the Civil War, but never married. Johann William who may have married Carolyn Kuntz. Katharine Barbara who married Johann Martin Koehler and lived in Aurora, having 3 daughters, Mary about whom nothing more is known, Elizabeth who married Christian Knoebel, Mamie who married JOhn Fichter. Anna Maria who married Bernhard Kramer and nothing more is known.

Philip Kirsch and Catharine Barbara Lemmert's son, Jacob Kirsch married Barbara Drechsel (Drexler) and they established the Kirsch House, a hotel and food establishment in Aurora, beside the Depot, between the Depot and the River. They owned this establishment for nearly 50 years, from the mid 1870s through the early 1920s when Jacob died. Jacob and his brother served in the Civil War. One of their children was my great-grandmother, Nora Kirsch who married CB Lore in 1888 and moved to Rushville, Indiana. Their other children were scattered to the winds, some never having children, but others did and their descendants are unknown to me. I would love to find these family members. Their son Johann "Edward" Kirsch married Emma Miller and had 2 children, Juanita Kirsch who I know nothing more about and Devero Hoffer Kirsch who married Mary Schlater and they had one child, Anita, who I know nothing about. Jacob Kirsch's son Martin Kirsch married Maude Powers and had children Edgar Kirsch who married Frieda Neely and Cecil Kirsch who married Frank Toner. I believe both of these people had children, but I don't know who they were. Their daughter Nora Kirsch married CB Lore and only had 2 children who had children. Edith Lore who married my grandfather John Whitney Ferverda and moved to Silver Lake, Indiana. Edith's daughter Mildred Lore married Claude Martin and had 2 sons, Jimmy and Jerry Martin, born in the 1920s. Jimmy had 4 daughter, but I'm unaware of any of Jerry's children.

I have about 6 generations back in Germany as well, and there is reason to believe that the Kirsch family of Lawrenceburg is related to Jacob Kirsch's family. Furthermore, we know that the Kirsch family visited relatives in Pennsylvania, and so I have always wondered if the various Kirsch families from there are related as well. Hopefully the DNA project will answer some of those questions.

For the first Kirsch male who has a proven line of descent from the Kirsch family in Ripley County or Aurora in Dearborn County, or from the related family in Germany, I will pay for the DNA test.

Roberta Estes