Seeking information on John Herig, born between 1817-1821 in Zuzenhausen, Baden-Wurttemburg, emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was a furniture and cabinet maker.

Also seeking info on John Adam Gerspach, born in 1793 in Baden, and emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, from Baden in 1817. Occupation: farmer. He married Anna Stanley Wangler, who also was born in Baden in 1803, and emmigrated in 1814, eventually finding her way to Ohio.

Anna Wangler's parents where Michael Wangler and Maria (unknown maiden name). Michael was born in Baden, and died there before 1823. Michael married Maria in 1803 in Baden. Maria emigrated to the US and died there after 1830.

Any help with any of these individuals and there lineage would be greatly appreciated.

G'day I'm grasping at straws.The timing for yor phili member fits about right for one valentine gersbach, a poss. family member in1855 approx, who was a cous. or bro to my australian rels.val lives in florida.this may sound incoherent but it's late. regards judit gersbach

I assume you've seen Lee McKenzie's info on John Herig b.1813 and Mary Ann Garshbaugh b.1825 on this website. I am descended from Charles William Herig b. 1853 in Cleveland but I don't know the relationship between John and Chas Wm, if any. John had a son named Charles but I believe it was Charles J. not Charles William. If you have any info on the Chas Wm line, let me know.

John Adam GERSPACH b. 1793 and Anna Stanley WANGLER b. 1803 were my great great grandparents. I have descendants info on them

Hi! Looking at the date of your post...have you had any success in your information search on the John Herig you were looking for? I ask, knowing that my great, great grandfather was John L. Herig, Baden, Germany, 1918, and at one point in time he lived in Cleveland area of OH.

Have other info or compare notes...contact.

Kelley

I may have a match for your John Herig. I believe he might be a brother to my Maria E. (Herig\Herrig\Herrick) Yahraus, born around September, 1822.

I believe that both are the children of Christian Herig, but this is speculation right now & not proven.

I found John (list as Herrick, but states he was born in Baden) listed in the 1860 U.S. census in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 4th ward, page 118. He is only 5 houses away from my Mary E. (Herrick) Yahraus. He states that he is 39, placing his birth in 1821 and as a profession, he is a "Planing & Cabinet Maker".

Children listed are:

Adam 14
Christian 12
John 5
Rebecca 6
Lizzie 8
Louisa 1

All are stated to be born in Germany, but could this be bad information??

Please contact me with more information - maybe we can both benefit from helping one another!

Michael

Elizabeth,

I have been researching the Zuzenhausen church records, since I am also looking for Herigs from Cleveland, particularly, Maria E. Herig, who I believe is John's sister. I believed that both were the children of Christian Herig.
My suspicions were confirmed yesterday when I looked at these church records for the first time & found both John & Maria listed as his children.

Christian Herig married Maria Barbara Sauer February 3, 1818 in Zuzenhausen. I've found a bunch more information & will be collecting much more over the next few weeks. Please contact me directly & I'll e-mail you everything I have to date.

Also, I am very curious about how you found out that John Herig was from Zuzenhausen - this was the key for me to find out where they were born. It is very hard to determine where German ancestors were born.
I am very curious how you came by this information...
By the look of how old your post is, I hope that this information will reach you!

Michael

Michael, all the jumping around on these posted messages has me lost as to where we "left" John Herig, son of Christian Herig. What have we come to on conclusions??

Kelley

Kelley,

OK, here's the full scoop on the Herig family. This is based on Zuzenhausen church records, obituaries, and other documentary evidence that I have found to date.

Christian Herig b. April 6, 1792, Zuzenhausen, Germany, m. February 3, 1818, Zuzenhausen, Germany, Maria Barbara Sauer b. October 30, 1789, Zuzenhausen, Germany.

They had 5 documented children:

Joannes (John) b. November 21, 1818
Maria Eva b. August 20, 1820
Catharina b. August 3, 1822
Karl (Charles) b. September 30, 1824
Fridricus b. April 15, 1827 - d. May 4, 1828

There is a large gap between births here - between 1828 & 1834 when, according to John Herig in the 1910 U.S. census, they immigrated to the U.S. This leaves 6 years between leaving Germany & arriving in the U.S. According to the 1840 U.S. census, Christian Herig (shown as Christian Herrick) is in Zanesville & has a small child less than 5 years, which indicates that they had at least 1 other child & most likely others not accounted for. Names that I have heard & seen about the Internet & other documenation that are unconfirmed are:

Louis
Louisa
Henry

Now, here's where it gets interesting...

Here's a full transcription of John Herig's obituary from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

John Herig obituary taken from the Cleveland Plain Dealer on August 24, 1901. Note that the paper mistakenly names him Jacob vice John:

JACOB [JOHN] HERIG DEAD

Old and Well Known Cleveland Business Man Passes Away of Old Age

Jacob [John] Herig, one of the oldest residents of Cleveland and a pioneer in the manufacture of furniture in the northern part of Ohio, passed away at his home at No. 157 Brownell street yesterday afternoon. His death was not caused by disease, but was the simple stopping of the machinery of life after an eventful and useful career of eighty-three years, the greater portion of which was spent in this city.

Mr. Herig was born in Baden, Germany, and at the age of seventeen came to America. After a few months in New York, he selected Zanesville as the place to build his fortunes. He lived there until 1843, when he came to Cleveland and established a furniture store at No. 165 Woodland avenue. This establishment was under his active control until two years ago, when the infirmities of age compelled his retirement from business. It grew from a small store and undertaking establishment in which the major portion of the stock was made by the hand of the owner, to a large institution.

When twenty-three years old he was married and the wife who walked with him along life's pathways for over sixty years still survives him. He also leaves ten children, thirty-four grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchildren. He was a lifelong member of St. Joseph's church on Woodland avenue and from this sanctuary his funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock.

Mr. Herig was prominent among the German residents of the city, and his long career and integrity of life brought many friends, who will learn with sorrow of his demise.


John Herig's mother, Maria Barbara Sauer died in 1842; Christian MAY (and I mean may - this is speculation) have married this Helen "Nellie" Kuhn who you speak about, although by this time Christian was 50 years old. I did not find any marriage record in the Zanesville church records, although by 1842, there was an establishment of a German Lutheran church in Zanesville (what I am told), so they could have gotten married in a Lutheran church.
There is a Lyman Kuhn who is shown in the 1860 U.S. census in Zanesville as a Lutheran minister. Coincidence?
Lastly, there was a card found in the Muskingum County Genealogical Society regarding the attendance of a couple people to the funeral of Henry Herig of Detroit, Michigan in February, 1918. Could this be a son of Christian & Barbara Herig? I need more details on this death - age, birth, see if parents are listed, etc.

Now, as far as John Herig, he married Maria Gerspach on May 11, 1842 in Zanesville. They had 12 children:

Charles Joseph
Mary Ann
Adam
Christian R.
Elizabeth
Anna Rebecca
John
Catharina
Louisa
Rosanna
William John
Maria

These children's names fall right down the line with being named after parents & brothers & sisters of both John Herig & Maria Gerspach.

To date, I have not seen any more documentation regarding the Herigs and moving to the Detroit area. If they did, it had to have been under these circumstances:

1. Christian Herig left Cleveland after 1847.
2. He took young children with him, as I find no evidence of his older children watching them.
3. He must have married in Cleveland & its not documented or married in Detroit.

I need to do more research in Detroit - this Henry Herig intrigues me because I don't believe him to be any of John or Charles Herig's children; they are mostly accounted for & this was a new name for me that just popped up recently.

So, overall I hope that I haven't confused you... There may be merit to the story that Christian Herig did move to Detroit - I certainly did not find any evidence of him being buried in Cleveland at all - and I checked very thoroughly...
If I do find out any more information, I will be in contact. I have found another descendant of John Herig living in Mentor, Ohio; I am writing her today & hope to get more information from her about the Herigs.

My question is - how much have you researched in Detroit? Have you checked the death records that they might have for 1847 onward? What other evidence do you have regarding the Herigs in Detroit? I am trying to recall from memory, so I might have forgotten some details that you have passed along. Please let me know what you've come up with & feel free to email me off this list if you like - I like to post everything on the list, just in case someone can use the information!

If you are interested in receiving a GEDCOM of the Herig line from John Herig on back, let me know & I can email you a copy.

Michael

Oh geez! Just a short note because I have to run and was just checking emails fast...but I wanted to at least tell you. We have here TWO John and Christian Herigs...from Baden...from the same time frame. Yes, because, the Christian notes I have...I can't directly connect him to being in Cleveland. But I do have John back in the area once married and with some children. Yes, my John had ten..and had 1918 birth year, and a furniture/cabinet maker at some point in his life...BUT I do have him deceased and buried in Detroit (hospital records, census records and cemetery records of gravesite..and death cert.). Plus his wife I have on records (again, census, cemetery, and death cert) as Caroline Eisenach. Plus I have newspaper bio on oldest son of theirs, another John Herig, working for Standard Oil and having wife (kids) living in IN area for some time, BUT referencing his dad, John and mother Caroline...and OH then Detroit as family residence...after coming from Germany when John (Sr.) was three.
SOOOOOOOOOOO, this says to me..there are two John Herigs in that time frame...w/ father's named Christian also...and coming from Baden. I did also find a voyage record of small child, John, age 3 w/ Christian back in around 1821 coming into NY.

Ahhhh, I think..I will sit down and type out and give you what I have..and we can try to figure out if TRULY we are talking two different people. But I strongly think so, now.
Kelley