Family of Friedli Trefzger
Study:
Family records showed that Anton, Maria Anna, Simon (Jr), and Simon’s wife Katharina and 2 children came to this country in the spring of 1855 through the Port of New York to Cincinnati, OH from Wehr, Baden. Maria Anna, Simon and his family stayed in Cincinnati, while Anton decided to go on to St. Louis, MO.
Arnold, who immigrated in 1892, was a nephew. Arnold was the youngest son of Johann, an older brother of Maria Anna, Anton, and Simon. Fred and Luisa, who immigrated in 1907, were the 3rd and 4th children of Eduard Trefzger, Arnold's older brother. Arnold (the 5th child) immigrated in 1924, and Berta (the 6th child) immigrated in 1921.
It was a great joy to find Anton, Simon(Jr), and Maria Anna’s birth/baptism records and the records of many other unknown brothers and sisters in the Later Day Saints (LDS) microfilm records from the Catholic Church in Wehr, Baden.
Marriage records show that Johann (age 28) and Simon Jr (age 22) were both married in the Catholic Church in Wehr on 4/11/1853. It must have been a double wedding. What a celebration there must have been.
Maria Anna was 28, Anton was 26, Simon (Jr) was 24, married and with two small children (ages 1½, and about 5 months) when they left home to go to America. A note said that they arrived through the port of New York.
Simon (Sr)’s birth/baptism record and the record of an unknown older brother Fidelis (who died the day of his birth) were found. Both records listed their father as “Joseph Trefzger”. Paul Bourscheidt’s “History and Genealogy” of 1956 states that Simon (Sr)’s father’s name was Franz Trefzger.
The only Joseph born between 15 and 45 years before Simon (Sr) who could have been the father was Fran. Joseph Trefzger born 2/18/1766. So the problem was solved. Simon (Sr)’s father’s name was Franz as in Paul Bourscheidt’s record, and it was also Joseph as shown on Simon (Sr)’s birth/baptism record.
It was possible to trace the family ancestors back to Friedli Trefzger and Maria Thomann who were married in St. Martin Church, in the little town of Wehr, Baden in 1656.
It is interesting to note that Simon (Sr)’s father, grandfather, and great grandfather were not known by their first names, but by their middle names: Joseph, Jacob, and Jacob.
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