Families who left Mecklenburg and settled in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago County, Illinois

Families that left Mecklenburg and settled in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago County Illinois included: Anders, Glaeve, Kasch, Laabs/Loobs, Meyer/Meyers/Meier, Rapean, Ritter, Sass and Schwartz/Swartz

Today the province of Mecklenburg where my ancestors lived is called Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The modern state formed after World War 2 has much different boundaries. It takes in many of the old Mecklenburg duchies as well as a portion of  the western part of Pomerania (the rest is now Poland)

The Railroad between Rockford and Freeport Illinois was completed in 1853, a distance of about 31 miles. Bancroft's location was equidistant from both. Some of the families that came from Mecklenburg with a destination of Bancroft stayed on in Rockford while others traveled on to Freeport. 

                          contemporary highway map of the route from Rockford to Freeport

Friederich Albert Anders was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 30th of January 1843. He was married in Mecklenburg to Maria Schwartz of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. They emigrated in October of 1872 and arrived in the Port of New York on 26th of November. In 1872 they are residing in Pecatonica, Illinois when the birth of their son, Albert Anders, is reported. They stayed for the rest of their lives and are buried in Thompson Cemetery. 

Great Grandfather Frederick "Fred" Glaeve was born in 1841 in Beestland, Demmin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. He was married to Maria "Mary" Fredericka Neberman in 1874. Birth of daughter Wilhelmina Marie "Minnie" Glaeve on 15 Dec 1875 in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois. Birth of Son Frederick Carl Glaeve on 02 Apr 1878  Ridott, Stephenson, Illinois. Birth of daughter Martha Lydia Fredricka Glaeve on 18 May 1888  Freeport, Stephenson, Illinois. He died on December 11, 1907, in Winnebago County, Illinois, at the age of 66. Mary died on July 11, 1919 and is buried beside him in Winnebago Cemetery on Westfield Rd. in Winnebago, Illinois. 

Frederick Christian Theodor Kasch Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 3rd of November 1842. He married Sophia Christiana Dorothea Roeder in 1869. They arrived in the USA in 1874 and resided in Burritt, Winnebago County, Illinois. Sophia died in 1876 and in 1881 he was  married to Catharina Dettwiller at St. John's Lutheran church in Pecatonica. He died in 1927 and was buried in Pecatonica Cemetery. Catharina died in 1929 and is also buried in Pecatonica Cemetery. 

Charles Carl Kasch was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 2nd of May 1838. He married Mary Diedrich in 1860. They emigrated to the USA in 1871 and took up residence with their children William, Charles, Georgiana, and Mary in Pecatonica, Winnebago, Illinois. Charles died in 1921 and his wife Mary in 1914. They are buried in Thompson Cemetery.

Christian Kasch was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 9th of May 1850. He emigrated to the USA in 1872 at the age of 22. In the early1880's he moved to Pecatonica, Illinois and was  married to Wilhelmina "Minnie" Dettwiller when birth's of children Albert and Laura are announced. They later moved to Burritt Township, Winnebago County, Illinois where he was employed as a "farm laborer". Minnie died in December of 1913 and Christian died in December of 1918. They are both buried in the Pecatonica Cemetery

Charles Carl Laabs was born in  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 1st day of March 1826 and was married to Caroline Wilhelmina Lentz in 1854. They arrived in New York in 1857 and soon set up residence in Granville, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. In ca. 1868 they moved to Pecatonica, Illinois where their son Louis "Lewis" Albert Laabs and his wife Sophie Dettwiller were living.

John Rapean Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on 6th of February 1831. In 1855 he was married to Sophia Elisabeth Anna Mellendorff  and they emigrated to the USA the same year with their first daughter, Katherine, being born in New York in July of 1856. They lived in Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin until later moving to Ridott township, Stephenson County, Illinois. One more move found them living in the late 1890's in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois. 

John Rapean Jr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 21st of October 1854. He was an infant when he emigrated to the USA with parents John Sr. and Sophia. In the 1870 Federal Census, at the age of 16, John is working as a "farm laborer" in Pecatonica, Illinois. He married his first wife Johanna "Anna" Laabs in 1879 and they had a son, Ernest. Anna died in 1883 and he remarried Louisa Dettwiller with whom he had 6 more children. John died in 1905 at the age of 50 and is buried in Twelve Mile Grove Cemetery Pecatonica. Winnebago, Illinois.

Henry Carl Ritter was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 8th of August 1862. He emigrated in 1884 and married Marie Bertha Wernicke in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois in 1891. Henry Carl was employed as a farmer on his own farm in Winnebago Township, Winnebago County, Illinois. In 1935 they moved to Rockford, Illinois. Henry died in 1951 and was buried in Willwood Burial Park, Rockford. Marie died in 1960 and is buried with Henry.  

Their daughter Caroline Marie Ritter married Joachim Frederick Wienk on the 28th of December 1881 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. They emigrated in July 0f 1888 and settled in Pecatonica, Illinois where they raised their family. 

Their son Frederick Carl Ritter also continued to live in Rockford and followed the trade of a carpenter.  He married Vera Eleanor Patrick in 1921. Frederick's parents and he and his wife were all buried in Willwood Burial Park, Rockford.  

Henry Fredrick Sass was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 1st of November 1853. He emigrated at the age of 15 in 1868 to Pecatonica, Illinois. He was married to Sophia Elisabeth Anders on the 26th of December 1877. They lived there for the rest of their lives and are buried in Thompson Cemetery, Winnebago County, Illinois.

Johann "John" Friederich Schwartz Sr. was born in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the 21st day of June 1812. He was married to Marie Reinschottel in 1843.

Marie died in Pecatonica. Illinois in 1896. He continued to live in Pecatonica until his death in 1913  at the age of 101.

30 Jan 184          

                                                             Pecatonica Main Street North

The Dettwillers

My Paternal Grandmother Ella Emelia Schwartz was the daughter of Joachim “Joseph” Swartz and Caroline Dettwiller. She was born in Pecatonica, Illinois and married Fred Carl Glaeve in 1901 at St. John’s Lutheran in Pecatonic with Fred Schwengels and Augusta Swartz as their witnesses. 

                                                                                                                              Ella Emelia Schwartz

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Ella’s mother’s parents were Heinrich “Henry” Dettwiller and Charlotte Block. Both were from Dehlingen, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. They emigrated to America in 1856 via the Port of New Orleans. They came with 3 children: Charlotte born in 1847; Heinrich “Henry” Jr. born in 1849; and Caroline born in 1854. They lived in Granville, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. After the Dettwillers arrival in America, more children were born. They were Catherine in 1857, Wilhelmina in 1859, Louise in 1861, Sophia in 1863. Christina in 1865 and William in 1868.

The Dettwilllers moved from Granville, Wisconsin to Burritt Township, Winnebago County, Illinois after the Jun 1, 1870 Census but before the 1875 founding of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Original St. John's Lutheran Church

Winnebago County Map showing Pecatonica and Burritt townships

Charlotte, the oldest daughter married Joachim “Joseph” Meyers on August 1, 1969 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They moved to Pecatonica in Winnebago County and were there for the June 1,1870 Federal Census while her parents were still in Granville. Joseph was “farming” and Charlotte was "keeping house." Joseph was the son of Johann Peter Gustav Meyer and Elizabeth Schockner and was born on the 16th of Jun, 1841 in Beestland, Demmin, Mecklenburg, Germany.

After arriving in Winnebago County, Heinrich Dettwiller became part of the group who founded St. John’s (German Lutheran) Church in Pecatonica. Before the church was founded, his wife Charlotte died on April 16, 1873 leaving Henry with, Caroline, Catherine, Christina, Henry Jr., Louise, Sophia, Wilhelmina, and William ages 19 - 5. She was buried in the Thompson Cemetery, Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois.

Heinrich’s son William “Willie” born on April 21, 1868 in Granville died of diphtheria on February 1, 1877 in Pecatonica and is buried in Thompson Cemetery with his name inscribed on edge of Henrich and Charlotte’s stone.

Heinrich, who by 1880 was known as Henry, continued to live on the Burritt Township farm (location from the Atlas). In 1880 most of his children were still living with him.

His remaining daughters, Catherine, Louise, Wilhelmina, Sophia and Christina were all living at home and were working as maids in other houses during the day. Some may have boarded at their employers but don’t show up on the census. His son Henry (Jr.) had married Ernestine Rossow of Granville, Wisconsin on February 21, 1879 in West Bend, Washington County, Wisconsin. They resided in Pecatonica until 1900 when they moved to Ellendale, Shelby, Tennessee where both died and were buried.

Caroline married Joseph Frederick Christian Schwartz at St. John’s Lutheran Church on December 7, 1876. Joseph was born in Dargun, Mecklenberg and was another founder of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Their marriage was the first one performed in the newly organized church. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Catherine married Frederick C. Kasch Sr. on May 5, 1881 at St. John’s Lutheran Church Frederick was from Mecklenberg. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Sophia married Louis “Lewis” Albert Laabs/Loobs on April 12. 1883. Louis was born in Granville, Milwaukee County. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Louise married John Rapean at John’s Lutheran Church on May 27, 1884. John was born in Griefenberg, Mecklenburg. They originally made their home in Winnebago County, Illinois but later moved to Stephenson County, Illinois

Wilhelmina “Minnie” married Christian Kasch, Frederic Kasch's brother, on March 31, 1888. Christian was born in Mecklenberg. They made their home in Pecatonica, Winnebago County, Illinois

Christine married Henry G. Bursick on November 24, 1892. Henry was born in Hesse, Germany. They made their home in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois

                                                         Henry and Charlotte's gravestone

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Alternative spellings for Glaeve and Thompson Cemetery in Pecatonica Township, Winnebago Ill.

 Alternative spellings for Glaeve: Glawe, Glaf, Glave, Glaewe, Gläeve   

Shan made a contact with the village of Pecatonica to get directions to the Thompson Cemetery. The reply was very specific. "It is located on the West side of Ahrens Road which runs South off of Telegraph Road. There is no road into the cemetery nor alongside. You must park along Ahrens Road. It is nestled in farmland. It is a small cemetery with no name posted."

Thompson Cemetery from Ahrens Road

Thompson Cemetery from the side

A closer view

Joachim Christian Johann Glawe was born in Beestland, Pommern, Prussia (present day Germany). He died 24 Apr 1897 and is buried beside his wife, Maria, in Thompson Cemetery in Pecatonica, Illinois. His brother, Joachim Christian Johann Glawe (Glaeve)was also buried in Thompson Cemetery.

Grave Marker for Johann Carl Frederich Glawe (Glaeve) and portrait

    

 Joachim Christian Johann Glawe (Glaeve) is buried with wife Maria Meyer Glawe

Also buried in Thompson Cemetery is Joachim "Joseph" Friederic Christian Swartz 1851–1916 and his wife Caroline Dettwiller