Family:Carl Hitzemann and Maria Mensching (1)

Carl Hitzemann b. 8 Jun 1819 Idensermoor, Hesse Kassel, Germany d. 23 Dec 1896 Lake County, Indiana

Parents: Johann Mensching and Catharina Nolte Maria Mensching b. 7 Sep 1833 Nordbruch #1, Hesse Kassel, Germany d. 3 Oct 1907 Hanover Township, Lake County, Indiana

m. 14 Mar 1852 Crete, Will, Illinois, United States

Carl Hitzemann and Maria Mensching both emigrated to America from Hesse-Kassel, Germany. Carl came from the village of Idensermoor, and Maria from the next village to the south, Nordbruch. They arrived in the early 1850's, buying a farm near Kreitzburg, Indiana in July 1853. The farm was close to the Indiana-Illinois state line. There they raised nine children, Sophia, Anna, Mary, Minnie, Charles, Otto, Henry, Fred, and Emma. Carl became known to his English-speaking neighbors (and census-takers) as Charles, and Maria as Mary.

As citizens of Hanover Township in Lake County, Indiana (named for Hannover, Germany where many of its settlers originated) they lived in a largely German-speaking community, and became founding members of The German United Evangelical Zion Church (Deutsche Vereinigten Evangelisches Zions Kirche), today known as Zion United Church of Christ.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Donna Graves and Ronna Lounsbery. Graves/Lounsbery Genealogy (Hitzemann and Seegers). (unpublished).
2. ↑ Karen Rowe. Genealogy: Buchmeier.
3. ↑ Household listing, 1860 census:
   Charles Hitzeman, 31, farmer
   Mary, 29
   Sophia, 6
   Anna, 4
   Mary, 2
   Nena, 9 mo.
4. ↑ Household listing, 1870 census:
   Charles Hitzeman, 51
   Mary, 37
   Sophia, 17
   Mary, 12
   Wilhelmina, 10
   Charles, 7
   Otto, 5
   Henry, 2
5. ↑ Household listing, 1880 census:
   Chas. Hitzzemenn, 61
   Mary, 46
   Wilhelmina, 20
   Charles, 18
   Otto, 16
   Henry, 13
   Frederick, 10
   Emma, 6
6. ↑ A church marriage record has them married 14 Mar 1852 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Crete, Will Co., IL. Ronna Lounsbery has them married 10 Mar 1851 in Kur Hessen, Germany. Howard Piepenbrink has them married 7 Sep 1852 in Crete, Will Co., IL. The Trinity record is the only first-hand source, so its date gets priority for now.
7.   Emigration date uncertain, but they sold a piece of property in Indiana to neighbor Fred Battermann in July 1853, and remained on an adjacent plot, so they were in Indiana at least this early. Mary gave 1855 as her immigration date on the 1900 census, but this is too late according to other evidence.