Person:Johann Strahl (4)

Record of their marriage is found in LDS Microfilm #069439, Germany, Neubrandenburg Vital Records, Province Mecklenburg-Schwerin, County Penzlin, Town of Lapitz (Wrodow). They emigrated from Germany about 1871. He was known in America as Fred or Fritz and she was known as Mary. His naturalization certificate is dated 15 October 1880; he renounced the Emperor of Germany and became a citizen of the U.S. Edna Strahl Sonnickson said in an interview, 6 September 1981, with Norma Meier, "Grandmother Strahl, I stayed with her for seven weeks and I did the cleaning and that. Be the stories she would tell! About comin' over on the boat and she had that little girl, my Aunt Minnie, and she would tell how the women on the boat took care of the children and did the cooking. And my grandfather, with the other men, took care of the animals that came over, 'cause they came over on what they call a cattle boat. 'Cause they didn't have money enough to pay their fare on a regular boat. And they docked in New York and after they got to New York, then they came to Chicago. And when she was in Chicago her first job was in a shirt factory, making the buttonholes in the shirts. That's what she did all day long. And she took my Aunt Minnie with her. By hand, she did that by hand. She'd get eight cents a man's shirt, for making the buttonholes. She did that seven days a week, along with her housework, and my grandfather, he got up in a wooden box factory. And he worked there, and they were in Chicago 'till they had saved enough money to go out to Milks Grove and pay $5 an acre and they bought ten acres of ground. And on it was just - she called it a shack there. It was just one room . . . as their family grew they added a room. They'd add another room, bought an extra maybe five acres or more land until they had 120 acres of land . . . " Other family stories told of Fred Strahl as a coachman and surveyor in the town of Lapitz, while Mary was a seamstress in "the big house". These seemed fantasy stories until Norma Meier and Mary Jo Meier-Goodknecht made a visity to Lapitz in 1995. They found a handful of houses beside a manor house. And the manor house was certainly a "big house". Even bigger was the immense timbered and brick barn centuries old. Then it was easy to picture Fred and Mary in this setting of the little town of Lapitz. Fred retired from farming about 1900, by 1913 they purchased their own "big house" - a large Victorian house in the village of Clifton, Illinois (lots 18 & 20, block 11). The obituary of Fred Strahl says he was survived by his wife, six children, 16 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and two brothers and two sisters who lived in Chicago. His probate is found in Iroquois County, Illinois Circuit Court (#402).

Zion Lutheran Church Records, Bonfield, Illinois, 1860-2001, by Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society gives 29 Oct 1879 birthdate and 7 December baptismal date at Milk's Grove church for son Friedrich Christian Heinrich Strahl whose godparents were Charles Schultz, Fr. Schultz, and Mrs. Franz.

1880 Illinois Census, Iroquois County, Milks Grove Township, page 10, SD #5, ED #137, 15 June 1880, #73-76 Fred Strahl, age 34, farmer, born Mecklenburg, Germany Mary Strahl, age 34, born Mecklenburg, Germany Minnie Strahl, age 11, born Illinois Louis Strahl, age 5, born Illinois Lizzie F. Strahl, age 3 born Illinois Emma Strahl, age 3 born Illinois Fred Strahl, age 7/12 (7 months), born Illinois Lina Fanslow, age 65, mother-in-law, born Mecklenburg, Germany

The Comet, Clifton, Illinois, issue of 13 July 1895 told, "Andrew Beck's eighty acre farm, west of town was sold recently to Fred Strahl." The same newspaper, issue of 8 December 1900, carried this sale bill, "Col. G.I. Fox, Auctioneer. Will sell for undersigned Dec. 20, 7 miles west of Clifton, 8 1.2 miles south and 2 miles east of Herscher, 3 1/2 miles north and 5 miles west of Ashkum on the old Henley farm: 1 bay mare 12 years old, 1 gray mare 10 years old, 1 bay mare 9 years old, 1 driving horse 7 years old, 1 bay mare coming 5 years old, 3 3-years old, and 4 2-years olds; 5 milch cows, 3 2-year old steers, 2 1-year old steers, 1 heifer 2 years old, and 1 yearling. 1 riding cultivator, 2 walking cultivators, 1 gopher, 1 riding plow, hay rake, grinder, post auger, 2 lumber wagons, carriage, road cart and bobsled. Usual terms. FRED STRAHL." The same newspaper, issue of 6 January 1900 reported, "Mr. and Mrs. Henry Strahl and Fred Strahl spent the holidays with Chicago relatives."

Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church Records, Bonfield, Illinois, 1860-2001, by Kankakee Valley Genealogical Society gives following confirmation records: Louis Strahl born 30 August 1875 Iroquois County was confirmed 14 April 1889; Elisabeth and Emma Strahl, born 4 May 1873 Iroquois County were confirmed 30 March 1890. Same volume gives confirmation of Friedrich Christian Heinrich, born 29 October 1879, Milks Grove, Iroquois County, confirmed 26 March 1893. The same volume records communicants in Milks Grove on 10 June 1888 were Fritz Strahl and Mrs. Their names again appear on 13 January 1889, along with Mina Strahl and Ernst Fanselow and Mrs. On 19 December 1889 among the communicants in Milks Grove were Strahl and Mrs., Mina Strahl, Louis Strahl, Ernst Fanselow and Mrs., and Widow Fanselow." On 16 November 1890 Louis Strahl Sr., Mrs. Strahl, Emma Strahl, Lizzie Strahl, Louis Strahl and Widow Fanselow received communion. In the summer of 1891 (undated) reeiving communion in Milks Grove were "Gott. Meier, Mrs. Meier, Mrs. Marie Meier, Heinr. Meyer, Fanselow, Mrs. Fanselow and Widow Fanselow." etc.