Franz Jahn, 1804–1860, and Marianna Magdalena (Anna) Jllichmann, 1797–1867

Franz Jahn was baptized on 15 October 1804 at Rímskokatolická Rýmarov [Römerstadt Roman Catholic Church] in Römerstadt, Mähren [Moravia], Austro-Hungarian Empire [now Rýmarov, Moravskoslezský Kraj in the Czech Republic]. He was the son of Krispin Jahn and Brigitta Diesner. Within a year, his family moved from Römerstadt to NeuRumburg and then to Mährisch Altstadt.

Marianna Magdalena (Anna) Jllichmann, daughter of Franz Jllichmann and Magdalena Rauch, was born on 5 June 1797 in NeuRumburg, Mährisch Altstadt, Mähren [Moravia], Austro-Hungarian Empire [now Nový Rumburk, Staré Mesto, Olomoucký Kraj in the Czech Republic.] She was baptized at Rímskokatolická Staré Mesto pod Snezníkem [Altstadt Roman Catholic Church.]

Franz Jahn married Anna Jllichmann on 7 November 1828 at the Altstadt Roman Catholic Church. They had a total of twelve children, all born in Moravia; only three survived infancy.

In late 1854, Franz, Anna, and children: Maria, seventeen; Amalia, fifteen; and Anna, thirteen, traveled to Bremen and boarded the SS Adler bound for New Orleans, where they arrived on 30 November 1854. They had given their final destination as Wisconsin, but sailing north on the Mississippi River, they instead disembarked in St. Louis. Franz, a weaver, perhaps was attracted by the availability of weaving jobs in St. Louis at the time.

In St. Louis, this family participated in the Evangelical Church. Franz witnessed daughter Maria’s wedding to Johann Lorenz Schulz on 13 July 1856 at St. Paul’s Evangelical. He and his wife both sponsored the baptism of their first grandchild, Frank Schulz, on 22 February 1857 at the same church. Then at St. John’s Evangelical Church, Mehlville, Franz also witnessed daughter, Amalia Jahn’s, marriage to Friedrich Wilhelm Nebe on 27 March 1859 and daughter Anna Jahn’s marriage to Andreas Elsaßer on 25 August 1859.

On 23 March 1857, Franz took out a mortgage to purchase property in Sappington. He sold this property on 18 July 1860 to his son-in-law, John Schulz. He and Anna then moved in with John and Maria. John paid off the mortgage in 1864 after Franz’s death.

Franz Jahn, fifty-five, died in September or October 1860. It is not known where he was buried. Anna Jahn, seventy, died on 21 November 1867 with burial in the Old Cemetery at St. John’s Evangelical Church, Mehlville, although no stone has been found.

Written by Carol Whitton
April 2017

© 2016, St. Louis Genealogical Society

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Last Modified: 25-Oct-2018 21:49