Our Kohues Family from Prussia to America
In order to make it easier to follow my Kohus family line, names in italics indicate parents or grandparents of Herbert B Kohus Jr. 1917-2009.
It is sad that the stories of our lives are remembered by so few for such a short wile. Like footprints in the sand, most of our past is erased by the tides of time. We may never learn all we would like to know about many of our ancestors except to discover an occasional footprint left behind in the form of records, or family stories passed down over generations. From these bits and pieces of records and stories left behind, I attempt to reassemble a small portion of my family history. Their complete life stories are lost forever, but with the clues they left behind, whether it be a photograph, death certificate or a story tucked away in the mind of someone now living who knew them, we can try to assemble the pieces of a puzzle and perhaps get a better glimpse of some of our ancestors from the picture that forms.
Unfortunately, I know little more than names, dates and locations associated with ancestors preceding Georg Henricus Kohues 1802-1846, and Anna Maria Gertrud Piegelbrock 1797-1873. Since this information is available in other sections of this website, I won't repeat it here. However, I would just like to mention that our Kohus line has lived in the same vicinity in Westphalia, Germany since at least the early 1700's. There was a Mary Kohus recorded in Munster as early as 1683. This narrative shall start with the family of Georg Henrichus Kohues and Anna Maria Gertrud Piegelbrock from Ostbevern, members of the Church perish named St Ambrosius. Most of the Kohus families living in the US today can trace their families back to one of three sons of Georg Henricus and Gertrud Kohues who immigrated to the US. Their are Hermann Heinrich 1826-1900, Johann Hermann 1828-1875 and Joan Heinrich Kohues 1838-1913. Other children of this family that did not leave Germany are Bernard 1825-1885, Maria Anna 1832-1898 and Anna Maria Elisabeth 1835-1910. Ostbevern, is a small town in Westphalia, east of Munster in northern Germany. See the early land plot showing the location of the Kohues farm, at Dorfbauerschaft 62, surveyed in 1825. The first of the children of Georg and Gertrud to emigrate from Prussia to America was my direct ancestor Johann Hermann Kohues.
Johann Kohues was born on 19 Sept 1828. He was only eighteen years old when his father Heinrich died on 24 Dec 1846. It was three years later, on 29 Sept 1849 and just nine days after his 21st birthday, (according to an obituary reccord) Johann Hermann left his home in Ostbevern Westphalia, a small farming town about 20 miles east of Munster and headed for a new life in America. He traveled from Ostbevern through the Kingdom of Hanover to the seaport in Bremen where he boarded a ship and made his way to America. I do not know the exact departure date but he arrived in America at the port of New Orleans. A trip of this nature was often a month or longer in those days. He arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio in the spring of 1850. More on the accuracy of these dates are discussed later. Travel from New Orleans to Cincinnati was commonly by riverboat at that time. Winter passage on the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers could often times be hazardous to impossible during the winter months.
It is documented in the status animarum (a type of German church census record) that he left the country without permission. Permission was required to leave Westphalia at that time and it is interesting to speculate why he left without it. What would cause a young man just twenty one years of age to leave his family, friends and country? Sailing to America in 1850 wasn't necessarily a pleasurable experience. Ships were often crowded and the passage could take well over a month to complete. Ships at that time were typically two or three masted wooden sailing vessels. Sanitary conditions were lacking and deaths aboard ship were common place. What lured Johnann Kohues to a place named Cincinnati in the State of Ohio, that it is probable he knew little about and highly probable he could not speak the native language. Could it have been the socio-economic conditions in his homeland during the 19th century? That's my guess.
In late 1848 Germans experienced a failed revolution. In it's simplest explanation, it was an attempt to unite the independent German speaking Kingdoms and Principalities one of which was Johann's home of Westphalia, (German spelling, Westfalen). I have read that artisans like Johann, a tailor by trade, played leading rolls in the revolution. During the aftermath of the revolution, the Prussian Army swept over the countryside and dealt a severe blow to many of the inhabitants. Could Johann Hermann, have played a roll in the revolution and could he have been running in fear of percussions? Well over a million people emigrated from their homeland shortly after the revolt. Most went to America and Russia. I try to imagine how my life would be different had Johann chose to go to Russia. Would his future have been questionable under the current conditions after the failed revolt? Johann wasn't the eldest son of the family so his brother Bernard was set to inherit the farm which was the custom in his land in those days. Could that have also played a roll in his decision to leave?
The industrial revolution was also occurring during this period in history. It was putting craftsman out of work. Craftsman like Johann Hermann a tailor and his brother Hermann Heinrich a shoemaker, were undoubtedly affected. They probably had a more difficult time earning a living during this period. Machines were taking over jobs traditionally filled by skilled craftsman. Many of these artisans could not prosper as well in the changing times. It was a time when small children worked long hours in factories, under horrible conditions, barely earning enough to buy food for survival. Could this have played a part in Johann’s decision to come to America? There was a lot written about America at that time that lured many to seek prosperity and a better life there.
Another possibility, why Johann had to leave his country illegally, may have been the Prussian military inscription? Johann had his 21st birthday just nine days before leaving home. At 21 years of age he would have been eligible to be drafted into the Prussian Army for a period of three years. It was the same army that recently opposed the uprising of 1848, and responsible for killing many of his fellow countrymen. Whatever his reasons for leaving, the descendants of Johann Hermann Kohues owe their American Citizenship today, to his decision to immigrate to America.
The following is a copy of Johann’s Obituary that was published in the Der Deutsche Pioniere. Finding this obituary was a breakthrough in my research. The Der Deutsche Pioniere was a magazine published by the Deutsche Pionier-Verein (Union of German Pioneers), an organization comprised of German immigrants. Johann Hermann joined the organization approximately a year before his death. The rules of this organization required that German emigrants live in the United States for a minimum of 25 years before they were eligible to join. Johann joined his first year of eligibility, becoming a member in 1874. The membership requirement was probably due to the way early German immigrants already in America looked down on the overwhelming flood of new German immigrants who came after 1848.
Germans like most ethnic groups had very difficult times becoming accepted in the mainstream of America society and in this instance by their own former countryman. Prejudice against Germans was a contributing factors leading to the riots and burning of the courthouse in Cincinnati in the 1884, and citizens living in the Over the Rhine district of the city having to band together to fight off mobs looking to bring harm to them.
A search of ship manifests for Johann's arrivals at the port in New Orleans during the time previously mentioned, has so far revealed no one named Johann Hermann Kohues or John Kohus, (his Americanized name). Since he emigrated from Westphalia without permission, I speculate that he may have used an alias to board the ship? Unfortunately the departure records for Bremen, Germany were destroyed during World War ll. When Johann Hermann arrived in New Orleans, if he did wish to proceed to Cincinnati in October of 1849, as mentioned earlier, the normal means of travel would have been by riverboat? River travel may have been difficult or impossible during the winter months? With no dams along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at that time to control water depth, as there are today, water levels or ice often restricted traveling by this means? There are accounts of riverboats being caught in freezing waters along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and crushed by the ice, or river levels at certain times of year being too low to accommodate a riverboat at all. I have read stories about immigrants walking hundreds of miles and taking months to reach destinations inland. This however, seems an unlikely choice during this time of year, and the accounts I have learned about were from the east coast inland, such as New York to Pennsylvania, having much more developed routes than north and south from New Orleans to Ohio. He would have faced many dangers along an overland journey of that nature at that time. If the dates I have discovered are accurate, the winter could account for the delay between his arrival in New Orleans in the fall of 1849, and reaching Cincinnati in the spring of 1850. There are still many unanswered questions and I will later speculate that he may have arrived in New Orleans in early 1850 not the fall of 1849 as mentioned in his obituary. Obituaries often contain errors, particularly information of an event 25 years after the fact and and information probably provided by a relative or friend. Since John died a year after admittance to the organization. He may have also pushed the date back himself to procure membership, thinking he may not have long to live. He did have to wait 25 years for admittance and it was a prestigious organization. He died just one year after admittance. In the absence of hard proof there are all sorts of possibilities to consider.
I have no records at this time indicating he came to America with friends or other family members although it is probable that he already knew someone living in Cincinnati. Many immigrants had friends already living in America. It was a common practice for friends or family to help new arrivals get established in their new surroundings.
Johann Americanized his name early to John Kohus. His brother Hermann Heinrich Kohues became Herman Kohus after his emigration. Hermann spelled the name Kohus on the ship Uhland passenger list in 1852. All the Kohues brothers spelled the name Kohus after arriving in America. All their names on records from Ostbevern are spelled Kohues. Americanizing ones name was a common practice. The name Kohues has a very awkward pronunciation and is difficult for English speaking people to say correctly. I have heard it pronounced in German and can not repeat it very easily. I might also mention that in the German spelling, the (u ) in Kohus has a umlaut over it like (ü), giving it a sound that does not translate well into English. John was living in Cincinnati in 1852 when his older brother, Hermann Heinrich Kohues arrived. Hermann Heinrich was age 25 at the time. Unlike John, Hermann immigrated with permission of the administration authorities. I wonder if Hermann Heinrich served his time in the Prussian Army before leaving?
The following is a letter written by John Kohus, to the family of his friend Bernard, living back in Westphalia. In 1854, John’s friend Bernard, (surname unknown), became ill and died of a disease John calls, Nerve Fever, an older term for "Typhus". Infectious diseases of this nature were common before the advent of modern medicine. (A fact I found interesting is that Cincinnati had a great cholera epidemic in 1849 that killed over 8000 people. Many residents fled the city and many went to Mt Pleasant, a community that somehow escaped the illness. The town later changed it's name to what it is called today, Mt Healthy) The letter seen below was originally written by John in his native tongue, German. It was copied from the handwritten letter and typed in German, when I received it. I also received a photocopy of the hand written letter from a fellow genealogy researcher Werner Schubert, Ostbevern, Germany. The following translation into English was done through a translation service via the Internet. There were a few words that did not translate.
Written in Cincinnati Ohio on the 19th of April, 1854
Dearest friends,
It pains me to have to write you such a sad letter, and it pains me even more to have lost so early such a good companion to death, your dear son and brother Bernard. I believe the sad news is already known to you. Pastor Hergeholt also said I should write to you right away. He left his possessions to Mr. Hergeholt: The poor will receive half, and he had made over to the Philemena Church. Beloved friends, I cannot write you what it was like to see such a healthy, cheerful lad fall from good health inside of two weeks and die. Everyone who knew him loved him equally, and suddenly now we have to lament his early death. But all the same, what are we to do? The Lord had selected him. We want to and have to console ourselves with the fact that we must all follow him, and perhaps within a short time. We want to ask God to grant us such a good death as the blessed Bernard. He was so patient, right to the very end, as I have never seen any sick man be. When he had received the sacraments he told me, "Now I am completely calm. Now I would wish that God would come." I told him, "But really, Bernard, you don't have to die yet." "Yes," he told me, "I have to die," and that was what he had said from the beginning of his illness. But I couldn't believe it until the moment death came. He died of nerve fever the night of Holy Good Friday, going to Easter Eve, at 3:30 in the morning. His mind was clear until he died, but for the last hour he couldn't talk any more. He died quietly with cold hands. I think it is unnecessary to write any more about it. Winhof von Telgt can tell you everything. He lived in the same house where he died. I want to report everything to you. He will be buried on the first of May. He is now in the burial vault or in the body house, as it's called, as is the custom here. Don't grieve too much, for he had attained his goal. He had completed his pilgrimage and now bears heaven's pennant. His soul and the souls of all Christian believers can rest in peace through God's mercy. Amen. Your friend Johann Hermann Kohus, send greetings to our mother, brother, and sister: We are still quite healthy, thanks be to God. We received the letter from you on March 10th. We think that you have received the letter and the gift with H. Stegemann.
The letter seems to indicate that John Herman was a compassionate, caring, and religious man. The Kohues family was of the Catholic faith dating back to at least the 1700’s and probably earlier. Interesting to note that John spelled his name Johann Hermann Kohus. First and middle name like he German spelled but the surname spelled Kohus. Could this indicate that although all the families birth, marriage and death records record the name as Kohues and they actually spell it Kohus elsewhere or is this simply his oversight in the letter, perhaps due to becoming accustomed to spelling it Kohus for over 4 years in America?
The earliest record I have of John Kohus in Cincinnati, Ohio is from the Cincinnati City Directory for the year 1855 (see Cincinnati City Directories on index page of this website). It lists a John Kohns, which I believe is probably a misspelling of the name Kohus. John is listed as a tailor, and his business is at bldg. 90 E. 2nd Street. I have found many misspellings in the earlier city directories. I have often found the name Kohus misspelled on other documents as well, Kohns being a common transcription error. Hermann Cohorst is also listed in 1855 and his occupation was "sales". This is most probably John’s brother Herman Kohus the shoemaker or shoe salesman at the time, probably both.
It must have been frightening to experience the uncertainties John faced, when he left his country and all the people in his life at 21 years of age for a life half way around the world, where there was probably not much more than opportunity awaiting him. He must have started his life in America with little more than a determination to succeed. That would undoubtedly require a man of courage, unafraid of hard work. All that I have learned about German immigrants in America indicate that they shared many similar traits. One common trait was the determination to work hard and achieving a better lot in life. They were a frugal people. "Frugal," is a word that appears in many German’s Obituaries in 19th century America. It is used in a way that describes an attribute they were very proud of. I believe that sacrifice and hard work gave them a sense of honor and dignity regardless of their social or economic position in life.
Many German immigrants in Cincinnati shared a common community called Over-The-Rhine. In this neighborhood, culture, and life's circumstances united them. The Deutsche Pionier-Verein (Union of German Pioneers) of which John Kohus belonged, was a German American Society that was formed to promote unity and pride in the German Community. Like many other ethnic groups who came to America, Germans faced discrimination. There were hate groups during John’s period in American History that openly demonstrated against Germans. These hate groups faded sometime after the American Civil War, when attitudes began to change.
This change was due in part to the reputations earned by German Military units during the War. It was common at that time for Military units to be segregated by ethnicity. German units such as the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, organized in Cincinnati under Col. Robert M. McCook, for example, was one such unit. This and similar German Military Units on the Union side, demonstrated their American patriotism and fierce fighting abilities against the Confederate Forces, earning respect for the German-American Community. Most Germans sympathized with the northern sentiment concerning slavery, since they themselves experienced a social system in their native country, which evolved from a segregated cast system, that divided the very rich land owners and the impoverished peasantry. A system that John's parents Georg and Gertrud most probably lived under more so than John himself since it appears their land was conveyed to them in 1825. Anti-German sentiment occurred again in the 20th century at the time of the world wars I and II. At that time, many of Cincinnati’s German Street names were changed from German names to more American sounding names.
At present, I have found no records of Kohus ancestors participating in the American Civil War as did my Mihm and Clouse lines. On July 24, 1855 John Kohus married Veronica Determann 1832-1913. Veronica was a native of Recke, Tecklebberg, Westfalen, Prussia, a small town not far north from John's home in Ostbevern. I do not know whether they knew each other while living in Prussia. She immigrated to America, arriving at the port in Baltimore Maryland on 13 Nov 1854. The ship she arrived on was named the Anna Lang. John Kohus and Veronica Determann were married in the Over the Rhine community in Cincinnati, at the St. Philomenna Church which still stands there today. At the time of their marriage, John Kohus was age 27 and Veronica 23. To my knowledge they had 11 children. I have no dates for their daughter Josaphine or son Franzis but in 1858 two of their children were born, daughter Anna in January and my great grandfather Louis in December.
An interesting event occurred two years later on October 8, 1860 when John Herman’s mother, Anna Maria Gertrude Kohues (nee Piegelbrock), then age 63, and still living on the small farm in Ostbevern, entered into a contractual agreement with her children. It was a contract where she gave away all her possessions before her death. She was living on the farm with her oldest son Bernard at the time. As it states in the contract, Gertrude gave her farm and most of her worldly possessions, to her children in exchange for certain conditions.
Contractual agreement between Gertrude Kohues and her children.
In Ostbevern on the 8th October 1860.
The following people attended the court session today 1) Gertrude geb. Piegelbrock, the widow of the cottager [Koetter] Heinrich Kohues, from this parish 2) Her son Bernard Kohues, 3) Her daughter Elisabeth Kohues, married name Riesenbeck, all from this parish. They were recognized, and all were fit to testify. They asked for a contract to be accepted, which is recorded next in this document. Because she can not write, the widow Kohues was assisted by the actuary Herr Hanning.1) The widow Kohues passes on to her son Bernard Kohues her cottage in this parish, Sub No, Cat 62 [in the ground book] and the pieces of land listed in the following extract from the ground book, which they already own. Also she gives him all the cottage's livestock, farm implements, household furniture, beds, linen and other household goods, which need not be listed in detail. 2) Bernard Kohues accepts this transfer of property, and takes over his mother's debts, which are about 200 Thaler, and which are known to him. 3)Further, He promises to provide his mother with all her needs in this cottage, without payment, whether she is healthy or sick, for all the days of her life. Also to give her weekly pocket-money of two silver Groschen and six pennies, and to give her yearly thirty pounds of soft hemp. It is agreed that whatever remains when his mother dies will be cancelled. If the mother moves away from her son, then instead of caring for her in kind and giving her pocket money, she will be given twenty Thaler each year, and the bed which she now uses.4)Bernard Kohues pledges to pay off each of his four siblings, a. Johann, b. Hermann, c. Maria Anna, d. Henrich with 30 Thaler out of the parental heirloom. The siblings may get the money after coming of age or if they start a business of their own. Maria Anna and Henrich are additionally entitled to a new shirt and free mending each year, as long as they have not yet got their part of the heirloom, also free access and right of moving about the parental house, also free food when they are ill.
5. As a reassurance for the rights given to the mother, Bernard Kohues puts a mortgage on the property he had got. However, the mother had not called for the 'installation' of a mortgage even though she had been told that without the 'installation' of a mortgage she could only get her rights concerning the "Mitcomparenten" [could not translate this word??] and their heirs, but not a possible buyer of the property.
6. Elisabeth Kohues joined the contract and waived all her claims to parts of the parental heirloom in favor of her brother Bernard, declaring herself fully paid off. Now it was proposed that a copy of the contract should be made for Bernard Kohues, who covered the costs. He wanted as yet to leave open for himself the possibility of transferring the title. Read out aloud, declared to be fine, signed/ marked XXX by the widow Kohues, attested by Hannig. Bernard Kohues Elisabeth Kohues from Brockhausen, district council, are given a sealed and lawful copy of the land registry entry of 8 October 1860. Documented with seal and signature, Warendorf, 10 Oct 1860, at the royal district court, department II , Jungeblodt. Copy for the house-owner Bernard Kohues, parish Ostbevern, II 6 2172.
NOTE: A single Prussian taler in 1860 was worth 75 cents in U.S. currency. The units of Prussian currency in 1860 were as follows, 12 Pfennig equal 1 Silbergrosschen, 30 Silbergrosschen, equals 1 Taler.
END
Judging by the contract, it sounds as if they lived a meager existence compared to today's standards. The contract mentions that the children may be entitled to a new shirt every year. Gertrude also asked for a ration of soft hemp. Hemp fiber has been used for centuries to make cloth and rope. It has only been since the latter part of the 20th. century that cotton has taken its place. Hemp plant stalks were put through a refining process of repeated boiling, drying, and softening, then spun into thread. The thread was then woven into cloth. A process (art), that undoubtedly occurred on the Kohues farm. These are skills and a way of life that is hard to imagine today.
In April 1861 John and Veronica Kohus had daughter Phelomena Louise. Phelomena lived a short life, dying at age eight on 9 Aug 1869. This date is from her obituary which appeared in "The Volksfreund" a Cincinnati, German newspaper. Many of the Kohus obituaries throughout the years appeared in one of several Cincinnati German newspapers. Their next child, Johann Heinrich, was born about August in 1862, and died only two months later on October 29th. His obituary also appeared in the Cincinnati Volksfreund. In 1864 they had a daughter Veronica. Veronica later married a man named Herman Moeller, They had at least two children, Vera Moeller and Theresa B. Moeller. The next child of John and Veronica’s was a son named Fronz Joseph. Fronz Joseph lived only one month. He was born 1 Oct 1866 and according to his obituary, died on 14 Nov the same year. Their daughter Catherine was born in 1868, and Elisabeth in 1869. Maria was born 12 Jul 1874 and Emma about June 1875. Emma's obituary states she lived only six months and died on 1 Jan 1875. 1875 was also the same year that John Herman Kohus, died. It must have been extremely difficult for Veronica to loose so many children and now, her husband. She lost her husband John and Emma within the span of a few months. It appears also that John Kohus died before knowing any of his grandchildren.
As previously mentioned, John Kohus was a tailor. He appears in the Cincinnati City Directory for a period of 20 years, starting five years after his arrival in Cincinnati, from 1855 until his death. In 1859 and 1860 John was in business with Louis Moorman. The business was named Kohus & Moorman. They were listed as merchant tailors and their business address was 84 Broadway. Broadway in the 1850’s was a very fashionable part of Cincinnati. In 1861 the business address changed to 260 E. Front, East of Broadway, and his home address was 84 Broadway. John appears in the 1860 census with wife Veronica, (misspelled, Feronica) with children Anna and my great grandfather Louis. It appears that John continued in business with Louis Moorman until 1866, when he went into business with a man by the name of Jacob Smith. The business name changed to "John Kohus & Jacob Smith", merchant tailors, 56th East 5th. In 1867 John is listed in the city directory as simply John Kohus merchant tailor, and the business location is still 56th East 5th.
In 1867 John's brother Herman Kohus had a boot and shoe business with a partner named Rudolph Imwalled. They called their business Kohus & Imwalled, and were located at 60 E. 5th. In 1868 John was in business with his brother Herman. The name of this business was "Kohus & Bro.", John and Herman Kohus, merchant tailors, located at 56th East 5th. It is interesting to note that Herman Kohus was listed in two businesses in 1868. The other being "Herman Kohus & Rudolph Imwalled", boots and shoes. John's brother Henry Kohus is also listed as a tailor in 1868 working at 56th East 5th, with his two brothers, John and Herman. This could be a mistake in the directory and the name John and Herman could possibly have been intended to read, John and Henry since Henry was a tailor not Herman? Henry later established a business of his own with his son (Bernard Heinrich Kohues) or Henry B. as he was referred to in America. They called that business "Kohus & Son". A button from a piece of clothing bearing the inscription Kohus & Son was found in the late 1980's in an old box of buttons at my sister's house. She noticed the name on the button but our connection to the business of Kohus & Son wouldn't be discovered for several more years.
There are conflicting documents stating the date John's brothers, Henry Kohus, (Joan Heinrich Kohues' 1838-1913), immigrated to America. It was some time between 1865-1867. The status animarum from Ostbevern states 1867. On the 1910 US Census it says 1865 but the first entry on the Cincinnati City Directories for Henry is 1867. He was also married in Cincinnati in 1867. At that time there were three Kohus brothers living in Cincinnati, Herman, a shoemaker, John and Henry both merchant tailors.
The business of Herman Kohus and Rudolph Imwalled appears in the Cincinnati City Directory at 60 E. 5th. in 1869. Herman and John were both living at 72 Spring Street that year while John was in business with his brother Henry, operating under the name "Kohus & Brother", merchant tailors, location, 56 East 5th.
In 1870 Kohus & Brother was still in business but John and his family moved to a new residence at Western Avenue and Poplar where he resided until his death 5 years later. In 1872 "Kohus & Brother" is out of business and John is listed in the city directory that year simply as "John Kohus merchant tailor."
On November 10, 1873, while still living on the Kohus farm back in Westphalia, John’s mother, Anna Maria Gertrude died. John does not appear in the Cincinnati City Directory that year. Could he have returned to Germany? John appears in the Cincinnati City Directory for one final time in 1875, the year of his death.
On 24 Oct 1875 my great, great grandfather John Herman Kohus, a 26-year resident of the United States of America, died. He was 47 years of age, and died from a kidney disorder called Brights Disease. He was laid to rest in St. Johns Cemetery on Vine Street in St. Bernard, Hamilton Co. Ohio. The gravesite is a single monument with J. Kohus engraved toward the bottom of the stone. The names of his children buried around him are engraved on each of the four sides. The stone is badly weathered by age and is difficult to read. There are many names on it. To the best of my knowledge, the names of John and Veronica’s children buried there are, Fronz Joseph Kohus, (my grandfather) Louis Kohus, Catherine Kohus and John Kohus. There is another Louis buried there, who may be the son of John’s brother Herman, I am not certain at this time.
. See the Last Will and and Testament of John Herman Kohus.
OBITUARY OF JOHN KOHUS from (The Der Deutsche Pioniere, Cincinnati, Ohio 1869-1885) Monograph #20 part 3, Early 19th Century German Settlers in Ohio, Kentucky and other states, by Clifford Neal Smith.)
Kohus, Johann - He was born on 19 Sep 1828 in Ostbevern, Westphalia. After he had learned the tailoring trade in his hometown, he immigrated on 29 Sep 1849, via Bremen, landing in New Orleans in October of that same year. He arrived in Cincinnati in the spring of 1850, where he opened his own business and attained comfortable circumstances. He has lived, since becoming a member of the Pionier-Verein in November 1874, on the corner of Poplar Street and Western Avenue, where he died on 25 Oct 1875. His wife and several children, who mourn his death, survived him.
My great, great grandmother Veronica (Determann) Kohus, was 43 years of age with several children when her husband John died. I believe the magazine article above was mistaken concerning John's death date. According to the Hamilton County Death Records 1874-1877, John died on October 24, not the 25th. John's obituary appearing in the Cincinnati Volksfreund also states the 24th. This brings a question of credibility to the account appearing in the Der Deutchie Pioniere. Are John's immigration dates inaccurate also? Genealogy always seems to be riddled with more questions than answers. The reason I question the immigration date is because I have searched and searched and can find no Johann Kohues or John Kohus immigrating through the port of New Orleans in September 1849 or in fact any time at all during that year. I have however, found a Wilhelm Kohus entering through the port of New Orleans on the ship Uhland on 17 June 1850. This was the same ship that John's brother Hermann would come to America on in 1852. On the ship passenger list Wilhelm states he is traveling to Ohio and is coming from the Kingdom of Hanover the same place John said he traveled through on his way to the port in Bremen. If there was a Wilhelm Kohus, surely he would appear in a census record or somewhere but I have not found him. One theory is that Wilhelm Kohus may not have been his real name. If one were evading the authorities leaving his country wouldn't using an alias make sense? I have heard family legend stating that my grandfather Herbert Kohus told a story about how the first Kohus hid away on a ship to come here from Germany. Are the stories true? I can not conclusively prove that this Wilhelm is actually John but I strongly suspect that it may be.
At the time of John's death in 1875, Veronica and family were living in a house located on the corner of Western Ave. and Poplar, in Cincinnati. The house is no longer there and the area has undergone much change throughout the years. Some time between 1875 and 1877 Veronica and children moved to 391 West Liberty. They live at this address until at least 1881. In 1882 Veronica appears to be in business with a man named Ben Moeller. The business appears to have been started in 1880 by her son Louis and Ben Moeller. Could Ben Moeller be related to Herman Moeller, the husband of her daughter Veronica? Probably so bit I have no proof of this yet. Their business name in 1880 was Kohus & Moeller and listed in the city directory as "dealers in paper hanging, floor and table oil cloths & manufactured window shades". They were located at 496 Main Street. They later moved up the street to 1206 Main. Veronica continued in this business until about 1901.
In 1908 great grandmother Veronica (Determann) Kohus was living at 963 Richmond and remained there until her death on 2 Jan. 1913. Her obituary was published in the Cincinnati Volksblatt. She died of a disease, called La Grippe and is buried in Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati.
John's Brother Herman Kohus, was the next of the three Kohus brothers to depart this earth. Herman died 30 May 1900, leaving behind a wife Elizabeth Milenbrink 1837-1907 and they had at least 11 children most of which survived both their passing. Elisabeth was born in Prussia also, town of birth place unknown. Herman and wife Elisabeth are buried in Old St. Joseph Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio. See grave markers in Kohus photo album.
Henry Kohus, the last remaining of John's brothers who immigrate to America, died on 5 Apr 1913. He was widowed at the time of death, his wife Anna Gertrud Fromme having passing away four years prior on 4 Jan 1909. Anna was also a native of Ostbevern, Westphalia and came to America with son Henry B. in 1867. He was survived by 5 of his 6 children. His son Henry B. Kohus of the business "Kohus & Son" was the executor of his Last Will and Testament. Henry has a large family section located in Calvary Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio where he is buried along with his wife, several of his children and relatives. See grave markers in Kohus photo album.
My g grandfather Louis Kohus, son of John Herman Kohus and Veronica Determann was born on 30 Nov 1858, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the first Kohus in my line to become an American Citizen by birth. Louis grew up near the Over The Rhine area of down town Cincinnati. I do not know much about his early years. Louis was 16 years old in 1874 when he is first shown in the city directory as a clerk, working at 494 West Freeman Avenue. He was still living with his parents on Western Avenue and Poplar Street at that time. In 1875, at 17 years of age, Louis lost his father, John Kohus. He was working as a clerk that year at 97 West Court. About four years later on 4 May 1879, Louis then age 20 married Julia T Elbrey, age 19. Julia was born on 23 June 1860. The 1880 federal census indicates she was born in Ohio. Information provided on her death certificate by daughter Alma also states Cincinnati, Ohio as her birth place. On the census record Julia’s father, John Elbrey, is living with them as a boarder, born 1835 in Germany and working as a shoe salesman.
The country of Germany is often referred to on later records but the country of Germany did not exist until after 1871. References to the country as Germany before 1871 actually refers to one of the many independent German speaking states or principalities that existed then. Many European lands changed ownership several times over history and to be accurate, one has to know who owned what in the particular year to which you are referring. This is something confusing since I am not that versed in European history.
Great grandfather Louis Kohus and Julia (Elbrey) Kohus had four children. Their first child was John William Kohus, born 17 Sep 1879, Veronica Kohus born Oct 1881, she lived three months and died Jan 1883, my grandfather Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr., born Dec 27, 1886, and Alma born in Aug 1890. In 1889 Louis’ occupation is listed as paperhanger and lived at 18 German Street where they continue to reside until 1892. Louis Kohus no longer appears in the City Directories after that date until 14 years later when he is living back in Cincinnati between 1906 and his death in 1907.
Louis and Julia Kohus ran a boarding house in Addyston, Ohio, just a few miles west of Cincinnati. They moved there some time after 1892. Though Louis and Julia did not wonder far from Cincinnati, it may have been a big step from the German neighborhood where they lived in town to the small town of Addyston. When I was a child, I remember grandpa, Herbert Kohus, telling stories about the boarding house and his childhood in Addyston. I remember hearing about him and his brother Johnny, racing through the countryside on horseback. He always spoke fondly of his brother Johnny. Another story I heard from a family member was that his father Louis bought his mother Julia a new carriage and a week later, lost it in a poker game. The complete accuracy of stories passed down through generations may be questionable but are probably based in some truth. I do remember grandpa's stories and how he loved to tell them. Some stories were no doubt true historical accounts, and some quite fabricated, designed to amaze and mystify the mind of a naive young wide eyed grandchild intent on literally believing every word. I can remember him repeating the same stories over and over as if they were new every time. I listened intently every time as if I had never heard it before, never thinking to tell him I heard that one a hundred times before. Maybe it was just that I loved hearing about the past and how different things used to be long ago. A Coke for a nickel, hoarse drawn carts on cobble stone streets, street cars that ran on rails, vendors selling tamales and pretzels, card games in brother John's Saloon or riding horseback through the countryside. All fascinating to a young child, and I must admit, remains so to this day.
Sometime around 1905, after their children were raised, Louis and Julia Kohus moved back to Cincinnati. Louis became the proprietor of the Walnut Hills Billiard and Pool Parlor located on the corner of Clayton and Woodburn Avenue. He was living at 3617 Reading Road. He worked at the Billiard Parlor for about two years prior to his death from pneumonia on 9 Dec 1907. In 1910 Julia was living at 3616 Michigan Avenue according the city directory although she must have moved that year because in the 1910 census she was enumerated while living with her daughter Alma and son-in-law, Pete Buckley, at 2617 Hackberry Street. Julia’s daughter Alma Kohus married Pete Buckley around 1900. Pete was a Cincinnati fire fighter who died tragically during a fire in 1920. Pete and three other firemen were killed and fourteen injured when the east wall of the Newton Tea and Spice Company collapsed on them while they were playing hose streams into the building during a fire. The wall collapsed without warning as a result of an explosion in the building. The firemen were working from the ramp to the Suspension Bridge when the wall fell on them. Pete lived long enough at General Hospital to see his wife and sister before he died. He was living at 2617 Hackberry Street with Alma, two small children, Dorothy age 11, Pete Jr. age 8 and mother-in-law Julia (Elbrey) Kohus.
Alma later married Clearance Dreyfus in 1926 and moved to Fulton, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. That is where Julia was living with Alma's family, when she died on 16 Aug 1945. Julia (Elbrey) Kohus is buried in Westside Cemetery in Atlanta. Alma later return to Cincinnati, Ohio where after some time spent living in a retirement home and having outlived her second husband Clearance, she died on 7 Sep 1981.
Another of Louis and Julia's children was my grandfather Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr., Herbert was about age 5 or 6 and living in Cincinnati at 18 German Street when the family decided to relocated to Addyston, Ohio. That is where Herbert spent his childhood and teenage years. As mentioned earlier, Addyston is a town only a few miles east of Cincinnati, along the Ohio River. Herbert married very young. His first wife's name was Lizzie LaFever. They were married on 7 Sept 1903 in Dearborn Co., Indiana. Herbert was 16 and Lizzie was only 15 years of age. They married on Lizzie's 15th birthday. On 1 Jan 1905, Herbert and Lizzie had a daughter, Julia Alma. Lizzie died the same day. She is buried in the old section, J-2, of Greendale Cemetery, Greendale, Dearborn Co., Indiana. She has a concrete headstone with the initials L K on it. Her father, Andrew Jackson LaFever, made the concrete headstone for her grave and was known to whitewash it on occasion to keep it looking good. At the time of Lizzie’s death, Herbert was left a single, 18-year-old parent, with an infant daughter. It is said that he left daughter Julia with his mother-in-law, Julia Lacey, for the first two years of Julia’s life, returning after his second marriage to Mabel Duncan to take custody of his daughter and return her to live with them. Herbert's second wife, Mabel Julia Duncan, was the daughter of Orson "Oscar" Duncan and Elisabeth Walters. Herbert and Mabel were married on 15 Apr 1907, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
At the time of his second marriage, Herbert was 20 years of age and Mabel Duncan was 16. Mabel was my grandmother's birth name and it appears on early records before she started going by the name Mary. I remember Grandfather Herbert Kohus always calling her Mabel. I was at their house one time in the early 1960's when an old song came on the radio, entitled Mary. I remember my grandfather saying how he loved the song and how it was special to him since grandma's name was Mary. I was surprised, I did not know until then that my grandmother’s name was Mary. I was probably about 13 years old at the time. This confused me for many years until I only recently learned that Mary was the name my grandmother took at the time of her baptism into the Catholic Church. Mabel was not considered a Christian name. Remembering back to my childhood I remember Grandma Kohus loved to play the harmonica. I don’t know how or when she became interested in playing it but I remember her playing the harmonica often and the song Mary was one knew well. Know I know why.
Herbert and Mabel were married at a very young age by today’s standards. It is interesting that on their marriage certificate, Herbert states his age as 21 and Mabel 17. Several documents relating to Herbert Kohus place his birth date at different times. I refer to his birth certificate to place his birth in 1886.
When Herbert applied for his social security card in 1936, he was working for the Cincinnati Street Railway Co. as a conductor. The birth date on his marriage license differs from that record also. A problem all to common when doing genealogical research. The information on the marriage license was sworn to and signed by Mabel's father Orson Duncan. (Orson Duncan and Oscar Duncan are the same person. Orson started using the name Oscar, between 1900 and 1910). Her father should have known Mabel's age, but I wonder if he knew Herbert was only 20 at the time? Age however, made little difference in the success of their marriage. If years are an indication of marital success, the marriage between Herbert Kohus and Mary Julia (Mabel) Duncan was quite an accomplishment. It lasted a total of 63 years and produced 7 children.
The number of times Herbert and Mabel changed their residence throughout their lives is interesting. No doubt they probably moved more times between the city directory listings. In 1908, Herbert, Mary and daughter Julia were living at 513 East 13th. St. In 1909, they had their first child Evelyn Elisabeth Kohus. They live at 1125 Jackson that year. In 1910, Louis Oscar Kohus was born, evidently named after his grandfathers, Louis Kohus and Oscar Duncan. They lived at 1308 Main that year. In 1911, they lived at 126 Dorsey, and in 1912, at 1227 Clay. That year they had another child, Edward Henry Kohus, born 19 Apr1912.
From 1909 to 1918 Herbert Sr. was tending bar at his brother’s business, the John Kohus’ Cafe at 1215 Main Street. It is interesting to note the building that once housed the John Kohus Cafe in Cincinnati later became the "John 3.16 Baptist Church." in the 1960's. On 27 Feb 1917, while living at 15 East 15th Street, their forth child was born, my father, Herbert Bernard Kohus, Jr.
Three months after the birth of Herbert Bernard Jr, his father's brother died, John William. It was on 28 May 1917 that John Kohus died from tuberculosis. He was 37 years old. John William was survived at death by his wife Mary (Shafer) Kohus and daughter Loretta. Mary continued to operate the saloon business in 1918-1919. In 1919, however, she is listed at this business address selling soft drinks. Herbert Sr. left the business about 1919 and took a job with the Cincinnati Street Railway Co. as a street car conductor, a job he had worked for about one year and quit prior to becoming a bar tender. A conductor was the person who stood at the door and took the money as people entered the car. Herbert retired from this company in the 1950’s. The company is known today as Queen City Metro. In 1920, Herbert Sr. and his family moved to 1812 Republic where on May 22, of that year their daughter Adeline Virginia Kohus was born.
In 1924, Herbert Sr. and Mary Julia had a son named Robert Kohus. Robert lived only for approximately one month. Their seventh and final child, William Clifford Kohus, was born on 17 Apr 1928. From 1931 to 1943 the family moved often. Some of the streets they lived on were Cinnamon, Freeland Avenue, Torrance Avenue, East McMicken Avenue, Fairfax Avenue, Taft Road and again back to Fairfax Avenue. They lived on Fairfax Ave. until 1946, when they moved to the second floor of this son Herbert's house at 2622 Hackberry in Walnut Hills.
They lived there until in 1952 when son Herbert Jr., sold the house and moved to Mt. Repose Ohio just 5 miles east of the town of Milford. At that time, Herbert Sr., Mabel and Adeline moved to 29 West McMillan, Apt. 2. There they lived until one day while Mabel was pursuing one of her passions, "bingo," and won $500, which was a considerable sum of money in 1953. The money was used as a down payment on a house just up the street from their son Herbert's new home on Floyd Place in Mt Repose. The house was purchased in their daughter Adeline’s name. They lived in the house with daughter Adeline until their deaths.
Families stories tell that Mabel Kohus was opposed to moving to a rural area so far from Cincinnati and the places she play bingo. The house was probably one of the only residences they lived in since childhood that had a real yard. That must have been why Grandpa Herbert Sr. enjoyed his yard as he did. He loved working in his yard and it seemed to occupy most of his time since he had retired. I can remember fewer things as a child that I loved more than the visits I made to my grandparents’ house just up the street from ours. All children should have such memories. They were very loving grandparents. I remember how Grandma Kohus liked to play cards. I would visit and play cards with her for hours. Grandma also loved to play her harmonica and would play songs that Grandpa and I would request. She knew tunes such as Yankee Doodle, Jimmy Crack Corn, Suwannee River, My Old Kentucky Home, Taps and Mary, and would let me play it whenever I asked. I remember spending hours doing just that. I probably drove them all crazy with the noise, but I cannot remember a discouraging word directed my way. Maybe this exposure to music is what fostered my interests in music enough to become a drummer playing with various bands in later years. Grandma Kohus as I previously mentioned, loved bingo and occasionally took me along. I remember marveling at the way she could play eight or nine bingo cards and never miss a number.
Grandpa loved gardening and would spend hours in his yard, planting, pruning and weeding his flowers. Anyone visiting their house, before leaving, could count on at least one guided tour of the yard to inspect the progress of his various plants. He loved gardening and inspired me to begin planting a summer vegetable garden when I was a child. Ironically, I later retired from my working career as a Natural Resources manager. Were my grandparents responsible for my later pursuits in life? Probably not entirely but as good roll models they were very positive in my life.
Mabel Kohus' health worsened in her latter years. I watched her health decline and her memory fade as she started to forget how to do all the things she loved. She degressed to a point where she could no longer recognize the people around her. In her last years, she became bedridden and lost her ability to speak. She was truly a wonderful grandmother and person. If life were fair, she would have deserved a kinder ending.
Herbert Bernard Kohus, Sr. died at home on 3 May 1969. Mary (Mabel) Julia Duncan died 16 months later on 3 Sep 1970. They are both buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249.
Other children of Herbert Kohus, Sr. and Mabel Julia (Duncan) Kohus, buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery are Adeline Virginia, William Clifford, and Edward Henry Kohus and his wife Ruth (Kaufhold) Kohus. There are also cousins of the Herbert Bernard Kohus line buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. These are descendents of the Hermann Heinrich and Elizabeth (Milenbrink) Kohus line. They are Hilda Irenelle Kohus, Robert Kohus, Frank Arnold and wife Marie (Willen) Kohus. This line of Kohus relatives lived in the Cincinnati area for many years also and some still do. Like many of our earlier ancestors, some of us again became nomadic. Like Johann, Hermann and Heinrich who ventured across an ocean many Kohus decedents now have ventured to all points of the country. There are Kohus families that I know of in Ohio, Kentucky, Washington, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Oregon, Arizona and California.
I am sure their are many others in many more states I have not yet discover. Perhaps I will leave discovery of these people to our decedents. Maybe, 100 years from now, one of our great great grandchild will be interested enough to wonder about us. Maybe they will start researching their family tree and maybe if we are lucky, will find us there. Probably more of us will be remembered than our ancestors since record keeping has change dramatically over time. I will venture to predict, however, although we will be easier to find than Johann Hermann Kohues and Anna Maria Gertrud Piegelbrock, our stories will be forgotten and we will become an array of names and dates scattered over the land. If they are lucky, they may discover us in perhaps a single footprint not yet to be washed away by the tides of time.
This is not a complete story of our past and I am not a professional writer as you can see but I hope you found the above interest. It was the best I could do with the facts I have found. If you have corrections or anything to add, please let me know.
