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Shafer Family History My great-great grandfather, Friedrich Christian Christoph Schaper [aka Chris Shafer] was the second of my Shafer family to arrive in America from Germany. His brother Christian Christoph Schaper was the first. It is unknown by me why they chose Indiana as a home, but as soon as they got off the boat, they traveled towards the Hoosier state. All that is known by me about Christian Christoph Schaper, so far, is that he first settled in Indiana after arriving in the country in 1865. He married Frances Jane Lawson on 29 March 1871 in Grant Co., Indiana, and I am unsure how many children they had. Christian was granted a land patent in Oklahoma on 9 November 1908. His name was stated as "Christian C. Schaefer" as it was at his death in 1923. He was known by many as just C.C. Schaefer. In 1880 Christian, Frances, and daughter T. Ann were in Lincoln, Stafford Co., Kansas. Apparently on his way to the land runs and lotteries in Oklahoma. Three years after his arrival in America, little brother Friedrich [my great-great grandfather] arrives on 15 June 1868 on the vessel Herman from Bremen. Chris, as he was known, began his service in the German Army Reserves on April 19, 1865 and was sworn in on the twenty-first. His duty was for seven years. The military description of Christopher was: 5ft. 9in., dark blonde hair, forehead low, grey eyes, common/normal nose, slim/slender stature. His allotment number was 53 and he was in the noncommissioned officers and troops from the second rifle brigade. The German Army issued Christopher a vacation pass from May 1, 1868 to May 1, 1870. In June of 1868 he arrived in America to live the rest of his life, never returning home. Chris never learned to speak English very well, and was never naturalized. When his brother C.C. Schaefer was ill and upon his death bed, Chris had to apply for a passport to travel from Indiana to Oklahoma, as he was considered an enemy alien, this was in the year 1923. Two years after his brother died, Chris died also, a couple of months later, Chris' oldest son passed away. I have sent to two churches in Germany for any birth, death, records on this family. One sent me two baptismal records for Chris and C.C., the other sent me a generational chart going back to their great grandfather. This family is a traditional Germany family, you will see what I mean when you read their full given names. Due to the extreme amount I was charged for this generational chart, I have yet to obtain any more info from said church. I still owe them money, they never informed me ahead of time of the exorbitant cost of a piece of paper!
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