The Klemme Genealogy

Among my wife's German ancestors is a family bearing the surname of Klemme, which is a variant of the German surname Klein ("short"). Our specific Klemme family lived in western Missouri in the late 1800s, and their surname is sometimes spelled Klemmer. Unfortunately we are only able to trace two generations of this family. We know nothing of where in Germany our Klemmes came from, and in fact we have an array of contradictory family traditions and genealogical speculations regarding the origins of this Klemme family. One common tradition holds that this family was of American Indian descent. The facts and mysteries of my wife's Klemmes are presented and discussed at length below. Much of what is presented below we owe to the painstaking research and generosity of my wife's late cousin Alma Maye Easterla (1926-2006), to whose memory this webpage is dedicated. May God grant her soul peace. Maye's extensive research is supplemented by my own research.

1. HENRY EDWARD KLEMME ("Heinrich Eduard Klemme"), parentage and ancestry unknown, born perhaps circa 1860 possibly in Missouri, died Nov. 1897 in Lafayette County, Missouri. Henry Edward Klemme is without a doubt one of the most mysterious, even enigmatic, figures in my wife's genealogy. Our cousin Alma Maye Easterla (1927-2006) was the leading expert on the genealogy of the Easterlas and Klemme(r)s, yet after years of research she was never able to discover when and where Henry was born, who his parents were, or where they had come from. As Maye told me in a letter dated 19 June 1998, "Little information on Henry Edward Klemme exists. . . . Unfortunately, the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, so without further information, I give up. We simply do not know the names of Henry Klemme's parents, no date of birth, county, state or country of his origin, and only an estimate of his date of death. Don't even know where he is buried."

Although we are not able to say when Henry was born, considering the fact that his wife Emma was 29 years old at the time of their marriage, circa 1860 is probably a pretty good guess for the approximate year of Henry's birth. He could, of course, have been born either several years before 1860 (not unlikely, considering that Henry is known to have been a friend of Herman Easterla, who was born in 1855) or several years after 1860. As a resident of Lafayette County, he may or may not have been born in Missouri. In the 1920 U.S. Census, Henry's putative son Robert identified his father as having been born in Missouri, but a decade later in the 1930 U.S. Census Robert said his father had come from Ireland (!). Henry's surname is German -- "Klemme" is a variant of the surname "Klein," meaning "short" -- which is unsurprising as his wife Emma was the daughter of German Lutheran immigrants from a community of German immmigrant families in western Missouri. Like Emma, Henry may too have been the children of German immigrants, though it is quite possible that his family had come over from Germany to America a generation or two before Henry's birth, a consideration perhaps supported by the fact that his middle name Edward is more typically English than German.

In searching the U.S. Census for potential candidates who could be our Henry Klemme, I have found these four Klemme families, any of which or none of which might be Henry's family:

11 Aug. 1870 -- Lyon Township, Franklin County, Missouri:

     William Klemm, 59, farmer, $1,000 real estate, $670 personal estate, born in Prussia
     Elisabeth Klemm, 50, keeping house, born in Prussia
     Yette Klemm, 16, born in Prussia
     Catherine Klemm, 13, born in Missouri
     William Klemm, 11, born in Missouri
     Henry Klemm, 9 (born circa 1861), born in Missouri
     Gustav Klemm, 6, born in Missouri

15 June 1880 -- Lyon Township, Franklin County, Missouri:

     Daniel Klemme, 56, farmer, born in Hesse-Kassel of Hesse-Kassel-born parents
     Barbara E. Klemme, 51, wife, keeping house, born in Bavaria of Bavaria-born parents
     Augusta Klemme, 23, daughter, at home, born in Missouri
     Alfred Klemme, 18, son, farmer, born in Missouri
     Eduard Klemme, 16 (born circa 1864), son, born in Missouri

15 June 1880 -- 1627 Nash Street, St. Louis, Missouri:

     Fred W. Klemme, 45, tailor, born in Prussia of Prussian-born parents
     Emily Klemme, 41, wife, keeping house, born in Lippe Detmold of Lippe Detmold-born parents
     Henry Klemme, 11 (born circa 1869), son, at school, born in Missouri
     Matilda Klemme, 9, daughter, at school, born in Missouri
     Charles Klemme, 4, son, at home, born in Missouri
     William Klemme, 1, son, at home, born in Missouri

25 June 1800 -- Kelso Township, Scott County, Missouri:

     August Klemme, 34, farmer, born in Prussia of Prussian-born parents
     Augusta Klemme, 32, wife, keeping house, born in Missouri of a Missouri-born father and a Prussian-born mother
     George Klemme, 9, son, born in Missouri
     Henry Klemme, 7 (born circa 1873), son, born in Missouri
     Zovina Klemme, 5, daughter, born in Missouri
     Louis Klemme, 2, son, born in Missouri

Of the four above listed Klemm(e) families, the first one from Franklin County, Missouri, seems to be the closest fit chronologically -- but in fact that Henry Klemm seems to be Henry August Klemme (1861-1940). The other Klemme family from Franklin County, Missouri, that of Daniel Klemme, was presumably related to the first family, given their common surname and their residing in the same township. Could Daniel's son Eduard be our "Henry Edward Klemme"? Anyway, we can't be sure Henry was born in Missouri -- perhaps he moved to Missouri on his own, or his family came to Missouri after 1880. It is noteworthy that none of the four families shown above lived in or close to Lafayette County, Missouri -- in fact, they all lived in eastern Missouri rather than western Missouri. However, Henry Klemme's family does not appear in Lafayette County records, whether at the time of the 1880 census or at any other time. So, perhaps Henry Klemme himself moved to Lafayette County unaccompanied by any other member of his family, either from another state or from elsewhere in Missouri. He may even have been born in Germany for all we know.

The first certain appearance of our Henry Klemme on record is in his 1894 marriage record. On 16 May 1894 in Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri, Henry married EMMA EASTERLA, born 15 March 1865 in Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri, died 11 Oct. 1895 in Napoleon, Lafayette County, Missouri, buried 12 Oct. 1895 in Arnold Cemetery, Wellington, Lafayette County, Missouri, daughter of Johann Georg and Wilbura Elisabeth Frederika (Fritz) Oesterle.

Shown is the marriage license of Henry Edward Klemme and Emma Easterla. This license and Henry's marriage record are the earliest documents known to name Henry Klemme.

We are very fortunate that a letter written by Henry Klemme on 20 May 1894 has survived. Henry wrote the letter to his friend Herman Easterla to let him know that he had married Herman's younger sister Emma. Henry's letter is truly fascinating, for his comments indicate that several others -- including apparently other members of Emma's own family -- did not approve of Henry or hold a very high opinion of him. The letter reads as follows:

"Napoleon May 20th 1894

"Dear friend Herman

"I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines. I am well and hope the same for you. I am a married man now, I have married your sister Emma last weak May 16th 1894.

"I read my wife letter, and was not very good news. It did not suit me a particle. I did not expect sitch letter as that from out there. My dear friend Herman, I reccen you know Henry Klemme. You know about what kind of a man i am. I think it and rite from them folks out there to write sitch a letter they ot to be ashame of themself.

"I think myself, i am as good a man as ever walk the street, I recen i know my business, let ever body thend to his own business and not stick there nose in every thing.

"Dear friend Herman you are wellcome in my house anny time you want to come. I hope the rest of the others folks stay far enough away from me I dont want nothing to due wit them.

"If they can not write anny better letter then they wrote last time they dont need to write anny more.

"My best regard to Herman,

"Mr. Henry Klemme.

"Napoleon, Lafayette Co., Mo.

"Write ass soon as possible."

Henry and his wife Emma are known to have had a daughter named Caroline Fredericka ("Carrie") on 15 May 1895, about one year after their marriage. However, Emma is known to have already had three children before she married Henry: twins named Dorothea ("Dora") and Robert Lee, born 1 June 1887 in Wellington, Lafayette County, Missouri, and a daughter named Anna Christine, born 18 April 1892 in Napoleon, Lafayette County, Missouri. All four of Emma's children were baptised at St. Paul Evangelical Christian Church in Napoleon, Missouri. Dorothea and Robert were baptised together on 10 Aug. 1890, Anna was baptised on 10 April 1894, and Caroline was baptised on 26 Oct. 1895 -- but while Caroline's baptismal record names her parents as "Heinrich Eduard Klemme" and "Emma geboren Oesterlie," the baptismal records of Caroline's older siblings identify only their mother, "Emma Oesterlie," showing that the identity of their father was unknown. That is, Dorothea, Robert, and Anna were conceived and born out of wedlock.

For Christians, especially in those days when the United States was culturally Protestant Christian, to engage in sexual relations out of wedlock, and to bear children out of wedlock, are serious sins and matters of great shame -- and Emma had two out-of-wedlock pregnancies resulting in three illegitimate children. This likely helps to explain the strong disapproval that Henry and Emma evidently received from Emma's family, as indicated in Henry's letter. Were some of Emma's family members worried that marrying Henry might be just one more of Emma's bad decisions? Or was Henry the father of all four of Emma's children, both illegitimate and legitimate? On the other hand, in her 19 June 1998 letter to me, Maye Easterla tells of "A letter (old) mentions that before Emma married Henry, there was an engagement of Emma to a Mr. Charles Rabe, who was a close neighbor to the Easterla (OESTERLE) family. Facts are uncertain of those childrens' parentage. Only Caroline was born after Emma and Henry Klemme were married."

Could Charles Rabe have been the father of Dorothea, Robert, and Anna, or at least the father of either Dorothea and Robert or of Anna? Unfortunately it is unlikely that we will ever be able to obtain answers to those questions. A 23andMe autosomal DNA comparison of a granddaughter of Robert Lee Klemmer with my wife, a great-granddaughter of Robert's (half?)-sister Caroline Fredericka Klemme Kruel, has shed no light on this question -- the comparison found that the two women shared no autosomal DNA at all, their only matching DNA being a short segment on their X chromosomes. That does not mean that the two women are not really both descendants of Emma Easterla Klemme, only that each woman inherited completely separate, unmatching segments of Emma's autosomal DNA. The lack of any matching DNA segments between the two women could mean, however, that Robert and Caroline were indeed half-siblings, sharing only one parent (Emma) and having different fathers, for that would mean that only 25% of the autosomal DNA of the children of Robert and Caroline could have come from their grandmother Emma, and then their children in turn could only have gotten 12.5% of their DNA from Emma, and in the generation after that only about 6% of their autosomal DNA could come from Emma. DNA matches are quite likely in the second and third cousins range of kinship even when the cousins descend from half-siblings, but the likelihood that any two "half" third cousins would share DNA is rather low. If more of Emma's descendants had their autosomal DNA tested, it is probable that some genetic matches would be discovered -- matches that might help to resolve the question of the paternity of Emma's three eldest children.

Because the paternity of Emma's three older children is shrouded in mystery, various family traditions have arisen among Emma's descendants regarding who the mystery father or fathers was. As we have noted above, in the 1920 U.S. Census Robert said that his father was born in Missouri, but in the 1930 U.S. Census Robert told the census-taker that his father had been born in Ireland. These contradictory statements suggest that Robert was only guessing where his father had come from, or perhaps was seeking to hide the story of his origins. Yet another tradition maintains that the father of Emma's children was either an American Indian or at least was of Native American descent (which in those days was seen as the same thing). One of the sources of this tradition was Caroline, youngest daughter of Emma, who on several occasions repeated the story to her granddaughter Carolyn (my mother-in-law) that her father Henry Klemme was an American Indian. This story of Native American ancestry has also been handed down among the descendants of Caroline's older brother Robert. That Henry was an Indian (maybe adopted by a German family named Klemme?), or at least part Indian, is said to be part of the reason Henry met with disapproval from his wife's family.

What are we to make of this story? There is no hard evidence available that could verify it. In all available records that mention the race of Emma's children, they are always identified as "white" or "Caucausian," not "Indian." On the other hand, Robert had an unusually dark complexion, as can be seen in old family photos and as noted on his World War II draft card. Could that be due to a Native American ancestor, or was he merely a Caucasian who had a dark complexion? There is, of course, the added complication that Robert and Caroline may not have had the same father, which means that perhaps Robert's father did have Native American ancestry whereas Henry Klemme, Caroline's father, did not. It could well be that Caroline assumed that she and her older siblings all had the same father, and she may never have known that she was the only one of them to be born in wedlock. This is, again, a question that cannot be answered, nor has DNA testing been any help: the abovementioned genetic comparison found no Native American DNA in the sample of Robert's granddaughter, while the only possible Native American DNA in the sample of Caroline's great-granddaughter is known to have come from her father rather than her mother Carolyn (granddaughter of Caroline). This does not mean that neither Robert nor Caroline were of Native American descent -- only that if they were, no trace of that hypothetical Native American DNA was inherited by those two descendants. It could be that Robert's or Caroline's father had only a smaller percentage of Native American DNA, none of which has been handed down to their descendants. Robert's granddaughter and Caroline's great-granddaughter both have a significant amount of German DNA, though -- and possibly even some traces of Ashkenazi Jewish DNA, which may be of interest because there are some German Jewish "Klemme" families. Could Henry Klemme have had Jewish ancestry rather than Native American ancestry? Henry Klemme's contemporaries would have seen that as almost as objectionable as Native American ancestry.

Leaving aside all of these unresolved mysteries, we may now resume the story of Henry Klemme's life and continue it as far as it can be told. Whether or not Henry Klemme was the biological father of Emma's three oldest children, he did take on the role of their father when he married Emma, and all of Emma's children were then given Henry's surname. Sadly, Henry's and Emma's time together would prove to be very short -- Emma fell sick of what appears to have been malaria or meningitis on Friday, 5 Oct. 1895, and died the following Thursday night, 11 Oct. 1895 (although her burial record mistakenly says she died 10 Oct. 1895). Three days after Emma's death, her mother Elizabeth Easterla wrote a letter to her son Herman Easterla informing her family of Emma's death. In the letter, Elizabeth refers to Emma's children who now had no mother and would have to be cared for by their father Henry (spelling and grammatical errors are shown as in the original letter, but some punctuation has been added for clarity):

"October 14th 1895

"Dear Son,

"I take pen in hand to inform you & Tilda and family of the sad news that Emma is dead verry Suden. She Took Sick on friday and died the following Thursday night Oct 11th. She had melariel fever and conjestion of the Brains. I would have Telegraphed you But you couldent have got hear in time to See her. The rest of us are verry Well at presant. Im hoping these few lines may find you all the same.

"I have got a girl hired to do the work as i aint able to do the work my Self.

"I dont know yet what henry intends to do with the children. Will know more about it when I write again. other news of importance is scarce. the weather is awful dry hear. We havent had a good rain hear for nearly two months . . . ."

It appears that Carrie and her older siblings were cared for by Carrie's father Henry until a year before his death, which occurred in November of 1897. In 1896, Emma's son Robert went to live with her younger brother Gus Easterla, but presumably Robert's siblings remained with Henry Klemme. Carrie's maternal grandmother Elizabeth Easterla died intestate on 8 April 1896 in Lafayette County, Missouri. Because Elizabeth had died without a will, her son Goodfried Easterla was appointed administrator of her estate on 20 April 1896. Henry Klemme signed his name as one of the five witnesses on the letters of administration of Elizabeth's estate, and the same document names the four children of the late Emma Easterla -- "Dora Klemme, Robert Klemme, Annie Klemme, and Carrie Klemme" -- among the 13 surviving heirs of Elizabeth Easterla, Emma's mother. The probate court ruled that because the Easterla farm south of Napoleon, Missouri, could not be divided among so many heirs, the farm would have to be sold at public auction and the proceeds of the sale divided among the heirs. In a Lafayette County probate court document dated 3 Aug. 1897, "Dora Klemer Robert Klemer Ana Klemer and Carrie Klemer Minors" are listed among the heirs to the Easterla farm -- the same document states that the farm was sold at auction and conveyed to Joe O. Lesueur for $800, which was to be divided among the heirs.

The last known time that Henry Klemme appears on the public record -- although not by name -- is 15 Feb. 1898, when Henry's brother-in-law Gus Easterla was appointed legal guardian of Emma's son Robert Klemmer, then 10 years 8 months old. The guardianship papers state that Robert was a "minor having no parents living; that the father was the surviving parent, and died on or about the ____ day of November, 1897, and was a resident of the County of Lafayette aforesaid at the time of his death; that said minor is now and has been during the last two years under the charge of Gus Easterla . . ." This is the only information that we have on when and where Henry Klemme died. We do not know Henry's cause of death, nor, as Maye Easterla said, do we know where Henry Klemme was buried. It is probable, though not provable, that he was buried with his wife Emma in Arnold Cemetery in Wellington, Missouri (where cemetery records state Emma was buried), but there is no grave marker there for either Emma or Henry.

The four known and putative children of Henry Klemme were:

     --  DOROTHEA KLEMME ("Dora"), born 1 June 1887 in Wellington, Lafayette County, Missouri.
     --  ROBERT LEE KLEMMER ("Bud"), born 1 June 1887 in Wellington, Lafayette County, Missouri, died of cancer 27 June 1946 in Wellington, Lafayette County, Missouri, married Fannie Louvella Wilson.
     --  ANNA CHRISTINE KLEMME HARRISON ("Annie"), born 18 April 1892 in Napoleon, Lafayette County, Missouri, died 11 May 1958 in Lake County, Ohio, married William Ezra Cobb Jr.
     2.  CAROLINE FREDERICKA KLEMME KRUEL ("Carrie"), born 15 May 1895 in Napoleon, Lafayette County, Missouri.

2. CAROLINE FREDERICKA KLEMME KRUEL ("Carrie"), daughter of Henry and Emma Klemme, adopted daughter of George and Minnie Kruel, born 15 May 1895 in Napoleon, Lafayette County, Missouri, died 31 Oct. 1972 in Manchester, Scott County, Illinois, buried next to her husband in Jacksonville Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois. Caroline was baptised 26 Oct. 1895 at St. Paul Evangelical Christian Church, a German Lutheran congregation that later gave up Lutheranism and became a part of the United Church of Christ. Her baptismal record gives her name as "Caroline Friederika Klemme," and names her parents as "Heinrich Eduard Klemme" and "Emma geboren Oesterlie."

Shown here is the 26 Oct. 1895 baptismal record of Caroline Fredericka Klemme, from the baptismal register of St. Paul Evangelical Christian Church in Napoleon, Missouri.

Carrie was her mother Emma's youngest child -- Carrie was baptised about two weeks after her mother's death, when Carrie was not quite 5 months old (so she had no personal memory of her mother).

It appears that Carrie and her older siblings were cared for by Carrie's father Henry until a year before his death, which occurred in November of 1897. In 1896, Emma's son Robert went to live with her younger brother Gus Easterla, but presumably Robert's children remained with Henry Klemme for a while longer. Carrie's maternal grandmother Elizabeth Easterla died intestate on 8 April 1896 in Lafayette County, Missouri. Because Elizabeth had died without a will, her son Goodfried Easterla was appointed administrator of her estate on 20 April 1896. In the letters of administration, the four children of the late Emma Easterla -- "Dora Klemme, Robert Klemme, Annie Klemme, and Carrie Klemme" -- are named among the 13 surviving heirs of Elizabeth Easterla, Emma's mother. The probate court ruled that because the Easterla farm south of Napoleon, Missouri, could not be divided among so many heirs, the farm would have to be sold at public auction and the proceeds of the sale divided among the heirs. In a Lafayette County probate court document dated 3 Aug. 1897, "Dora Klemer Robert Klemer Ana Klemer and Carrie Klemer Minors" are listed among the heirs to the Easterla farm -- the same document states that the farm was sold at auction and conveyed to Joe O. Lesueur for $800, which was to be divided among the heirs.

It is not entirely clear what became of Carrie and her older siblings after the death of Henry Klemme in Nov. 1897, though it is evident that before long the four children were separated. It is known that on 15 Feb. 1898, Carrie's uncle Gus Easterla was appointed legal guardian of Carrie's brother Robert Klemme, then 10 years 8 months old. (Curiously, however, Robert is not listed in Gus Easterla's household in the 1900 U.S. Census, and in fact Robert cannot be found in the 1900 census at all, though Robert and his wife Fannie are found in Clay, Lafayette County, Missouri, at the time of the 1910 census.) Carrie's older sister Annie was taken in by their Aunt Odelia (Easterla) Harrison -- the Harrisons moved to Painesville, Ohio, by the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, in which Anna is listed as "Anna Clemay," age 8, niece of Edward and Odelia Harrison. By the time of the 1910 census, Anna had been adopted by Edward and Odelia, and is listed in the census as their adopted daughter "Anna Harrison," age 18. The following year Anna married William Ezra Cobb Jr. As for Robert's twin sister Dora, it is unknown who may have taken her in, nor can we say anything about what became of Dora apart from a family tradition that she died in childbirth and may possibly have had other children who lived in Missouri.

This portrait from the collection of the late Carolyn Jean (Riggs) Spencer shows Carolyn's maternal grandmother Caroline Fredericka Klemme Kruel in 1909 or 1910, after Caroline had been adopted by George and Minnie Kruel.

As for little Carrie, at some point she was taken in and adopted by a childless couple named George and Minnie Kruel. Neither Carrie nor the Kruels have been found in the 1900 U.S. Census, but the 26 April 1910 census returns for Clay Township, Lafayette County, Missouri, lists George Kruel, 53, farmer, with his wife Minnie Kruel, 51, and their adopted daughter "Carrie Kruel," 14. A typed manuscript family history of the Johnsons, entitled "Caroline F. Johnson," was prepared 8 Dec. 1981 by one of Carrie's children -- the manuscript includes the following information on Carrie's family and her early life:

"Caroline Fredericka Klemmer was born to Henry & Emma Klemmer on May 15, 1895 in Napoleon, Mo. Her parents both died when she was very young. She was adopted by George & Minnie Kruel. She had two sisters -- Dora (who died giving birth to a baby) and Anna -- who was married to William Cobb, and lived in Painesville, Oh. One Brother Robert -- who has passed away. They have some children living in Mo. someplace. After Mother was adopted she sort of lost tract (sic) of her family. Her adopted Mother died when Mother was only 16 years of age, with cancer."

Eventually Carrie's siblings Robert and Annie did manage to get back in touch with each other, as is shown by a three-page letter that Carrie's brother Robert wrote to their sister Annie in the latter half of 1915. The first page of the letter is lost, but on pages two and three Robert asks Annie about their sister Carrie and their inheritance:

"Sis when did you hear from Carrie last, It has Been Sometime Sience we heard. Sis did Carrie ever get her money from the man she stayed with? Annie when you write to us tell me how much money you got when our mother died. I never have got any, People tell me that Uncle Gus got mine and was to pay it Back when I Became of age. But I never have seen any thing of It. I was 28 years old June the 1st Born in 1887. How are you and Wm getting along & the Baby? Well sister Dear It is almost time for the mail so I will close & write more the next time, and soon by By X.X.X.

"Robt Klemmer, Love to all.

"Wellington, MO.

"R #.1"

From the fact that Robert does not mention his twin sister Dora, we may possibly conclude that Dora was dead by then (unless she was mentioned on the missing first page.) Although Robert refers to money that should have come to him and his sisters, in fact it does not appear that their mother Emma left them any money. Rather, they were heirs to their maternal grandmother Elizabeth, and ought to have received a portion of the $800 obtained from the abovementioned 1897 sale of the Easterla farm. If Robert never received his inheritance from his guardian Uncle Gus Easterla, then it could be that none of his sisters ever received their portions of the inheritance either.

Two years after the death of her adopted mother Minnie Kruel, Carrie married on 17 Dec. 1913 in Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri, to RICHARD JOHN JOHNSON SR. ("Dietrich," "Dick"), born 17 Feb. 1890 in Flanagan, Livingston County, Illinois, died 31 Aug. 1967 in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, buried in Jacksonville Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, son of Jann Dirks and Fannie Marie (Oltman) Janssen. Dick's name at birth was "Dietrich Jann," but he was later known by the Americanised versions of "Dickard John" or "Richard John," and he was usually known by the nickname "Dick." Carrie and Dick had five daughters and four sons, but one daughter and one son died in infancy. On 5 June 1917, Dick registered for the military draft during World War I -- his draft card identifies him as a farmer living in Shipman but working in Brighton, Jersey County, Illinois, with a wife and one child, and described him as tall, medium build, dark hair, and blue eyes.

Dick and Carrie Johnson. Photo from collection of Dennis Reed

Three years later, Carrie and Dick were enumerated in the U.S. Census on 5 Feb. 1920 in Foster Township, Madison County, Illinois, when they were listed as: "Dickard Johnson," 30, farmer, with wife "Caroline Johnson," 25, and their daughter "Pauline Johnson," 5. Ten years after that, on 10 April 1930, Dick and Carrie and their families were enumerated in the U.S. Census as residents of Hagener Township, Cass County, Illinois, as follows: "Richard Johnson," 40, farmer, with his wife "Carrie Johnson," 35, and their children "Pauline," 15, "Richard," 5, "Loriette," 3 yrs. 9 mos., "Waunda," 1 yr. 10 mos., along with four other Johnson relatives. At some point during the 1930s, Dick and his family moved to a farm in Markham Township in Morgan County, Illinois, where the 1940 U.S. Census shows them living in 1935. The 1940 U.S. Census returns for Markham Township, dated 1 April 1940, shows husband "Richard Johnson," 50, farm operator, with his wife "Caroline Johnson," 45, and their children "Richard," 16, "Loretta," 13, "Juanita, 11, "Naomi," 9, "Robert," 6, "Edward," 4, and Richard's brother "John Johnson."

Dick and Carrie Johnson family, circa 1960

Back row: Bob, Ed, Naomi, Neat, and Etta

Front row: Dick Jr., Dick Sr., Carrie, and Pauline

The abovementioned typed manuscript family history of the Johnsons, prepared 8 Dec. 1981 by one of the chilren of Richard and Carrie Johnson, continues with the following extended narrative of the lives of Carrie and Richard:

"Caroline married our Father Richard J. Johnson when she was 18 years of age on December 17, 1913 in Lexington, Mo. They lived with Mother's adopted Father for awhile. He passed away the next year and Mother inherited $1900.00 from him. In March of 1914 they moved to a farm in Brighton, Ill., where their first Daughter Pauline was born on June 23, 1914. From there they moved to Hettick -- and Dad's Sister Mary & her husband Cy moved in with them. Dad's Father John D. Johnson and wife Fannie also moved from Missouri to a farm in Illinois which they had bought at Shipman, Ill., and Mom & Dad moved in with them at Shipman. Later on they sold this farm and bought a farm in Arenzville, Ill. known as the Burrus place.

"There was another Daughter (Emma Arlene) born to them their second child, she was born at Fosterburg, Ill. on Jan. 7, 1917 and lived ony 6 days -- was buried at Fosterburg, Ill. Mother got sick with that awful flu that was going around at the time [Spanish Influenza], and Emma Arlene was born prematurely, which was the cause of her death. She and Dad were both terribly sick with the flu, lots of people died because of it.

"When Dad's folks bought the Burrus place, Mother & Dad invested the $1900.00 in the farm also, but due to hard times they lost the farm, couldn't even keep up the interest on it. On this Burrus place their first son Richard was born on October 9, 1921. He lived only 3 months, as he got pneumonia and the Dr. didn't know how to treat it in those days. He is buried in a cemetery at Meredosia, Ill. Their second son (also named Richard) was also born on the Burrus place on April 19, 1924. After losing the farm at Arenzville, they moved to another farm near Rushville, Ill., where a Daughter Loretta was born on July 11, 1926. They lived on this farm one year and then moved to another farm between Beardstown and Meredosia, Ill. known as the Dr. Soule place. Here two more Daughters were born. Juanita born on June 12, 1928 and Naomi born on April 18, 1931. After living there for 6 years they moved Northwest of Jacksonville, Ill. [i.e. to the Bridgman place] Dad's Mother (Fannie) passed away on the Bridgeman place and Dad's Father (John D.) passed away while they lived on Dr. Soule's place.

"After living on the Bridgman place for one year they moved to Charley Leake's place which was 7 miles NW of Jacksonville, Ill. They lived there for 16 years. Dad was in partnership with his Brother (John) in farming for many years and John made his home with them. Two more sons were born on Leake's farm. Robert born July 10, 1933 and Edward born Jan. 2, 1936. Dad finally inherited some money from his Aunt & Uncle (Uncle Henry & Aunt Ekkie) who lived in Flanagan, Ill. (They were Dad's Mother's sister & Brother). Oltman was their last name, and they never married. After coming into this money Dad & Mom were able to buy their own farm in Manchester, Ill. They lived there until they passed away, Dad on August 31, 1967 and Mother, Oct. 30, 1972 [sic -- Oct. 31]. They are buried at Memorial Lawn Cemetery -- South of Jacksonville. They bought their farm in Manchester, January of 1948."

The graves of Carrie and Dick are located in the back section of Jacksonville Memorial Lawn Cemetery, behind the pond and just to the left of two large evergreens.

The children of Carrie and Dick Johnson were:

     --  FANNIE PAULINE JOHNSON ("Pauline"), born 23 June 1914 in Brighton, Jersey County, Illinois.
     --  EMMA ARLENA JOHNSON, born 15 Jan. 1919 in Foster Township, Madison County, Illinois, died 22 Jan. 1919 in Foster Township, Madison County, Illinois.
     --  RICHARD JOHN JOHNSON JR., born 12 Oct. 1920 in New Meredosia, Morgan County, Illinois, died of pneumonia 8 Jan. 1921 in New Meredosia, Morgan County, Illinois.
     --  RICHARD JOHN JOHNSON JR. ("Dick Jr."), born 18 April 1924 in Morgan County, Illinois, died 5 Oct. 2017 in Morgan County, Illinois, married Hazel Irene Hoots.
     --  LORETTA BERNICE JOHNSON ("Etta"), born 11 July 1926 near Rushville, Schuyler County, Illinois, died 4 Nov. 2009 at Rosewood Care Center, St. Charles, Kane County, Illinois, married Russell Eugene Chapman.
     --  JUANITA LOIS JOHNSON ("Neat"), born 12 June 1928 in Arenzville, Cass County, Illinois, died 6 Aug. 2014 in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois, married Harrison Bateman Barber ("Chic").
     --  NAOMI LAVERNE JOHNSON, born 18 April 1931 in Arenzville, Cass County, Illinois, died 27 April 2005 in Delnor-Community Hospital, Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, married Tunney Gene Sebastian.
     --  ROBERT JOHN JOHNSON ("Bob"), born 10 July 1934 in Morgan County, Illinois, married 1st Mary Ann Rickert, married 2nd Sara Elizabeth Andras.
     --  EDWARD EUGENE JOHNSON ("Ed"), born 2 Jan. 1936 in Morgan County, Illinois, married Beverly June Alderman ("Bev").

Klemme Genealogy Resources:

The Reed Family Tree of Albuquerque, N.M., with Dirk Wobben Janssen descendants and Johnson and Oltman family photos.
Find-A-Grave memorial: Richard John Johnson Sr. (1890-1967), with links of wife, children, and parents.
Stadt Norden, offical homepage of the town or borough of Norden in the District of Aurich, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany.

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