Wessels, Jacob (Jake) (b. 11 DEC 1853, d. 11 AUG 1906)

Note: Copied from the IROQUOIS COUNTY TIMES
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January 1890
Jacob Wessels Completed building an new brick house which he will occupy it soon.

8 May 1899
Jacob Wessels has moved onto a farm in Prosperity Hollow.

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Copied from the REPUBLICAN newspaper
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26 March 1906
Jacob Wessels is dead. He passed away last Saturday morning, March 17th, at his home in this city, age 52 and a few months. His ailment was not exactly known. He had the best medical attention that could be found but all was in vain and his soul went out at last to his God who gave it. Mr Wessels leaves a wife and two children, Mrs John Sloter, Jr. living notrh of town and Fred J Wessels who lives at home to mourn his loss. He also leaves an aged mother and 3 brothers who deeply feel their loses. The funeral services were held at the Lutheran Church Monday at 1:30 pm conducted by the Rev Helmreich the pastor who spoke conforting words to the relatives and large number of friends who had gathered to pay their last tribute of respect to the deceased. The body was interred in the German cemetery south of town.
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Jacob, it seems, definitely worked at the tile factory in Crescent City as I have a copy of a letter he wrote on the Tile and Brick Factory stationery with his name imprinted above it. (Copy in paper file)

Jacob married Friederica Siemers of Ashkum on November 8, 1874. They had one child, Gesina Fr. who was born January 28, 1879. Gesina (Sena), when she was very young, helped take care of my grandfather, Fred H. Wessels, and his brother, Herman, after the mother's unexpected death from Tuberculosis. Hildegarde, Sena's daughter, told me Sena used to laugh when thinking back to that time because Sena was so young herself she didn't know if she could, but her mother reassured her and they managed.

By Shanda G Jaremus

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OBITUARY

JACOB WESSELS OF CRESCENT CITY PASSES AWAY

Died, at his home in Crescent City, March 17, 1906, Jacob Wessels, after a lingering illness of over a year. During the last four weeks he failed rapidly and last Saturday morning, while surrounded by loving friends he breathed his last, having reached the age of 52 years, 3 months and 6 days.
Mr. Wessels was born In Ardorf, Ger., December 11, 1853. In lS69 with his parents and three brothers he came to America. They first settled near Washington, Tazewell county, Ill. In 1871 the family moved to the Wilson settlment west of Danforth. On November 8, 1874, he married Fredericke Seims. To this union two children were born, Gesine, wife of John Sloter, Jr., and Frederick. After a few years he moved to Crescent City where, with his father, the late 'Friederick Wessels, he started the brick and tile factory. After selling it he farmed for a while, and in 1901, the year his father died, he returned to Crescent and has since made his.home here, tenderly caring for his aged mother who lives here and mourns her loss deeply.
He is survived by his wife, two children, a mother and three broth-ers.
The funeral services were held at the Lutheran church Monday afteroon, conducted by Rev. C. Helmerich.
The family has the sympathy of all in their sorrow.

Reference: 1623

Reference: 1839

Note: Social Security Death Index:

Gesina Sloter (Exact spelling in SS record)
SS# 319-46-0545
SS# Issued in llinois USA

Birth date: Jan 28, 1879
Death date: May 1969

Residence code: llinois USA

ZIP Code of last known residence: 60928
Primary location associated with this ZIP Code:

Crescent City, Illinois USA

Reference: 1840

Note: OBITUARY

Well known Crescent City Man
Claimed by Death

Frederick Johann Wessels, 64, of Crescent City, assessor of Crescent township for the past 15 years, died at 3:10 p. m. Saturday at Iroquois hospital following a lingering illness.
Born April 26, 1884 at Ronoke, he was the son of Jacob and Friederike Theese Siems Wessels. His marriage was April 28, 1907 at Crescent City to Anna Meyer.
For many years he worked in hardware stores at Crescent City and Watseka and more recently was a plumbing and heating engineer.
Surviving are the widow, a sister Mrs. Gesena Sloter of Crescent City; a niece, Mrs. Hildegard Hofmeister of Crescent City, a great niece, Brenda Ann Hofmeister.
He came to Crescent City in 1887 and received his education there. He was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran church at Crescent City. The body is at the Segur funeral home where friends may call.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p. m. Tuesday at the funeral home and at 2 P. M. at St. Peter's church in Crescent City, the Rev. H. E. Bruns officiating, Sour will be in the church cemetery

Obituary furnished by Iroquois County Historical Society

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From database of llinois USA death certificates (1916-1950)

Last Name WESSELS
First Name FREDERICH
Middle Name JOHANN
Sex/Race M/W
Age Y-64
Cert # 0005955
Death Date 1949-02-26
County IROQUOIS
City
Date Filed 49-02-26

Event: Type: Marriage data
Date: 28 APR 1907
Place: St Peters Lutheran Church; Crescent City, Illinois USA ; Page 306.

Event: Type: Children
Place: None

Reference: 1841

Note: From the scrapbook of Ollie (Wessels) Rudowske, penciled date of 1945

John H. Sloter, 69 of
Crescent City, Dies

John H. Sloter, 69-year old Crescent City Resident, died of a heart attack at 7:45 o'clock Wednesday morning of last week, in the Livingston County Sanatorium, Pontiac, He had been ill for two years and had been in the sanitorium for more than a year preceding his death.
A son of John and Elgel Sloter, deceased was born in Ger., on November 8, 1875. He came to the United States with his family in 1880 and resided in Benson, Ill., before moving to Crescent City in 1887. After farming for nine years near Crescent City, he moved to the village of Crescent City where he followed the carpenter trade. On April 3, 1899 he married Gesena Wessels of Crescent City.
Besides his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Hildegarde Hofmeister of Crescent City; one granddagghter, Brenda Ann, and one brother, Dick Sloter.
Funeral services, conducted by Rev. H. E. Bruns, were held at St. Peter's Lutheran church, Crescent City, at 2:00 o'clock Sunday afternoon.

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The 1920 Federal Census Reka Wessels (mother-in-law) listed under John H Sloter and Gesena.

Reference: 1842

Note: Changed birth date form 1908 to 1905, which was found in the SS death index.
7/9/97
Robert Wessels

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[Br�derbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Aug 10, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.107292.131]

Individual: Hofmeister, Hildegarde
Birth date: Mar 22, 1905
Death date: Jun 4, 1995
Social Security #: 358-38-7209
Last residence: 60928
State of issue: llinois USA

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OBITUARY

Hilildegarde Hofmeister,
longtime teacher

CRESCENT CITY - Hildegard A. Hofmeister, 90, a longtime teacher and the centennial queen of Crescent, City, died Sunday (June 4, 1995) a her residence.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Segur-Knapp Funeral Home in Watseka.
Services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Crescent City. The Rev. Harold Grafe will officiate.

Sour will be in St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Crescent City.
Memorials may be made to St Peter's Lutheran Church, where St( was a lifelong member. She was: president of American Lutheran, Church Women, president of Home Extension of Iroquois County, secretary for 14 years of Retired Teacher@@ Association of Iroquois County, a member of National and State Retired Teachers Association, a member of Iroquois County Republican Women's Board and Centennial Queen of Crescent City in 1985.
A 1923 graduate of Watseka Community High School, she graduated from ISU with a bachelor degree in business education in 1927.
A business education teacher for 38 years, the majority at Crescent-Iroquois Community High School where she served as senior class advisor, newspaper advisor and yearbook advisor, she was honored by FFA for outstanding service. In 1989 the school yearbook was dedicated to her. She retired in 1968 and continued as substitute teacher for seven years.
She served her community as secretary of the Crescent City Re- development Corporation for 23 years.
She was born March 22, 1905, in Crescent City, the daughter of John Henry and Gesena Wessels Sloter.
Her husband, Robert George Hofmeister, whom she married Nov. 26, 1931, in Crescent, died Feb. 19, 1984.
Surviving are one daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Robert Miller of Arlington Heights; two grandchildren, Jeffrey Miller of Baltimore, Md. and JoriAnn Bowen of Spokane, Wash.

Source: (Birth Field)
Br�derbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Aug 10, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.107292.131

Source: (Individual Field)
Br�derbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Aug 10, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.107292.13

Graduation: Date: 1927
Place: llinois USA State University

Event: Type: Christened

Event: Type: Church Membership
Place: St John's Lutheran church, Crescent City

Reference: 1843

Note: [Br�derbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Aug 10, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.107293.156]

Individual: Hofmeister, Robert
Birth date: Feb 10, 1891
Death date: Feb 1984
Social Security #: 353-26-8256
Last residence: llinois USA 60928
State of issue: llinois USA

Source: (Birth Field)
Br�derbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Aug 10, 1998, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.107293.156

Reference: 1844

Note: OBITUARY

Mrs. Wessels
dies; services
being arraned

A lifelong Crescent City community resident, Mrs. Anna Marie Wessels, 80, died today at 1:50 a.m at the Iroquois Resident Home in Watseka.
She was born August 11, 1887 near Crescent City, daughter of Dietrich and Reka Meyer. She was married April 28, 1907 to Fred J. Wessels, who died February 26, 1949 in Watseka. There were no children.
Surviving are two brother.,,, Henry Meyer of Ft. Worth, Tex., and Otto C. Meyer of St. Petersburg, Fla.; three sisters, Mrs. Otto (Augusta) Albrecht of Crescent City, Mrs. Rose Dren-nan of Joliet and Mrs. L. B. (Sophia) Decker of Fairbury; and five nieces.
Mrs. Wessels was a member Of the St. Peter Lutheran Church of Crescent City.
The Segur Funeral Home of Watseka is in charge of arrangements. Services will be held at the Crescent city church with Sour in the church cemetery.

Obituary furnished by Iroquois County Historical Society

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Event: Type: Born data
Date: 15 FEB 1890
Place: By Marjorie Luke

Reference: 1849