Notizen zu dieser Person
According to the Baptismal record in Book I, Page 100 of SDt. Stephan's Roman catholic Church in Laudenbach on the Main (near Miltenberg), Bavaria Germany, Eva Regina Herkert was born and baptized on 18 September 1818 the legitimate daughter of Peter Joseph Herkert and Maria Anna Ott. The Godmother was Eva regina Ott. This is the only entry for the month of September. Ironically, the next entry in Book I on Page 100 is on the 13th of October 1818 and is for Johann Joseph Peter Ripp, who later fathered the illigetimate son Joseph of Eva Regina Herkert. Joseph Herkert was born 28 April 1843 and baptized on the 29th of April. The baptismal record gives the name of Joseph Ripp, son of George Ripp as the father of Joseph Herkert. Joseph Ripp and Regina herkert never married.
Regina Herkert married Franz Stephan Straub on 21 June 1849 at St. Stephan's Church in Laudenbach. This marriage is found in Book IV, Page 44. Franz Stephan Straub was a widower with 2 small daughters. Her and Regina Herkert had 2 daughters, namely Maria Katherine Straub, born 3 Dec, 1850 and died on 24 March 1851, and Maria Eva Straub, born 14 November, 1852. Her husband Franz Stephan Straub died on 14 February, 1853 and her second daughter Maria Eva died a month and a half later on 27 March 1853.
Regina Herkert and her illegitimate son Joseph came to America from Laudenbach on the Main (near Miltenberg), Bavaria, Germany, arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana on 16 June 1854. They came on the Ship Otomoc from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands to New Orleans. There were other emigrants from Laudenbach that traveled with them. They settled in the rural community of Hardin, Illinois (IL) in Calhoun County. Calhoun County is an isolated peninsula bordered on the east by the Illinois River and on the west by the Mississippi River, and to the south is the confluence of the two rivers. Hardin is a small town on the Illinois River (similarly situated as the town of Laudenbach is on the Main River) approximately 75 kilometers northwest of Saint Louis, Missouri (MO).
According to the civil records in Calhoun County, Regina Herkert (spelled Harget in the record) married Francis J. Scheuermann (spelled Shireman in the record) on 17 April 1854. Joseph was 11 years old at the time of his mother’s marriage to Francis Scheuermann and apparently took the family name of Scheuermann at that time. No records have been found to indicate whether Joseph Herkert was legally adopted by Francis Scheuermann or just took the name of his mother’s husband for whatever reasons. According to an affidavit in the Civil War pension records of Joseph Valentin Mathein, he states that he worked for Francis Scheuermann , the step-father of Joseph Scheuermann in Calhoun County from 1854 to 1860 making stairs and cordwood. Calhoun County civil marriage records also show Francis J. Scheuermann (spelled Shireman) married Catherine Webb on 12 August 1857. It has not been determined whether, nor have any records been found that indicate whether Francis Scheuermann and Regina were divorced. However, records were found in the Justice Court of Calhoun County in 1859-1860 where Regina Shireman. a single person. was suing 3 men for a debt of $20.65. Also found was a Probate Court record in Calhoun County that Franklin J. Shireman died on 29 Jun 1863 and left no widow and sons Franklin Shireman, Jr., and Joseph Henry Shiremann.
Regina Scheuermann and her son Joseph moved from Calhoun County to St. Louis, MO sometime in late 1860 or early 1861. They have not been found in the U. S. Census of 1860, which was conducted in June 1860.
According to civil marriage records in the City of St. Louis, MO, Regina Scheuermann married John Wagner on 9 April 1862 (while Joseph was away in the Army fighting the Civil War). They were married in a civil ceremony by a Justice of the Peace (J. P.). Regina Wagner (Herkert) died on 5 December 1873 in St. Louis, MO, and was buried on 6 Dec 1873 in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis. Her Probate Record file states that Joseph Scheuermann is her son and only heir of her estate, which amounted to $103.00. Her funeral expenses were $87.50, leaving $15.50 to her son Joseph.
Barbara
Bergmüller
