Andreas Koch

Andreas Koch of Grand Rapids, Michigan

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The Story of Andreas Koch (*1845 Saulheim, +1921 Grand Rapids MI)

Andreas was born 7 June 1845 in Saulheim, the fourth of seven children of Andreas and Elisabetha Schömbs Koch. On 14 Nov 1870 Andreas and Margaretha Dotzauer (*) were married in the Catholic Church in Saulheim. Margaretha was the daughter of Franz and Elisabetha Diehl Dotzauer. Two years later they had their first child, Adam, and emigrated with Adam as an infant in 1872. We have not yet located a record of the passenger list showing their transit from Europe to Amerika. They then settled in Roberts, Ford County, Illinois. Robert is in the northeast corner of Illinois. In the 1880 Census Andreas is a single father living with Adam, his eight year old son. His profession is as a tailor and barber. According to the Census he is divorced. This is unusual for two reasons. First divorce was not common at the time, particularly with Catholics. But also Andreas seems to have their child living with him. Again, not to be expected. There undoubtedly is more to the story that we do not understand.

His Marriage to Christina Plattner

A year later, on 18 June 1881 Andreas and Christina Plattner (*1840, +before 1921) were married in Roberts. Christina was the daughter of Jacob and Elisabeth Hans Plattner. Whether the correct spelling is Plattner or Pattner is unclear. Both appear in the marriage record. Christina was also a German emigrant, coming to Amerika in 1872 when she was 32 years old. According to the 1910 U.S. Census Andreas and Christina had two children, both of whom were still living in 1910. That data was a helpful part of the 1910 Form and unique to the 1910 Census. The intent of the data was how many children the woman had borne -- "Mother of how many children" and "Number still living". Assuming it was filled out with this understanding, Andreas was the father of three: Adam, Helena and one more. At this time we have not found the third. Since by 1910 Helena (and perhaps the unknown sibling) were about 26 years old, it is reasonable they were not still in the home of Andreas and Christina. Andreas was 64 years old and a tailor, owning his own "repair shop". The Census indicates that Christina was not able to speak English, only German. They also owned their home on Second Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is not known when they moved from Roberts, Illinois to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Another item of potential interest in the 1910 Census for Grand Rapids is one of the neighbors around the corner from Andreas and Christina. The person is enumerated as Joseph B. Schrembs, age 44. It is possible the name was misspelled. We do not, however, have a Joseph Schembs/Schoembs/Schömbs (*~1866) in the database.

The Family of Andreas and Christina

Andreas and Christina, as mentioned earlier, had two children. Presumably the first was Eva Helena, born in 1883. And the second, who remains un-named at this time, was born after.

The Deaths of Andreas and Christina

Andreas passed away on 28 January 1921 in the County Infirmary in Paris Township. His death certificate identifies him as a 75 year old retired tailor and widower. The cause of death was given as "chronic nephritis". His home address was 503 Brainard Avenue, Grand Rapids. He was buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery on 1 February 1921. We do not know when Christina died, but it clearly was before 1921 based upon Andreas' death record.

Descendants of Andreas Koch

Children: (3)

Children with Margaretha Dotzauer:

3.1.....Adam Koch (*1872 Saulheim, +after 1920)

We have found little about Adam. But he did exist. In the 1920 Census for Grand Rapids Adam is living with his half-sister Eva Helena and her family. He is enumerated as a 48 year old bachelor, emigrated in 1872 (at age 0) and was naturalized in 1919. This was the year World War I ended. Adam was a machinist by profession.

Children with Christina Plattner:

3.2.....Eva Helena Koch (*1884 Grand Rapids MI)

Helen married John Wohmann (*17.03.1885 Germany, +4.03.1944 Grand Rapids), the son of John and Katherine Schmidt Wohmann. The wedding took place in Grand Rapids on 24 November 1909. Their marriage license was issued the prior day. The columns of information can be seen here. John had emigrated from Germany in 1909 as a 24 year old. He is listed on line 29 of the passenger list.

Notice the timing of John's emigration and their marriage. From the passenger list it appears the SS Kroonbaner (? spelling) sailed from Antwerp on 16 October 1909. It gives a final destingation for John as Grand Rapids, Michigan. Assuming a week on the sea and a week to get from New York City to Grand Rapids, John could not have arrived in Grand Rapids sooner than 1 November. Their marriage license was issued 23 November and they were married the next day. The German hometown of John appears to be Ober Olm, or something close to that. It is not a town which we can identify. Perhaps the families knew each other prior to the emigration of Andreas Koch (*1845) in 1872. Regardless, the courtship of John Wohmann and Eva Helena must have been brief.

The spelling of John's family name is not absolutely certain. Early documents mostly say "Wohmann". Then later documents "Wohman". Other documents seem to have other spellings. But the dropping of the second "n", if it did occur, would probably have been the family's desire to become a little less German during the first half of the 20th Century. For the purposes of this story, I have attempted to use the spelling at the time of their births.

John was an adult American during both World Wars. He was required to register for the draft for WW1 (he was 33 years old) and WW2 (57 years old), but did not serve in the U.S. military. He died a year later at age 58 before the outcome of the War was clear and was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Grand Rapids.

John was a plumber according to their marriage license. Helena was identified as a dress maker. Eva Helena and John had six children, of whom we are aware. Some of this information comes from the 1920 U.S. Census.

Children: (6)

6.1.....Katheryn Wohmann (*1911 Grand Rapids)

According to the 1920 Census, Katheryn was born in about 1911. But according to the death certificate of her brother Carl John, he too was born in 1911. The Census has Carl as being born in 1913. So perhaps the birth year for Katheryn is suspect as well. It is possible they were twins. In 1931 Katheryn was a student at Western State Teachers College in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Katheryn Wohman in the 1931 Western State Teachers College Yearbook

6.2.....Carl John Wohmann (*23.10.1911 Grand Rapids, +7.12.1957 Houston TX)

Carl Wohman married but we do not know the name of his wife at this time. His death certificate from 1957 is a statement of how our American culture has changed. His wife is listed in the death certificate as "Mrs. C.J. Wohman". Today it might give her name. But we also see they had been living in Houston, Texas for at least six years. Their residence address is given as 3036 Georgetown Street, Houston.

Carl was a sales engineer for the J.D.Moffett company. He died of stomach cancer, eight months after having had surgery. Per the death certificate he was buried in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Catholic section of the Forest Park Cemetery in Houston.

6.3.....Richard A. Wohmann (*1914 Grand Rapids)

Other than from the 1920 Census we know nothing of Richard.

6.4.....Frances Wohmann (*1916 Grand Rapids)

Other than from the 1920 Census we know nothing of Frances, a daughter.

6.5.....Mary Bernice Wohmann (*1917 Grand Rapids)

Mary and Richard W. Johnson (*1916 Leroy MI) were married 24 November 1938 in Grand Rapids. Richard was the son of Siegfried and Louise Josuns Johnson. He was 22 years old, employed as a salesman and living at 715 Atwood NE in Grand Rapids. Mary, 21, was not employed and was living at home at 503 Brainard NE.

6.6.....Margaret Ann Wohmann (*1926 Grand Rapids)

Margaret Ann was married 5 July 1947 in Grand Rapids to Donald W. Cory (*1927 Grand Rapids), the son of Clarence R. and Ethel Robinson Cory.

We know of no grandchildren of Eva Helena and John at this time.

3.3.....??? Koch

Relying upon the 1910 Census which indicates there was a second child of Christina Plattner Koch, we have put in the placemarker.

Other Research Steps

Through further research, find the grandchildren of Eva Helena and John Wohman. This would be Census data and other resources.
Make contact with the descendants.
Solve the mystery of Christina's second child, if there was one.

Live Links

Because sometimes Links to public websites (e.g. Ancestry) no longer are active or charge for access, screenshots and images are usually used in the Stories. However, for additional research, assuming they are still active, these Links may be helpful:

1880 U.S. Census - Koch  Familysearch.org
1910 U.S. Census - Koch  Familysearch.org
1920 U.S. Census - Wohmann and Koch  Familysearch.org