The railroads played a major part in Robert’s decision to leave family and friends in Illinois for a new life in Nebraska.
Edward Dallas Wakenight
Born: 11 AUG 1857 in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois
Father: Robert Chesney Wakenight (1824 to 1895)
Mother: Mary Ann Elizabeth Lorentz (1828 to 1884)
Spouse: Susan R Koehler (1862 to 1954)
Married: 24 JUN 1884 in Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska
Children:
Orville Chester Wakenight (30 MAR 1885 to 1955)
Alice May Wakenight (4 JUL 1886 to 29 MAY 1976)
Eugene Delbert Wakenight (26 JUN 1888 to 27 SEP 1972)
Carrie E Wakenight (18 DEC 1889 to 20 OCT 1909)
Blanche D Wakenight (5 JAN 1893 to DEC 1985)
Died: 11 AUG 1927 in Fayetteville, Benton County, Arkansas
Burial: Gentry Cemetery, Gentry, Benton County, Arkansas
Timeline:
1860 Polo, Ogle County, Illinois
1863 Death of brother, Martin
1870 Polo, Ogle County, Illinois
1880 Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska
1884 Marriage to Susan
1884 Death of mother, Mary Ann
1885 Birth of son, Oscar
1886 Birth of daughter, Alice
1888 Birth of son, Eugene
1889 Birth of daughter, Carrie
1890 Unknown (the 1890 Census was destroyed in a major fire)
1893 Birth of daughter, Blanche
1895 Death of father, Robert
1900 Kelso Precinct, Howard County, Nebraska
1909 Death of daughter, Carrie
1910 Gentry, Benton County, Arkansas
1920 Lee’s Creek, Benton County, Arkansas
1923 Death of brother, John
1927 Death and burial
Occupation: farmer
Records:
1860 to 1880, 1900 to 1920 US Census Records
Nebraska, Marriage Records, 1855-1908
Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Variations of Surname: None
Spouse:
Susanna Regina Kohler:
Susan was born on 3 FEB 1862 in Leibenstadt, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She died in 1954 in Gentry, Benton County, Arkansas.
Susan’s father was Johann Michael Kohler. He was born on 18 FEB 1819 in Leibenstadt, Mosbach, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He died in 1896 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska.
Susan’s mother was Christiana Juliana Baier. She was born on 5 MAR 1818 in Leibenstadt, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She died on 12 NOV 1869 in Leibenstadt, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Susan had nine brothers and sisters, all born in Leibenstadt:
Christiana Kohler (1845)
Ludwig Friedrich Kohler (1847)
Regina Barbara Kohler (1849)
Barbara Kohler (1851)
Karl Kohler (1852)
Heinrich Kohler (1853 to 1853)
Wilhelm Kohler (1854 to 1857)
Karolina Kohler (1855 to 1857)
Marie Kohler (1858 to 1860)
In 1868 Barbara immigrated to the United States.
In 1870 Johann and the other five children immigrated to the United States.
The 1870 and 1880 US census records show that John moved to Racine County, Wisconsin. He was a farmer and worked the land in this county for over 20 years.
Before Susan’s marriage to Edward in 1884, John must have decided to move to Nebraska. He lived in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska until his death.
Daughters:
Alice May Wakenight:
Alice was born on 4 JUL 1886 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska. She died on 29 MAY 1976 in Redlands, San Bernardino County, California.
She married David Marcus Twiggs on 30 SEP 1913 in Washington County, Arkansas. Two known children were born to this marriage, both born in Howard County, Nebraska:
Frances Lorean Twiggs (1914)
Barbara Aileen Twiggs (1928)
David Marcus Twiggs was born on 4 NOV 1885 in Springtown, Benton County, Arkansas. He died on 8 FEB 1965 in Loma Linda, San Bernardino County, California.
David’s father was David Marion Twiggs. He was born in 1850 in Georgia. His mother was Ellen Catherine Hall. She was born in 1843 in North Carolina.
Carrie E Wakenight:
Carrie was born on 18 DEC 1889 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska. She died on 20 OCT 1909 in Gentry, Benton County, Arkansas. She was 19 years old at the time of her death.
Blanche D Wakenight:
Blanche was born on 5 JAN 1893 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska. She died on 19 DEC 1985 in Searcy, White County, Arkansas.
Blanche married Fred Castle Osborn on 15 JUL 1913 in Benton County, Arkansas. One known child was born to this marriage, he was born in Oklahoma:
John E Osborn (1914)
Fred Castle Osborn was born on 20 MAR 1893 in Sewell, Wayne County, Iowa. He died in November of 1967 in Searcy, White County, Arkansas.
Fred’s father was Charles Castle Osborn. He was born on 15 APR 1856 in Pennsylvania. He died on 27 NOV 1929 in Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma.
His mother was Lyda Drusilla Sinclair. She was born on 4 OCT 1860 in Pennsylvania. She died on 6 DEC 1938 in Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma.
German Documents:
As I was attempting to decipher the baptism record for Susan’s father, Johann Michael Kohler, I found a chart that was useful. It shows how old German letters were written and typed.
I then used one of the many German to English translators that are on the internet to find out what a word meant. Google Translate helped with words like “taufe” (baptism) and “eltern” (parents).
Migration to Nebraska:
Edward’s father, Robert, and his aunt, Susanna, were the first of this Wakenight line to emigrate from Illinois to Nebraska.
That had me wondering. Why did they move so far away from their family and friends? An article on Wikipedia gave me a clue.
From the History of Nebraska, under the section entitled Railroads, the author shared this information:
“Railroads played a central role in the settlement of Nebraska.”
“The UP (Union Pacific), like other major lines, opened sales offices in the East and in Europe, advertise heavily, and offered attractive package rates for (a) farmer to sell out and moved his entire family, and his tools, to the new destination.”
I also discovered that the railroad ran through both Beatrice and Boelus, towns where Edward lived and farmed.
Two more Wikipedia articles explain:
“In 1871, the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad constructed a line from Lincoln, Nebraska to Beatrice. In 1879, the Union Pacific Railroad built a line joining Beatrice to Marysville, Kansas. By 1890, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad had also run tracks through Beatrice.”
“The Railway (Omaha and Republican Valley Railway) ran from Boelus to South Ravenna, to Poole and on to Pleasanton, Nebraska.”
Robert and Susanna’s husband, Christian Heinrich Tockey, made the decision to move to Nebraska in the 1870s. They wanted a better life for their families. And, the railroads helped them achieve their goals.
Notes:
For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”
Creating Your Family Tree
Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:
Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.
Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.
Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.
When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.
If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.
There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!
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