Nettie died at age 20, Robert at 22, and Leonard at 39. Could there have been some genetic disease that caused their deaths and kept Pauline, Elizabeth, and Rena from having children?

James Oscar Wakenight

Born: 25 MAY 1863 in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois

Father: Robert Chesney Wakenight (1824 to 1895)
Mother: Mary Ann Elizabeth Lorentz (1828 to 1884)

Spouse: Susan Regina Beier (MAY 1871 to 1934)

Married: 2 JUN 1892 in Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska

Children:

Minnie Wakenight (JAN 1892 to Unknown)
Pauline S Wakenight (25 OCT 1895 to MAR 1974)
Nettie Wakenight (6 JUN 1897 to 13 JUN 1917)
Elizabeth Wakenight (19 APR 1899 to Unknown)
Robert William Wakenight (19 APR 1899 to 1921)
Rena Wakenight (20 NOV 1902 to 25 APR 1989)
Leonard James Wakenight (13 MAR 1907 to 1946)

Died: 1939 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska

Burial: Ebenezer Cemetery

Timeline:

1863 Death of brother, Martin
1870 Polo, Ogle County, Illinois
1880 Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska
1884 Death of mother, Mary Ann
1890 Unknown (the 1890 Census was destroyed in a major fire)
1892 Marriage to Susan
1892 Birth of daughter, Minnie
1895 Death of father, Robert
1895 Birth of daughter, Pauline
1897 Birth of daughter, Nettie
1899 Birth of twins, Elizabeth and Robert
1900 Rockville, Sherman County, Nebraska
1902 Birth of daughter, Rena
1907 Birth of son, Leonard
1908 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1910 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1917 Death of daughter, Nettie
1918 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1920 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1921 Death of son, Robert
1923 Death of brother, John
1927 Death of brother, Edward
1926 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1930 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1931 Death of brother, Jonas
1934 Death of wife, Susan
1938 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1939 Death and burial

Occupation: farmer (1900), fruit worker (1910), gardener (1918), teamster (1920), laborer (1930)

Records:

1870 to 1880, 1900 to 1930 US Census Records
Nebraska, Marriage Records, 1855-1908
U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: Weknight

Spouse:

Susan Regina Baier:

Susan was born in 1871 in Wisconsin. She died in 1934 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska.

Her father was Wilhelm Baier. He was born in 1848 in Baden, Germany. He died in 1906 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska.

Her mother was Regina Barbara Kohler. She was born in 1849 in Leibenstadt, Mosbach, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She died in 1939 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska.

The Family Connection:

As I was building the profiles for James and his brother, Edward, two names kept appearing that caught my attention. The surnames were Kohler and Baier.

In 1843, Johann Michael Kohler (1819) and Christiana Juliana Baier (1818) were married in Leibenstadt, Mosbach, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

In 1869, Wilhelm Baier immigrated to the United States.

Also in 1869, Christian died in Leibenstadt. Seven months later, Johann and his five surviving children immigrated to the United States.

In 1870, Johann lived in Waterford, Racine County, Wisconsin. That same year his daughter, Regina Barbara Kohler (1849) married Wihelm Baier (1848).

In 1880, Johann moved two miles south to Rochester, Racine County, Wisconsin. His brother-in-law, Henry Baier (1823), and his wife, Catherine were living with him.

In 1880, Wilhelm and Regina moved to Dannebrog, Howard County, Nebraska.

Between 1880 and 1884, Johann and his youngest daughter moved to Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska.

In 1884, Johann’s daughter, Susanna Regina Kohler (1862) married Edward Dallas Wakenight.

In 1892, Susan Regina Baier (1871) married James Oscar Wakenight. She was the daughter of Regina Barbara Kohler and Wilhelm Baier.

Are Christiana and Wilhelm related?

With the closeness of the Kohler and Baier families, I assumed Wilhelm Baier was Christiana’s nephew. Yet, I have not found a baptism record that would tie him to one of her siblings.

William also did not list a middle name. Had he done so, it would have narrowed down my search.

Are you a family historian researching the Kohler and Baier family names? If you have information that will help tie Wilhelm to Christiana, I would love to hear from you. My email address is dlwakenight@yahoo.com.

Daughters:

Minnie Wakenight:

Minnie was born in 1892 in Rockville, Sherman Couty, Nebraska. She last appeared in a 1914 directory listing for Omaha, Nebraska. She was working as a clerk for Hayden Brothers. It is unknown if she married or when she died.

Pauline Sophie Wakenight:

Pauline was born on 25 OCT 1895 in Rockville, Sherman County, Nebraska. She died in 1974 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

She married Roy C Bartlett in 1915 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. No known children were born to this marriage.

However, the 1930 US census lists a newborn infant, Marcelline Maryellen Bartlett, as Roy’s niece. Pauline and Roy may have adopted her because the 1940 US census lists Marcelline as their daughter.

Roy C Bartlett was born on 5 JAN 1892 in Arlington, Washington County, Nebraska. He died in 1972 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Roy’s father was Charles Hiram Bartlett. He was born on 15 APR 1864 in Gary, Lake County, Indiana. He died on 11 FEB 1949 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Roy’s mother was Josephine Dworek. She was born in 1871 in Czechoslovakia. She died in 1959 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Nettie Wakenight:

Nettie was born on 6 JUN 1897 in Rockville, Sherman County, Nebraska. She died on 13 JUN 1917 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. She was 20 years old at the time of her death.

Elizabeth R Wakenight:

Elizabeth was born on 19 APR 1899 in Rockville, Sherman County, Nebraska. It is unknown when she died.

Elizabeth married Henry J Mielke in 1925 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. No known children were born to this marriage.

Henry J Mielke was born on 17 JAN 1897 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. He died in 1980 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Henry’s father was Henry A Mielke. He was born on 14 JUL 1862 in Germany. He died on 17 FEB 1947 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Henry’s mother was Kate Petz. She was born on 10 AUG 1867 in Germany. She died on 29 APR 1953 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Rena Wakenight:

Rena was born on 20 NOV 1902 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. She died on 25 APR 1989 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Rena married Maurice H Smith on 18 JUN 1924 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. No known children were born to this marriage.

Maurice H Smith was born on 8 JUN 1903 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. He died on 20 FEB 1967 in Fremont, Alameda County, California.

Maurice’s father was Thomas Smith. He was born in 1865 in Iowa. It is unknown when he died. On the 1920 US census, his wife is listed as widowed.

Maurice’s mother was Harriet Margaret Clark. She went by the name Hattie. She was born in 1868 in Iowa. She died on 11 APR 1923 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Special Notes:

I am still amazed that Pauline, Elizabeth, and Rena had no children. After they married their respective husbands, the census records should have listed any children born to them. But there were none.

I know that Nettie died at 20 years old, Robert died at 22 years old, and Leonard died at 39 years old.

Could there have been some genetic disease that caused their deaths and kept Pauline, Elizabeth, and Rena from having children?

If you have any ideas on this issue, I would love to hear from you.

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 an excellent source 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 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!