52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 23

Kirche St. Peter

We are Going to the Chapel with this week’s writing prompt, and my approach is to write about an old ancestral church that I visited. The oldest church (or perhaps I should say portion of a church) where ancestors worshipped that I have seen in person is the Kirche St. Peter in Büsserach, Switzerland. This Roman Catholic Church stands on a hill on the south side of Büsserach, which currently has a population of 2,251. About 76% of the village is Catholic. While a 1759 church was demolished in 1951 to make way for the existing building, the attached tower dating back to 1464 is still standing.

bells

Within the tower is a museum containing photographs and relics of the church’s history. When I visited in 2013, my host arranged for a private tour of the museum. It was fascinating to see all the displays, and climb the steps to the top of the tower. I counted at least five bells. Did one of my ancestors ever climb the stairs with the responsibility of ringing the church bells to call parishioners to Mass?

painting of the old church

There were many death memorials hanging on the wall with my maiden name Kübler on them. I took photographs, even though I am not sure how they fit into my tree. But the most interesting and exciting thing for me to see was the antique baptismal font, which I was told would have been the exact one used to baptize members of my Kübler family, who emigrated to the United States in 1854.

baptismal font

Walking in the town where they lived, seeing the sites that they saw every day, and finally "going to the chapel" where they worshipped all gave me an opportunity to travel back in time and experience a bit how they had lived. And to wonder all over again, how did they ever leave it all behind?

Büsserach, Switzerland

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 7

Skipping weeks 5 and 6 due to the Family History Writing Challenge, today I turn my attention back to the 52 Ancestors challenge. The writing prompt for this week was Valentine, appropriately. I don’t have any old Valentine’s Day cards in my possession, nor do I know off the top of my head about any births or marriages which took place on February 14th. But I do have four men in my family tree named Valentin, and one who was named Valentinus.

Valentin is the Spanish form of Valentino, from the Latin name Valentinus. The Latin name comes from an old Roman family name originating as a nickname from the adjective valens, meaning the healthy, the strong. Valentinus is the original form of Valentine. It is no surprise that the person most associated with this name is St. Valentine.

As an aside, in 2016 Valentin was ranked 65th out of the top 100 most popular names for boys in Switzerland. For purposes of this post, I am going to focus on three of the Swiss Valentin males as they are all in the same family line.

Switzerland Cantons

Valentin and Claudia

Valentin Kübler, my 3rd cousin 3 times removed, was born on 17 May 1899 in Büsserach, Canton Solothurn, Switzerland. On 26 July 1924 he married Claudia Josefina Schonbachler in Einsiedeln, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland. The distance between those two towns is 141.6 km, and Einsiedeln is where Claudia was born. The distance makes you wonder how the two met.

Valentin and Claudia resided in Büsserach, and that is where they had their six children. Two boys and three girls were born before their youngest son, Valentin Anton, arrived in 1944. He is my 4th cousin 2 times removed. Valentin died in Breitenbach, a town located near Büsserach, in 1979. Claudia died in Büsserach in 1996.

Büsserach, Switzerland 

Although Valentin Anton died in 2001, many of his family members are still living so I will be somewhat vague in their details. Valentin Anton and his wife had two boys and one girl, but did not name either of their sons Valentin. One of their sons, my 5th cousin once removed, named his youngest son Valentin, which makes young Valentin my 6th cousin.

Naming patterns in families are always interesting. Wouldn't it be great to have a name that is synonymous with the Saint of Love?

Love

Küblers to America

Büsserach, Switzerland

Thus ends the chronicle of my branch of the Kübler family from Büsserach, Switzerland to America. I've traveled to Büsserach and walked the villages, inhaled the mountain air and seen the beautiful  countryside through my own eyes. I've met some of the descendants of Vinzenz Joseph Kübler's siblings and other extended family. I even slept in the building where Vinzenz made the exchange of money for his land so that he could come to America with his family. Despite all that, I cannot conceive of what it must have felt like to take a last look at everyone and everything you have ever known and loved and say a final good-bye. How tough was his life that he would risk everything to take an arduous one way trip on a sailing vessel with his young family to an unknown country and an unknown future?

I never had the opportunity to know him, of course, as this was long before I was born. I barely knew my grandfather, Joseph Kubler. Although I was 13 when he died, traveling from Des Moines to Cincinnati in the 1960s was not an easy trip due to the lack of interstates. Busy, two-lane highways meant the drive was long and often slow, so visits back "home" were limited to once a year at best. Our family always stayed with my mom's parents, never at the Kubler house. We would go over to see Grandma and Grandpa Kubler when we were in town, however. They were nice to me, but I could sense the closer relationship that the cousins who lived in Cincinnati had with them. I always felt a bit like an outsider.

My memories of Grandma Kubler are much clearer, as I was 23 when she passed. She was kind and friendly, and a great cook. It was always a treat to be able to have a meal with her. It seemed like she was always in the kitchen when we visited. I'm grateful for her cooking skills as she passed them along to my dad. Though my mom was always the cook in our family during the week, on the weekends my dad nearly always helped out in the kitchen. Once he retired, cooking and cleaning were activities he shared with my mom.

Like most young people, I never sat down with my grandparents to get their stories. By the time I got interested in genealogy, following the death of my mother, all my grandparents were gone. I have tried to make up for that by talking with my older relatives each time I go to Cincinnati for a visit, and by participating in the Family History Writing Challenge so that I get the information placed somewhere besides my genealogy software. I have a long way to go, but at least I am taking steps to get there.

Dad and me circa 1958

I forgot to include in the last post the poem I wrote for my dad when he died, so it appears below. This is a scan of the original I placed beside his casket in the funeral home, somewhat wavy from the tears and snowstorm it was carried through. I have written poetry since early childhood, but I don't share it very often. I wrote a poem for Aunt Marie (my mother's sister) for her funeral, and another for my sister-in-law Lynn to express my feelings and hopefully console my brother, Joseph. So it seemed fitting to put my thoughts on paper for my dad. He was not always an easy man to be around, but I never doubted his love for me. It's an odd feeling when your second parent dies, as if you are now an orphan. The two people who were responsible for your very existence, and the anchor for your entire family are no longer a phone call or relatively short drive away. Pieces of my heart were buried with each one of them, but I am extremely happy that I have the photographs and memories to tuck away in those empty spaces.

Dad's Poem

Family History Writing Challenge Day 6

America

The lyrics from Neil Diamond's song "America" seem to be torn right out of the minds and hearts of the immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life for their families. They brought their dreams, seeking the light of freedom being offered here. Many of them came to parts of this country where other family members or neighbors had settled. Others sought out the parts of America that in geography reminded them of their homeland.

In the first half of the nineteenth century, large numbers of Swiss immigrants settled in the rural Midwest, particularly Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis were popular destinations. Immigrants who entered the United States through the port of New Orleans could take a riverboat up the Mississippi River to reach their final destination.

German-speaking immigrants continued to come to Ohio in large numbers after 1850, and set the cultural tone for many communities throughout the state. During the 1800s, they were the largest group of immigrants in Ohio. Cincinnati, in particular, was strongly influenced by its German population.

Cairo

If the Kübler family arrived at New Orleans after they left Switzerland, then it is possible that they traveled by steamboat up the Mississippi River to the area that is now known as Cairo, Illinois. Though Cairo wasn't officially founded until 1858, there was a small settlement in this area at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. From this confluence, the steamboats could continue their journey up either river, and the Küblers could have traveled up the Ohio River to Cincinnati.

Cincinnati

The first physical evidence of the Kübler family in the United States comes in the way of the 1860 federal census. Enumerated on the 6th of June, Vinzenz is now known as Joseph and lists his wife Caroline and sons John, Adloch and Joseph in the household. The family lived in the 8th ward of the city of Cincinnati. Names in census records are often spelled incorrectly, and many immigrants anglicized their names in their new country. The umlaut was dropped from the last name, though some of the descendants would later spell their last name Kuebler instead of Kubler. The ages of the inhabitants of this house match the family. Joseph Kubler is employed as a chair maker, and his oldest son John is an apprentice in the same trade. The family, from all appearances, was settling into life in Cincinnati.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 5

Generally when a Swiss citizen applied for a passport in the 1800s, it meant that they would soon be leaving the country. As Vinzenz made his application in February of 1854, it is assumed that he sought passage to America that year. From a death notice of Joseph Kübler, son of Vinzenz and Carolina, it is mentioned that the family entered the United States through the port of New Orleans. As the notice also contained an incorrect birth year for Joseph, and stated that he came to the United States in 1852, the accuracy of entry to the country via New Orleans is suspect.

Many of the passenger records from New Orleans have been lost or destroyed, so to date a listing of the family has not been located, despite looking at surviving records from 1850-1859. However, if the family did indeed arrive through New Orleans, then it is possible that they sailed from the port of Le Havre in France. The distance from Büsserach to Le Havre is less than what the family would have needed to travel to sail out of the ports in Bremen or Hamburg, Germany. Even then, the distance they would have traveled to Le Havre exceeded 476 miles. The train system in France, particularly in the eastern part of the country, was not fully developed.

Büsserach

The family would also have had the choice of traveling 506 miles to the port of Bremen, or 521 miles to the port of Hamburg. Even with the more advanced rail system in Germany, it would not have been an easy or direct trip for them. Most likely they would have traveled with just their clothes and perhaps a cherished personal item such as a bible due to the limited amount of space they would be allowed on the ship. Vinzenz and the rest of the Küblers would have told their families and friends good-bye, knowing they would most likely not see them again. Perhaps they took one last walk around the village to bid farewell to the only life they had ever known.

Once they arrived at their port of call, it might have been days or weeks before their scheduled ship arrived in port. In the meantime, emigrants were subjected to physical exams, including eye exams, to ascertain if they were fit for the voyage.

Until the 1860s the majority of the ships were sailing ships. Many immigrants sailed on packet ships, which were vessels designed to carry mail, cargo and people. (Even when steamships began to accommodate passengers, many immigrants traveled by sailing ships due to the differences in cost.) It would have taken over a month for the immigrants to travel from Europe to America. If the Küblers traveled from Le Havre, the cost would have been around 80-100 Swiss francs, depending on the number of passengers on the ship. Food could be purchased separately for around 40 Swiss francs, and might have consisted of biscuits, flour, butter, ham, salt, potatoes and vinegar. The steerage passengers would then prepare their own meals. The Kübler family would have also had the additional expense of transportation to Le Havre, which might have run about 60 Swiss francs. Of course, all of this is assuming the emigrants enlisted the aid of a reputable company. An unscrupulous one would result in extremely poor conditions on board the ship, along with insufficient provisions.

The passengers in steerage slept in narrow, closely packed bunks below deck. The cramped living quarters meant there was little privacy, and illnesses were easily spread. In nice weather, they might have been allowed to go up on deck to get some fresh air. In poor weather conditions, they were stuck below.

Vinzenz did not bring his mother along when he left Switzerland. Perhaps she was in ill health and unable to make such an arduous journey. Whatever the reason, it must have broken Maria Anna's heart to lose her final son and his family - this time to a new world. Meanwhile, she remained in Büsserach where she would live the rest of her life in one room of the house that had once been hers. Swiss law was such that when a home was sold, the widow was allowed to remain there in a designated room until she died. Did she know the family that purchased the farm? Was it awkward to know she was essentially a guest in her own home?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 4

Swiss cow

While the Kübler family was fortunate to own land in Büsserach, that did not mean life was easy for them. The climate and the soil in that part of Switzerland were not particularly great for agriculture. The hills and mountains made it more suitable for cows and goats than growing crops, and there was insufficient land to accommodate a growing population. Perhaps a crop failure in 1853 was the final breaking point for Vinzenz, and the motivation to uproot his family and start all over again in America. He certainly wasn't alone in his thinking.

Between 1851-1860, over 25,000 Swiss emigrated to the United States. Generally speaking, it is not the richest inhabitants of any country who seek a home elsewhere. This is particularly true in Switzerland, where the love of country is so strong that only absolute necessity could tempt people to leave their native villages. The majority of the emigrants came from the agricultural cantons. They often traveled with groups coming out of their same region. In some areas the local council gave them a financial incentive to leave so they would have less citizens to feed during times of economic recession. The money was given to the emigrants on the condition that they never return to Europe, and with the caveat that if they did return, the money was to be repaid with an interest rate calculated on top of it.

Advertisements were placed in Swiss newspapers by travel agencies who catered to the demand for emigration. Some were reputable, and some took advantage of the poor Swiss who were enticed by the offers of cheap and fertile lands in America, or the opportunity for higher wages and better opportunities for work. The agencies of ill repute were referred to as Seelenverkäufer and Bauernfänger (soul-sellers and peasant-catchers). Eventually the Swiss government stepped in to supervise the travel agencies in an effort to protect its citizens.

Kübler passport

Whatever his motivation, on 8 February 1854 Vinzenz applied for a passport to America. He had sold his part of the family farm, conducting the deal at the very building pictured below which was located in nearby Breitenbach. The sale is how he financed the trip for his family. Using the name of Josef Kübler, the passport indicates that he was from Büsserach and was 41 years of age, 5'7" tall, with black hair, grey eyes and an oval face. It states that he was a farmer and would be traveling to America with 4 children. It is notable that his wife Carolina is not included on the passport. There is no death record for her in Büsserach, and in fact she appears in records in America. It's possible that there was an oversight, or perhaps she traveled at a later time period.

Landgasthof Weisses Kreuz

Where did the family go? And what was to become of Vinzenz's mother, Maria Anna?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 3

Life continued on at a steady pace for the Küblers on their farm in Büsserach. Through the efforts of the Congress of Vienna, which met in Vienna from 1814-15 following the Napoleonic wars, the borders of Switzerland and its neutrality were established. One thing that Maria Anna (Saner) Kübler did not have to worry about was sending her boys off to war.

But just because they were not soldiers did not mean she was safe from losing them, however. On 23 August 1833, her youngest son Usus Victor died. He was just 18 years old. Of her 5 children, only 2 remained. A family of 6 had become a family of 3. It must have been a relief and joy to her when her remaining two boys Vinzenz and Johannes were married and began having families of their own.

St. Peter

On 15 November 1841, Vinzenz married Carolina Borer. Also from Büsserach, Carolina was born 10 February 1814 to Urs Borer and Maria (Saner) Borer. It is unknown if she had any siblings. Vinzenz and Carolina had the following children: Urs Viktor, born 1 September 1842; Pius, born 17 April 1844; Adelrich, born 6 December 1845; and Vinzenz Josef, born 14 March 1848.

marriage of Vinzenz and Carolina

The marriage date of Johannes and Maria Elisabetha Antonia Magdalena Saner is unknown. From their union in Büsserach came two sons: Adolf, born in 1845; and Adelheid, born 21 February 1849. As their two children were born in Solothurn, it is quite probable that Johannes and Maria left Büsserach and set up their household elsewhere.

Vinzenz and his family continued to live on the farm with his mother Carolina until 1854. Something happened early that year that would change the lives of Vinzenz, his family, and future Kübler family members as well.

Kübler land in Büsserach

Family History Writing Challenge Day 2

Maria Anna (Saner) Kübler was a young woman, probably in her 30s, when her husband Josephus died in 1815. She had already suffered so much in losing her first born when he was just 4 months old, and her only daughter at the age of 2 1/2 years. It must have been overwhelming to find herself alone to raise 3 boys and take care of the farm. Perhaps her parents, Johannes Saner and Maria Anna (Jeker des Huglis) Saner, were still alive and able to help and comfort her.

Josephus had four sisters and four brothers, so undoubtedly one or more of them stepped in to help this widow and her children. It is quite probable that some of them lived on the same farm and were able to keep things running smoothly.

Mount Tambora

Just as Maria was adjusting to her new normal, something that happened over 7,500 miles away would impact not only her village but also people around the world. In April of 1815, just 2 months after Josephus died, the volcano Mount Tambora erupted in the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia). The top of the volcano was blown off, destroying the top 1/3 and leaving a crater 3 miles wide and 1/2 mile deep. Tens of thousands of islanders were burned alive or killed by flying debris. Others later died of starvation because the crops were ruined.

The giant cloud of particles released by the volcano spread around the world, blocking sunlight and causing a decrease in average global temperatures. The unusual climate change had the greatest impact on the eastern United States, Atlantic Canada, and parts of western Europe. Cool temperatures and heavy rains resulted in the failure of crops. In many places the wheat yield was 75% lower than was normal. The cloud cover would impact the world for three years.

By 1816, landlocked Switzerland was experiencing the effects of the bad weather and crop failure. With such a mountainous terrain, agricultural land was already in short supply. As bread prices soared, starving mobs stormed bakeries. The lack of food forced people into eating things they never would have considered consuming in the past. The famine was so severe that the Swiss government declared a state of emergency. Once it became aware that citizens were consuming any plant they found, it also issued information on how to distinguish poisonous plants from edible ones.

land near Busserach

The lack of food was compounded by the spread of epidemic diseases, which caused widespread mortality. In Switzerland, the death rate exceeded the birth rate in both 1817 and 1818. Fortunately for the Kübler family, the eastern part of Switzerland was more gravely impacted than the western sections of the country. This, coupled with the fact that they had their own farm, saved this family from the fate of many of their countrymen.

Family History Writing Challenge 2017

The Family History Writing Challenge begins today, and for the sixth year in a row I will be attempting to put some flesh on the bones of one of the branches of my family tree. Last year I wrote about my maternal side, discussing the Crusham family and their move from Ireland to the United States. This year I am focusing on my dad's side, the Kübler family. My dad had always been told his ancestors came from Germany, so when I began to get interested in genealogy back in 1989, that was my assumption as well. But then I came across a death notice for my second great-grandfather that stated he was born in Büsserach, Switzerland. That came as a great surprise to my father! And it opened up a whole new avenue of research for me.

Büsserach, Switzerland

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to the area where the Kübler family was from, and with the help of a local historian and genealogist, to trace the family back to the early 1700's. The family name dates back to at least 1615 in Büsserach, as we found a Kübler birth record from that year in the parish records. I'm not sure how that baby ties into my family, but the record illustrates the deep roots the family has in the community.

For purposes of this challenge, I will begin with my third great-grandfather, Vinzenz Josef Kübler. He is the one who, along with his immediate family, left his world behind to begin a new life in a new country.

Statue of Liberty

The other day a song played on the radio that I had not heard in decades - The Immigrant by Neil Sedaka. In light of everything going on in America, it was particularly poignant to listen to the lyrics. It also is very pertinent to this writing challenge. The song begins:

"Harbors opened their arms to the young searching foreigner
Come to live in the light of the beacon of liberty..."

I imagine that many of my immigrant ancestors felt the pull of Lady Liberty's lighted torch. I'm certain Vinzenz Josef of Büssserach was no exception.

Büsserach is a small (currently 2.92 square miles) municipality located in the district of Thierstein, in the Canton of Solothurn. It is situated in northwest Switzerland, and according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, its history dates back to 1194, when it was known as Buezherach. The Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics indicate that in 2009 the land in the municipality was 42.4% agricultural use and 46.2% was forested.

Neu-Thierstein Castle

The village is tucked into a valley on the eastern slope of the 3,950' Passwang Pass in the Jura Mountains. The Jura is a system of ranges that extends for 225 miles, separating Switzerland from France.

It was here under the watchful eye of Neu-Thierstein Castle that Vinzenz Josef Kübler was born on 16 October 1806 to Josephus Kübler and Maria Anna Saner. Josef, as he was called, was the second child as well as second son; however, he never knew his older brother Ursus. Ursus Josephi was born in 1804 and died in 1805. A sister, Maria (b. 1808), and brothers Johannes (b. 1812) and Ursus Victor (b. 1814) would soon be added to the family as well. But the family faced tragedy once again when Maria died at just two years of age.

The Küblers were land owners and a farming family. They worshipped at Kirche St. Peter, a Roman Catholic church that was presumably founded in the middle ages. While the existing church was built in 1953, the clock tower dates back to 1464 and houses a museum. Inside are relics and memorabilia of church history, including a painting of the first church and the baptismal font in which the Kübler babies would have been baptized.

Kirche St. Peter

Hopefully their faith sustained them when Josephus died in 1815 at the age of 40. After just 10 years of marriage, Maria was left on her own with a 9 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old as well as a farm to manage. How did the family survive, particularly through the great famine of 1816-1817?

there is still a Kübler farm in Büsserach today