Schaefer Family History can be traced back to 1679 in Iffezheim, Baden, Germany with the birth of Lorenz Schaffer, Carl Schaffer’s Great great-grandfather. This information is documented in the Parish Registry of Iffezheim, Baden Germany, family Book 1, 1679 – 1862. One page from the Iffezheim Parish Registry is shown to the right, Carl is listed seventh under “Infants”.

Carl Schaffer (the German “a” has two dots over it, when it is translated to english it becomes “ae” or Schaefer). His obituary also states that he came to America from Iffezheim, Germany.

Iffezheim is a small village in the State of Baden, located two miles from the Rhine River, at the foothills of the Black Forrest, two miles from the country of France, and 180 miles from Switzerland.

In Germany in the 17th through early 19th centuries children were born into close-knit families that normally spent their entire life in the community of their birth, their ancestral roots ran deep. Schaefer Family History can be traced to 1679.

Carl’s Perry County Naturalization Record, dated Jul 19, 1852, states that he immigrated in 1852 and that he had allegiance to the Grand Duke Frederick. Grand Duke Frederick came into power on Apr, 25 1852. Therefore, Carl migrated to America between Apr, 25 1852 and Jul 19, 1852.

A common immigration route for Germans going to America started by boarding a ship in Hamburg, Germany bound for Hull, England. From Hull they would travel by train to Liverpool, England, then board a ship bound for America. The ship “Franklin King” sailed from Liverpool to NYC, it arrived on Jun 10, 1852. Carl Schafer, age 27 is listed as a passenger (6th name from the bottom) on it’s manifest. The listed Carl Schafer may be our relative.

Carl’s Naturalization paper was dated July 19, 1852 in Perry Co., IN. It indicates that he left Iffezheim after Apr 25, 1852. The June 10, 1852 arrival date in NYC would fit nicely between those two dates.

If Carl arrived in NYC in 1852, a difficult journey awaited him. There were no processing centers in New York in 1852. Castle Gardens opened in 1855 and Ellis Island opened in 1892. In 1852, the exhausted, dehydrated and sickly passengers simply walked off of the ship. They were at the mercy of the thieves, thugs, and opportunists who hung around the pier waiting for the emigrants.

Carl was in NYC and approximately one thousand miles from Perry County, IN. He could not speak English, and had to trust others to direct him to his final destination. He carried German currency (worthless in America) & no American dollars.

A typical route taken from NYC to Southern Indiana in 1852, went through Philadelphia, then via canal to Pittsburgh, then by riverboat down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, continuing on to Troy, Indiana. If Carl stopped in Cincinnati, he may have met his future wife, Theresia at St. John the Baptist church or at a Swiss Colonization Society meeting. Theresia & Carl married at St. John’s in 1858. His brother Paulus may have been waiting for him in Cincinnati and introduced him to the Muellers (later changed to Miller).

Carl and his older brother Paul Naturalized on July 19, 1852 in Rome, Perry Co, IN, and they settled in Troy, Perry Co, IN.

Carl (age 33) married Theresia Miller (age 21) on Apr 11, 1858 at (old) St John The Baptist Catholic Church, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio. After the marriage they moved her belongings to Carl’s home in Troy, IN.

In 1859 Carl, his wife, Theresia and son, August Joseph, moved to Tell City, IN. Carl and Theresia had 8 children, August 1859, Michael 1861, Theresia 1863, Francisca 1865, Petrus 1866, George 1867, Catharina 1870 and Nicolaus 1872. Theresia died Jan 4, 1873, just days after giving birth to Nicolaus.

Carl’s (age 48) second marriage was to Mary Hurm Kraus (age 26) on May 5, 1873 in Fulda, IN. Mary’s husband had died on December 25, 1872. Mary brought 2 children from her first marriage, Rosa 1869 and Michael 1872. After the marriage, they moved Mary’s belongings to Carl’s home in Tell City, and started their life together. Carl and Mary had 6 children, Anton 1874, Charles 1876, Anna 1879, Stephan 1881, and twins Edward and Paul 1884.

March 15, 1888 Charles (Carl) Schaefer died (63 years old) in Tell City, Perry, Indiana, USA, he was buried next to his second wife Mary in St Mary’s Cemetery, Tell City, Perry, Indiana. Source: St. Paul’s Catholic Church Death Records Oct 1877-Jan 1976, Tell City, Perry, Indiana. Tell City Anzeiger, 17 March 1888, page 3, col 3, item 1. Perry County Tombstone Inscriptions, volume 1, Troy Township, St. Mary’s Cemetery, section H.

Charles Schaefer’s obituary.
Source: Tell City Anzeiger, dated March 17, 1888, page 3, col 3, item 1.

Carl Schaefer died Thursday morning at 12:30 of blood poisoning after an illness of only one week. He had injured himself insignificantly on the right hand Tuesday of last week in his hay stack. The next day however, his hand began to swell up. The infection which followed lay hold of the whole arm and when the doctor was brought in, it was too late to take action.

The deceased was born November 6, 1824 in Iffezheim, Grand Duchy of Baden and came to America in 1852 and initially settled in Troy. He moved to Tell City as soon as it was founded in 1859 and lived the rest of his life there.

He leaves his widow (Mary), 6 children from the first marriage (only 2 are at home – Francisca 22 & Catharina 17), four children from the second marriage (with Mary), (Anna 9, Stephen 6, Edward & Peter 3), 2 stepchildren (Rosa 18, William 15) and 4 grandchildren.

The now immortalized was a quiet, peaceful man, whom nobody would put something in the way of, a good family father and righteous citizen. Since 1882 he was the Anzeiger’s paper carrier and fulfilled his duties always punctually and conscientiously.

August Schaefer of Omaha (Nebraska), George Schaefer of Louisville, and Michael Schaefer of Owensboro, sons of the deceased, arrived for his funeral.

Brother Paul Schaefer

Paul was 40 years old when he enlisted on Dec 4, 1861 in Indiana’s 60TH Regiment, Company A, Infantry. Company A was comprised of 150 recruits from Cannelton, Tell City & Troy, Perry Co, IN. Paul was promoted to Corporal on March 15, 1863. He was one of only 4 recruits that was promoted. He was discharged from the Union Army, on Apr 18, 1864, at New Orleans, LA., with a disability. The nature of his disability is unknown.

INDIANA ADJUTANT GENERAL REPORT:

Civil War Soldiers from Perry County, Indiana
Pvt: Paul Schaefer
Home: Perry Co
Entry Date: 4 Dec 1861
Unit: CO A 60TH IND INF REG
Remarks: Discharged 18 Apr 1864, disability

by: Joe Schaefer