John Diedrich Doscher, 1847-1925

Today, I’d like you to meet a 2nd Great GrandUncle of mine… John Diedrich Doscher. He’s the oldest brother of my 2nd Great Grandmother, Maria Sophia Doscher-Offerman.  Or rather, as I  literally just figured out today, he was a half-brother of hers (the only child born from their mother’s first marriage).  

John Diedrich Doscher (born 1847), photo taken 1899

J.D. was born on November 23, 1847, in Charleston SC.  He was the only child of John Diedrich Doscher and Metta Anna Maria Ohlandt. His father died of an accidental gun shot wound, one month before he was born. In 1849, Luer Doscher (a younger brother of the John Deidrich that died in 1847) arrived in Charleston, and married Metta.  My 2nd Great Grandmother was the first of 6 known children of this marriage.

J.D. went to Germany with his family when he was a child.  It’s unclear when he returned to America, but in the 1870 census, he was living in Wilmington NC.  He was a retail grocer, and had a $500 value of his personal estate.  In 1872, I found the first of many mentions in the Wilmington newspapers, for him being granted a license to sell “spiritous liquors” in the city.

On November 10, 1874, he married Miss Beta Schulken.  They had 3 known children, but only one survived to full adulthood.  Annie lived to be 19… her obituary refers to her as “one of Wilmington’s most beloved young ladies”.  August William lived 2 years, and John Diedrich Jr. lived to be 78.

Marriage license, 1874

Son August Doscher, 1881

Daughter Annie, 1895

Thanks to the magic of newspapers, we know that J.D. gave $100 to the Yellow Fever Relief Fund in 1876.  And in 1878, he was witness to a kidnapping, while he stood in his stop door.

J.D. and Beta’s home was at the corner of 3rd and Harnett Streets in Wilmington.  Today there’s a newer building at that location, so we don’t know what their home may have looked like.  Running a grocery store, the family could have lived above the business… or the store could have been located elsewhere in the city.

In 1888, J.D.’s brother Eide Wilhelm died from consumption at the age of 34.  He was also a grocer (I’m assuming the brothers ran the store together, rather than having two separate businesses).  E.W. had a few other titles to his name… he was a member of the Produce Exchange, the Knights of Pythias, and a Charter member of the Germania Cornet Band.  The two brothers were also volunteer firemen for the Howard Relief Fire Engine Company.

In 1893, his mother passed away in Wilmington.  After her estate was finally settled, in October 1899, my 2nd Great Grandmother received $31.42.  She was living in Chebanse IL at that time.

25th wedding Anniversary, 1899

In 1905, his wife passed away.  She had been in Baltimore, receiving medical treatment, and died from a post-operative embolism.  One of her sisters accompanied her body back to Wilmington for burial.

In June of 1913, J.D. applied for a passport, and returned to Germany for a visit.  His description on the application is as follows…  He was 5 foot 8 ½ inches tall, blue eyes, light brown hair, high forehead, straight nose, medium mouth, straight chin, light complexion and a long face.  In August of that same year, there was a mention in the newspaper of receiving a postcard from Bremen, Germany… it “brings kindest regards and best wishes to the friends of Mr. John D. Doscher, who is spending some time in the Fatherland.  He writes that he is well and enjoying his tour greatly.”

passport application, 1913

He and his son lived together up until the day he died.  J.D. passed away on October 2, 1925, in Wilmington.  His cause of death was a chronic kidney disease.  He is buried with all of his family in Oakdale Cemetery, in Wilmington.

Something to note here…J.D., a couple of his brothers AND his father were all in the grocery business.  And they were also all volunteer firemen.  I thought that was interesting.  Also, since discovering he had a different father, this John Diedrich is actually the Junior, and his son would be the Third!

Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington NC

Aaron James (1674-1752) and Elizabeth Fieldhouse (1683-1751)

When trying to decide on the next ancestor to research, write and share about… I landed on Elizabeth Fieldhouse, an 8th Great Grandmother.  She died 274 years ago next week, in 1751.  However, the further back you go, it’s always harder to find info about females.  I began looking into her husband, and wound up with a lot to sift through.  Mostly everything I found on him, would qualify for her, too.  So I suppose this is about both of them…

**Note: I do not have much to back up this story.  The only documents I could find in a short period of time, are their marriage record, a list of their children, a list of Elizabeth, Aaron Sr. and Aaron Jr. deaths, and the death writing for Aaron Sr.  All of these came from Quaker record books.  Everything else in this story, has been compiled from different online writings/family trees of other descendants/researchers and Quaker history.  I had hoped to find a ship manifest of the Canterbury in 1699 to confirm the James’ were on it… but was unable to do so in my timeframe. However, the pirate attack on the Canterbury is true!  🙂

Elizabeth Fieldhouse, one of my 8th Great Grandmothers, was born about 1668 in Tixall, Staffordshire, England.  Her father may have been Jerime/Jeremiah Fieldhouse, and her mother is noted in several online trees as Alice Turner (but I have not taken the time to prove or disprove that yet). Her baptism is noted as October 24, 1668.

Aaron James, one of my 8th Great Grandfathers, was born about 1674 in Staffordshire, England.  His father was Thomas James, and I have seen his mother listed as Elizabeth Smyth or Elizabeth Becke.  His father Thomas is noted as living in Longton in 1699, but it’s unclear at this time, if that is where Aaron was born.

Aaron James and Elizabeth Fieldhouse marriage record, 1699

Aaron and Elizabeth were Quakers, and were married in the Friends meeting house on Foregate Street in Stafford, on April 6, 1699. There is still a meeting house at that location, built in 1730. I would assume the two met because of their shared religious beliefs.  They were “older” when they were married (him 25, her 31).  They may have grown up in the Quaker faith, or they may have come to it on their own.

I admit that I am not very knowledgeable about Quaker history.  What I understand is that Quakerism was established in Staffordshire about 1651, and meetings were held in private homes.  Friends were being persecuted and imprisoned just for attending a meeting, and families began leaving England in search of a place they could establish their own communities.

Inside a typical 17th Century merchant ship

On September 3, 1699, the James’ departed from Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the ship Canterbury with William Penn.  This was Penn’s 2nd voyage to America and his Pennsylvania Colony.  Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, between Sept. 3 and Nov. 3, the Canterbury was attacked by pirates.  It’s reported that “the ship’s crew and passengers fought off the attackers in a successful defense.”  On November 3rd, the Canterbury docked at Newcastle, Delaware.  The ship’s trade goods were unloaded there and the families rested and recovered for 3 weeks.  On November 30, they set sail again (up the Delaware River), and arrived at Philadelphia a day or two later.

Area of Westtown, PA, where Aaron reportedly owned land

I have not located any documentation of it, but several family histories online state that Aaron James purchased 600 acres from William Penn in 1700.  The land is said to have been in Westtown, PA, at the corner of present day Routes 352 and 926.  I have also read that in 1701, Aaron purchased 142 additional acres of land from Joseph Hickman.  

It’s said that Aaron and Elizabeth brought a certificate from the Stafford meeting house in England, to the Chester Friends, allowing them to join.  In 1722, the Chester Quarterly Meeting formally established Goshen as a monthly meeting.  The James family became some of the first members of the Goshen Friends.

List of the James children, 1700-1711

Aaron and Elizabeth had 6 known children, all born in Pennsylvania, between 1700 and 1711.  We descend from their son Joseph, and eventually get down to the Miles’ line, which then moves into the Carlisle line.

The James family established a pottery business in Westtown around 1730.  They primarily produced redware made from locally available red clay.  It was practical, everyday pottery (jugs, plates, bowls, etc.).  The local clay was rich in iron content and fired to colors ranging from salmon pink to red-brown. Everything I have read, credits Aaron James as the original potter for the family business.  However, it’s unclear if it was Aaron Sr (the subject of this writing), or Aaron Jr (who would have been in his early 20s at the time).  Either way… I wish I had a piece of the pottery!

List with Elizabeth, Aaron Jr. and Aaron Sr's deaths

Elizabeth died November 19, 1751, in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Aaron died on April 8, 1752.  Both are buried in the Goshen Friends Burial Ground.

Present day Goshen Friends Burial Ground, pic from Find-A-Grave website

There is an entry in the Goshen meeting records.. 

“Aaron James late of West Town in the county of Chester, Pennsylvania, departed this life on the sixth day of the second month, in the year 1752.  He had been an Elder of the particular Meeting he belonged to, that of Goshen, for many years; he was a man of an upright conversation, a peace-maker, and serviceable on Truth’s account in diverse Respect.”

Death notes in Quaker records for Aaron Sr

I'll close with this... even if some of the things above turn out to not be true, we know this.  The sentence that describes our ancestor as a being a man of upright conversation and a peace-maker... that's really our guy, and it's something to be proud of!

Henry Ritter, 1875-1938

 Family history post:

A short one this time, as there isn’t much info available…

87 years ago next week, one of my Great Grand-Uncles passed away.  He was 63 years old.

Henry Ritter was born in Chebanse, Illinois, to George and Henrietta (Belk) Ritter in September 1875.  His older sister Wilhemine (Minnie) was my Great Grandmother. Both of Henry’s parents had been born in Germany, and had traveled to America right at the end of our Civil War. They were married in Kankakee County 1868, and started their family shortly after.

Henry’s father was a harness maker by trade, so I’m guessing they must have had a house in town. The census taker didn’t include street or house numbers, unfortunately.

1880 Census, Chebanse IL

When Henry was 10 years old, a big snowstorm swept across the region.  The roads had to be shoveled by hand.  I bet Henry helped!  The next year, when he was 11 years old, a bad hail storm and tornado caused total destruction in a 4-mile wide path through Chebanse.  I have no information on whether or not the Ritter home survived. The following year, when he was 12 years old, the first cement sidewalk was built in town.

In the 1900 census, Henry was boarding at a hotel (operated by George Milk) in Chebanse.  He was a painter by trade. I have not been able to find him in the 1910 or 1920 census.

1900 Census, Chebanse IL

Chebanse IL, unknown year... notice the Hotel sign on the left, and the Paint advertisement on the far right.  This could be the hotel Henry was boarding at in 1900, and he likely purchased paint from the store on the right.

In 1918, he filled out a WWI registration card.  He’s described as being of medium height and slender build, with brown eyes and brown hair.  He also writes that he would be physically disqualified from the War, because his left arm was off at the elbow.  Obviously, there is a story there…and I wish we knew it. Perhaps something that happened during the 1886 tornado?

WWI registration card, page 1

WWI registration card, page 2

In the 1930 census, Henry was boarding with the Amos Clausen family on Orchard Street in Chebanse.  He’s listed as a Painter/Paperhanger.

Sadly, Henry passed away on October 13, 1938.  His obituary states that a neighbor discovered the body, and it was believed to have been a heart attack.  He never married or had children. Henry is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Chebanse.

1938 obituary

Evergreen Cemetery, Chebanse IL

Rev George Washington Graham, 1879-1953

 Rev. George Washington Graham
20th Pastor of Herrin FBC
1928-1934

Born: February 20, 1879… Big Creek, Missouri

Died: October 15, 1953… Lebanon, Missouri

Licensed by the Hickory Grove Church (Missouri) at age 15, and ordained by the First Church in Farmington (Missouri) at age 36.

Rev Graham (age 39) married Miss Lillian Nina Renfroe (age 37) in St. Louis, 1918.  They had no known children.

St. Louis in 1918

During WWI, Graham served as a Chaplain at

Camp Funston in Kansas.  Camp Funston was a

training camp located on the grounds of

Fort Riley.  It was one of 16 camps that were

established at the outbreak of WWI for use as

infantry division training camps.  During WWII,

he was promoted all the way up to Major in

the Chaplain’s Reserve Corp.

Camp Funston during WWI

In the 1930 census (the only census taken while

Graham lived in Herrin), the family lived at

420 South 14th Street.

420 South 14th St, Herrin

The building that Rev Graham served in, 1928-1934

Rev Graham’s father John, was taken from his

home by a group of Confederate guerillas in late

1864.  In a statement later made by a neighbor

(who was also taken at the same time), the

Confederates took the men from their homes

and “compelled” them to leave.  The men were

taken south into Arkansas and kept to the

countryside.  The Missouri men were able to

escape about 50 miles from Memphis, on the

Arkansas side of the river. The men that escaped

became Union soldiers after their ordeal.

Rev. Graham’s grandfather Carter Graham,  was a

pioneer Baptist in Southeast Missouri.  In 1835,

with the help of William Settle, the Big Creek

Baptist Church was founded.  Both Graham and

Settle would serve as Pastor.  The Big Creek Baptist

Church is still around, and just celebrated their

190th anniversary in April 2025.  

Today's Big Creek Baptist Church