Dionys Klöpfer
1794-1881

The following is from"Kloepfer-Klöpfer Genealogy & More" by William Wesley Kloepfer and Bill Kloepfer, 1993. William Wesley Kloepfer is the great great grandson of Dionys Klöpfer, a descendant of Jorg Klopfer (Family # 5, Klöpfer, Kloepfer, and Kleopfer). Bill is his son. For more information contact Wes Kloepfer, 142 N. Angeleno Avenue, Azusa, California 91702.

DIONYS KLÖPFER AND THERESIA FRIEDMANN

Dionys Klöpfer (1794-1861, 67 yrs) was born on February 15, 1794 in Moos um Bühl, Germany. He was named after St. Dionys as was the Catholic church in which he was baptized. The proximity of St. Dionys church and the Klöpfer home (see "The Klöpfer Home" in Moos, Germany in the Locations and Maps section) indicates that the Klöpfers were among the first settlers of Moos. St. Dionys church was built in 1645.

Before that time the Moos Catholics had to travel to the monastery at Schwarzach, or to the church at Vimbuch. Dionys was born as the second son to Johannes Klöpfer (1752-1820) and Therese Noltner (1765-?). Johannes was the 5th generation of Klöpfers documented in the books at Schwarzach beginning at 1621. By 1810 Dionys had four brothers and three sisters. The siblings were:

Franzisca Born.1785, Died 1869 at the age of 84 years

Josephus Born 1788, Died 1833 at the age of 45 years

Genofive Born 1790, Died 1860 at the age of 70 years

Maria Anna Born 1792, Died 1862 at the age of 70 years

Dionys Born 1784, Died 1861 at the age of 77 years

Michalis Born 1795, Died 1866 at the age of 71 years

Ambrosias Born 1797, Died 1813 at the age of 16 years

Paulus Born 1801, Died 1821 at the age of 20 years

Helena Born 1828, Died 1878 at the age of 50 years

By 1821 Dionys had lost two of his brothers and his father. In 1833 his oldest brother died and there remained only one brother Michaelis, (Michael), who later joined him in his move to America. As the oldest living son, he had inherited the Klöpfer home at 35 Mooserstrasse, Moos, where he was born. In addition, he inherited a lot of the Klöpfer family farming land located around Moos.

Dionys was married on May 22,1822 in the St. Dionys church in Moos, Germany to Theresia Friedmann, daughter of Mathias and Maria Ruschmann Friedmann of Ulm bie Lichtenau, which was a small town next to Moos. Dionys his family, consisting of wife and seven sons, Bernhardt (1824-1908)/84 yrs, Georg (1829-?), Matthaus (1827-1912)/84 yrs, David (1825-1893)/68 yrs, Ludwig (1833-1905)/72 yrs, Vinzens (1835-?) and Anton (1838-?), emigrated to the United States in 1840.

Dionys was not the first Klöpfer to leave for North America from Moos as he was preceded in 1837 by his cousins Cazimer and Josef (to Olney, Illinois), both being children of Johannes Jacob, Dionys' uncle.

Until 1840 Dionys farmed his properties in and around Moos. He was active in town government and at the time of his emigration was Burgermeister, as had been several of his ancestors. Early in 1840 he applied for and received official permission to leave Germany. A copy of this document can be seen in the previous Chapter II subsection entitled "Passage to America".

In the spring of 1840, Dionys Klöpfer sold his house and lands and with his wife, Theresia, and his seven sons, left Moos um Bühl and emigrated to the United States leaving behind in Moos his four sisters: Franzisca, married to Wendel Winter; Genofive, married to Wendelinus Gartner, Maria Anna and Helena. Along with Dionys' family aboard the Ilzaide were his brother, Michaul, and cousins Jacob and with wife Monica Winter, Catharina, all of whom settled in New Germany, Lower Ontario, Canada. Also on the same ship were cousins Benedict, who settled in Carroll County, Ohio, and Maria Franziska, who married Michael Steffan and lived in Buffalo, New York. Listed with the Benedict family was a "Lecina", whom we believe to be another cousin, Serena, who married a Zuber and lived in Richland, Illinois. Nikolaus, the son of another cousin, Marzell, emigrated to Canada later with his second wife, Luise and children. Before leaving Moos he had a religious monument, a large cross erected in a field outside the town. We found and photographed this cross.

Sale of Moos Property (1840)

In July of 1987 my son and I visited Germany. In the land archives at Bühl, Baden, we found the records of the disposal by Dionys of his holdings. Assisted by Gustav Rapp, the head of the office, we found records that showed that Dionys had sold, at auction, some thirteen pieces of farm land, on the 20th of March 1840, and, on the same date by private sale, his home in Moos, described as a one-and-a-half story house, with a grass plot, a garden and a pig sty. See graphic entitled "The Klöpfer House" in the Locations and Maps chapter. Total sales amounted to some 7000 gulden. This was a considerable sum in those days. We have obtained and English translation of the sales records. Most interesting was the one of the sale of the home in the town:

23Nr 16718. Happened in Moos on March 20, 1840.

It has on February 12, 1840 Dionis Klöpfer citizen and peasant of Moos and his wife Theresia nee Friedmann to the following bidder in an auction following landed properties with under mentioned conditions publicly let sell at auction. Stipulations were:

1. for the measure of properties no guarantee is given.

2. buyer has the interests, embraces and taxes without difference laying on the property or still could be put on it to take over without guarantee

3. the purchased money is to pay in cash

4. the buyer has to pay the purchase costs

5. the buyer of the house has only to lay claim to everything that is nailed down and to the floor covering of the (Dunlepp?) belonging to it.

Hieronimus Winter, citizen and peasant of Moos in an auction (has received) one and a half story wooden house, a barn and stabling and pigsties together with 1 1/2 Viertel (4 Viertel = 1 Morgan, 1 badischer morgan = 36 acres) orchard and grass-plot, on the one side Dionis Ochs, on the other side Nikolaus Klöpfer, in front the village lane, at the back the Aufeld (district) for the amount of 2000 fl, in words two thousand Gulden.

Documentary

the buyer the seller

signed by Hieronimus Winter signed by Dionis Klöpfer

Theresia Friedmann

In addition, to the 2000 Gulden for his home and it's land - the rest of the farm land sold by auction for cash on February 12, 1840 to Bonifaz Kuster (who paid 243 Gulden), Joseph Haungs (who paid 73 Gulden), Dionis Kustner (who paid 182 Gulden), Michael Sreibich (who paid 500 Gulden). This would have provided Dionys with 3000 Gulden for his trip to America. Except there appeared a marginal note "…the creditor Dionis Klöpfer at present in Amerika on April 9th 1875 has demanded payment of the purchase e through publical admonition but it hasn't been reminded in legal appointment time. On grounds of the law from June 5th 1860 declared to expired. Signed by Guarantee Court with the following names: Klöpfer, B. Knapp, Ruschmann, Ochs, Kustner, Haungs, Knebel, and the signature of the Kommissaire." So it appears that Dionys was not paid in full for his home and adjoining land.

The remainder of his farm land was sold by auction for 1100 Gulden on installment rather than cash with the following condition: "the purchase money is to pay in five equal installments, the first at Christmas 1840, the 2nd 1841, 3rd 1842, 4th 1843, 5th 1844, bearing interest at 5 percent from February 1840 on." Apparently the following purchasers did not fully pay:

Erhard Winter (who was suppose to pay 90 Gulden), Augustin Streibich (who was suppose to pay 91 Gulden), Engelberth Volz (who was suppose to pay 80 Gulden), Blasius Gartner (who was suppose to pay 110 Gulden), Jacob Streibich (who was suppose to pay 84 Gulden), Markus Ehinger (who was suppose to pay 102 Gulden), Babtillius Winter (who was suppose to pay 105 Gulden), Aloys Spitzmesser (who was suppose to pay 120 Gulden) and Thomas Hob (who was suppose to pay 219 Gulden). A marginal note again appeared identical to the one quoted above except with the installment purchaser's names. So it appears that Dionys was also not paid in full for the rest of his farm land. Curiously it appears that a legal effort to collect did not occur until 1875 after Dionys's death in 1861 and probably by his son Bernard.

We had tried to ascertain the location of Dionys' farm lands, sold in 1840, but we found that a strange event occurred (date not given). Apparently relatively small pieces of farmland owned by the burghers of Moos were located in many separated areas surrounding the town making it necessary for the farmer driving horses varying distances to till the pieces. With good German thinking the townspeople decided to throw all land holdings into a community pot and then parcel it out in proportion to the footage previously owned, but locating the parcels as close to the home of the owner as possible. When new maps were drawn the old holdings were not indicated, making Dionys' land locations impossible to locate.

First Purchase of Land in the U.S.A. (1840)

It was on land first purchased from Wendell Allis on September 211840, consisting of 160 acres of the North West quarter of section 29, township 42, range 13, New Trier Township, Illinois that they built their first home in America. Alles was paid $1.50 per acre for this land. (See graphic of "Kloepfer Property 1840-1850" in the Locations and Map section.) This log cabin served as Dionys home, and the first home for his son Bernard when he married, then it served as a barn (for the new farm house built close by). A photo of this cabin was featured on the "February" page of the 1903 Evanston calendar as one of the oldest remaining structures in Gross Point. It is rumored that in about 1982, the log cabin was finally moved to a location behind some large estate home or Crow Island School on Hibbard Rd. near Willow in Winnetka.

In 1843 Dionys bought from the U S Land Office, 40 acres, and in 1845 a second 40 acres. All this land was in Section 29 (NE quarter of SW quarter) and 19 (SE quarter of the NE quarter) of New Trier Township. The government land was purchased at $1.25 per acre. This later purchase brought the Kloepfer land holdings up to 240 acres. See graphic entitled "Kloepfer Property (1840 + 1843 Purchase) as was in the Year 1850" in the Locations and Map section.

Additional Land from the U.S. Land Office (1843,1845)

The first purchase from the government of land was on July 5,1843. This purchase is described as follows in the certificate of sale:

NO.12689 LAND OFFICE AT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS July 5, 1843 IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED, That, In Pursuance of Law, Dionis Kleffard of Cook County, State of Illinois, on this day purchased of the Register of this Office, the Lot, or North East Quarter of the South West Quarter of Section Twenty Nine in Township No. Forty two, North of Range No 13. East of the Third Principal Meridian, containing Forty Acres, at the rate of One Dollar and Twenty-five cents per acre, amounting to Fifty Dollars and no cents, for which said Dionis Kleffard has made payment, in full, as required by law. NOW THEREFORE BE IT KNOWN, That, on Presentation of this Certificate to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the said Dionis Kleffard shall be entitled to receive a Patent for the Lot above described. (sig) Jno. H. Kinzie Registrar.

Having the proceeds from the sale of their Moos properties, their finances were more then adequate to allow them to survive until they were able to harvest some crops. Dionys later bought an additional 40 acres of government land to the north-west (SE quarter of the NE quarter of section 19), in an area that my father told me was never cultivated, but used as a source of peat. Dionys in 1857 signed over this section 1 9B property to his sons Bernard and David.

Agricultural Report of 1850

The Cook County Illinois 1850 Agricultural Report lists Dionys Kloepfer as owning 40 Acres of improved land and 200 acres of unimproved land with a cash value of $320, implements value $40, 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 2 work oxen, 3 other cattle, 100 bushels of rye, 100 bushels of Indian corn, 150 bushels of oats, 100 bushels of Irish potatoes, 200 pounds of butter and 25 tons of hay. Value of the livestock was shown as $300 but no value was set on the produce.

Dionys planted an apple orchard of which one apple tree, said to be the oldest surviving one in Illinois , still is producing. We found this tree on the grounds of a large estate on Locust Road, Winnetka.

The Klöpfer acreage over the years was parceled out, either by gift or purchase, to Dionys' sons, and at his death in 1861 he personally owned only the farm house and 10 acres on which it stood. Bernhardt inherited this property and on his death in 1908 it passed to Dennis S. Kloepfer, who sold it off in 1924 when he moved to his home in Winnetka.

Early Neighbors

We do not know who the neighbors of Dionys and family were in the early days. It was written that when Dionys and sons built their log cabin, only three other families were within a mile of it. This log cabin later served the purpose of a barn, being within a few feet of the newer Klöpfer farm house.

The first land map found is dated 1861 and that shows that the Kloepfer family had expanded their holdings in New Trier Township, holding property in Sections 19, and 29. Neighboring land owners of that date were Jared Gage, F. Gable, J. Ellis, N. Gormley, J. Feldman, Schildgen, Blum, J. Brandt, N. Wilhelm (father of Laura, wife of Bernard's son, Dennis) and Thomas Scully. Scully was the father of George Scully, Jr., husband of Pauline Kloepfer, Dennis' daughter.

Anton's Accident

An August 30, 1873 Evanston index account describes an event where Antoine (Anton) Kloepfer of Wilmette went out pigeon hunting on the Sabbath and dropped his gun "the whole charge going through his foot, making a very ugly hole ... but Antoine will not walk for some time, and will probably limp for a long while.

Land Deals (1887)

Bernhardt and his brothers appear to have been very good real-estate men as the names of John, David and George appear on several parcels on the map. We have a record of a subdivision in Section 29 by Bernard, into S and 10 acre parcels - this was recorded in 1887, and named the Bernard Kloepfer Subdivision. See graphic entitled "Kloepfer Land (1840 + 1843 Purchase) as was in the Year 1887" in the Locations and Maps section. Witness or notary on this tract map is Dennis S. Kloepfer, Police Magistrate.

George Klöpfer received the 10 acres on the corner of Hill and Locust which he later sold in 1867 to the Schwalls. David (1825-1893) received 10 acres on Locust between George's farm and Dionys's farm. In addition, David had 20 acres of farm land on the corner of Hill and Hibbard (behind his farm house). His son Peter (1866-1954) built his home and farm opposite his father's farm across Locust, on the east side of the street, where his son David was born in 1907 and raised. Dionys sons, Bernhardt Sr. and David Sr. were the primary Kloepfer progenitors, both raising large and active families in the Winnetka and surrounding areas.

Death of Dionys

The St. Joseph's church records on page 83 relates "-on 5 July 1861 buried the body of Dionys Klöpfer from New Trier, who died 3 July 1861, married to Theresia Klöpfer, and who was originally born in Baden Germany 67 years ago."

CHILDREN OF DIONYS KLÖPFER AND THERESIA FRIEDMANN

Dionys and Theresia had the following children:

George, born 6 April 1823 in Moos, Baden. Came to the USA with his father and family, lived in Gross Point until 1861, when he sold his land. We have no further information on him -no marriage or death date.

Bernhardt, born in 16 August 1824 and died in 30 May 1908, whose life is covered in Chapter VIII

David, b. 30 December 1825 in Moos. To the USA with the family. Married Anna Bauer, had 12 children as follows:

Mathaus, b. 1827 in Moos. To USA with family. m. Mary Bauer, lived in Wilmette, had one child:

Ludwig, b. 1833, Moos, to USA with family. d. 1905

Vinzens, b. 1835, Moos, to USA with family

Anton, b 1838, Moos. to USA with family.

Bernard and David stayed in Gross Point, Vinzen's last known record was aboard the ship Ilzaide, Matthaus moved to Evanston, Anton lived in Wilmette and later moved in with Ludwig in Winnetka.

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