Jean Henric “Henry” Luhn/Lüen: Breaking through a Brickwall

A Guest Post from Teresa Spitzer:

One of our family’s “brickwalls” was Jean Henric “Henry” Luhn and his wife Maria Aleid Thünemann, parents of our gg-grandmother, Maria Anna Agnes Luhn/Lüen. We had a letter from Germany dated 1977 that verified her parentage and birth date, but we had no other information except that they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.

When I first started researching Henry Luhn I discovered that in Cincinnati Luhn was a fairly common name and there were several John Henry and Mary Luhns. I had no luck narrowing down the Luhns to the correct ones. And there were numerous spellings of the name - Luhn, Lüen, Lüehn, Leühen, Leühn, Lühen, Lehn. That was the way things stayed for years.

My first chip in the brickwall came in 2011 when I found a reference online to Walter Tenfelde’s book “Emigration and Emigrants from the Former County Lingen to North America”. Included in the list of families was Jean Henric Luhn, wife Maria Aleid Thünemann, my gg-grandmother Agnes, and her brothers and sisters. Through this information I was able to locate the ship’s manifest for their immigration to the United States. They arrived at New Orleans from Bremen, Germany on the ship “Edmund” on 21 November 1851 bound for Cincinnati.

We now had the family names. I found the family in the 1860 U.S. Census in Cincinnati under the names of Henry and Mary Lunn and I was also able to locate the marriage record of Agnes to my gg-grandfather, John J. Fricke. After that, I could not find any reference to the family. Many Luhns in Cincinnati, but none of them seemed to fit with the information I had about them. Except for my gg-grandmother and her brother Clemens, none of the rest of the family appeared in any records in Cincinnati.

That is where the research stood until this month when I was going through my Luhn family file and came across a printout of Hamilton County Ohio Wills. Listed as an heir to the estate of Margaretha Hesping in 1888 was my gg-grandmother Agnes Fricke. Also listed as heirs were 16 other names, some of them Luhns. Knowing that Ancestry now had wills and probate records online, I took a chance and was ecstatic to find the probate of Margaretha Hesping among their records. After reading through the will, I discovered that the heirs (along with my gg-grandmother) were brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews of Margaretha Hesping.

I then began the process of researching each heir listed in the will in the records online and began to connect them. I organized the heirs in six families:

• Catharine Adelheid Luhn (m. George Helmes)
• Maria Luhn (m. John Herman Puls)
• Margaretha Luhn (m. Bernard Hermann Hesping)
• Joan Bernard “Barney” Luhn (m. Mary Dietz)
• Anna M. Luhn (m. Bernard Clements Burke)
• Joan Henric “Henry” Luhn (m. Maria Aleid Thunemann).

Some of the other clues that linked the families together follow:

• Henry Luhn and George Helmes families arrived on the same ship in Nov. 1851.
• Catharine Adelheid Luhn Helmes was the godmother to my gg-grandmother Agnes Luhn Fricke.
• Several of the families lived near each other on Liberty and Baymiller Sts. in Cincinnati.
• Luhn (or some variation) was given as the maiden name in numerous marriage, birth and death records of the different families
• Many of the families worked in the furniture industry, as cabinet makers, varnishers and caners.
• In the Telfelde book, the parents of Henry and Barney Luhn are given as Herman Bernard Lüen and Anna Margaretha Preun.

I believe I have made a big hole in one of our family’s brickwalls. However, some of my initial questions about the Luhn family are still unanswered:

• What happened to the parents, Herman and Anna Margaretha Lüen? They also immigrated to the United States in 1851 with two of their children. I haven’t been able to find them in the records.
• What happened to Agnes’ siblings? Only her brother Clemens is listed as an heir in 1888. Do I assume they died before that date? I haven’t been able to find them.
• What about Agnes’ mother’s family - Thunemann? Her brother immigrated with her. What became of him?

This is why I love genealogy. It is very frustrating at times, but then you make a remarkable discovery and it makes the sometimes mind-numbing research all worthwhile.

Descendants:  

Bernhard Hermann Luhen, b. 30 Aug 1789 at Varenrode, Germany

+Margaretha Anna Preun, b. circa 1799 at Hanover, Germany, m. 4 Jun 1811 at St. Vitus/Lunne, Germany

├── Catharine Adelheid Luen, b. circa 1810 at Hanover, Germany, d. Aug 1879 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   +George Helmes, b. circa 1809 at Hanover, Germany, d. 28 Nov 1867 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   ├── Bernard Benjamin Helmes, b. Jun 1842 at Hanover, Germany, d. 13 Feb 1916 at MT

│   ├── Clemens J Helmes, b. 1844 at Hanover, Germany, d. 23 Aug 1898 at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

│   │   +Louisa (--?--), b. circa 1849 at TN

│   ├── Maria A Helmes, b. 10 Apr 1845 at Hanover, Germany, d. 23 Feb 1930 at Delhi, Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   +Joseph Feldkamp, b. 15 Aug 1837 at Rieste, Amt Vorden, Landdrostei Osnabruck, Konigreich, Hanover, Germany, m. 30 Jan 1866 at Hamilton Co., OH, d. 4 May 1903 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   ├── Joseph Feldkamp, b. Apr 1867 at OH, d. 5 May 1867 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   ├── Catherine Feldkamp, b. 1868 at OH, d. 1872

│   │   ├── Harry H Feldkamp, b. Dec 1869 at OH, d. 1956

│   │   │   +Marie (--?--)

│   │   │   ├── Joseph Feldkamp

│   │   │   ├── Flora Feldkamp

│   │   │   ├── Marie Feldkamp

│   │   │   └── Edward Feldkamp

│   │   ├── George Feldkamp, b. circa 1872 at OH, d. 5 Jun 1882

│   │   ├── Bernard Benjamin Feldkamp, b. circa 1874 at OH, d. 5 Jun 1882

│   │   ├── Joseph Johan Feldkamp, b. 1875, d. 10 Jul 1876

│   │   ├── Joseph Edward Feldkamp, b. 6 Sep 1877 at OH, d. 1963

│   │   ├── Clementine Feldkamp, b. 19 Dec 1880

│   │   └── Edward Henry Feldkamp, b. May 1881 at OH, d. Apr 1965

│   ├── Caroline Helmes, b. 12 Apr 1849 at Hanover, Germany, d. 22 Dec 1928 at Adams Co., OH

│   │   +Joseph Beebe, b. 18 Nov 1847 at OH, m. 1870, d. 2 Feb 1930 at West Union, Adams Co., OH

│   │   ├── Ida Beebe, b. 1870 at OH, d. 1923

│   │   ├── Anna Beebe, b. 1872 at OH, d. 1960

│   │   ├── Mamie Beebe, b. 1874 at OH, d. 1949

│   │   ├── Samuel Beebe, b. 1877 at OH, d. 1883

│   │   └── Louisa Beebe, b. 1879 at OH

│   └── Theresia Helmes, b. 1851 at Hanover, Germany, d. Dec 1853 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

├── Maria Luen, b. circa 1813 at Hanover, Germany, d. after Sep 1888

│   +Johan Hermann Puls, b. circa 1813 at Germany, m. 25 Apr 1843 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 1858 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   ├── Maria "Mary" Puls, b. 13 Jul 1845 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 11 Sep 1926 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   +Johann George Schutte, b. 14 Jan 1839 at Hanover, Germany, m. 14 May 1867 at Hamilton Co., OH, d. 24 Oct 1913 at Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   ├── George W Schutte, b. May 1870 at OH

│   │   ├── Joseph Schutte, b. Apr 1874 at OH

│   │   ├── Sister Cecelia Aloyse (Josephine) Schutte, b. 17 Dec 1874 at OH, d. 21 Jan 1936 at Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH

│   │   ├── Anna T Schutte, b. Jul 1880 at OH

│   │   ├── Harry H Schutte, b. Apr 1882 at OH

│   │   └── Clara M Schutte, b. Mar 1887 at OH

│   ├── John Puls, b. circa 1847, d. before 1883

│   │   +Josephine Dorenkamp, b. 18 Feb 1850 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 10 Jan 1932 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   │   ├── Mary Puls, b. circa 1873 at OH

│   │   ├── Josephine P Puls, b. Jan 1876 at OH

│   │   ├── John W Puls, b. May 1878 at OH

│   │   └── Margaret M. "Maggie" Puls, b. Oct 1880 at OH

│   └── Herman Puls, b. circa 1849 at OH, d. before Dec 1883

├── Jean Henric Luen, b. 7 Jul 1815 at Bawinkel-Plankorth, Varenrode, Germany

│   +Maria Aleid Thunemann, b. 5 May 1813 at Bawinkel, Plankorth, Germany

│   ├── Bernhard Luen, b. circa 1842 at Gersten, Bawinkel-Plankorth, Germany

│   ├── Maria-Christina Luen, b. 15 Jul 1844 at Bawinkel-Plankorth, Germany

│   ├── Hermann-Heinrich-Clemens Luen, b. 7 Aug 1846 at Bawinkel-Plankorth, Germany

│   ├── Maria Anna Agnes Luhn, b. 4 Dec 1848 at Barwinkle-Plankorth, Hanover, Germany, d. Nov 1888 at 38 Sherman Ave., Cincinnati, OH

│   │   +John Joseph Fricke, b. 2 Nov 1838 at Lingen, Hanover, Saxony, Germany, m. 17 Apr 1866 at St. Augustine Church, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 23 Jan 1917 at St. John's Hospital, Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   ├── Augustus Karl Fricke, b. 31 Mar 1867 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 13 Oct 1949 at the family residence, 1514 Arrow Ave., Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   │   +Cora Hall, b. Apr 1872 at IN, m. 7 Jun 1893 at Madison Co., IN, d. 29 Jun 1931 at the family residence, 1514 Arrow Ave., Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── Carl A. Fricke, b. circa 1895 at IN, d. 20 Jul 1972 at Grand Rapids, MI

│   │   │   ├── Ralph J. Fricke, b. 25 Oct 1896 at IN, d. 21 Sep 1964 at North Shore Hospital, Miami, FL

│   │   │   └── Marie Fricke, b. 17 Feb 1903, d. 27 Mar 1912 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   ├── Benjamin Fricke, b. 20 Jun 1869 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 18 Dec 1940 at Joliette, Will Co., IL

│   │   │   +Bessie Viola Wolford, b. Oct 1876, m. circa 1896, d. 12 Jul 1931 at Joliet, Will Co., IL

│   │   │   ├── John Lawrence M Fricke, b. Jul 1896 at IL, d. 1918

│   │   │   ├── Harry W Fricke, b. 9 Oct 1899 at IL, d. Aug 1976 at OH

│   │   │   ├── Russel G Fricke, b. circa 1902 at IL

│   │   │   └── Agnes M Fricke, b. 10 Sep 1905 at IL, d. 9 Jan 2000 at Joliet, Will Co., IL

│   │   ├── Anna Gertrude Fricke, b. 28 Oct 1871 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 17 Jan 1962 at Maplewood Nursing Home, Delaware Co., IN

│   │   │   +Albert John Licher, b. 19 Jun 1869 at Covington, Kenton Co., KY, m. 4 Jan 1892 at St. Mary's Church, Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 29 Apr 1939 at 1413 Kirby Ave., Muncie, Delaware Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── Josephine Catherine Licher, b. 29 Jan 1893 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 23 Oct 1987 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── William John Licher, b. 23 Oct 1894 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 30 Nov 1946 at Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Delaware Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── Anna Kathryn Licher, b. 9 Sep 1896 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 19 Feb 1976 at Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY

│   │   │   ├── Agnes Mary Licher, b. 19 Aug 1899 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 28 Dec 1957 at Elmhurst, IL

│   │   │   ├── Georgia Anna Licher, b. 25 Sep 1900 at Anderson, Madison Co, IN, d. 21 Mar 1977 at Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Delaware Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── John Sylvester Licher, b. 7 Oct 1904 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 27 Apr 1929 at Marion, Grant Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── Edmund Mathias Licher, b. 22 May 1906 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 18 May 1963 at Richmond Hospital, Richmond, Wayne Co., IN

│   │   │   ├── Dorothy Anne Licher, b. 25 Sep 1908 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 18 May 1993 at Nazareth Heights, Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Co., WI

│   │   │   ├── Anna Georgia? Licher, b. 25 Sep 1893 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   │   └── John Licher, b. 8 Sep 1903 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   ├── Joseph John Fricke, b. 24 Mar 1874 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 17 Jun 1953 at Kokomo, IN

│   │   │   +Magnolia Rogers, b. 22 Jul 1878 at Carlos City, IN, m. 18 May 1898 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 9 Nov 1956 at Kokomo, IN

│   │   │   ├── Virginia Fricke, b. 29 Jun 1899

│   │   │   └── John N. Fricke, b. 22 Dec 1901 at Anderson, IN

│   │   ├── Henry Fricke, b. 27 May 1876 at 310 Wade St., Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 22 Apr 1955 at his home at 1619 Louise St., Anderson, Madison Co., IN

│   │   │   +Minnie Brown, b. 1880, m. 21 Jun 1899 at Madison Co., IN, d. 1942

│   │   │   ├── Elizabeth Fricke, b. 1904, d. 1965

│   │   │   └── (--?--) Fricke, b. 28 Mar 1904 at Madison Co., IN

│   │   ├── George J Fricke, b. 28 Sep 1879 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 1921 at Muncie, Delaware Co., IN

│   │   └── Mary Agnes Fricke, b. 31 Oct 1882 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 17 Mar 1973 at Baltimore City Hospital, Baltimore, MD

│   │       +Alonzo Franklin Nelson, b. 27 Jan 1880 at Edgar Co., IL, m. 8 Nov 1902 at Madison Co., IN, d. 24 Sep 1951 at MD

│   │       ├── George John Nelson, b. 1904 at Anderson, Madison Co., IN, d. 15 Feb 1974 at Church Home and Hospital, Baltimore, MD

│   │       ├── Barbara Nelson, b. circa 1907

│   │       └── Wilbert Nelson

│   └── Anna-Carolina Luen, b. 6 May 1851 at Bawinkel-Plankorth, Germany

├── Margaretha Luen, b. 1818, d. 25 Aug 1888 at Hamilton Co., OH

│   +Bernard Hermann Hesping, b. circa 1805 at Prussia, d. 1874 at Hamilton Co., OH

│   └── John Hesping, b. 1846 at OH, d. 12 Apr 1876 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

├── Joan Bernhard Luen, b. 8 May 1820 at Heitel, Hannover, Germany, d. 1 Mar 1908 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   +Mary Dietz, b. circa 1820 at Hannover, Germany, m. before 1853, d. 3 Mar 1891 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   ├── Catherine "Kate" Luen, b. Dec 1854 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 15 Feb 1902 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

│   ├── Caroline Luen, b. circa 1855 at OH

│   └── Anna Luen, b. circa Jul 1859 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH, d. 23 Apr 1924 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

└── Anna Maria Luhen, b. circa 1823 at Hannover, Germany, d. before 1883

    +Clements Bernhard Burke, b. 1823 at Hannover, Germany, m. before 1855, d. Apr 1891 at Dubois Co., IN

    ├── Maria Rose "Mary" Burke, b. 30 Aug 1855 at OH, d. 25 Feb 1925 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   +Mathias Reis, b. 5 Oct 1853 at Dubois Co., IN, m. 11 Nov 1876 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 16 Aug 1904 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   ├── Mary W Reis, b. 16 Sep 1877 at IN, d. 31 May 1899

    │   ├── Anna Reis, b. Aug 1879 at IN

    │   ├── Theodore B Reis, b. 15 Aug 1884 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 4 Apr 1918 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   │   +Kathryn Clara Stahl, b. 1887, m. 1910, d. 1967

    │   └── Clara Helen Reis, b. 13 Nov 1891 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 10 Mar 1905 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    ├── Henry Burke, b. circa 1858 at OH, d. before 1883

    ├── Anna Carolina Burke, b. 31 Mar 1860 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 5 Nov 1949 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   +Julius L Pfister, b. 26 Nov 1860 at Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY, m. 17 Nov 1885 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 1 Dec 1932 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   ├── Mary "Mamie" Pfister, b. 8 Mar 1887 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   │   +Richard Powell, m. 6 May 1905 at IN

    │   │   └── Marcella Powell

    │   ├── Caroline Sarahaphine Pfister, b. 13 Sep 1889 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 18 Aug 1979 at Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH

    │   │   +Frank Dale Stallard

    │   ├── Amos Frank Pfister, b. 27 Sep 1891 at IN, d. 9 Nov 1965 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   └── Alex Bernard Pfister, b. 5 Jan 1893 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 16 May 1957 at Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY

    │       +Anna (--?--), b. 1882, d. 1965

    ├── Franciscum Bernhard "Frank" Burke, b. 10 Oct 1863 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 25 Jan 1951 at Petersburg, Pike Co., IN

    │   +Mary Elis. Johanamann, b. 20 Feb 1865 at IN, m. 10 May 1892 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 5 Mar 1942 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   ├── John J Burke, b. 27 Sep 1894 at IN, d. 24 Feb 1976 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   ├── Karolina R. "Caroline" Burke, b. 19 Aug 1895 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 1 Jan 1982 at Washington, Daviess, IN

    │   │   +Adam M Schmidt

    │   ├── Frances A. Burke, b. 19 Sep 1897 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 28 May 1980 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   │   +Bernard J Rees

    │   ├── Cecelia K Burke, b. 22 Jun 1899 at IN, d. 25 Aug 1988 at Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY

    │   │   +George Killian Mohr

    │   │   ├── Edward Joseph Mohr

    │   │   ├── Mary Ann Mohr

    │   │   └── William Richard Mohr

    │   ├── Laura A Burke, b. 16 Nov 1903 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 9 Sep 1998 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │   │   +(--?--) Schitter

    │   ├── Christina Mary Burke, b. 15 Dec 1905 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 26 Jul 1996 at Indianapolis, Marion Co, IN

    │   │   +(--?--) Butler

    │   ├── Josephina Burke, b. 27 Sep 1908 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 24 Feb 1918 at Bainbridge, Dubois Co., IN

    │   └── Hildegarde "Hilda" Burke, b. 10 Jun 1910 at IN, d. 30 Apr 1996 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

    │       +(--?--) Lechner

    └── Leonhard Joseph "Leonard" Burke, b. 6 Nov 1866 at IN, d. 27 Sep 1944 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        +Anna Mary Oxenbauer, b. 24 Nov 1866 at IN, m. 5 Nov 1889 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 12 Jan 1951 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        ├── Mary Anna Burke, b. 23 Jun 1890 at IN, d. 14 Oct 1975 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        │   +Edward Joseph Schwenk, b. 1884, m. 1911, d. 1917

        │   ├── Raphael J Schwenk

        │   └── Anna Mae Schwenk

        ├── Ernest S Burke, b. 6 May 1892 at IN, d. Sep 1967 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        ├── Leonard Joseph Burke, b. 22 Dec 1895 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 18 Oct 1918 at France

        ├── Werner P Burke, b. 10 May 1898 at IN, d. 27 Feb 1952 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        ├── Bernard L Burke, b. 10 Jun 1904 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 23 Mar 1921 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN

        └── Hyacintha Petronella Burke, b. 15 Feb 1908 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, d. 22 Mar 1920 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN