Brenner Genealogy

My 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, was born in Adelshofen, Baden, on 10 February, 1836. He arrived in the United States on the William Tell, 19 October 1854. 6½ years later John’s newly adopted country was engaged in Civil War. On April 15^th, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 troops to respond to the attack on Fort Sumpter. John Brenner was one of those who responded.

Dana Bode, great grandson of John Brenner and my first cousin once removed, gathered data about John Brenner’s Civil War military service: 1) a photo copy of a discharge certificate for John Brenner’s service in the 19^th Ohio Volunteer Militia (OVM), dated 29 August 1861; 2) a photo copy of a certificate from the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office indicating John Brenner’s service in the 11^th Ohio Volunteer Militia (OVM), dated 8 July 1950; 3) a photo copy of a discharge certificate for John Brenner’s service in the 44^th Battalion of the Ohio National Guard (ONG), dated 1 May 1866; 4) a copy of a letter in John’s own hand, dated 10 November 1900; and 6) John Brenner’s pension records. These resources are now in my possession. To them I have added the 1890 Census (Veterans Schedule) for Mahoning County, Ohio. And a copy to John Brenner’s Pension Index Card. Let me first review the information contained in these sources:

1.  19^th OVM Discharge Certificate

John Brenner; Private; Company B, 19^th Regiment, OVM; enlisted: 27 April 1861; discharged: 29 August 1861, “Expiration of term of Enlistment;” age 25. The certificate is dated 29 August 1861. (Note: no data is given in spaces for date / state of birth, height, complexion, eyes, hair, occupation at time of enrollment.)

2.  44^th ONG Discharge Certificate

John Brenner; Private; D Company, 44^th Reg’t, ONG; age 28; residing in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio; enlistment date: 23 July 1863 for 5 years; honorably discharged, “having been mustered into U.S. Service in May, 1864, under the call for ‘one hundred days men,’ and honorably discharged therefrom.” The certificate is dated 1 May 1866.

3.  11^th OVM (Certificate indicating records held by the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office)

John Brenner; Corporal; Company C, 11^th Regiment, OVM; enlisted: 2 September 1862; “was mustered into the United States service as such for the period of 1 month;” “mustered out with the Company” 2 October 1862. “Born 4-15-1843. Died: 9-28-1909. Buried: Belmont Park Cem. Liberty Twp., Ohio Grave #1 Block # Elm-B. Lot #3-23.” The certificate is dated July 8, 1950.

4.  John Brenner’s Letter (10 November 1900)

Enlisted in 19^th OVI, April 1861; discharged 29 August 1861, a Private. Enlisted in ONG, 23 July 1863 for 5 years; discharged 1 May 1866, a Corporal. Enlisted in “regular volunteer service,” 2 May 1864; discharged 27 August, 1864, a 2^nd Corporal

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5.  Pension Records and Pension Index Card

D Company, 155^th Ohio Infantry; B Company, 19^th Ohio Infantry. Invalid application #958168 filed by John Brenner on 20 November 1890; Widow’s application # 928351 filed by Catharine Brenner on 7 October 1909.

6.  1890 Census (Veterans Schedule) 

John Brenner. Private, Company B, 19^th OVM; enlisted 27 April 1861; discharged 29 August 1861; 4 months and 2 days service. 2^nd Corporal, Company D, 155^th ONG; enlisted 2 May 1864; discharged 27 August 1864; 3 months and 25 days service.

On first glance, it would seem that my 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, served in 4 separate units during the Civil War: in 1861, the 19^th OVI for 4 months and 2 days; in 1862, the 11^th OVM for 1 month; in 1864, the 155^th OVI for 3 months and 25 days; and in 1863-66, the 44^th ONG for 2 years, 9 months, and 8 days. (Note: the service dates for the 155^th OVI were during the term of service in the 44^th ONG.)

OR DID HE?

Some inconsistencies and/or conflicts arose as I looked more closely at the data:

• John Brenner’s letter does not indicate any 1862 service in the 11^th Ohio Volunteer Militia. It was this omission that prompted my further investigation into John Brenner’s Civil War service record.
• The data indicates that John Brenner was a Private in 1861, a Corporal in 1862, a Private in 1863, a 2nd Corporal in 1864, and finally discharged as a Corporal in 1866.  That he would be a Corporal in 1862, but a Private again in 1863, is certainly possible, but it raises questions.
• The information provided by the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office in 1950 indicated that John Brenner was Born in 1843 and died in 1909 (and was buried in Belmont Park Cemetery).   My 2g-grandfather did die on 9 September 1909 and, while initially buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery, his grave was eventually moved to Belmont Park Cemetery in the Elm section.

Further investigation revealed the following:

• “In early May, 1864, the 92nd Regiment of the Ohio National Guard and the 44th Battalion (Mahoning County) were consolidated to form the 155th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/155th_Ohio_Infantry).
• The “Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Vol. 1-12″  (online database at Ancestry.com) lists a John Brenner in the 19th OVI, the 11th OVM, and the 155th OVI.
• My 2g-grandfather’s service in the 155th OVI was confirmed by an affidavit (in his pension file) given by Leander D. Robinson.  Robinson testified as a witness to the injury John Brenner’s incurred while serving in the 155th OVI.  ”My knowledge of the above was derived being present with the Campany at the time, observing his symptoms and hearing his complaints.”
• John wife, Catharine, and his oldest son, Judson, are included in the papers of the Pension File.
• A review of the Ohio Death Index for 1909 has only one John Brenner listed as dying on 28 September 1909.  That surely was my 2g-grandfather.
• The 1870 Census records for West Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, shows a John Brenner (son of Michael and Gertrude Brenner), age 27, born in Pennsylvania.  His age is consistent with the 15 April 1843 birth date given on the 11th OVM Certificate from the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office.
• The 11th OVM was recruited in four southwestern Ohio counties (Hamilton, Montgomery, Miami, and Clinton) and one northeastern Ohio county (Columbiana). [Horton, Hoshua H. A History of the Eleventh Regiment (Ohio Volunteer Infantry). Dayton: W. J. Shuey, 1866. Online in Google Books]

The data regarding the service of my 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, in the 19th Regiment Ohio Voluntary Infantry, the 44th Regiment Ohio National Guard, and 155th Regiment Ohio Voluntary Infantry seems rather conclusive.  His participation in the 11th OVM is questionable.  It is more likely that the John Brenner who served in the 11th OVM is the same 27 year old John Brenner who was enumerated in 1870 as residing in Columbiana County, Ohio, with his parents (Michael and Gertrude Brenner).  Since my 2g-grandfather was originally buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio, but his grave was later removed to Belmont Park Cemetery by his son, Judson, I would guess that the information concerning the removal of his grave to Belmont Park Cemetery was at some later point forwarded to the Ohio Adjutant General’s Office and added to the wrong John Brenner file.  This would explain the inconsistencies recorded on the 1950 certificate regarding the John Brenner who served in the 11th OVM.

My one last task pertaining to this investigation is to correspond with the Office of the Adjutant General of the State of Ohio and suggest that their information regarding two different John Brenners may have been mixed together.

After a couple months working on it, I’ve switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress.  I was having trouble getting the re-direct to work.  All my blog post were ported over, but anyone trying to access “Stardust ‘n’ Roots” ended up on the Blogger site.  Today I finally got it corrected.  If you go to the Blogger site, you are automatically redirected to the new WordPress site.  I am still working out the kinks and haven’t started adding all the widgets and plug-ins that I want to make the site more useable (for me and for you).

One additional benefit, I have the WordPress app installed on my Android tablet and am writing this post in that app.  It appears that I can’t do anything fancy through the app (such as add pictures or change fonts) but that can be easily overcome by drafting a post with the app and than finishing it on the website.

I am still deciding on which WordPress theme to use and will have to make sure that the integration with our BrennerFamilyTree (on TNG) is fully functional.

There will likely be some bumps in the road for the next couple of weeks.  Please be patient as my son and I get this website fully functional.

Since I began researching my 2g-grandparents, John Brenner and Catharine Welk, I have had conflicting information about the location of their marriage.  Records passed on to me indicated that they were married in 1861.  Were they marriage in Columbiana County, Ohio, or Mt. Jackson, Pennsylvania?  Columbiana County would seem to be the logical place since it was the home of Catharine’s family (they lived in New Middletown).  Mt. Jackson is 7-8 miles from New Middletown, just across the state line.  However, I have found no record in the 1860 census for Catharine’s parents.  Her brother Henry is married and living in Springfield Township, Columbiana County, in 1860.  The only Catharine Welk in the 1860 census that I could find in east central Ohio was a 19 year old “domestic” in Ravenna, Ohio — about 50 miles northwest of New Middletown.  Since my 2g-grandmother was born in 1841, she would have been 19 at the time of the 1860 census.  Could that “domestic” be my 2g-grandmother?

I have copies of the various documents in John Brenner’s pension file.  Previously I had skimmed through them, but have not yet analyzed them closely. Among those papers is a General Affidavit from Catharine Brenner, in which she declares the absence of any official records of their marriage and naming Pennsylvania, as the location.  It is clear from her affidavit that, no matter how diligent I am as a researcher, I will not be able to find any official records for their marriage.  She states:  ”I was married in the State of Pennsylvania prior to the year 1885, and prior to said year 1885 no public records of marriages were kept.” Furthermore, “no such [Church Record] exists”  and “the Justice of the Peace who married me to said soldier … is now dead.”  She also states that “I do not know the names of such witness [to the marriage] nor where they can be found, if living.”

Catharine’s affidavit refers to subsequent affidavits by Henry A. Welk (her brother) and Conrad Schroeder.  Since Catharine’s affidavit asserts that she does not know the witnesses who were present when she and John were married by the Justice of the Peace, it is clear that Henry was not present.  And, since his affidavit was not present in the pension records that were turned over to me, we do not know the substance of his affidavit.

Conrad Schroeder’s affidavit consists of the following statements:   “I was well and personally acquainted with John Brenner, the above named soldier, when he was a youth and before he became of marriageable age, and knew him well to the time of his marriage to the claimant, whose maiden name was Catherine Welk; and I know that he was not married to any person prior to the marriage to the claimant.  I also know said soldier well and personally from the time of his marriage to said claimant until he died; and I knew that he lived with her from the time of his marriage to her until he died and was never divorced from her.  My acquaintance wtht him was such that had the facts been otherwise, I have every reason to believe that I would have known it.”

The 1900 census record for John and Catharine indicates that they were married for 40 years. That would indicate that they were married after 5 June 1860.  John Brenner’s obituary in Rundschau (the German language newspaper in Youngstown) listed his marriage date as 1 October 1861.  Catharine’s obituary (English) 5 1/2 years later also lists he marriage date as 1 October 1861. If October 1st is taken as the correct date for their marriage, then they were married in either 1860 (census) or 1861 (two obituaries).  Since we do not know who the informants were for either the census or the obituaries, the year of their marriage must be listed as either 1860 or 1861.

So, it would seem that Catharine Welk and John Brenner eloped across the state line into Pennsylvania (most likely, Mt. Jackson) to be married by a Justice of the Peace.  No friends or family seem to have accompanied them.  It was likely that they were married on the 1st of October in 1860 or 1861.

It has been over two months since my last post.  In those two months I have paid very little attention to genealogy or to this blog.  I have not had the energy for these pursuits due to medical issues.  The best I could offer was to stay reasonably current with reading the blogs of others.  Three random observations are occasioned by the lay-off:

1. Genealogy is a high energy endeavor.  I suspect that this is due to the fact that genealogy is, for so many of us, a passion.  We jokingly talk about the transition that takes genealogy from a hobby to an addiction or a life-style.  And WHY are we so passionate about our genealogical pursuits?  Yes, I like to solve puzzles…    Yes, I find great satisfaction in adding one more generation to my family tree…    Yes, I enjoy the interaction with other genealogists…    Yes, I like the accolades and appreciations that come from family members…   But the truth is, I am passionate about genealogical research because it is part of my quest to learn more about my place in the universe.  We are meaning-seeking and meaning-creating creatures.  Some cosmologists have contended that we humans are the universe’s developing capacity for self-awareness.  So, we ask “Who?” and “What?” and “Where?” and “Why?”  Every time I learn something new about an ancestor in my family tree, I am filling in the gaps about my place in the universe — for “place” is another word for “connection.”  How / Where / To Whom am I connected?  In the answers I begin to catch a glimpse of the remarkable interconnectedness of all of life.  Genealogy is passion!
2. Blogging takes me on a journey farther than I ever dreamed.    Even though I haven’t published a post in 73 days, my blog continues to be accessed.  In the past 24 hours, it has been accessed by one or more readers in United States, Argentina, Ireland, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Vietnam, France, Italy, and Russia.   One post written on December 5, 2011, (Location! Location! Location! — A Question Answered) has received over 1100 pageviews, about half of that in the past 2 1/2 months.  That is a lot for this modest blog.   I had guessed that the response was partly due to the three-fold repetition of the word “Location” in the post’s title, suspecting that many may have done an online search for “location location location,” but not intending to see a genealogy blog.  However, when I googled  “location location location” I did not find my blog listed in the first 20 pages of results.  Amy Coffin (The We Tree Genealogy Blog) periodically posts a “Fun with Search Terms” where she reviews interesting terms people enter into search engines which directed them to her blog.  From my own reading of blogs, I am aware that sometimes we come to a blog expecting one thing, but we find another;  sometimes, we don’t know what to expect and are delightfully surprised;  sometimes, we wonder why we even were directed to this particular site.  The amazing thing, however, is that blogging (posting and reading) keeps us connected…    and, in those connections, we can sometimes learn just a little bit more about ourselves and our place in the universe.
3. Some of my best genealogical data gathering has been done by others.  No, I am not referring to on-line family trees.  I am talking about those conversation with family members that often start with words such as, “Hey, I have some papers you might be interested in!”   Two examples —  A little over a year ago, my wife and I were visiting her uncle in Florida.  He is the youngest of the three children born to my wife’s Gregg grandparents, and the last survivor.  During the visit, he went to his garage and brought out a box of materials presumably gathered by his mother over the years.  It was a genealogical treasure trove.  With his permission, I borrowed the box and scanned most of the materials.  I am in the process of organizing the scans and putting them on a CD/DVD for sharing with family members.  This collection included, letters and photos from an uncle’s participation in World War I;  many letters in German; and a copy of the exit permit (from Prussia) given to my wife’s 2g-grandfather in 1854.  About three weeks ago I received a phone call from my sister-in-law in California.  She was getting ready to do some remodeling in her home.  She had found some papers that her mother had collected.  They were obviously genealogy-related.  Would I like to have them?  They are now in my possession as I am sorting through and scanning them.  Included are the names of the grandparents of my wife’s paternal grandmother.  She was orphaned as a teen-ager and we have had precious little information about her family.  While the information I now have is not documented, it gives me some great clues as to my next steps in extending this family line.  Thanks to those extended family members who have become my co-researchers.  

In my previous post, I describe my approach to surveying German church records  In this post I will look at portions of 5 records (the marriage record for Georg Friderich Brenner and Johanna Catharina Venningerin and the baptismal records for four of their children).  These records all come from the Kirchenbuch of the Evangelische Kirche of Adelshofen (A. Eppingen) Baden — FHL microfilm #s 1189093 and 1189094.

My primary goal for extracting these 5 records is to determine Georg Friederich Brenner’s occupation and year of birth, as well as any information that might open up a new lead to an expanded search.  Georg Friederich Brenner is one of my brickwalls.  First, a portion of the marriage record:

In the line following his name, Georg is listed as 28 years old (the date of the marriages is 5 May 1822).  This would mean that Georg was born later than 5 May 1793 and prior to 5 May 1795.  His religion is listed as Evangelical ??? (the word following the abbreviation for Evangelical is uncertain).  His is a citizen of Adelshofen (Bűrger) and his occupation is some kind of a smith (schmid).  The first part of the occupational listing appears to be “Ragel.”  The most helpful resource for identifying occupations http://www.european-roots.com/german_prof.htm.  This webpage lists 80 categories of occupations, each including multiple subcategories and/or occupational titles.  (There are also multiple words for “citizens” and “nobility.”)  Since I am most interested in the identifying the type of “smith” listed for Georg Brenner, I notice that the website lists 18 separate sub-categories of smiths and, literally, hundreds of occupational titles and variants.


Comparing the listing of his occupation in the baptismal records (especially, the record for Johannes Brenner, #3 below) would suggest that “Nagelschmidt” (nail smith) would be Georg Brenner’s correct occupation.  All five records agree.  It is interesting to note that the Brenner surname (literally translated as “burner”) could indicate that the forebears were smiths.  (Nagelschmidt / NailSmith is an occupation that I am putting on my To-Do list for further research.)


The occupational designation is followed by “allhier” in four of the records and “Inhier” in the other (the third record below).  ”Allhier”simply means in this place – that is, Georg Brenner was a NailSmith in Adelshofen. I have been unable to find the word “Inhier” in an online German-English dictionary or in Bablefish or Google translate.  It may just be a local variant for “allhier.”  The baptismal record of Johannes Brenner (containing “Inhier”) is written in a hand that is distinctly different from the others, perhaps accounting for the use of a different term.  At this time, however, the spelling and meaning of “Inhier” is not conclusively determined.  The other four records are in agreement that Georg Brenner was a small tool smith in Adelshofen who specialized in the making of nails.  


The marriage record and all four baptismal records agree that Georg Friederich Brenner was married to Johanna (nee Venninger).  They were Evangelical Protestants living in Adelshofen.  There is obviously much more that can be extracted from these records, but I have accomplished my primary goal (that is, identify Georg Brenner’s occupation (nail smith) and have narrowed the range for the expected year of his birth (1793-1795).


I have not found any record of Georg Brenner’s birth, baptism, or confirmation in Adelshofen.  There are at least two Georg Friederich Brenners, born in other localities in the proper year range.  A next step is to check out those other records to see if I can find a connection.  My basic question, then, is:  What led Georg Brenner to travel from the place of his birth to Adelshofen?  That is a topic for more research andm hopefully, a blog post for another day.