Funeral Card Friday - Lyle Miller WWII Vet

Following the Paper Trail - Moller/Moeller/Mueller/Miller

I visited the Anderson County, Kansas courthouse in Garnett to read the guardianship file on John F. Rockers.

Probate Court, Anderson County, Kansas, Estate of Jno R Rockers minor heir of Harmon H. Rockers.   Harmon H. Rockers, Guar. 

Filed, Dec. 2nd 1869

State of Kansas, Anderson County}

Harman H Rockers being duly sworn says that upon information garnered from a creditable source His minor son John F. Rockers of the age of Four years has by the death of John G. F. Moeller late of Cole County, State of Missouri became heir to certain property in said state of Missouri.  (signed) H. H. Rockers.

Subscribed and sworn on this 2nd day of December AD 1869. M A Paye, Probate Judge

Another page in the file dated April 28, 1870, states that John F. Rockers was the heir of $110 dollars and Harmon H. Rockers was appointed guardian.

I knew John F. Rockers mother was Anna Margretha Mueller.  I didn't know when she married Harmon H. Rockers and I could only find her listed with him in the 1865 Kansas Census.  In February 1869, Harmon married Elizabeth Meimers in Anderson County, Kansas.  While visiting in Anderson County, we stopped at the St. Boniface Cemetery in Scipio.  This is where most of the Rockers ancestors are buried.  I forgot my camera so I didn't get a photo of the tombstone I found.  It states "Margareth A. Rockers 5 June 1830 - 15 July 1866"

I returned home to Missouri and following a job interview, I paid a visit to the Missouri State Archives.  I browsed microfilm of estates in Cole county looking for the surname Moeller.  I found a will for Johann Gerhard Muhler dated 1868 and read through it.  The grandson mentioned in this will was John Bernard Rockers of Germany.   I switched to another source I found in the index which was on microfiche.  It was the estate settlement of John G. Moller filed in 1866 in Cole county.  I found John Rockers among the heirs in the settlement.

"To be distributed as follows:

J. B. Schneeders & wife $58.19 2/3

Minor heirs of John H. Moller, dec $58.19 2/3

Guardian of John Rockers $58.19 2/3"

Dated April 23, 1869 on the previous page.

J G Moller's estate was quite large and I have yet to decipher the handwriting on all of the pages.  There were in total, three settlements.



The Missouri State Historical Society has digitized some of the newspapers and made them available for searching on their website.  I searched for Moller and found a notice of Sheriff's Sale of Real Estate in Partition.

Now I have the names of all of the heirs.  I still don't know anything about John G. Moller.

In the Missouri State Archives is a book of Baptisms and Marriages from St Francis Xavier Church in Taos, MO.  In this book I found the marriage of Harmon H Rockers and Anna Margaret Mueller on 11 June 1861. Why Harmon went back to Taos, MO at that time, I have yet to determine.  I am still looking for the death time and place of his mother, Anna Catherine ( nee Wolken) Rockers. I have not found her following the 1860 census.  Her husband, Herman Federick Rockers, is buried in St Boniface Cemetery, but haven't found a tombstone for Catherine.

Still have plenty of mystery to solve in this line but excited to find this connection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motivational Monday - Visiting a Courthouse

Many years ago, I received a GedCom file from one of my husband's cousins on their Rockers line.

This line of Germans from the Hanover area used the same given names repeatedly through the generations.  I didn't make any attempt to verify the information in this file for that very reason.  This family arrived at the Port of New Orleans on 2 January 1841. According to the ship's manifest Herman Friedrich Rockers was  traveling from Twist, Hanover to Jefferson City, Missouri.  Those arriving with him were Catharine Wolken age 49, Maria age 22, Herman age 20, Helen age 19, Addelaide age 17, Gerhardt age 14, Henry age 12, John age 9, and Gesine age 5.  This family sailed up the Mississippi to St. Louis and then down the Missouri river to Jefferson City.  Some stayed in Jefferson City and other sailed down the Osage river to Taos, Missouri.

Some traveled on to Anderson county, Kansas Territory. I found in the 1859 Kansas Territorial Census the following:

Voters:

1. H. H. Rockers, arrived 25 April 1856, total in household 1
2. J. H. Rockers, arrived 25 April 1856, total in household 1
3. Frederick Rockers, arrived 25 April 1856, total in household 1
4. John Rockers, arrived 25 May 1856, total in household 1
5. George Rockers, arrived 25 may 1857, total in household 4.

Heads of Household, Non-voters

1. Mary Rockers is listed on the same line with George Rockers above and she has 2 minor children.

I followed these men in the subsequent censuses for Anderson county, Kansas.  Two mysteries have materialized in my husband's direct line:

1. 1865 Kansas Census, Anderson county, Monroe Twp.
1. H. H. Ruckers age 46 born in Hanover
2. Margaret Ruckers age 34 born in Hanover
3. Elizabeth Mimas, age 14 born in Missouri
2. 1870 Federal Census, Anderson county, Monroe Twp.
1. Harmon H. Rockers age 50 born in Europe
2. Elizabeth Rockers age 19 born in Missouri
3. John Rockers age 4 born in Kansas

In my PAF program, I have Margaret Mueller listed as Harmon's first wife and John as their son.  

I found online at Anderson County District Court that John F. Rockers has a guardianship file dated 2 December 1869.  I have never found a marriage record for Harmon H. Rockers to Margaret Mueller.  Harmon married Elizabeth Mimas 10 Feb 1869.  Today, I plan to visit the District Court office and get a copy of the guardianship to see who the parent(s) of John F. Rockers were.  When I imported the GedCom file, there weren't any notes included, perhaps this is an option that must be chosen? 

That is what is motivating me today!  I love mysteries and hunting for clues!  My husband and I will be visiting his uncle in Anderson county, Kansas today as well.