The Family of Joseph Bernard Willmeng and Elizabeth Sieler Feller

Joseph Bernard Willmeng, son of Bernard, was born on May 28, 1820 at Grussenheim, Haut-Rhin, France. He died on June 28, 1900 at Lemont, Cook, Illinois. He was buried on June 27, 1900 in St. Alphonsus Cemetery at Lemont. It has been reported that he immigrated to America about 1852. Bernard is referred to as Barnhart in the 1860 U.S. census return for Lisle, Illinois and as Behnhardt on his tombstone.

A Twentieth Century History of Berrien County, Michigan indicated that Joseph Bernard “was a native of Alsace France, and when a young man crossed the Atlantic to the new world. In Illinois he was married to Miss Elizabeth Siler, who was also born in Alsace. Mr. Willming had served for fourteen years in the French army, spending seven years of that time in military duty in Africa. In Illinois he turned his attention to farming.”

Bernard married Elisabeth Feller née Sieler, daugther of André Seyller and Madeleine Haumesser, on April 11, 1856 in DuPage County, Illinois. The ceremony was preformed by John Riddle, Justice of the Peace. The license was issued on April 5, 1856. Elisabeth was born on February 26, 1827 at Wittisheim, Bas-Rhin, France. The family name, in the various French records reviewed, was spelt Seyller. It would appear that Elisabeth died prior to 1870 as she is not enumerated with the family in that year’s United States federal census. This adds some weight to the supposition that Louise was the daughter of Bernard and his second wife, Maria.

Bernard and Elizabeth had seven children.

1. Joseph Willmeng who was born on January 17, 1857 at Naperville, DuPage, Illinois. He died on January 16, 1946 at Bainbridge Township, Berrien County, Michigan.
2. Elizabeth Willmeng who was born on March 17, 1858 at Naperville. She died on September 3, 1943 at Benton Harbor, Berrien, Michigan.
3. Seraphine Willmeng who was born on March 25, 1860 at Naperville. He died on January 6, 1944 at Benton Harbor.
4. Magdaline Willmeng who was born on March 16, 1862 at Lemont. She died on November 10, 1956 at Benton Harbor.
5. Andrew Willmeng who was born on March 12, 1864 at Lemont. He died on April 10, 1958 at Bainbridge Township.
6. Frances Willmeng who was born on March 7, 1868. She died on August 29, 1900.
7. Louise Willmeng for whom there is no concrete information.

Bernard is reported to have married a second time to Maria A. Bauer. It has been reported that Marie was born on May 21, 1815. This date has not been confirmed. According to the parish records of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Maria died at the age of seventy-eight years and four months on October 8, 1887. It appears that Bernard and Maria had no children. However, given the date of Maria’s death, it is possible that Louise Willmeng was the child of Bernard and Maria.

In the 1860 United States census return for Lisle, Illinois, there were two chldren mentioned who are not mentioned in any other document review while researching this family. These children were: Hannah, whose age is given as eleven and who was born in France, and Enos, whose age is given as nine and who was also born in France. However, it appears that these, because of a heavy accent, may have been mistakenly understood by the enumerator for Henry and Ignace.

Elisabeth first married Blaise Feller, son of Blaise Föller and Rosine Dennÿer, on September 21, 1848 at Wittisheim.

Elizabeth and Blaise had three children:

• Henry Feller who was born on January 5, 1849 at Wittisheim. He died on September 11, 1911 at Lemont, Cook, Illinois.
• Ignace "Net" Feller who was born on February 16,1851 at Wittisheim. He died at the age of eighty-seven on 22 March 1938 at Benton Harbor. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery at Benton Harbor on March 24,1938. He was a farmer by profession. Ignace married on May 2, 1872 to Mary Peters, daughter of George Peters and Mary Omar. Mary was born on September 2, 1857. She died at Benton Harbor on March 1,1938. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery at Benton Harbor on March 5,1938.
• Joseph Feller.

Elizabeth and Blaise, together with their first two sons, arrived at the Port of New York on April 30, 1852 aboard the Steamship Albert Gallatin, which sailed from the Port of Le Havre, France. John E. Sallen was captain of the ship. They settled in Naperville, Illinois.

Sources

1. Birth Records at Grussenheim, France as microfilmed by the Mormon Church for their Family History Library. (Microfilm # 735811)
2. History of Kankakee County Publisher and data unknown as only a copy of Page 932 was available to the author.
3. A Twentieth Century History of Berrien County Michigan, Judge Orville W. Coolidge Author and Editor, 1906, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago – New York.
4. Information provided by Dorothy Riegel in various emails from 2004.
5. Manifest for the Steamship Albert Gallatin.
6. Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763 – 1900.
7. Return of Marriages for Berrien County, Michigan for:
   • James W. Burke and Margaret Yore.
   • Henry G. Bertrand and Olive M. Feller (June, 1913).
8. Marriage License for:
   • Robert E. Dasse and Adelaide Haas.
9. The following United States federal census return for:
   • 1860 for Lisle, DuPage, Illinois, Page 91, Dwelling 645, Family 684.
   • 1870 for Homer, DuPage, Illinois, Page 11, Dwelling 88, Family 88.
   • 1880 for Homer Township, DuPage, Illinois, Page 6B, SD 4, ED 195, Dwelling 53, Family 57.
   • 1880 for Lemont, Cook, Illinois, Page 9A, SD 1, ED 205, Dwelling 71, Family 71.
   • 1900 for Pilot Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet 7A, SD 6, ED 51, Dwelling 107, Family 108.
   • 1910 for Pilot Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet 7B, SD 9, ED 117, Dwelling 97, Family 100.
   • 1910 for Silver Creek Township, Cass, Michigan, Sheet 3B, SD 4, ED 116, Dwelling 64, Family 64.
   • 1920 for Sodus, Berrien, Michigan, Sheet 8A, SD 4 ED 110, Dwelling no entered, Family 132.
   • 1920 for Ward 1 of Benton Harbor, Berrien, Michigan, Sheet 1A, SD 4, ED 70, Dwelling 7, Family 7.
   • 1920 for Pilot Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet illegible, SD 15, ED 131, Dwelling 84, Family 84.
   • 1920 for Norton Township, Kankakee, Illinois, (details illegible).
   • 1930 for Ward 1 of Benton Harbor, Berrien, Michigan, Sheet 6A, SD 12, ED 11-9, Dwelling 135, Family 146 (614 Pavone).
   • 1930 for Ward 3 of Benton Harbor, Berrien, Michigan, Sheet 19B, SD 12, ED 11-13, Dwelling 421, Family 409.
   • 1930 for Norton Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet 2B, SD 11, ED 46-36, Dwelling 45, Family 46.
   • 1930 for Norton Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet 4A, SD 11, ED 46-36, Dwelling 81, Family 88.
   • 1930 for Otto Township, Kankakee, Illinois, Sheet 2A, SD 11, #D 46-39, Dwelling 29, Family 30.
10. The following Canada census for:
    • 1916 for Manitoba, District 6, Page 16, Dwelling 168, Family 172.
11. Genealogical Notes of the Willmeng Family by Earle W. Mays. (Some, but not all, of the information given by Mr. Mays has been verified by the author’s personal research. This work provides a good starting point for future research into the Willmeng family.)
12. The following editions of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan:
    • November 29, 1933.
    • March 24, 1938.
    • March 1, 1949.
    • March 4, 1949.
    • February 7, 1959.
    • February 5, 1966.
    • December 27, 1971.
    • July 18, 1973.
13. Obituary for:
    • Net Feller as it appeared in the March 22, 1938 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • William Lochner as it appeared in the March 1, 1949 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Margaret Lochner, nee Dass, as it appeared in the July 18, 1973 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Merle Lochner as it appeared in the July 18, 1973 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Raymond Lochner as it appeared in the December 27, 1971 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Margaret Lochner, nee Burke, as it appeared in the June 22, 2003 electronic edition of The Herald-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Anna Lochner, nee Feller, as it appeared in the April 5, 1969 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Frank P. Feller as it appeared in an unidentified newspaper from the State of Illinois.
    • Charles H. Feller as it appeared in the December 2, 1970 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Anna Feller, nee Heinrich, as it appeared in the July 10, 1975 edition of The Herald-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
    • Bernice O. Weber, nee Feller, as it appeared in the December 13, 2002 electronic edition of The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph, Michigan.
    • Roy Litke as it appeared in the June 30, 1962 edition of The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
14. Certificate of Death for:
    • Arbilla Feller.
15. World War I draft registration cards as found at http://www.ancestry.com for:
    • William Lochner.
    • George Jacob Feller.
    • Frank Feller.
    • Henry Bertrand.
    • Charles Feller.
    • James William Burke.
16. World War II draft registration cards as found at http://www.ancestry.com for:
    • Frank Peter Feller.
    • Henry George Bertrand.
17. Church and Civil vital records for Wittisheim, Bas-Rhin, France as found at http://etat-civil.bas-rhin.fr/adeloch/index.php.
18. Grussenheim Etat civil, 949 mariages 4332 Naissances, et 2925 décès 1793 -1910, © Luccienne et René Schmitt. Edition reserve à M. Harry Gruss.
19. Liste d'ascendance Willmeng Fichier Pierre Marck - 28/03/2011.

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