The Mixed-up Richmans (Reichmann): His, Hers & Theirs?

In the previous blog post about Henrietta Fiday, we discovered that she was listed in the 1900 census as a Henrietta Richman. After analysis, it was thought that she was indeed Henrietta (Sievert) Fiday, the mother of Magdalene Reichman, and not the mother of Joseph J Reichman.[1]

Jos. J. Richman and wife, Magdalene were living in Joliet at 207 Johns Street.[2] Here is an image of a portion of the census. This was a second marriage for both Joseph and Magdalene.

1900 Will Co, Illinos for Jos. J. Richman (Reichmann)

Here is the transcription:

Richman, Jos J, head, w, m, Mar 1850, 50 m2, 3 yr, Germany, Ger/Ger, 1870, 30 yr, na, butcher, house

                Magdalene, wife, w, f, Jan 1852, 48, m2, 3 yr, 7 child/4 living, Germany, Ger/Ger

                Elizabeth, dau, w, f, Sep 1878, 21, mar, 3 yr, 1/1, Indiana, Ger/Ger

                Frank, son, w, m, Aug 1883, 16, sing, Indiana, Ger/Ger, butcher

                John, son, w, m, Apr 1886, 14, sing, Indiana, Ger/Ger, grocery & meat M.

                Ferdinand, son, w, m, Jun 1888, 11, sing, Indiana, Ger/Ger, at school, 9 mos.

                Julius A, son, w, m, June 1876, 23, mar, Illinois, Ger/Ger, butcher

                Frank, son, w, m, Feb 1899, 1, sing, Illinois, IL/IN

                Laura, adopted dau, w, f, Apr 1896, 4, sing, Illinois, IL/IL

                Henrietta F, mother, w, f, Apr 1828, 72, wd, 10/7, Germany, Ger/Ger, 1854, 46 yrs here

Several questions were posed at the end of that post that need some answers about the mixed-up family of Richmans in Joliet, Will County, Illinois in 1900. The questions posed from the previous blog post:

• Was Magdalene, Joseph’s wife, Henrietta’s daughter?
• Or was Henrietta actually Joseph J. Richman’s mother?
• Which of the children listed belonged to Joseph and his first wife?
• Which children might belong to Magdalene and her first husband?
• Do any children belong to Elizabeth or Julius who were both listed as married?
• Where they married to each other?

Analysis

The first two questions have been answered by the previous blog post: Was Magdalene, Joseph’s wife, Henrietta’s daughter or was Henrietta actually Joseph J. Richman’s mother? It was determined that Henrietta Richman was really Henrietta Fiday, living in the household of her son-in-law, Joseph J. and daughter, Magdalene.

Now it is time to sort out who the rest of the family was. Everyone was listed with the same surname but it is possible that some of the children belonged to Magdalena and her first husband, Joseph Waber, a butcher from Austria who died in 1889. There were three known children, based on the 1880 census: Joseph, Herman, and Lizzie.[3]  Joseph Waber died in 1889. The census above indicates that Magdalene had seven children, so it was certainly possible that four more children could have been born between 1880 and 1889 to equal the seven total.

So which children could be Magdalene and Joseph Waber’s? Since they were living in Indiana at the time of Joseph’s death, the children who were listed as being born in Indiana are likely candidates:

Elizabeth, dau, w, f, Sep 1878, 21, mar, 3 yr, 1/1, Indiana, Ger/Ger
Frank, son, w, m, Aug 1883, 16, sing, Indiana, Ger/Ger, butcher
John, son, w, m, Apr 1886, 14, sing, Indiana, Ger/Ger, grocery & meat M.
Ferdinand, son, w, m, Jun 1888, 11, sing, Indiana

These children were listed together in descending age order.  So how to test that these were really the sons of Joseph & Magdalena Waber? Research them further. Marriage and death records might name their parents. In doing some searching on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, the following information was found:

·         Elizabeth Waber married Julius A. Reichmann on 11 May 1898.[4] This matches the number of years of Elizabeth’s and Julius’ marriage in the 1900 census. They also have been married long enough to have had one-year-old Frank. She was also the two-year-old, “Lizzie” in the 1880 census with her father, Joseph Waber and mother Lena.[5] This age matches her age in the 1900 census.

·         Frank Waber was found living at 207 John in the 1900 Joliet City Directory.[6] This was the same address as the census record. On a death record for Frank J. Waber on 27 Oct 1956, his parents were named: Joseph Waber & Madalyn Fiday.[7] The actual certificate needs to be ordered from Cook County, Illinois.

·         John J. Waber was living with brother-in-law Julius A. Reichman and sister, Elizabeth in Joliet, Illinois in 1910.[8] His mother, Magdalena Reichmann, also lived in the household.  The death index for his death of 15 Feb 1959 in Evanston, Cook Co, Illinois, stated his mother as Madeline Feitag.[9]

·         Ferdinand Waber was found in Joliet City directories. He was living with his brothers, Frank J. and John J. at 207 John in 1908.[10] 

Then the next person listed was Julius A. Richman, at age 23. He was married. No wife was listed below him, but it is likely that Magdalene was Julius’ wife, and the one-year-old Frank, was their son.

Julius A, son, w, m, June 1876, 23, mar, Illinois, Ger/Ger, butcher
Frank, son, w, m, Feb 1899, 1, sing, Illinois, IL/IN
Laura, adopted dau, w, f, Apr 1896, 4, sing, Illinois, IL/IL

Julius A. Reichman died 30 Jul 1929 in Joliet, Will Co.[11] His death record listed his parents as Jos. J. Reichmann and Louise Nockerfunek and his spouse as Elizabeth Waber. So Henrietta couldn’t be his mother.

Now Laura Reichman, the four-year-old adopted daughter has not been found in other records. Was she a Reichman, a Waber, or someone else? More research is needed.

Conclusion

Elizabeth, Frank, John, and Ferdinand were the children of Magdalene from her first marriage with Joseph J. Waber. Julius A. Reichmann, was the son of Joseph J. Reichman, and the husband of Elizabeth Waber. Their son was the one-year-old, Frank. Henrietta was Henrietta Fiday, the mother of Magdalene. There were no children of Joseph J. and Magdalene Reichmann in the household.

This family was a blended family of "His" and "Hers" but got lost under a "Theirs" by everyone being listed under one single surname, Richman.

*Magdalene Fiday was the author's first cousin, three times removed.

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[1] “Henrietta (Sievert) Fiday Was Lost Among Reichmans,” blog post, 6 Nov 2016, http://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/2016/11/henrietta-sievert-fiday-was-lost-among.html.

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Will County, Illinois, pop. sched., Joliet, Ed 126, sht 7a, p. 140 (stamped), dwelling 135, family 135, Jon J. Richman, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Nov 2016); citing NARA  roll 353;.

[3] 1880 U.S. Census, LaPorte County, Indiana, LaPorte, ED 85, p. 23c (penned), dwelling 205, family 226, Jos. Weber, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2012); citing NARA T9, roll 292..

[4] “Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920,” Julius A Reichmann to Elizabeth Waber, 1898, Ancestry.com. I need to order this marriage record.

[5] 1880 U.S. Census, LaPorte County, Indiana, LaPorte, ED 85, p. 23c (penned), dwelling 205, family 226, Jos. Weber, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2012); citing NARA T9, roll 292.

[6] Wiggins Joliet City Directory, 1900, p. 610, Frank Waber, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Nov 2016).

[7] “Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994,” 1956, no. 1027, Frank J. Waber, index, Familysearch.org (http://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Nov 2016), citing Digital Folder Number 100673704.

[8] 1910 U.S. Census, Will Co, Illinois, Joliet, ED 173, sht 4b, dwelling 74, family 79, Julius A Reichmann household, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 May 2012); citing NARA T624, roll 334.

[9] “Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994,” 1959, John J. Waber, Familysearch.org. Another record to order.

[10] R.L. Polk, Joliet City Directory, 1908, p. 730, Ferdinand J. Waber, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 Nov 2016).

[11] "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947," Julius A. Reichmann, 1929, index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 Nov 2016); citing FHL film 1643318.

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