Vincent Sievert in Joliet, Illinois - 12 for ’26 – Part 2

This month for 12 for ’26, I am working through documents I have collected over the past 30 years concerning the Sievert and Hork families. My great-grandfather, Johan Anton Hork, married Julia Ann Sievert. This week, I am continuing the focus on the Sievert family in Joliet, Illinois.

The Sievert Family in Joliet
Vincent and Susanna’s first child born in America, Julia Ann, was born on 31 October 1854. It is unknown where she was baptized as the German Catholic Church’s records begin in 1855.[1] Their son, Peter, was baptized at St. John’s German Catholic Church on 5 July 1857. He was born on 29 June 1857.[2]

Vincent became a naturalized citizen on 28 December 1857.[3]

Their son, John was born on 23 August 1858 and baptized on 27 August as Johanes Siebert.[4] His cousin, Ana Elisabeth Feitag was born on 24 August and baptized on the same day.[5] Joseph and Henrietta Feitag were his sponsors and Vincent & “Dorothea” Siebert were Ana’s sponsors.

In 1860, Vincent was enumerated as a farmer in the town of Joliet.[6] Vincent had no real estate or personal property listed. Vincent’s children were August, Julia, and John. What happened to Peter? He may have died; however, the death records began at St. John’s in late 1859 and he is not listed. The previous year Vincent was listed in the Joliet city directory as a laborer, living at Hickory at North.[7]

Five years later, Vincent was enumerated next to Joseph Feitag, who was now known as Fiday. He had five children, two males and three females. Joseph had five children, two males and three females.[8]

By 1870, Vincent seems more established. He was a stone mason, with real estate property worth $2000. Six children lived with him and Susanna: Julia, John, Mary, Susan, Teresa, and Elizabeth. The adults were marked as cannot write but not cannot read. John and Mary attended school.[9]

Two years later, his addres was clearer at east side of Hickory, north of Fifth Street. He was still a mason.[10] Later directories listed the house number as 262. He was consistently listed as a stone mason.

In 1882, Vincent was charged with assault and after a trial, found guilty of two counts. The court records were ordered but never received, so the information is from newspapers. He was accused of assaulting his niece, who was protecting a goose that Vincent was hitting with stones. He was fined by Judge Olin $25 for one count and $10 for the other.[11] According to a newspaper account, the goose belonged to the Fiday family. He used a whip and a dog against the goose and when the niece, Barbara Fiday, scolded him, and then threw a rock at the dog, but hitting Vincent instead. He then used the whip on Barbara, leaving a scar on her arm.[12]

Later, they lived at 1142 Hickory.[13] It is not known if they moved or the streets were renumbered. He was listed as a laborer. In 1887, he put out an ad for 24 building lots for sale on North Hickory Street. “Good bargains for investors or those looking for a building site.” They were to apply to Vincent Seavert at 1146 North Hickory.[14] How much land did he own? I have some deeds I acquired on a visit to the county recorder in Joliet, but have not yet processed. Something for another blog post.

Vincent died on 23 January 1890. The cause of death was senile, with addition of gangrene listed. He was 67 years old and was a stone mason. He had lived in Illinois 40 years. He was buried on 25 January at St. John’s Cemetery.[15]

He left a will, leaving everything to his wife, Susanna. His son, John, was the named executor. Vincent signed with his mark.[16]

Susanna Sievert
Susanna Sievert was born between 1830 and 1832 depending on which document gave her age. She was not from Schneidemühl, so there is no record of her birth or baptism at the church the Polish researcher reported on. She was 18 when she married Vincent in 1850. That would make her birth 1831 or 1832, depending on when her birthday was. Of course, her age could be off, if she was not old enough to marry but said she was 18.

A sister, Wilhelmina “Mena” Raduntz also immigrated to America on the same ship as John, Eva, and Henrietta in 1854.[17] She married Joseph Hartung on 27 July 1857.[18] She was born 23 April 1834 and died 12 January 1898.[19]

Church records from St. John’s Catholic Church gives clues to their origins. The early baptism records listed the birthplaces of the parents. Johannes Hartung, son of Joseph Hartung and Wilhelmine “Battums” indicated she was from Hasenburg, Pommern.[20]

When Elisabeth Helena Sievert was baptized, her mother Susanna Radenz was from Hasenberg, West Prussia.[21] When Josephine Siewert was baptized, Susanna Raduns’ hometown was Hasenberg in Marienswerer, Prussia.[22] When Catharina Elisabeth Hartung was baptized, Wilhelmina Raduns was of Hafendorf, Posen, Prussia.[23] Catharine Sievert’s baptism mentions mother, Susanna Raduns being from Hasenberg.[24] After 1877, the form changed and the priest no longer named the place of origin for the parents.

The place of origin for both Susanna and Wilhelmina is similar. Something like Hasenburg/Hasenberg. The place where this town is located seemed to change, but then lots of places changed over time as Prussia grew, acquiring more smaller kingdoms, duchies, etc.

The online Meyers Gazetteer has several entries for the town Hasenberg, but one fits the best, located not far from Schneidemühl.[25]

The next step is to see if the church archives in Koszalin has the records for the Catholic Church in Hasenberg.

#12for’26

February Week 2: This is another post of my 12 for ’26 project. This month I’m researching the Hork and Sievert family lines.

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[1] The collection at Ancestry begins in 1855-1869 as a combined register (baptism, marriage, burial). See “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 : accessed 11 Feb 1026) and choose St. John the Baptist, Joliet, in the browse this collection drop down menu.

[2] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 : accessed 11 Feb 1026) > St John the Baptist, Joliet > Combined Register, 1855-1869 > image 21, p. 17, 1857, July 5, Peter Siebert.

[3] All I have is an index card. FamilySearch does not have the circuit court records.

[4] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 : accessed 11 Feb 1026) > St John the Baptist, Joliet > Combined Register, 1855-1869 > image 28, p. 25, no. 59, Johanes Siebert.

[5] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet > Combined Register, 1855-1869 > image 28, p. 25, no. 58, Ana Elisabeth Feitag.

[6] 1860 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, Joliet Town, p. 377 (penned), dwellings 2791 & 2792, Vincent Sever and John (no surname listed).

[7] Will County Directory 1859-60 (John C.W. Bailey, 1859), 55, Vincent Seever.

[8] “Illinois, U.S., State Census Collection, 1825-1865,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1079/images/ILSC_2185-0153 : accessed 11 Feb 2026) > 1865 > Will > Joliet > image 7 of 19, p. 80, line 2, Vincent Severt & line 3, Joseph Fider.

[9] 1870 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, 2nd Ward Joliet, p. 211 (stamped), dwelling 133, Vincent Seivert.

[10] Will County General Directory for 1872-3 (James Goodspeed, 1872), 91, Vincent Seavert, imaged, “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4367457 : accessed 12 Feb 2026) > Illinois > Joliet > 1872 > Joliet, Illinois, City Directory, 1872 > image 103 of 200.

[11] “Severt’s Mentence,” The Joliet Republican, 15 Nov 1882, p. 1, col. 5.

[12] “Circuit Court Cases,” The Daily News (Joliet, Ill.), 6 Oct 1882, p. 1, col. 3.

[13] Joliet City Directory (W. F. Curtis, 1884), p. 198, Seivert Vincent, imaged, “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4411468 : accessed 11 Feb 2026) > Illinois > Joliet > 1884 > Joliet, Illinois, City Directory, 1884 > image 109 of 153.  The previous directory on Ancestry was 1881 and he was at 262 Hickory.

[14] “For Sale,” The Daily News (Joliet, Ill.), 31 Jan 1887, p. 4, col. 6.

[15] Will County, Illinois, death certificate, no. 3419, W. Seavert, 1890, certificate copy dated 6 Sep 2001. For place of burial, St. John’s Cemetery, Vincent Seavert grave marker, photo by Lisa S. Gorrell, 10 Nov 1999.

[16] “Illinois, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9048/images/007655057_00279 : accessed 11 Feb 2026) > Will > Probate Records, v. 5-8, 1889-1891 > image 279 of 928, County Court, v. 6, p. 213, the estate of Vincent Sievert, 1890.

[17] “Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1068/images/K_1703_080462-0452 : accessed 11  Feb 2026) > 1850-1859 > Direkt Band 006 ( 15 Apr 1854-7 Dez 1854) > image 313 of 459, Radenz, Wilhelmina.

[18] Will County, Illinois, marriage certificate, no. 01317, 1857, Joseph Hartung to Wilhelmina Rutenz, certified copy dated 10 Jul 2002.

[19] St. John’s Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois, photo of gravestone taken by Lisa S. Gorrell.

[20] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet >, Combined Register, 1855-1869, p.

 20, 25 (images 20-21): Johannes Hartung, 1869.

[21] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet >, Combined Register, 1855-1869, pp. 12-13 (images 12&13): Elisabeth Helena Evert, 1868.

[22] St. John’s Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois, photo of gravestone taken by Lisa S. Gorrell.

[22] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet >, Baptism Register, 1868-1884, p. 48-49 (images 44-45), Josephine Siewert, 1871.

[23] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet >, Baptism Register, 1868-1884, p. 52-53 (images 48-49), Catharina Elisabeth Hartung, 1872.

[24] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097 > St John the Baptist, Joliet > Baptism Register, 1868-1884, p. 94-95. (images 90-91), no. 52,. Catharine Sievert, 1875.

[25] “Hasenberg,” Meyers Gazetteer (https://www.meyersgaz.org/place/10731123 : accessed 12 Feb 2026).

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