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The Seventh Generation
John Schwenk, Farmer/Lay Preacher

On Dec. 5, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio, a baby boy christened George Armstrong Custer was born. Meanwhile across the Atlantic in the village of Kayh in the Kingdom of Württemberg, several months earlier on January 23rd, a baby boy was born to Johannes and Maria Schwenk. He was christened Johannes and undoubtedly went by that name until he arrived in America. His grandson Darrel Schwenk, and wife Juanita refer to him as "Grandpa John." We will refer to him as John, not Johannes, in the hope of avoiding confusion with his father. We know very little of his childhood and young manhood years; let us try to imagine what he may have experienced growing up in the little village of Neuburg. Let us begin this scenario in the year 1850. John was then age eleven. Sister Maria Agnes was then twenty. He and his five siblings were living with their parents in a house in Neuburg. Father Johannes had his saddle shop there on the ground floor of the residence. John and August must have been helpers in their father's business. They may have apprenticed in this trade under their father - though we have no evidence of this. Older brother Friedrich, then age 16, may have by then moved to Mundingen to learn the tailor trade. Whether Elias, then age 18, learned the skills of a baker there in Neuburg, or more likely in Ulm where he married in 1863, we can only surmise.

The small Lauter River joins the mighty Danube there at Neuburg, and it is likely that these children learned to swim in their waters. It is more than likely these children frequently hiked the 5 kilometer road north through Lauterach to Mundingen to visit Grandpa Schwenk, their cousins and Uncle Konrad and Aunt Maria Eva. This road had been improved in around 1844 from a earlier footpath, according to the Kiess book; prior to then, one had to travel the old footpath, or travel a 9 kilometer roundabout way through the village of Kirchen, northeast of Neuburg, to reach Mundingen.

It is natural to wonder whether this family owned a horse and buggy or wagon. One might assume that a horse resided in a stall near the saddle shop of their residence, particularly in view of Johannes' occupation. This was, however, in all likelihood not the case. In those days, owning a horse was a luxury enjoyed by the nobles and others of considerable wealth. The more prosperous farmers owned a few horses; the less prosperous only oxen. Ownership of a horse(s) created a type of social stratification between the farmers in a village; to the "upper class" belonged the " Pferdbauern " The poorer farmers suffered the indignation of being called "O chenbauern ." And the prosperity of a community was measured somewhat by how many horses were owned by its inhabitants. Thus it is most likely that this family got around on foot

We do know when John was confirmed in the church in Mundingen; this appears on the Family Register of his parents as having occurred on April 14, 1853 at age 14. Then at age 25, in 1864, it appears that he was conscripted into the army of the Kingdom of Württemberg; this is based on statements handed down by his youngest son, John Wesley Schwenk. In a nine-page letter dated Jan. 23, 1991, written by Richard L. Schwenk and sent to about six descendants of John Schwenk, is found John Wesley's recollections, and here somewhat paraphrased, that, " Johannes (John I) had served in the army for three years and was about to be conscripted for another three years when he left for America." Whether brother August served with John during those years is not known. There was a brief war in 1866 between Austria and Prussia. The southern German states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria sided with the Austrians (and lost). It may be that John served in this brief war.

Whether it was concerns over facing another three year stint in the military or wanting to join his two sisters in America, where a much more promising future seemed likely, or a combination of both, we can only guess. It is said John boarded ship and arrived in America in the year 1867. A cursory search in the emigration records have thus far not revealed when and through which port he departed, but we do know that August came through Antwerp, Belgium five years later. It is said that John met a certain Sophia Kurtz aboard his ship. He was then age 28, she age 21. She was born on July 12, 1846 somewhere in Pommern (Pommerania) which is in present day northeastern Germany or northwestern Poland (this geographical fact suggests their ship departed from Hamburg). And that is all we know of her life prior to boarding this ship. John arrived in Chicago and presumably stayed with his sister Maria Agnes Baumeister. As to how this "romance" aboard ship led to their wedding vows being said in Chicago on July 24, 1869, we are left only to speculate.

Richard L. Schwenk's letter of 1991 tells us something of the lives of John and Sophia in America. The following appears beginning on page 3 of that letter and is based in good part on the keen memory of their youngest son, John Wesley Schwenk:

"...Juanita has a photo showing the couple at their wedding. John 1 read in a Chicago paper about the sale of " M and M Bonds" which were linked with railroad right-of-way and they ended up buying 11 acres of land in Bloomington, MO. According to Uncle John W., these were "fake bonds" as the railroad took a different route. So John (1) and Sophia sold this land for what he could get for it and bought some poor farmland along an old stage coach trail, again on the speculation that it could be sold to a railroad company that was to link Macon, MO. to Des Moine, Iowa. This too was a disapointment as the company chose a different route and the large family of six boys and two girls (living) had to struggle to make a living which meant the sons would seek outside work at different jobs some as far away as a "northern state"...Oregon and California...."

"Uncle John W. spoke with great respect of his father John (1) and mother Sophia Kurtz. Being the youngest son, he apparently was very close to them. He told of tagging along with his father everywhere and trying to keep pace with him and his long Prussian soldier strides. He maintained the healthy military posture throughout his life. John W. said he knew everything about his father - how he thought and acted.

John (1) was a "class leader" in the Evangelical Association. This was probably the German-speaking counterpart of the Methodist Church founded by Otterbein. According to the Wesleyan organizational pattern, which I assume this church shared, a class leader was a layman who shepherded over a congregational or neighborhood group, leading Bible study and worship during the week or perhaps until the "traveling elder" or "circuit rider" would come to visit and perform the sacraments.

According to John's (1) obituary supplied by Juanita and Darrel Schwenk it says, 'In the same year (of his arrival from Germany in 1867) he joined the Evangelical Community under the efficacy of George Escher (perhaps the circuit rider?). He was an active member of the church and managed all the ecclesiastical duties in the congregation. His house was always a home for ministers.' He was a respected member of the community who taught or preached at least twice each week, in both English and German."

Ten children were born to this union of John and Sophia. Eight survived: six sons and two daughters. Seven of these married; four of these brought children to the world. They were: August "Gus", Emma Mae, Frederich W. "Fred" , and A. Elmer. We (of the John Schwenk Clan) are their descendants, And there are approximately 110 of us living today scattered throughout the 50 states who trace their Schwenk ancestry back to John and Sophia Schwenk. And there are others in America who trace their Schwenk ancestry back to the two sisters and one brother of John; this seventh generation chapter is not meant to exclude those descendants in any way. We all trace our Schwenk roots back to Conrad born in 1601 in Laichingen, Alp-Donau-kreis, Württemberg, Germany. Perhaps this history of our Schwenk ancestry in Swabia will lead to "bigger reunions" of the "John Schwenk Clan" and will include as well the descendants of Maria Agnes, Luise and August.

It is outside the scope of this story to begin another chapter which would tell something of the lives of all eight of those surviving children of John and Sophia, but we will in chapter 8 tell something of the life of Arthur Elmer Schwenk, born 1881.

And so it is time to close this seventh generation chapter. John Schwenk, born Johannes, died at the age of 60 on April 14, 1899, in Bloomington, Missouri. His widow Sophia died on April 5, 1911. They rest in peace alongside each other on the gentle tree- shaded slopes of the old Bloomington cemetery about one mile from their old homestead and not far west of Macon, Missouri. And right nearby are the headstones of Christian, Albert and Emma, three of their chldren. And buried in another old cemetery just west of there are two other children, E. August (Gus) and baby Elias.

§§§

John Schwenk's Family Record of John & Sophia

The Prelude
Conrad Schwenk (1601): First Generation
Andreas Schwenk (1641): Second Generation
Bernhard Schwenk (1672): Third Generation
Conrad Schwenk (1702): Fourth Generation
Conrad Schwenk (1773): Fifth Generation
Johannes Schwenk (1798): Sixth Generation
John Schwenk (1839): Seventh Generation
A. Elmer Schwenk (1881): Eighth Generation


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	The Seventh Generation John Schwenk, Farmer/Lay Preacher
	On Dec. 5, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio, a baby boy christened George Armstrong Custer was born. Meanwhile across the Atlantic in the village of Kayh in the Kingdom of Württemberg, several months earlier on January 23rd, a baby boy was born to Johannes and Maria Schwenk. He was christened Johannes and undoubtedly went by that name until he arrived in America. His grandson Darrel Schwenk, and wife Juanita refer to him as "Grandpa John." We will refer to him as John, not Johannes, in the hope of avoiding confusion with his father. We know very little of his childhood and young manhood years; let us try to imagine what he may have experienced growing up in the little village of Neuburg. Let us begin this scenario in the year 1850. John was then age eleven. Sister Maria Agnes was then twenty. He and his five siblings were living with their parents in a house in Neuburg. Father Johannes had his saddle shop there on the ground floor of the residence. John and August must have been helpers in their father's business. They may have apprenticed in this trade under their father - though we have no evidence of this. Older brother Friedrich, then age 16, may have by then moved to Mundingen to learn the tailor trade. Whether Elias, then age 18, learned the skills of a baker there in Neuburg, or more likely in Ulm where he married in 1863, we can only surmise. The small Lauter River joins the mighty Danube there at Neuburg, and it is likely that these children learned to swim in their waters. It is more than likely these children frequently hiked the 5 kilometer road north through Lauterach to Mundingen to visit Grandpa Schwenk, their cousins and Uncle Konrad and Aunt Maria Eva. This road had been improved in around 1844 from a earlier footpath, according to the Kiess book; prior to then, one had to travel the old footpath, or travel a 9 kilometer roundabout way through the village of Kirchen, northeast of Neuburg, to reach Mundingen. It is natural to wonder whether this family owned a horse and buggy or wagon. One might assume that a horse resided in a stall near the saddle shop of their residence, particularly in view of Johannes' occupation. This was, however, in all likelihood not the case. In those days, owning a horse was a luxury enjoyed by the nobles and others of considerable wealth. The more prosperous farmers owned a few horses; the less prosperous only oxen. Ownership of a horse(s) created a type of social stratification between the farmers in a village; to the "upper class" belonged the " Pferdbauern " The poorer farmers suffered the indignation of being called "O chenbauern ." And the prosperity of a community was measured somewhat by how many horses were owned by its inhabitants. Thus it is most likely that this family got around on foot We do know when John was confirmed in the church in Mundingen; this appears on the Family Register of his parents as having occurred on April 14, 1853 at age 14. Then at age 25, in 1864, it appears that he was conscripted into the army of the Kingdom of Württemberg; this is based on statements handed down by his youngest son, John Wesley Schwenk. In a nine-page letter dated Jan. 23, 1991, written by Richard L. Schwenk and sent to about six descendants of John Schwenk, is found John Wesley's recollections, and here somewhat paraphrased, that, " Johannes (John I) had served in the army for three years and was about to be conscripted for another three years when he left for America." Whether brother August served with John during those years is not known. There was a brief war in 1866 between Austria and Prussia. The southern German states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria sided with the Austrians (and lost). It may be that John served in this brief war. Whether it was concerns over facing another three year stint in the military or wanting to join his two sisters in America, where a much more promising future seemed likely, or a combination of both, we can only guess. It is said John boarded ship and arrived in America in the year 1867. A cursory search in the emigration records have thus far not revealed when and through which port he departed, but we do know that August came through Antwerp, Belgium five years later. It is said that John met a certain Sophia Kurtz aboard his ship. He was then age 28, she age 21. She was born on July 12, 1846 somewhere in Pommern (Pommerania) which is in present day northeastern Germany or northwestern Poland (this geographical fact suggests their ship departed from Hamburg). And that is all we know of her life prior to boarding this ship. John arrived in Chicago and presumably stayed with his sister Maria Agnes Baumeister. As to how this "romance" aboard ship led to their wedding vows being said in Chicago on July 24, 1869, we are left only to speculate. Richard L. Schwenk's letter of 1991 tells us something of the lives of John and Sophia in America. The following appears beginning on page 3 of that letter and is based in good part on the keen memory of their youngest son, John Wesley Schwenk: "...Juanita has a photo showing the couple at their wedding. John 1 read in a Chicago paper about the sale of " M and M Bonds" which were linked with railroad right-of-way and they ended up buying 11 acres of land in Bloomington, MO. According to Uncle John W., these were "fake bonds" as the railroad took a different route. So John (1) and Sophia sold this land for what he could get for it and bought some poor farmland along an old stage coach trail, again on the speculation that it could be sold to a railroad company that was to link Macon, MO. to Des Moine, Iowa. This too was a disapointment as the company chose a different route and the large family of six boys and two girls (living) had to struggle to make a living which meant the sons would seek outside work at different jobs some as far away as a "northern state"...Oregon and California...." "Uncle John W. spoke with great respect of his father John (1) and mother Sophia Kurtz. Being the youngest son, he apparently was very close to them. He told of tagging along with his father everywhere and trying to keep pace with him and his long Prussian soldier strides. He maintained the healthy military posture throughout his life. John W. said he knew everything about his father - how he thought and acted. John (1) was a "class leader" in the Evangelical Association. This was probably the German-speaking counterpart of the Methodist Church founded by Otterbein. According to the Wesleyan organizational pattern, which I assume this church shared, a class leader was a layman who shepherded over a congregational or neighborhood group, leading Bible study and worship during the week or perhaps until the "traveling elder" or "circuit rider" would come to visit and perform the sacraments. According to John's (1) obituary supplied by Juanita and Darrel Schwenk it says, 'In the same year (of his arrival from Germany in 1867) he joined the Evangelical Community under the efficacy of George Escher (perhaps the circuit rider?). He was an active member of the church and managed all the ecclesiastical duties in the congregation. His house was always a home for ministers.' He was a respected member of the community who taught or preached at least twice each week, in both English and German." Ten children were born to this union of John and Sophia. Eight survived: six sons and two daughters. Seven of these married; four of these brought children to the world. They were: August "Gus", Emma Mae, Frederich W. "Fred" , and A. Elmer. We (of the John Schwenk Clan) are their descendants, And there are approximately 110 of us living today scattered throughout the 50 states who trace their Schwenk ancestry back to John and Sophia Schwenk. And there are others in America who trace their Schwenk ancestry back to the two sisters and one brother of John; this seventh generation chapter is not meant to exclude those descendants in any way. We all trace our Schwenk roots back to Conrad born in 1601 in Laichingen, Alp-Donau-kreis, Württemberg, Germany. Perhaps this history of our Schwenk ancestry in Swabia will lead to "bigger reunions" of the "John Schwenk Clan" and will include as well the descendants of Maria Agnes, Luise and August. It is outside the scope of this story to begin another chapter which would tell something of the lives of all eight of those surviving children of John and Sophia, but we will in chapter 8 tell something of the life of Arthur Elmer Schwenk, born 1881. And so it is time to close this seventh generation chapter. John Schwenk, born Johannes, died at the age of 60 on April 14, 1899, in Bloomington, Missouri. His widow Sophia died on April 5, 1911. They rest in peace alongside each other on the gentle tree- shaded slopes of the old Bloomington cemetery about one mile from their old homestead and not far west of Macon, Missouri. And right nearby are the headstones of Christian, Albert and Emma, three of their chldren. And buried in another old cemetery just west of there are two other children, E. August (Gus) and baby Elias. §§§
	John Schwenk's Family Record of John & Sophia


	The Prelude Conrad Schwenk (1601): First Generation Andreas Schwenk (1641): Second Generation Bernhard Schwenk (1672): Third Generation Conrad Schwenk (1702): Fourth Generation Conrad Schwenk (1773): Fifth Generation Johannes Schwenk (1798): Sixth Generation John Schwenk (1839): Seventh Generation A. Elmer Schwenk (1881): Eighth Generation