Story of John Haefner

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John Haefner (1830) and Katharine Haefner (1832), the daughter of John and Elizabeth, were the first two of the clan to emigrate. Both joined huge exodus of friends and neighbors departing the Old Country in 1850 after listening to glowing, first hand accounts by Gabriel Pohl and John Conrad Waid. John boarded the ship "Vater Grimer" in Bremen, along with the Friedrich Fetzer family, Mary Truckenbrod, Michael Oester and the Andreas Kessler family. John Haefner initially resided near the city of Princeton, where the series of boat rides from New York via the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Great Lakes, Illnois-Michigan Canal and Illnois River landed him. John Haefner (1830) married Dorothy Ann Stuepfert in 1853 and moved to a forty acre farm in far southern Brooklyn Township. They sold that tract and purchased an eighty acre homestead in south central Brooklyn Township, located one mile west of Immanuel Lutheran Church, where they transferred membership from St. Paul's in 1864. There the couple had eight children. Unfortunately Dorothy died in 1867; John remarried a year later in Mendota. Second wife Elizabeth Mahldfeld/Malfeld was from Michelau, Upper Hessen; she had emigrated aboard the vessel "Hammonia", which completed its Hamburg to New York transatlantic crossing on 23 May 1868. Elizabeth bore John another thirteen children. With so many children of their own, John and Elizabeth allowed a childless couple, John and Barbara Halboth, to adopt one of their twin girls, (Ann) Barbara "Belle" (1875). Maggie Haefner(1854) married Frank Foulk in 1878 and gave birth to their five children on the Foulk homestead in south central Brooklyn Township. Kate Haefner (1855) was the 1876 bride of Adam Weitzel and gave birth to fourteen children. The couple initially lived in Sublette Township before relocating to Sac County, Iowa in 1878. George Haefner (1859) was united with Katharine Specht of Michelau, Upper Hessen in 1884 at Immanuel. She was the daughter of the laborer Peter Specht and his wife, Gertrude (Lerey). George and Katharine had eight children while farming in Sac County's Clinton Township before their 1892 move to Ida County. Katharine's father, Peter Specht, also lived with them. Mary Haefner (1861) married John Franklin Haines in 1882 and the couple was blessed with nine children near Haywarden, Iowa. Josie Haefner(1863) became the 1881 bride of Frank Jacobe and brought their eight offspring into the world in Iowa, also near Haywarden. Rose Haefner (1869) married Henry Kessel in 1888, the couple being blessed with six children on their farm in May Township. John Haefner(1871) was united to Mary Fetzer in 1895 before St. Paul's Reverend Richard Hanisch and together raised five children on their rented farm in May Township. In 1901 John and Mary purchased their own farm six miles west of LaMoille. Sadie Haefner(1872) became the 1892 wife of George Daehler and gave birth to five children on their farm near Amboy. Belle Haefer (1875), who was adopted by John and Barbara Halboth, married Christ Zimmerlain in 1901 and bore him a son, Wayne, on their Brooklyn Township farm. The couple was quite active at Immanuel Lutheran, where Belle served as president of the Ladies' Aid Society for eight years. Belle, who suffered from dizzy spells after a 1928 stroke, fell into the cistern on the family farm in 1929 and drowned. Minnie Haefner(1875) and Herman Fetzer, the older brother of John's wife, met at Immanuel's alter in 1895. The couple raised three children on their May Township farm. Fred Haefner(1878) married Bertha Becker in 1899 at Immanuel. The couple was blessed with four children on their farm two miles northwest of Amboy before Fred's 1919 death at the age of forty. Henry Haefner (1880) was united on 1901 with Margaret Chaon and had three offspring. Lydia Haefner(1882) married Modest Vincent of Viola Township on 9 Jan 1901 in Dixon. The couple was blessed with two children before Lydia succumbed to Bright's Disease'e at the age of thirty-one. Edward Haefner(1884) was united with Martha Schroeder in 1911 and farmed north of West Brooklyn, their only child being stillborn daughter. In 1838 Ed and Martha retired to a home north of Amboy. Eva Haefner(1887) became the 1907 bride of Christian Krahenbuhl from Signan, Canton of Bern, Switzerland. The couple farmed in Viola Township, naming their only son Leroy. The family was dealt a tragedy in 1918 when Christian died of pneumonia at the age of thirty-three. Eva, a nurse, moved to Mendota in 1920, where she worked in the Harris Hospital. Daniel Haefner(1889) married Georgia Gardner of Viola Township in 1913 at Amboy. The couple rented various farms in Viola Township. Dan and Georgia had one child, a daughter named Theresa. In 1931 they moved to a farm one mile north of Malta, Illinois. Twice Dan and Georgia had to endure the tradedy of their house burning down. Emil Haefner(1892) was united in 1916 with Annie Kramer, the childless couple farming in Viola Township. Bill Haefner (1895) married Katie Gardner in 1916 and was blessed with three children while residing in Viola Township.

John Haefner (1830)

"Johan" John Johannes Haefner