Jacob Betz (1812 - 1873)

Born 11 Mar 1812 in Feilbingert, Rheinpfalz, Deutschland

Ancestors

Husband of Catharina (Hauk) Betz — married about 1841 in Buffalo, Erie, New York

Husband of Anna Marie (Gruss) Betz — married about 1858 in Illinois

Descendants

Died 30 Apr 1873 at age 61 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jillaine Smith [send private message]

Biography

Jacob Betz was the eldest son (and third child) of Johann Heinrich Betz and Catharina Dressel. He was born 11 March and baptized 13 March 1812.^[1] He was confirmed at the age of 14 on 19 March 1826.^[2]

Our current theory is that he, along with his sister, Anna Maria, were the first in the family to emigrate. He may have been the Jacob Betz on the 19 July 1836 passenger list of the ship “Champion” - brickmaker, age 24, from Le Havre to NY.^[3]

He was certainly in Buffalo by 1840 when he appeared in the city directories through 1849, the latter half of this at 35 Carroll (downtown), occupation glove maker.

He married about 1841 (based on age of oldest known child) Catharina Hauk, b about 1821, daughter of Gabriel Hauck and his wife Anna Catharina. Jacob and Catharina were baptizing children through 1847 in Buffalo at St. Pauls/St. Marks church. Jacob was witness to an 1845 marriage of an Anna Maria Betz to Georg? Heinrich Diller at the same church, currently theorized to be his sister.

Jacob's family disappears from Buffalo records after 1849.

By 1850, the family had moved to ward 3, Milwaukee City, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin,^[4] where, with wife Katherine, he was found with five children: Elizabeth, Philip, Henry, Giles?, John C., not-named male.

This confirms that the Catherine and two sons enumerated with Henry Betts in 1850 in Buffalo are either NOT Jacob's family UNLESS she happened to be visiting with her sons during the time of the census and it was a duplicate census entry.

Jacob's first wife Catharine Hauk Betz died about 1854, probably in Milwaukee. Her youngest child, Susanna (possibly named after Catherine's sister?), was born this year in Wisconsin, per the 1860 census. (See below.)

By 1858, Jacob had married Anna Maria Gruss, b 29 December 1835 in Weisenfeld, Bayern.^[5]

In 1860, Jacob and "Mary" lived in Chicago, Illinois:^[6]

• Jas. Betts, 45 (therefore b. 1815), b. Bavaria, laborer
• Mary, 25, b. Bavaria
• Philip, 16, b. NY
• George, 10, b. Wisconsin
• Susanna, 6, b. Wisconsin
• Caroline, 1, b. IL

Jacob's oldest son Henry, 15, was a farm laborer in Coral, McHenry Co., Illinois, where he settled.^{[citation needed]}

In 1870, the family was still in Chicago, now ward 14, and had grown:^[7]

• Betz, Jas, 58, Expressman, b. Bavaria
• Anne M, 35, b. Bavaria
• Caroline, 11, b. IL, attending school
• Sophia, 7, b. IL, attending school
• Frank, 5, b. IL, at home
• Edwin, 3, b. IL, at home
• Clara S., 8 months, b. IL at home
• Mary, 8 months, b. IL at home

No sign of daughter Susanna, who would have been 16 in 1870.

Jacob Betz commit suicide by hanging 30 April 1873, almost two months after the death of his father in Buffalo:

"Inquest on Jacob Betz held at 591 Carroll Ave April 30th 1873. Verdict of jury that the said Jacob Betz now lying dead at 591 Carroll Avenue in the City of Chicago County of Cook and State of Illinois came to his death April 30th 1873 from hanging by the neck and we the jury from the evidence find that said death was suicidal while laboring under a fit of mental depression."^[8][9]

(His brother Heinrich/Henry Betz would commit suicide in Buffalo in 1876, after a head injury.)

There is no will on record for Jacob Betz. His widow is listed in the 1874 Chicago City directory.^{[citation needed]}

Children

By his first wife, Catharina Hauk:

1. Elizabeth, b abt 1842. The records for St. Paul / St. Marks-- where her brothers were baptized-- did not begin until July 1843. She's first recorded in 1850 census, Milwaukee, WI, age 8, after which I find no record of her.
2. Philip Jacob Betz, b 20 Dec 1843, baptized in Buffalo the following February. He married Caroline Viola Slater in 1880 in McHenry Co., Illinois and had several children; living descendants. He was still living in the 1920 census.
3. Heinrich (Henry) J. Betz, b 15 Nov 1845 and baptized the following January in Buffalo, NY. He married 20 May 1870 Nancy Jane Van Vleet; three children; living descendants. He served in the Civil War and died by 1910 when his widow requested a pension.
4. Carl (later Charles?) Augustus Betz/Betts was born 26 Aug 1847 in Buffalo. Last known for sure with parents in 1850 census. May have been the Charles Betz, 13, farmhand, b NY living with Joseph Cummings family in Sanbury, Livingston, Illinois. I say this because several of Jacob and Catharina's sons appear to have been "hired out" after Jacob married his second wife. He might be the Charles A. Betz found in the 1900 census: Ward 1, Mendota Twshp, La Salle County, IL; if so he [m.] Margaretha Jost 02/14/1877, ^[10] and had children Netty M or W., daughter, b. July 1871 Kansas (!) [from previous marriage of Charles?]; Jacob H., son [named after grandfather?], b. Mar 1873 Kansas [from previous marriage of Charles?]; Elmer Y., son, b. Dec 1889, age 10, b. Kansas; Elsa C., dau, b. Dec 1889, age 10, b. Kansas. This appears to be a stretch.
5. John C? Betz, b abt 1848 in Wisconsin, but baptized at the age of 14 back in Buffalo. Middle name looks like Largan. With parents in 1850 census. Not with them in 1860. A set of Betzes with names and birth locations suggesting brothers and sons of Jacob, later go west to Colorado to mine. One of them was a John C. Betts who married a Swedish-born Annie. May have gone to Laramie, Wyoming. Had a daughter Mabel who married a Harry Finch. No known children.
6. George; may have gone to Colorado to mine.
7. Susanna, b abt 1854 in Wisconsin; she is with her father and step-mother in Chicago in the 1860 census after which we find no further record.

Children by second wife, Anna Marie Gruss:

1. Caroline Betz, b abt 1859. She married a Hitchcock and moved to Washington State; in 1923 she was referred to as Caroline Dickerson living in Sandefuca, Washington. Could not find her in 1880 or 1910, but did find her in 1920: on San de Fuca Island, in Washington State as Caroline Dickerson, born Illinois; she was 60 and divorced, with son Walter, 23 and single; father born Bavaria (crossed out and replaced with "New York"-- the first was right); mother born Bavaria. Walter was born in Illinois (abt. 1897), so we should find them back in Illinois, at least in 1900. I looked at all male Dickersons in Cook, McHenry and Kane Counties and could not find them in 1900 or 1910. Action: look for Illinois marriages in about 1879 through the mid 1890s: Caroline Betz/Betts to a Dickerson.
2. Sophia Betz, b abt 1863 Illinois
3. Frank Betz, b abt 1865. Cannot find them in 1900, but in 1910 Census, Kane County, he's likely the Frank Betts, 45, second marriage, married 9 years, 4/4 children b. IL; parents b. Germany; wife Ellen, 31, first marriage, 0/0 children, b. Iowa; father b. Kentucky; mother b. Ireland?; son Willard, 19, single, b. Wisconsin; father born NY ??, mother b. Iowa ??; son Robert, 18, single, b. Wisconsin, father b. NY ??. mother b. Iowa ?? Betts, Henry, son, 16, single, b. IL, father b. NY; mother b. IL ?? Illinois Marriage records indicate a Frank Betz married Ellen Conly on 4/20/1887 (or applied for license?) in Cook Co. License #00113331^[11] Illinois, Cook Co., Marriages (familysearch.org) shows a Frank Betz, b abt 1862 marrying 12 May 1897 Julia Young.
4. Edwin B. Betz/Betts, b 9 Aug 1867 Chicago, Illinois; m1 Hermeone Parker, b 1872 NY; d 7 Jan 1897 Chicago; one child, Ruth, b 19 Jan 1891 in St. Charles, Kane Co., IL. He married second Anna M. Himnon-Hitchcock b May 1867 in Vermont; d bef 1902 when Edwin m3 Elsie Heller by whom he had 3 children: Vern (1904), Edwin (1905), Vallie (1907). He died March 4, 1920; his obit states: "He was boarding a Lake street car and was thrown against the elevated pillars and fractured his skull."
5. Clara S. Betz, b abt Nov 1869 in Illinois; m abt 1890 William J Taylor. They had several children and by 1920 moved to Porterville, California; her mother joined them there and died there in 1923. Children (Taylor):
   1. Ada, dau, b. Jul 1890 IL
   2. Ralph, son, b. March 1892 IL
   3. Marnie, dau, b. Dec 1894 IL
   4. Emma, dau, b. Marc 1895 IL
   5. Stephen, son, b. Sep 1897 IL
   6. Pearl, dau, b. Apr 1898 IL
   7. Herman, son, b. Sep 1899 IL
6. Mary Betz, b Nov 1869; prob died young; not in 1880 census
7. Eva G. Betz, b abt 1873; she m abt 1904 in Illinois Jacob A. Hines. In 1910: she's living in Blackberry Twp, Kane Co., IL with two sons; they moved by 1920 to Porterville, California where they are living with her sister Clara Betz Taylor and their mother. Children: Clayton M., and John D. Hines.
8.  ? Albert Betz. His age in the 1880 census (5) places his birth at 1875, two years after Jacob's death, but he is enumerated as son of Anna M. Betz. If so, who is his father? Can't find him in 1900 census, but he might be BETZ, ALBERT 02/08/1911 CHICAGO 40 YR U 00001179 COOK (Illinois Death Index)

Sources

1. ↑ Evangelische Kirsche Feil (Feilbingert), “Kirchenbuch, 1681-1876, vol. 1,” FHL 193843
2. ↑ Feilbingert Kirchenbuch, Vol. 5, Confirmations, Year 1826
3. ↑ Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Year: 1836; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 030; Line: 139; List Number: 601
4. ↑ 1850 US Census, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ward 3, p. 310
5. ↑ Research of Margaret Johnson, Appleton, Wisconsin, communicated to Jillaine Smith late 2002
6. ↑ 1860 US Census: Cook County, Chicago, 6th ward, p. 675
7. ↑ 1870 US Census, Cook Co., Chicago, 14th ward, p. 520b
8. ↑ Research of Margaret Johnson, January 2003
9. ↑ Death Notice, Chicago Tribune, May 1, 1873 page 3
10. ↑ Illinois Marriage Index, La Salle County, Volume E, no page# Lic# 1973
11. ↑ Illinois Marriages, 1763-1900. Family Tree Legends Records Collection (Online Database). Pearl Street Software, 2004-2005.