Rupert Koch (1841 - 1922)

Born 27 Mar 1841 in Felzingen, Schawaben, Bavaria

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 28 Mar 1922 at age 81 in Morrowville, Washington, Kansas, USA

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Biography

Rupert and Theresa were married in Groenenbach and their four children were born there. Rupert owned a small farm, #99, in Groenenbach. His profession was a "bone-picker," that is buying used items, repairing them and reselling them. apparently Rupert and Theresa moved away from Groenenbach sometime after 1874 when Frank was born and before 1884 when Theresa died. Her death is not recorded in the Thanner family register in Groenenbach. (Nor is Ruperts second marriage recorded in the Groenenbach records.) Theresa was ill sometime before her death. Adelaide Kron came to the Koch home to care for Theresa and help with the housework. When Theresa died she left Rupert with three small children. Oral history tells us that Creszencia was age 13, and Mary Ann was 11, and Frank was age 9 when their mother died. Rupert's obituary states she died in 1884, so she must have died about July of 1884. Adelaide stayed on as a housekeeper after Theresa's death.

Rupert served in the German military twice, first during the war of 1866 and again in 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War. He was awarded two medals while serving his country. He was wearing these medals in the picture shown in the Koch Family Album.

According to Rupert's obituary, he and Adelaide were married in 1893. The family knew her as "Oddelhite." As one family member put it "Those Germans couldn't say Adelaide so they called her Oddelhite." This same family member also said "You have to be German to pronounce the name Koch correctly. The American pronounce it every way imaginable!"

In 1897 Rupert's daughter Mary Ann and her husband John F. Nutsch paid the passage for Rupert and Adelaide to come to America. They lived in Kansas near Rupert's children the first year, then moved near Thompson, Jefferson Co, Nebraska and this was where they spent the rest of their life together.

Rupert died at the home of his son Frank Xaver Koch in Washington County, Kansas. Family stories relate that Adelaide remarried after Ruperts death, but she was buried beside him at the St. Peter and Paul Cemetery. It has been said that she never learned to speak English.

From the Reedy, Schuessler, Nutsch and Koch of Washington County Kansas by Phyllis Reedy

Sources

• Germany Births and Baptisms

Ancestry Family trees Cemetery Records Ancestry Family Trees Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898 Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898 Germany, Select Marriages, 1558-1929 Hamburger Passagierlisten, 1850-1934 Idaho, Death Records, 1890-1966 Idaho, Select Deaths and Burials, 1907-1965 Nebraska, Marriage Records, 1855-1908 Web: Kansas, Find A Grave Index, 1854-2011