The Kazmaier in Kansas & Missouri
Roughly about 20 years later another Kazmaier, named as well Andreas – this was a quite common first name in Germany at that time – embarked on a similar journey. Born in Honau in 1845, a neighbouring village of the before mentioned Grabenstetten, he left his fatherland on the search for freedom. Interestingly they were 5th cousins 1 time removed and their shared ancestors go as far back as 1669 when Andreas Katzmayr (the name was very common in Germany) married Anna Maria Braendle in Honau although we almost can be sure that they never knew of each other. Probably the second Andreas heard that family emigrated from Honau and Grabenstetten and found a new homeland in the country of almost unconditional freedom.
From stories told we can assume that he deserted from the army and fled to the north of Germany where he set of to America. He departed from Hamburg on the “Harmonia” and arrived in New York on the 19th of November 1868. Presumably he didn’t spend long time in New York but left heading west. He may have heard of a little community in Zoar founded by German religious dissenters called the Society of Separatists of Zoar in 1817. That’s where we find him again settling in the early 70s. In Zoar he probably met Wilhelmina, his first wife and they married on March 14th 1875 in Zoar, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
1. Andreas Kazmaier was born July 27th 1845 in Honau, Kingdom of Württemberg, Germany and he died April 7th 1896 in Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas. He was the son of Andreas Kazmaier (1808-1856) and Magdalena Rehm (1810-1868). On March 14th 1875 he married Wilhelmina Damm in Zoar, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Wilhelmina was born March 21st 1854 in Prussia and she died February 14th 1886 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas.
Andreas and Wilhelmina had two children:
2. I Clara Kazmaier, born 23 Jan 1876 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio; died 13 Jun 1951 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. She married John Welch.
3. II Albert Andrew Kazmaier was born 16 Jun 1877 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and he died 29 May 1962 in Bartlesville, Washington, Oklahoma and was buried in Wellsville, Franklin, Kansas. He married Maud Gertrude Harrison.
After Wilhelmina died in 1886, apparently the poor girl died from a rusty nail in her foot, Andrew, as he changed his name by then, married again. His second wife was Sophia Krueger, originally from Württemberg as well. She was born November 27th 1863 in Württemberg and died July 16th 1898 in Ellinwood, Barton County, Kansas.
Together with Sophia Andrew had another 4 children:
4. I William Kazmaier, born 16 Mar 1887 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas; died 4 Feb 1979 in Larned, Pawnee, Kansas. He married Mary Velmer May Spencer.
5. II Minnie Kazmaier, born 1889 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas; died 24 Jan 1963 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. She married on 17 Oct 1928 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas, Alfred Adam Spaniol, born 8 Jan 1897 in Flanagan, Livingston, Illinois; died 6 Dec 1928 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas; and in 1935 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas Bert A. Luse, born May 1885 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas, USA; died 24 Mar 1958 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas.
6. III Louis Kazmaier, born 18 Jan 1891 in Barton County, Kansas; died 21 Mar 1918 in Barton County, Kansas.
7. IV Lena Kazmaier, born 1 Oct 1892 in Barton County, Kansas; died 30 Mar 1981 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas. She married on 17 Sep 1913 in Barton County, Kansas, USA John Edward Jurgensen, born 3 Aug 1888 in Kansas; died 17 Nov 1956 in Barton County, Kansas.
It should turn out that it is Andrews’s and Albert Andrew’s descendants who today maintain the name Kazmaier in the state of Kansas.
2. Clara Kazmaier, born 23 Jan 1876 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, died 13 Jun 1951 in Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas. She married on 18 Jan 1894 in Great Bend John Welch, born 28 Apr 1857 in New Orleans, Jefferson, Louisiana, died 17 Sep 1933 in Great Bend.
Clara and John had seven children: Clara Pauline Welch, born 7 Mar 1912, Clarence Edward Welch, born 2 Jun 1905, Ethel Minnie Welch, born 21 Sep 1896, John Albert Welch, born 19 Aug 1899, John William Welch, born 27 Aug 1909, Mary Irene Welch, born 29 May 1914, and Michael Andrew Welch, born 17 Oct 1894.
3. Albert Andrew Kazmaier was born on June 16th 1877 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and he died May 29th 1962 in Bartlesville, Washington County, Oklahoma. He is buried in Wellsville, Franklin County, Kansas. On January 18th 1899 he married Maud Gertrude Harrison, born 13 Apr 1880 in Wellsville, Franklin, Kansas, died July 1st 1947 in Wellsville. She was the daughter of John R Harrison and Anna Eliza Watkins.
They had three children together:
8. I Anita P Kazmaier, born 30 Jan 1900 in Wellsville, died 15 Oct 1954 in San Mateo, California, USA. She married Chester Eugene Graves.
9. II Clara Laurene Kazmaier, born 17 May 1902 in Wellsville, died 19 Jun 1992 in Grove, Delware, Oklahoma. She married John Tilford Barnard.
10. III John Andrew Kazmaier, born 28 Nov 1911 in Wellsville, died 9 Aug 1999 in Eudora, Douglas County, Kansas. He married (1) Martha Ruth Cordell; (2) Dorothy Weixeldorfer.
4. William Kazmaier, born 16 Mar 1887 in Great Bend, died 4 Feb 1979 in Larned, Pawnee County, Kansas. He married on 22 Sep 1920 in Great Bend Mary Velmer May Spencer, born 3 Jul 1901 in Spearville, Ford County, Kansas, died 13 Aug 1976 in Larned. Mary was the daughter of Albert Burr Spencer and Lillie Imel.
William and Mary were born five children:
11. I Catherine Irene Kazmaier, born 12 May 1934 in Kansas. She married on 3 Jun 1951 David Eldon Hammond, born 18 Mar 1932 in Kansas, died 1 Mar 2009 in Colorado Springs, El Paso, Colorado.
12. II Mary Darlene Kazmaier, born 10 Jun 1927. She married (1) Clovis Charles Gossett; (2) Milton Scott English.
13. III Robert Lee Kazmaier, born 31 Jan 1923 in Garfield, Pawnee County, Kansas, died 26 Sep 2012 in Stow, Summit County, Ohio. He married Jean Marie Williams.
14. IV Vineta Marcile Kazmaier, born 24 Dec 1928 in Belpre, Pawnee County, Kansas. She married Donald Keith King. [interviews with Marcile and Keith can be found here]
15. V William Andrew Kazmaier, born 27 Jun 1921 in Garfield, died 24 Jan 2010 in Larned, Pawnee County, Kansas. He married Wilma Ruth Grove.