Our Wagner Connection

About Nicholas Wagner (born 1850)

Nicholas Wagner was born in Rhine or Prussia Germany on January 18, 1850. Around 1867 when he was a teenager his parents encouraged him to come to America to avoid recruitment from the 'Kaisers'. He took their advice and settled in Wisconsin. It was there that he met a German girl by the name of Anna Margaret Zehrden, born September 4, 1856. They were married on April 19, 1877 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA. They eventually moved to Indiana where they started their family.

My great grandfather, Jacob T. Wagner was their second child and first son. He was born in Princeton, White Co., Indiana on October 5, 1879. He married Talitha Emma Courtright on February 15, 1905 in Remington, Jasper County, Indiana. They eventually had 12 children with the oldest three being born in Indiana. In 1909, they relocated to North Dakota to take advantage of the North Dakota Homesteading Act. Jacob died on April 3, 1959 in Rensselaer, Jasper Co., IN. Talitha died on July 20, 1970.

These 1880 Census records reveal that Nicholas and Anna were both from Rhine, Germany. It is also listed that Nicholas and Anna's parents were both born in Rhine, Germany. A daughter named Mary, age 2, is listed on the records along with Jacob T. who was 8 months old at the time. Both Mary and Jacob are listed as being born in Indiana. In addition, a sister is listed on the records with the name of Gerden Lizzy. She was 11 years old and was living with them at the time. It is not certain if Gerden was the sister of Nicholas or Anna. She was listed to have been born in Prussia with both of her parents also being born also in Prussia.