Three Kistenmacher brothers showed up in the church records of Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, Missouri in the 1880’s. All three of these Kistenmacher brothers also showed up living in the Fountain Bluff Township of Jackson County, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River, around the turn of the 20th century. One of these brothers was born on this day, so he will be the focus of today’s post. Since the mother of these brothers had the surname, Schlichting, I think that fact may have been instrumental in drawing these family members to the Farrar area.

Carl Kistenmacher was born on March 7, 1872 in Wilhelmsburg, Germany. Wilhelmsburg is basically a suburb of Hamburg. Carl was the son of Heinrich and Maria (Schlichting) Kistenmacher. I think Carl’s father died in Germany before 1882. His mother brought several members of this Kistenmacher family to America by herself in 1882. They made the voyage aboard the ship, Wieland, which landed in New York City. The passenger lists for that ship showing this family are displayed below. The ages of the children do not quite match with the records in our German Family Tree, but I think it is the correct family. I found a passenger list for their departure from Hamburg and their arrival in America.

There was also a 15 year-old girl by the name of Minna on the list, and her name does not appear in our German Family Tree anywhere. Carl’s confirmation record from the books of Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar is shown here.

The first evidence of a Kistenmacher moving across the river can be found in the fact that John Kistenmacher became a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois in 1892. John married Katherine Weseloh at that church in 1894, and Carl Kistenmacher was part of his wedding party. I think it must have been about this time that Carl ended up living in that area as well. He got married at Christ Lutheran in 1896. Let’s take a look at his bride.

Catherine Franziska Weis was born on May 26, 1877. She was the daughter of Gustav and Anna (Weseloh) Weis. This indicates another connection between the Kistenmacher and Weseloh names. Franziska was not baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, but she was confirmed there. Her confirmation record from Christ Lutheran says she was born in St. Louis.

We find Frances living in St. Louis in the 1880 census, where her father was a brick layer. She was 3 years old.

On September 6, 1896, Carl Kistenmacher married Franziska Weis at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois. We can take a look at the church record for this wedding. These documents recorded by Rev. Estel are amazingly detailed. This one says the mother of Carl had the maiden name, Schlichting, and that he was born in Wilhelmsburg, Germany. It also states that Franziska was born in St. Louis.

When the 1900 census was taken, I was able to find both of Carl’s brothers living in the Fountain Bluff Township in Illinois, but not Carl and his family. This couple had children born in 1897 and 1900 that were baptized at Christ, Jacob, but I could not find him in the 1900 census. The next child of the Kistenmacher’s was born in 1901, and that daughter was born in Missouri. I figure this couple moved to St. Louis right around 1900. However, I was not able to find Carl’s family in the 1900 census for St. Louis either. That means the first census record in which I find Carl Kistenmacher is the one taken in 1910. By then, he and his family were living in St. Louis where he is described as a fireman at a brewery. Please note that their two youngest children were born in Missouri.

In a 1917 city directory for St. Louis, there was a Minnie Kistenmacher listed. Could she be the missing Minna from the passenger list displayed earlier? Carl would be the Charles shown in this directory who was a fireman.

The 1920 census once again says Carl was a fireman at a brewery. There was a Minnie Zimmermann who is listed as a housekeeper in their household. She is a widow, so I guess there is a remote chance that this could be Carl’s sister.

The 1930 census would be the last one including Carl. In this entry, both he and Frances were called owners of a grocery store.

In April of 1930, Carl died at the age of 58. His death certificate says he was a grocer. This form says Carl was to be buried in the St. Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in St. Louis, but Findagrave has no gravestone photo for him. This document is one which also gives his mother’s maiden name as Schlichting.

Frances Kistenmacher can be found on the voting rolls in Los Angeles, California in 1936.

I did not find Frances in the 1940 census. She died in 1958 at the age of 81. Frances is buried in the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Los Angeles County. Her son, Gustav, is also said to be buried in the same cemetery, so he is probably the reason she moved to California after her husband’s death.

By the way, Ludwig Kistenmacher, who lived in Fountain Bluff Township in 1900, apparently later returned to the Farrar area because he is buried in the Salem Lutheran Cemetery. His church death record says he never married. Two of the Kistenmacher brothers moved away from Perry County and the third had no children. That explains why this surname is no longer found around here. Even Gerard Fiehler says he has never heard of a Kistenmacher.