This is the tombstone of Magdalena (Schueler) Bienz, located in St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, Preble, Adams County, Indiana. The marker is inscribed:
BIENZ
Magdalena
Ehefrau von
Joh. Bienz
3 Nov. 1835
21 Sep. 1916
Magdalena, wife of John Bienz, 3 Nov 1835-21 Sep 1916.
Magdalena Schueler was born in Ohio, probably in Holmes County, on 3 November 1835, the daughter of Michael and Maria “Katharina” (Schumm) Schueler (1810-1838). Magdalena’s parents were married in Holmes County in 1833. [1] Magdalena’s mother Katharina Schumm immigrated to America with her four brothers and their father Johann Georg Schumm (1777-1846) in 1833.
The Michael Schueler family moved to Van Wert County by 1838, where Magdalena’s mother Katharina (Schumm) Schueler died. Magdalena was only 3 years old when her mother died. Katharina was the first person buried in Zion Schumm’s cemetery. Magdalena’s widowed father, Michael Schueler, married Catherine Lakehard on 1 March 1839 in Van Wert County, married by Jacob M. Harper. [2]
The Michael Schuller family in 1850, living near Schumm: Michael, 40; Catharine, 37; Magdalena, 15; Rosanna, 13; Hanna M, 10; Andrew, 7; and Jacob, 1. Michael and Catharine were born in Germany and the children were born in Ohio. Michael was a farmer and they lived near Jacob Dietrich. [3]
Magdalena Schueler married John Bienz 15 April 1852 near Schumm. Both were from Zion’s parish and John was a widower. John’s first wife, Louise A. Billmann, died 18 June 1849. John Bienz was born 23 March 1823 in Wuerttemberg, the son of Balthas and Catharina Barbara (Weidlin) Bienz. [4]
In 1860 John and Magdalena (Schueler) Bienz lived near Schumm, with Christoph Kreiselmeyer and Michael Geisler as some of their nearest neighbors. The John Bienz family as enumerated in 1860: John, 36, born in Wuerttemberg; Rose AM, 24, Ohio; John F, 7; George E, 5; Catharine R, 4; Anna BC, 1; and Alfred Geier, 20, born in Bavaria. [5]
The John Bienz family in 1870, spelled Bence in this enumeration: John, 47; Magdalena, 35; John F, 17; George E, 15; Rosina C, 13; Anna BC, 11; John JC, 9; Henry W, 5; and Mary, 1. The father John was a farmer. [6]
The John Bienz household in 1880, in Van Wert County: John, 55; Magdalena, 45; Catharine, 21; John, 19; August, 17; Henry, 14; Mary, 11; Christian, 8; and Martin, 4. [7]
John Bienz died in Van Wert County on 13 July 1898 [8] and is buried next to their daughter Maria Bienz, who died the year before.
Widow Magdalena Bienz lived in Willshire Township with two of her unmarried children in 1900: Magdalena, 64, widow, head; Martin, 24, son; and Anna MM, 19 daughter. This enumeration indicates that Magdalena had given birth to 13 children and that 10 of them were living. [9]
Sometime between 1900 and 1910 Magdalena Bienz and her two unmarried children Martin and Anna moved to Preble in Adams County, Indiana. Their household in 1910: Magdalena K, 74, widow, head; Martin M, 34, single; and Magdalena A, 29, single. This enumeration indicates that the mother Magdalena had given birth to 13 children and that 10 of them were living. [10]
Magdalena (Schueler) Bienz died of liver cancer in Preble, Adams County, on 21 September 1916. She was buried on the 24th. [11]
Johann and Magdalena (Schueler) Bienz had the following children:
Johann Friedrich (1853-1918), married Mary “Virginia” Bleichner
George Emanuel (1855-1954), married Lucinda “Cindy” Fox
Rosina Catharine (1857-1940), married Charles Carl Meyer
Anna Barbara Catharine (1859-1943), married Henry Linnemeier
Johann Jacob Andreas (1861-1935), married Caroline Dueker
August George (1863-1938), married Lena Strubel
Heinrich Wilhelm (1865-1926), married Mini Winte
Maria Barbara Elizabeth (1868-1897)
Christian Andreas (1872-1947?)
Ludwig Eberhart Ferdinand (1873-1876)
Martin Gottfried (1875-1954)
Wilhelm C (1878-1879)
Magdalena Anna Margaretha (1881-1965), married Charles Hobrock
[1] Holmes County, Ohio, Marriages, Vol. 1:161, Michael Scheuler & Catharine Schoone, 22 Nov 1833; “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-PX39-9L?i=112&cc=1614804 : viewed 30 Apr 2019), Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus.
[2] Van Wert County, Ohio, Marriages, 1837-1840, unpaginated, Michael Shueler & Catherine Lakehard, 1 Mar 1839; “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamiySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5BW-9479?i=1&cc=1614804 : viewed 30 Apr 2019), Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus.
[3] 1850 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.172A [stamped], p.343 [penned] dwelling 356, family 375, Michael Shuler; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1850usfedcenancestry/ : viewed 30 Apr 2019).
[4] Lutheran Taufen, Tote, & Heiraten, 1564-1875, [Baptisms, Deaths & Marriages] Gerlingen, Wuerttemberg, 1823 baptisms, Johannes Bienz; Ancestry.com, tree of klicen, viewed 2 Apr 2019.
[5] 1860 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.150 (penned), dwelling 1071, family 1065, John Bientz; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1860usfedcenancestry/ : viewed 1 Apr 2019).
[6] 1870 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.439B, dwelling 135, family 136, John F. Bence; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1870usfedcen/ : viewed 24 Mar 2019).
[7] 1880 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 145, p.452C, family 162, John Beinz; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1880usfedcen/ : viewed 24 Mar 2019).
[8] Van Wert County Deaths, Vol. 2:13, John Bienz, 13 Jul 1898; database with images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6722-2S?i=380&cc=2128172 : viewed 1 Apr 2019), “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001.”
[9] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 98, p. 11 [penned], p.110A [stamped], dwelling 212, family 217, Magdalena Bienz; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1900usfedcen/ : viewed 29 Apr 2019).
[10] 1910 U.S. Census, Preble, Adams, Indiana, ED 8, p.10B [penned], dwelling 187, family 194, Magdalena K Benz; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1910uscenindex/ : viewed 29 Apr 2019).
[11] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1916, Roll 1, Adams County, Magdalena Bienz, 21 Sep 1916; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis.
2 comments
So weird, I’ve never met anyone with the same surname as me and I don’t even know how I stumbled upon this, my family is mostly Swiss so I have no idea how that surname got to the Americas
Author
This local family immigrated from Germany, so the surname was in Germany, too. I have found the same with my maiden name, Miller. My Millers came from Germany but I have talked to other Millers whose ancestors came from Switzerland. Thanks for writing!