Johanna Christina Baum

Narrative:

     Johanna Christina Baum was born on 31 Aug 1820 in Offenbach, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.^4,5,6,7
     She was baptized on 10 Sep 1820 in Evangelische Kirche, Offenbach, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, with Johanna Christina, widow of deceased master tailor Hammel, as godmother.¹
     As was the custom, she used her middle name, Christina, or Christine, except for the most formal legal documents.^20,21
     Johanna married first Jean Frédéric Lebeau, son of Pierre Isaac Lebeau and Christiane Elisabethe Margerthe Stehter, on 14 Jul 1839 in French Reformed Church, Offenbach, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.^8,9,10
     Christina and Jean settled in Offenbach where they joined the Moravian Church.²²
     According to family lore, she was a seamstress in Offenbach.²³
     After hearing Rev. Riemenschneider speak elsewhere, John requested that he conduct classes in Offenbach, and he and Christina invited him to speak in their home. He accepted and preached there weekly for a time. They both joined the Methodist Episcopal Church.^24,25

Immigrating to America --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John felt called to the ministry, but found the persecutions and restrictions he was experiencing so severe that she and John sold their home, and in 1854 immigrated to America.^26,27,28 They left Frankfurt am Main with their daughter Louisa at 6:00 a.m. on 29 May 1854, traveling by steamboat down the Main River to Mainz. The boat then went down the Rhine River, arriving at Cologne that evening.²⁹
     The next morning they boarded a train, expecting to arrive in Bremen by evening. They changed trains in Minden. They continued after a while but after traveling a short distance their train stopped because the preceding train had come off the rails and sunk into the earth. They were delayed for six hours at a tiny village called Hölzen.²⁹ They finally arrived in Bremen at 2:00 a.m. the next morning. They stayed there for two nights at an inn.²⁹
     At 2:00 p.m. on 2 Jun they left on a steamboat to the harbor, which is about 40 miles down the Weser River from the city of Bremen proper.²⁹ They stayed overnight with Brother Riemenschneider. At 2:00 p.m. Saturday, 3 Jun 1854, they boarded the sailing ship Schiller. They traveled in the second class cabin, which they shared with 17 other passengers. There were eight passengers in the first class cabin, and 190 "between decks." The ship immediately went into the harbor, where they laid at anchor three days because of unfavorable winds.^30,29

Sailing Across the Atlantic --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     The winds remained unfavorable but the ship couldn't stay ashore longer. So on the morning of 7 Jun 1854 it weighed anchor and sailed to the North Sea. On the evening of 10 Jun they entered the English Channel.²⁹
     On 11 Jun they could see the coasts of both France and England. They passed Calais, and in the evening saw Dover. But they were set back overnight by strong headwinds, and the next evening back at Dover again.²⁹ On 17 Jun, the 18th birthday of their daughter Louisa, they reached the middle of the English Channel, having covered only 48 miles in eight days.²⁹
     On 1 Jul, after sailing for 25 days, they had traveled under half way, 420 of the 1,000 miles to New York. They had had only had two hours of favorable wind and an almost constant headwind the entire month.²⁹ On 6 Jul, a wind arose that carried them a good distance further, but the next morning, the sea was again as smooth as a mirror, so they hardly moved at all. Their own provisions were running low. John wrote that "these were sad prospects, as one can hardly survive on ship's fare alone."²⁹
     On 10 Jul, with the winds still calm, they were about 40 miles north of Azores. The calm continued until the 13th through the 15th when they had a fairly strong wind, which came from the northwest. On the 20th and 21st there was a very strong wind, almost a gale, with waves 15 feet high. On the 22nd there was calm again. After seven weeks on board there were still 30 degrees to go (from Bremen to New York it is 84 degrees.)²⁹
     On 5 Aug they had been under sail for nine weeks and still had 7 degrees (about 95 miles) to go.²⁹ On the 9th and 10th they finally had a favorable wind, a strong breeze. That was the only consistently favorable wind they had on the entire voyage. At 2:00 p.m. on the 10th they saw land. At 7:00 p.m. the ship was tied up in the harbor of New York. They we had been under sail for 66 days and aboard a ship for 69 days.²⁹

Arriving at New York and by Train to Cincinnati --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     A doctor came aboard the ship to check for disease (another ship was not allowed to land because smallpox had broken out). They couldn't disembark until a customs official checked for items that needed to be declared. They couldn't sleep because their straw sacks had been required to be emptied outside the harbor. They and Louisa went ashore for a walk between 1 and 2 a.m., having to climb over a higher ship to do so. But they didn't venture far for fear of robbers.²⁹
     Christina and John, and their daughter Louisa officially disembarked from the Schiller the next morning, 11 Aug 1854, after customs were cleared. They declared that they had originated in Hesse-Darmstadt and their destination was Ohio.^29,31 They remained in New York for three days, staying at an inn.²⁹
     At 6 p.m. on 14 Aug 1854 they boarded a steamboat for a four-hour journey up the Hudson river, probably to Newburgh, New York. They departed by railroad at 11 p.m.³² They arrived in Dunkirk, New York, on Lake Erie, at 6 a.m., and spent the day there, leaving at 6 p.m.²⁹ They arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 8 p.m., and tried to sleep in the rail car, waiting for their departure at 1 a.m. the next morning.²⁹
     They arrived in Cleveland, Ohio, at 6 a.m., and had to stay there until 3 a.m. the next morning.²⁹ They left for Columbus, Ohio, at 3 a.m., arriving at 9 p.m.²⁹ They continued on after getting into good cars. Everyone fell asleep immediately. They arrived in Cincinnati at 2 a.m. on 18 Aug 1854.²⁹
     Dr. Nast, founder of the German Methodist Church in Cincinnati, encouraged him to enter the Conference as a travelling minister.²²
     John accepted a post in Huntingburgh, Indiana, and they moved there, but he survived only a few months.²² He died on 17 Nov 1854 in Frankfort, Indiana.^33,34,35
     After the death of her husband, Christina and her daughter returned to Cincinnati.²²

A Second Marriage --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Christina married second John M. Frey, son of Michael Frey and Anna Katharina Trautwein, on 7 Jan 1856 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio, with Rev. Conrad Gahn, pastor of the Buckeye St. Church, officiating.^11,12,13
     Christina and John appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky, enumerated 25 Jun 1860, reporting $1,500 in real estate and $500 in personal property. His daughter by his previous marriage, Emma, was listed as living with them, as were Rodolph Walker, a 21-year-old baker, and George Hatgen, a 16-year-old baker apprentice.³⁶
     By 1861 Christina and John were living at 642 Main St., above his bakery. They continued to live there until his death, and she did for a time after that.^37,38 Her daughter Louisa and her husband, William Fenker, and their family, moved into the same building Christina and John had been living in by 1870.³⁹
     Christina and John appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky, enumerated 20 Jun 1870, living in the same dwelling as her daughter Louisa and her husband.⁴⁰
     Christina was named executrix and an heir in the will of her husband dated 7 May 1877 in Covington, Kentucky, in which he left her an annuity of $120 per year, to be paid by his daughter Emma by his prior marriage, out of $2,000 he left her. Christina was then to receive all the rest of his estate.⁴¹

Widowed a Second Time --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Her second husband died on 22 May 1877 in Covington, Kentucky.^42,43,17
     Christina appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky, in the household of her daughter Louisa and her husband.⁴⁴
     When Louisa and her sons moved to Michigan, in the late 1890's, Christina moved there with them. She appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, in the household of Louisa.⁴⁵ They returned to Cincinnati by 1904.^46,47
     She spent most of her time reading books, according to the recollection of her great-granddaughter Louise A. Fenker. She did not recall what they were about, but did say that they were always in German and had to be gotten from the library.⁴⁸ She lost her sight and was blind the last two years she lived. Bethesda Hospital took care of her these last years because her first husband had been a Methodist minister.^49,48
     Christina died on 21 Jul 1907 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at age 86.^14,15,16,17 She was buried on 23 Jul 1907 in Linden Grove Cemetery, Covington, Kentucky, in William Fenker's lot.^18,19