Henry Wernsman

F10 S81 B81 Pate: Heinrich, Sohn des Caspar Grebner aus Hörstein

From the "Descendants of Heinrich Wernsman" researched and compiled by Joseph Wernsman (Heinrich, George, Joseph Edward, Joseph), 1998.

Introduction: "Around the year 1853, a young man named Heinrich Wernsman and a young girl named Rebecha Lowenthal wanted to marry. The young man was Catholic and the young girl was Jewish, and their parents were not in favor of the marriage. The young couple ran off and married, or maybe just ran off. About four years or so after the marriage they took their young daughter Martha and set off for the United States of America. They traveled up river from their home in Bavaria, Germany, to Antwerp, Belgium, where they boarded the ocean going ship Junius. They arrived in New York, August 3 1957. They traveled to Illinois and obtained a marriage license in Peoria County on October 30 of that same year. Rebecha was baptised in the Catholic Church and took the new name "Mary Margaret". On November 6, 1857 Henry and Mary were married in the Catholic Church by Father M. Gipperich. Father Gipperich was the Catholic priest taking care of the church at Lourdes in Worth Township in Woodford County at that time. On February 11, 1858, their second child was born. Frederich was baptised on June 18, 1858 at Lourdes. Eleven more children were baptised at Lourdes that were born to Henry and Mary. Of their thirteen children, only one, Joseph, died at the early age of one month. The other 12 all lived to marry and have children."

Note: Joe Wernsman personally examined baptismal records at St Mary's of Lourdes Church to compile his research.