Christian Vollmer

Lifespan: January 31, 1815 – August 16, 1894

Summary

Born January 31, 1815 in Hanover, Germany. Likely married twice — evidence of children predating his 1857 marriage to Anna Maria Kurtz. Married Anna Maria Kurtz on December 18, 1857 in Long Grove, Lake County, Illinois. At least 7 children with Anna Maria (1 son, 6 daughters), plus at least 3 probable children from a first marriage. Lived in Ela Township, Lake County, Illinois (1860) and Minnesota (by 1870). Died August 16, 1894 in Cleveland, Le Sueur County, Minnesota, age 79. Buried at German Lake Lutheran Cemetery, Elysian, Le Sueur County, Minnesota.

Relationships

Probable first wife (unknown)

Evidence from 1860 census — three members of Christian’s household predate the 1857 marriage to Anna Maria:

• Frederick Vollmer (c. 1833–?) — age 27 in 1860, born Hanover. Christian would have been 18.
• Caroline Vollmer (c. 1840–?) — age 20 in 1860, born Hanover.
• Henry Vollmer (c. 1852–?) — age 8 in 1860, born Illinois. Indicates first wife was in Illinois by 1852.

Second wife: Anna Maria Kurtz (1837–1915)

m. Dec 18, 1857, Long Grove, Lake Co, IL

• Children with Anna Maria (7 — 1 son, 6 daughters):
  • Anna Maria Sophia Dorothea Volmer (1858–1901) — “Sophia” in 1860 census
  • Fred Vollmer (1859–?) — age 1 in 1860 census
  • Louisa Vollmer (1861–1937)
  • Wilhelmina Vollmer (1862–?) — likely died young; name reused for next daughter
  • Maria Katharina Wilhelmina Vollmer (Feb 28, 1863–Sep 10, 1905) — direct line. m. Charles Frederick Schmidt
  • Caroline Vollmer (1867–1931) — likely died; name reused for next daughter
  • Caroline Vollmer (c. 1873–?)

Parents

Unknown — born in Hanover (Kingdom of Hanover, now Lower Saxony)

Sources

• 1860 US Census, Ela Township, Lake County, Illinois, Page 358 (stamped 730), line 25, dwelling/family #2446 — primary source. Enumerated August 11, 1860. Post Office: Lake Zurich. Listed as “C. Wallmore”, age 43, male, Farming, $200 real estate, born Hanover. Household of 7.
• FamilySearch (birth, marriage, death, burial, residence)
• Death record — death date appears to be August 15, 1894 (FamilySearch had Aug 16)

1860 Census Household (primary source)

Key observations:

• “C. Wallmore” = Christian Vollmer — enumerator’s phonetic spelling
• “Mary, 22, Baden” = Anna Maria Kurtz — age matches (born c. 1837-1838). Birthplace Baden is new information — the Kurtz family may be from Baden (southwest Germany), a different region than Christian’s Hanover (northwest).
• Frederick (27) and Caroline (20) were born in Hanover — they came from Germany with or before Christian
• Henry (8) was born in Illinois c. 1852 — Christian was in Illinois at least 5 years before marrying Anna Maria
• Frederick owns $200 in real estate — an adult son contributing to the farm, not a hired hand

Research Notes

• Born in Hanover — the Kingdom of Hanover was an independent German state until 1866 (annexed by Prussia). Now part of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).
• Probable first wife: Frederick (b. c. 1833, Hanover), Caroline (b. c. 1840, Hanover), and Henry (b. c. 1852, Illinois) all predate the Dec 1857 marriage to Anna Maria. Frederick and Caroline were born in Hanover, suggesting Christian married young in Germany. First wife may have died between 1852 (Henry’s birth) and 1857 (remarriage). Or the gap between Caroline (1840) and Henry (1852) could indicate two prior wives.
• Emigrated to Illinois — living in Ela Township, Lake County, IL by 1860 (near Long Grove, where he married Anna Maria). Frederick and Caroline emigrated with him (or came separately) — both born Hanover.
• Lake County, IL is north of Chicago — German immigrant community in the Fox River area
• Moved to Minnesota by 1870 — followed the common IL→MN migration pattern (same as the Schmidt family: Joliet, IL → Le Sueur Co, MN)
• Anna Maria Kurtz born in Baden per 1860 census — a different German state ~400 miles south of Hanover. They met in America, not Germany.
• Daughter Maria/Minnie born 1863 in Freeport, Stephenson County, IL — ~130 miles west of Long Grove. Family may have moved between 1860 census and the 1870 relocation to Minnesota.
• Died in Cleveland, Le Sueur Co — same township where daughter Minnie and son-in-law Charles Frederick Schmidt farmed
• Buried at German Lake Lutheran Cemetery, Elysian — same cemetery as daughter Minnie. Lutheran family.
• Duplicate names in children: Two Wilhelminas (1862, 1863) and two Carolines (1867, c. 1873). Common 19th-century practice — first child with the name likely died young, name reused for a later child.
• Next steps: (1) Search for 1870 census in Minnesota. (2) Look for first wife’s death record in Lake County, IL c. 1852-1857. (3) Search for Frederick and Caroline Vollmer (first wife’s children) — may have stayed in Illinois. (4) Create Anna Maria Kurtz file.