MOSE FAMILY
The first member of the Mose family
to set foot in the United States was John (Sr.) Mose. He was born in Alsen
Schleswig-Hoslstein Denmark October 11,1850. Alsen is a small island located
off the eastern coast of Denmark. This area is later taken over by Germany in
October 30,1864. John came to the United States in 1871. The name of the ship
is uncertain, but he could have been on board the “Wyoming”. This ship came
from Liverpool and Queenstown, England and arrived in New York November 7, 1871.
On the passenger list is a man traveling alone by the name of John Moss who is
listed as a laborer being 20 years old. John Mose originally located in Pontiac
Michigan and remained there for 2 years. John married Mary C. Christensen on
August 27.1872 at the home of Mary’s Aunt, Mrs James Lange in Coal Valley,
Illinois.
Mary C Christensen came to America
in the spring of 1872 and originally went to Michigan County Minnesota until
her marriage to John Mose.
Mary and John had two children, John
Christopher Mose, and Lawrence Mose. Lawrence Mose died at the age of 7 years.
John Christopher married Fannie Behrens and they had 5 children. One of which
was Henry Lawrence Mose who married Maude Luella Smith in 1923. In the Mose and
Smith families a brother married a sister and a sister married a brother in
Henry Mose marrying Maude Smith and Florence Mose (Henry’s sister) marrying a brother to Maude Smith (Clyde Smith). Henry “Harry” Mose and Maude
were Linda’s maternal grandparents.
John Christopher Mose
Walt, Harry Mose
Florence, Ralph, Dorothy Mose
Decendants
of John Mose
(1) John Mose (1850-1917)
+ Mary C Christensen (1849-1921)
(2) John Christopher Mose (
1873- 1940)
+ Fannie Behrens (1877-1944)
(3) Henry Mose
(1899-1969)
+ Maude Luella Smith (1898-1982)
(3)
Walter
Mose (1901-1978)
+ Florence Enright
(1905-
(3) Florence Mose
(1903-1994)
+ Clyde Smith (1896-1965)
(3)
Dorothy
Mose (1908-1979)
+ Howard Mortenson
(1908-
(3)
Ralph
Mose (1906-1960)
+ Edna Conrad
(1905-1972)
(2) Lawrence Mose (1877- 1884)
Henry Behrens came to the United States
when he was quite young. The exact date of arrival is uncertain, however one
possibility is on board a ship called the “Juno” in 1855. In this year, on
June 25th there were 4 passengers listed with the Behrens name. There were
H. Behrens (age 33); Maria Behrens (age 29), Heinrich (age 4), Lucia Behrens
(age 2) and Friedrich age 9 months). I am uncertain if Heinrich is Henry Behrens;
however the age would be appropriate. Henry married Daje Kirchhoff in 1873
in Rock Island County. He was a farmer and farmed in Edford Township near
Geneseo. It appears from Henry’s obituary that he was first buried in Dayton
Cemetery near Colona. From a cemetery marker in Oak Grove Cemetery in Port
Byron, it appears his body was moved from the Dayton Cemetery to its current
location.
Daje and Henry had 5 girls. They were
Fannie, Helena, Margaret, Tena, and Reenste Behrens. Fannie married John Christopher
Mose in 1898, Helena and Reenste never married. Tena married an Edward M Stewart
and Margaret married John Onnen in 1913.
Behrens Sisters
Tena, Reenste, Fannie
Margaret, Helena
John Christopher Mose and Fannie Behrens Mose
Fannie and John Christopher Mose had
5 children. One of the children was Henry Lawrence Mose who married Maude
Luella Smith February 21,1923 in Cordova, Illinois.
KIRCHHOFF
FAMILY
The
Kirchhoff family represents the beginnings of the Harry Mose’s ancestors in the
United States. Claus Kirchhoff and his family came to the United States on
board the “HANSA” from Bremen Germany. The family arrived in New York on April
6, 1868.
One
of Claus’s daughters (Daje) married Henry Behrens. Henry Behrens daughter,
Fannie married John Christopher Mose (son of John (Sr.) Mose and Mary
Christensen Mose.)
The
Kirchhoff family’s first names are a bit elusive. The first names varies on the
passenger list, the probate record (of Claus Kirchhoff) and the marriage
certificates of the children. Below is a summary of the records.
Ship
Record Probate Record Marriage Record Marriage Date Husband’s last name
Recents Reuske Reenste 8/15/1868 Heeren
Trintje Trientje Catherina 3/11/1873 Reiling
Daniel Daje Doe
3/6/1 873 Behrens
Cassina Kasina Kosina 4/22/1876 Rocker
Kia
Gokia “Katie”
Heetland
Rientje Reuske Rense
(male son)
Riense Reuse Renske 2/2/1879
Grensmann
Gustav Laaltje Ella
1/20/1 886 Haller
Claus
Kirchhoff and his wife are buried at Zuma Cemetery in Port Byron. Daje and her
husband Henry are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Port Byron. Of interest is
the fact that Henry Behrens was originally buried at Dayton Cemetery in Colona,
Illinois.
Renske
Kirchhoff Grensmann died before her mother in 1887 and is buried in Zuma
cemetery. This couple had a daughter, Fanny. Fanny Grensmann was found in the
1900 census living with Rens Kirchhoff and Maggie Behrens in Coe Township.
Renske’s husband Cornelius later married a Margaretha Schmidt of Coe on April
19,1889.
The
Rockers and the Reiling families are both buried at Fairfield Cemetery in Port
Byron.
We
have found some information on the Heerens.
Nanne, Reenste, and Clarence Heeren are buried in Dayton Cemetery in
Colona, Illinois.
The Heetland family lived in Marion,
South Dakota in 1905. Based on the obituaries of other family members, Katie
Kirchhoff died between the years of 1910 and 1937. They had a least 5 children:
Herman, John, Elsina, Paul, and Elmer.
The Haller family moved to Nebraska
and in 1937, Ella was living in Wayne, Nebraska. Ella and her husband had two
children: Gotlieb and Rense.