|
The meaning of the name:
DIETZEL,is a petname of
old forenames based on the words THIOT or DIOT in former High
German language (althochdeutsch),especially petname of the fore
name DIEDERICH (or otherwise written: DIEDRICH, DITTRICH or
DIET(T)RICH). All these names were created from the words "thiot-rihhi"
or "diot-rihhi" which have the meaning "people/nation, human
being" plus "power, rule, authority, violence; empire". By the
"Dietrich-Saga" those forenames were very popular in Middle Ages.
The "Dietrich-Saga" tells the story about "Theoderich der Grosse"
(Theoderich the Great) who was King of the Ostgoten in the years
471 - 526, also known as "Diedrich von Bern". The spelling (style)
of DIETZEL has changed throughout the centenaries: 1438 = Ticzel,
1498 = Dytcell, 1503 = Ditzel.
(Thanks for your help! Axel )
I have with the help of Axel
located Diezel (Dietzel) family church records in Germany
at the Evangelical- Lutheran church at:
Kronacher Str. 3
07318 Saalfeld-Obernitz
Germany
Tel. 03671/642637
I have up
dated the book with all of the records from the church in Saalfeld-
Obernitz. I have also received information of more church records at
a church in Gotha, Germany. This research will have to be done by a
professional researcher. This is due to the translation of the old
German writing and time needed to do it. If you are interested in
helping with the cost of the research please contact me.
Gotha
Evangelical church
Pfarramt Graba
z11 Pfarrer Forchman
AN der Gertrudiskirche 2
07318 Saalfeld
Tel. 03671/2219
INTRODUCTION
 |
 |
Georg Heinrich and Johanna Dorothee (Ziesler)
Diezel
Georg Heinrich and Johanna
Dorothee (Ziesler) Diezel, natives of Prussia and early settlers of
Moniteau County, Missouri, were the ancestors of many citizens in
Moniteau County. Many descendants also live in other areas of
Missouri. Descendants have also spread to Canada and at least 17
states other than Missouri, including: Arkansas, Alaska, California,
Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan,
Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, and
Washington.
THE PRUSSIAN YEARS
Georg Heinrich Diezel was born in or near the town of Reschwitz,
Prussia, on 3 February 1814. Records in possession of a
great-granddaughter, Ruth Bremer (#162), show Georg Heinrich was
baptized on 9 February 1814.
Georg's father Johann
Heinrich Diezel was born in the year 1763 and died on 15 Sept. 1825
in Reschwitz. Johann married Elisabethe Margarethe born 6 January
1769 died on 15 July 1850 in Reschwitz. It is unknown at this time
if Georg was there only child. Georg Heinrich's name was later
"Americanized" to George Henry.
Georg Heinrich's
birthplace, Reschwitz, is located in the southeastern part of
Germany. During the early 1800's, it was part of ancient Furstentum
Schwarzburg Rudolstadt (now called Thuringen), near the River Saale
(see map).
 |
 |
 |
 |
Note: The Pics above are the town of
Reschwitz. Provided to me by Axel Dietzel. The Color pics were
taken in 1998.
Georg Heinrich Diezel
married Johanna Dorothee Ziesler on 12 November 1837 in Reschwitz,
Prussia. Georg and Johanna would have been about 23 and 16 years
old, respectively. Their first known child and oldest son,
Christian Carl Samuel, was born on 26 November 1838, in Reschwitz,
Prussia. Johanna Dorothee Ziesler was born on 16 March 1821 in or
near Reschwitz, Prussia. Johanna's name was later "Americanized" to
Hannah, Hanna, or Anna. Johanna was the first child of Johann
Gottlob Ziesler died 7 April 1845 and Katherine E. Ziesler.
Katherine Elizabeth Ziesler was born on 18 March 1787, and according
to some records was born in Laser (or Laasen), Prussia. Katherine
immigrated to the United States with Georg and Johanna, and died
about 21 years later. Additional records in the possession of Ruth
Bremer shed some light on George and Johanna's years in Prussia. We
know that Georg's occupation was as a carpenter. A daughter,
Christina, was born on 3 September 1840. A second daughter,
Friederike, was born on 13 April 1842. The Fourth child Christian
Friedrich Heinrich, was born 15 June, 1844, in Reschwitz. Christian
Friedrich must have died in Prussia between March, 1845 and early
1846.
THE JOURNEY
We can only guess Georg and
Johanna's reason for leaving Prussia. There was much political
unrest in Prussia in the 1840's. When King Frederik William IV took
the throne in 1840, a conservative mood settled over Prussia.
Censorship of the liberal press was common. Economic conditions
were poor and in 1845-1846, prices soared. Massive emigration to
the United States and other countries occurred during these years.
Beginning in 1846, minor revolts occurred in several Prussian
states.
A Pass Journal document
from the Prussian state of Schwartzburg, signed in the town of
Rudolstadt on 17 March 1845, gave permission for Georg Heinrich
Diezel, his wife Johanna Diezel and four children aged 7, 5, 3 and 1
3/4, to emigrate to America. In small letters written between lines
and seemingly added at a later date, Katherine Ziesler was also
given permission for emigration. The Pass Journal document also
gives the following description of Georg Heinrich Dietzel:
|
Description of
Georg Heinrich Dietzel
|
Age: 31 years old
Size: tall
Hair: black-brown
Forehead: high
Eyebrows: brown
Eyes: blue
Nose: long
Mouth: small
Beard: brown
Face: oval |
Their exact date of
departure for America is unknown but, after the Pass Journal was
issued, several months apparently passed during 1845 and probably
1846. It was probably during these months that the Christian
Friedrich Heinrich died and the mother-in- law, Katherine, decided
to join Georg and Johanna on the journey to America. Georg Heinrich
Diezel, his family and mother-in-law, departed from the Port of
Bremen in northern Germany. Bremen is located about 200 miles
northwest of the Rudolstadt-Reschwitz area.
DIEZEL or DIETZEL?
Diezel was the spelling used in Prussia and can be found this way
on several old family documents. The Diezel name at some point
between Germany and arrival in the United states a "T" was added
making the name Dietzel. There are a number of other misspellings
of the name that have been found.
The family arrived in the
United States at the Port of New Orleans on 16 July 1846, on a ship
known as the Mississippi. The
ship records by ship Master Johann Daniel Probst, show the names
of 202 passengers and state that none of the passengers died at
sea. The ship had sailed from the Port of Bremen. Most of the
passengers were Prussian, German or Swiss.
The Dietzel family shown below were the only ones of the 202
passengers with the names of Dietzel or Ziesler (note the incorrect
spellings, names and ages, common in those days):
FROM THE PASSENGER LIST OF THE SHIP "MISSISSIPPI"
|
NAME
|
AGE
|
BIRTHPLACE
|
OCCUPATION
|
| Henry Dietzel |
34 (32?)
|
Reschwitz, Prussia |
Carpenter |
| Anna |
22 (25?)
|
Reschwitz, Prussia |
Wife |
| Joh. Carline |
7
|
Reschwitz, Prussia |
Child (Carl-8?) |
| Friedericke |
4
|
Reschwitz, Prussia |
Child (Friederike-4?) |
| Frederik |
2
|
Reschwitz, Prussia |
Child (Friederike-4?) |
| Calorine Ziesler |
52 (58?)
|
Laser, Prussia |
Mother-in-law |
The ship
records also listed the "Last Place of Settlement" for all six
persons as "Reschwitz", Prussia. The "Religion" of all six persons
was listed as Evangelical. The number of packages in possession of
this family was listed as "3 boxes, 3 casks and 1 basquet."
According to
family tradition, the Dietzels travelled by steamboat up the
Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri. Then, after changing
steamboats at St. Louis, they travelled up the Missouri River to
central Missouri, disembarking at either Wolfe's Point (now known as
Lupus, Missouri) or Jefferson City, Missouri. The family's time of
arrival in central Missouri is unknown but was most likely during
the fall of 1846 or the winter of 1846-47. The journey to America
must have been the experience of a lifetime. The story was told and
re-told many times by the children and grandchildren of Georg and
Johanna.
THE AMERICAN
YEARS
At this point
there are some variations in the family tradition. According to a
version from a great-grandson, Clarence C. Dietzel (#131), Georg
Heinrich Dietzel and 12 other men walked from Jefferson City to
Boonesboro (now California, Missouri). They stayed overnight with a
young couple in a log cabin that had a lean-to.
The following
morning there was a deep snow on the ground. The men scattered.
Georg and several other men walked north. Georg found a "hunter's
shack" in a small creek bottom near what would later be known as
"the Dietzel Cave". The roof was made of poles covered with mud and
thatch.
Georg moved
his family and mother-in-law to this shack. During mild weather
they stayed in the shack but in bad weather they moved to the nearby
cave. The cave had a shelf-like place for storing possessions and a
hole in the center of the ceiling. The hole in the ceiling
exhausted smoke from their fire and the cave stayed very
comfortable. Wild turkeys and other game provided most of their
food.
Georg, using
his skills as a carpenter and the help of his eight-year-old son,
Carl, cut the rocks and hewed the logs to build a house. Building
the house took about two or three years. The hunter's shack was
located about halfway between the cave and the house. After the
house was completed, the cave was used for storing food supplies.
Another
version of family tradition is similar, but holds that the family
landed at Wolfe's Point (Lupus), rather than Jefferson City.
The cave and
the house are located in section 35 of Moniteau County about three
miles northwest of Jamestown. In 1986 the land was owned by Edwin
Poehlman, Jr. The house is unoccupied and in poor condition, but is
still standing. The cave can still be found, but the opening is
partially closed by dirt that has washed in over the years.
Georg, using
his skills as a carpenter and the help of his eight-year-old son,
Carl, cut the rocks and hewed the logs to build a house. Building
the house took about two or three years. The hunter's shack was
located about halfway between the cave and the house. After the
house was completed, the cave was used for storing food supplies.
Another
version of family tradition is similar, but holds that the family
landed at Wolfe's Point (Lupus), rather than Jefferson City.
The cave and
the house are located in section 35 of Moniteau County about three
miles northwest of Jamestown. In 1986 the land was owned by Edwin
Poehlman, Jr. The house is unoccupied and in poor condition, but is
still standing. The cave can still be found, but the opening is
partially closed by dirt that has washed in over the years.
J. E. Ford's HISTORY OF MONITEAU COUNTY (1936)
indicates that the Moniteau Evangelical Church was established in
1848 and that Heinrich Diezel was a charter member. The old church
records, in German, contain many references to Georg Heinrich
Dietzel and his family. One of the first records shows that Wilhelm
Heinrich Dietzel's baptism took place on 24 April 1849. Wilhelm was
Georg Heinrich's and Johanna's fifth child, and the first to be born
in America. Wilhelm was born on 13 April 1849.
Still another
version of family tradition says that Georg went to California
during the 1849 goldrush. Although there is no known written record
of this, a great-great granddaughter of Georg's has a small gold
nugget believed to be part of Georg's findings. If the goldrush
tradition is true, then Georg's roundtrip to California must have
take place between 1849 and 1852.
On 21 March
1853, a sixth child was born to Georg and Johanna in Missouri. She
was named Katharina Magdalina.
A deed dated
27 April 1853, on file at the Moniteau County court house, shows
that on 28 March 1853, George Henry Teatsel (i.e., Diezel) of
Moniteau County, Missouri, purchased 40 acres of land from Wm.
Bowman for the sum of $140.00. This land was described as the
northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section number 35,
township forty seven, range fifteen.
Heinrich Johann, the seventh child and third son, was born in
Missouri on 21 July 1854.
In C. E.
Alee's MONITEAU COUNTY MISSOURI MARRIAGE AND WILL RECORDS, the
marriage of Christianna Dietzel to Franciscus Plank (Blank) on 30
August 1855, is listed as one of the first 200 marriages recorded in
Moniteau County. She was the first of Georg and Johanna's children
to be wed.
Margarita
Catherina, the eighth child, was born in Missouri on 5 May 1856.
On 2 October
1857, Henry Teatsel (Diezel) personally appeared in Circuit Court of
Moniteau County and renounced his German citizenship, and became a
citizen of the United States of America.
Johann
Heinrich, the ninth child was born in Missouri on 21 August 1858.
A second deed,
made on 24 February 1859, on file in the Moniteau County court
house, shows for the sum of $321.00, Henry Teasel (Dietzel)
purchased additional land from John Stumpff. This land bordered the
land Georg already owned. The new purchase was the southeast
quarter of the northeast quarter of section 35, township forty seven
of range fifteen. It also included the lower half of the northwest
quarter of the northwest quarter of section 36, township forty seven
of range fifteen.
Johann Georg,
the tenth and final child, was born in Missouri on 10 September
1862. Georg was 48 and Johanna was 41 years old.
On 16 August
1867, the oldest son, Carl, married Dorathea Elizabeth Dahlstein.
Johanna's mother, Katherine Elizabeth Ziesler, died on 24 October
1867. Then, on 16 January 1870, the third child, Friederike,
married Peter Braun.
The decade of
the 1870's must have been sad years for Georg and Johanna. Three of
their children died due to Tuberculosis or a similar disease then
known as consumption. Katharina Magdalina, their sixth child, died
on 18 September 1873. Only two years later, on 5 May 1875, the
eighth child, Margarita Caherina, died. Tragically, only three
years later, on 8 October 1878, their youngest child, Johann Georg,
died at 16 years of age. Perhaps, and hopefully, their pain was
eased by the birth of several grandchildren during the 1860's,
1870's and 1880's.
In 1879 or
1880, Wilhelm, the fifth child, was married to Wilhelmenia Dahlstein.
It is interesting that Wilhelmenia was the younger sister of Carl
Dietzel's wife, Dorathea. This made the children of Carl Dietzel
double-first cousins to the children of Wilhelm Dietzel.
Johann
Heinrich Diezel, the seventh child of Georg and Johanna, was the
last to be married. On 29 January 1885, he married Margaretha C.
Schuster.
Georg Heinrich
Diezel's will is listed in C. E. Alee;s book referred to previously,
as one of the first 200 wills recorded in Moniteau County. The
will, dated 6 May 1883, was recorded under the name of "Henry
Dietzel".
Georg Heinrich
listed his heirs as:
his beloved
wife Johanna
his son John (Johann Heinrich)
his daughter Cristeana Blank
his daughter Frederika Brawn
his son Charles
his son William
his son Henry J.
In his will,
Georg Heinrich left all property real, personal and mixed, to his
youngest surviving son, John. John was to pay the other heirs a
total of $1,805.00. Johan was also supposed to keep and maintain
Georg's beloved wife, Johanna. Georg Heinrich also requested that
his children, Christiana, Frederika, Charles and William, each be
given an additional $100.00. Son Henry J. was to be left $5.00.
Georg stated he had already given Henry J. $300.00, and sons Charles
and William $200.00 each.
Ironically,
the will was never carried out according to Georg's plan. Georg
died in Moniteau County, Missouri, near Jamestown on 1 February
1886. Johanna died on 8 October 1888. Unfortunately, the youngest
surviving son, John, who was to have stayed on and farmed the home
place, was injured in a threshing machine accident and died on 23
October 1891. Moniteau County records, dated 3 March 1893, show the
original Dietzel home place was sold and the sum of $2,500.00 was
divided among the remaining heirs: Christina Blank, Fredrika Brawn,
Henry J. Dietzel, Charles Dietzel and William Dietzel.
Georg, Johanna
and Katherine, as well as most of Georg and Johanna's children, are
buried at the Moniteau Evangelical Church cemetery a few miles west
of Jamestown, Missouri.
Children of Georg Heinrich and Johanna Dorothee
(Ziesler) Diezel:
|
Prussian Born |
|
(1) Christian Carl Samuel..........b. 26 Nov
1838- d. 4 Apr 1910 |
|
(2) Johane Christiane..............b. 3 Sep
1840- d. 13 May 1904 |
|
(3) Johanne Friederike Christiane..b. 7 Apr
1842- d. 2 Mar 1917 |
|
(4) Christian Friedrich Heinrich ..b. 15 Jun
1844- d. 1845 or 1846?
Christian died before the family left Prussia. His burial
site is
unknown. |
|
Missouri Born |
|
(5) Wilhelm Heinrich.....b. 13 Apr 1849- d. 24
Feb 1918 |
|
(6) Katharina Magdalina..b. 21 Mar 1853- d. 18
Sep 1873 |
|
(7) Heinrich Johann......b. 21 Jul 1854- d. 11
Dec 1900 |
|
(8) Margarita Catherina..b. 5 May 1856- d. 12
Sep 1875 |
|
(9) Johann Heinrich......b. 21 Aug 1858- d. 23
Octo 1891 |
|
(10) Johann Georg.........b. 10 Sep 1862- d. 8
Oct 1878 |
Five of Georg
Heinrich and Johanna Dorothee (Ziesler) Diezel's children lived long
enough to marry and have descendants.
(1)
Christian Carl Samuel (Dietzel is my GGrandfather)
(2) Johane Christiane (Dietzel) Blank
(3) Johanne Friederike (Dietzel) Braun
(5) Wilhelm Heinrich Dietzel
(7) Heinrich Johann Dietzel
|
