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From the biography we learn that John C. Severin was born 3rd May 1843 in Prussia and was a son of John C. and Elizabeth Severin, pioneers of Lancaster County. John C. Severin, Jr. married Mary Siedschlag, daughter of Herman and Augusta Siedschlag, on 17th October 1865 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. We have a copy of their marriage certificate obtained from Allen County, Indiana, which shows that they obtained a license to marry on the 27th day of September 1866 and were married on the 14th day of October in Allen County by M. S. Stuvenatz, Jr. Hence the Nebraska biography is a little off. (View Marriage Certificate)
The Nebraska biography continues that Mary was born 1st April 1848 in Prussia and came to America when she was 15 years old. The Siedschlags thus arrived about 1863. Mary's German name was Marya Maria Siedschlag but was anglicized to Mary. We have not found the Siedschlags on a ship's list as yet. Descendant Geraldine Severin in her biography of Johan Christian Severin, Sr. tells us that Herman and Augusta Tapp Siedschlag arrived in America on 12 October 1862 from Neumark, Province of Brandenberg, Prussia, Germany. They first located in Chicago, Illinois, and a year later moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he had charge of a large estate until his death in September 1865. (We will post more on the Siedschlag family later on a separate page)
The question becomes - what was Johann Christian Severin, Jr. doing in Allen County, Indiana, in 1866? We know that he was with his parents in Clayton County, Iowa, in the 1860 census: Chris, age 17, farmer, born Prussia. Again there are slight discrepancies with the Nebraska history which tells us that when John C. Severin "was about sixteen years old he began to learn the trade of a cooper and followed that business for about six years, afterward learning the trade of a machinist. For a short time he engaged in the latter occupation, and the remainder of the time has been spent in farming". His occupation is given as farmer when he was age 17 according to the census. The census is correct in recording his age in 1860 as 17. We know he was in Allen County, Indiana six years later when he was married so we might guess that he went there to learn the trade of machinist, or that he had finished his apprenticeship as cooper in that state.
We have verified some of the above information by obtaining John C. Severin, Jr's land office papers from Lincoln, Nebraska. On April 19, 1869 he paid $2 at the land office at Lincoln, Nebraska, declaring his intent to obtain the S1/2NW1/4 of Section 26 of Township 7 North of Range 6 East, containing 80 acres (declaratory statement #3611). He claimed to have settled on the land on April 17, 1869. Hiram Boone and Thomas R. Burling filed an undated certificate with the land office verifying that John Christian Severin, Jr. was indeed living on the S1/2 of NW1/4 of Section 26. They stated he entered upon and made settlement on the 1st of June, 1869. For six months he was head of family consisting of wife and three children. He had built a house on said land and had lived in said house since the 8th day of June, 1869 and that the improvements consisted of a house of pine lumber 12x16 with kitchen 6x8, with one outside door and two windows. He had plowed a hedge run around the entire tract, built a stable, planted about five acres in the seed of forest trees. We wonder about the success of the trees as we have studied the problem of water shortage in the west extensively and found that homesteaders in Nebraska had a dreadful time trying to support the trees required to prove up on a homestead; if they didn't die from lack of water, the wind usually killed them. His proving time was only six months so apparently went through without a hitch as on October 23, 1869, he paid $200 being payment in full for the S1/2 of the NW1/4 Section 26 at the rate of $2.50 per acre for 80 acres. Accompanying his payment was an Affidavit of Pre-Emption Claimant guaranteeing that the land was settled upon and improved for his own use and benefit and not for sale for speculation. The land description on both the homestead paper and pre-emption and sale paper is exactly the same so the Nebraska History may not be quite accurate as to two separate parcels of 80 acres.
Christian's occupation is given as farmer in the 1870 census and his farm is valued at $1800. Christian and Mary have children Henry, 3, Frank, 2, and Anna, 7/12, with them in 1870. Henry and Frank are shown as born Illinois, repeated in the 1880 census. They probably lived in Chicago for a brief time, as Geraldine Severin's history of the family tells us that Marie was the first patient of her brother (August Wilhelm Siedschlag aka Alexander von Mansfelde), who was a student at Rush Medical College of Chicago when son Frank was born on 17 June 1868.
Christian and Mary Severin are found in Buda Precinct, Lancaster County, Nebraska, in the 1880 census: Christ Severin, 37, farmer, born Prussia, parents born Prussia; Mary Severin, 32, keeping house, born Prussia, parents born Prussia; Henry, 13, born Il; Frank, 12, Il; Anna, 10, Ne; Augusta, 9, Ne; Alexander, 6, Ne; Bertha, 4, Ne; Christain, 1, Ne. Mother-in-law Augusta Seidschlag, age 59, born Prussia, parents born Prussia, is living with them. According to the Nebraska history, written in 1888 John C. Severin had served as school treasurer for several terms, as road supervisor for a number of years, and belonged to a Republican organization
There is no 1890 census to determine the composition of the family, but we do have the 1890's photograph (linked at the top of the page) to give us a list of the children alive at that time: Alex, Augusta, Frank, Bertha, Henry, Anna, Betty, Otto, Christian, Arnold, John, and Herman. We have the 1900 census on order.
Last update September 13, 2003
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