Louise Bonau: First Wife of Friedrich Formazin

 I updated this post from 2010 today on June 15, 2024. New additions in yellow and red. This file is from MyHeritage.com. ;  August Fermazin was from marriage of Friedrich Fermazin and Louise Bonau (first family). I, Nancy, am from third family Friedrich Fermazin and Caroline Hardwig (Hartwich).

The surname Bonneau is French and may have originated from the medieval name Bonellus, which comes from the Latin word bonus meaning "good". It may also have come from a habitational name from a place called Bonneau. The surname is listed in the National Huguenot Society's register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and the Huguenot Society of America's similar register.  ****I did not know that Huguenot's lived in Posen nor how they arrived there.

Today I am writing about the marriage of Friedrich Formazin [Fermazin] and Louise Bonau.  Fredrich married Louise Boanau in Ruhden, Posen, Prussia. He was single and the marriage papers stated his father was deceased.

In researching our family history in Posen, Prussia, [present day Poland] we found Friedrich Formazin was the son of Daniel Formaezyn born about 1785 and Mariana Soblinska. 
FHL # 245334, p.118 marriage 1806

We pick Friedrich Vormazin up in Labischin, Kreis Schubin in 1840 as a 21 year old lad getting married to Louise Bonau. Friedrich Vormazin Formazin married Louise Bonau  in Labischin on Dec.6,1840.Per his marriage records he was single, age 21, and resided in Ruhden, his father was deceased at time of marriage, while Louise is also listed as single 24 years and 5 months. Their children were:

August (recorded as Vormazin)

Born: Sep.7,1841 Florentowo

Bapt.: Sep.12,1841

Witnesses: Carl Meyer, August Reddmann, Renate Pinau (? spelling), Eva Meyer

Entry #  264 pages 138-139

Henriette

Born: Oct.9, 1843 Florentowo

Bapt: Oct.29,1843

Godparents: Michael Fenske, Justine Reddmann, Christine Wegner, Anna Schmidt, Justine Lurke

Entry # 358/1843 pages 332-333

Stephan

Born Oct.15, 1847 Bagno

Bapt: Oct. 17,1847 Schubin

Father – Einwohner - resident

Witnesses: Heinrich Brachschein, Justine Brachschein, Daniel Kopicke

Caroline

Born: Aug.13,1850 Rynarzewo

Bapt. Aug. 18,1850

Witnesses: Eduard Zillmmer, Louise Wienkauf, August Bartung

Father – Einwohner

Entry # 271/1850 page 320-321

Two years later two family members die of cholera: Louise and Henriette

Louise Formazin nee Bonau age 34, spouse of  Freidrich Formazin, Einwohner;  died Sep. 25,1852  Rynarzewo; she left behind 3 children

Entry # 120/1852  pages 6,7

Henriette Formazin daughter of Friedrich and Louise Bonau died at the age of 8 years and 11 months on Sep. 27,1852 in Rynarzewo

Entry #  223/1852 pages: 6,7

I know quite a bit about August Fermazin so will write a post about him and his family. One member of his family came to Chicago to see her Grandpa Friedrich Fermazin and stayed on to get married in Michigan. Then of course we lose her in the records. [Friedrich Fermazin came to the USA in 1879 with his third wife, Caroline Hartwig. I am getting ahead of myself. 


I am trying to do more research on Louise Bonau.   Looking for birth and family records for Louise. I am hoping by finding more out about the Bonau's I might find where the Fermazin's were living before Posen. [Possibly The Netherlands)
Found some History of Louis Bonau on My Heritage under Manfred Fermazin
Louise Bonau is not my direct line.  After her death Friedrich married twice more. I am descended from the third family: Friedrich Formazin and Caroline Hartwich (Hartwig).
Source:  FHL film # 0714893
Alternate spellings: Vormagen, Vormazin, Formazin, Formaeyn, Fermazin

Caroline Fermazin Steingraber

Caroline Steingraber was bron 13 August 1852 in Labischin Posen Prussia to Friedrick Fermazin and Louise Bonau. Caroline was one of four children. She died on 13 December 1937 in Fox, Kendall, Illinois.
 25 September 1852 her mother Louise Bonau Fermazin died of cholera along with her sister, Henriette.

Her siblings were:
Stephan Carl born 15 October 1847 in Labischen and who emigrated to America.
Henriette born 9, October 1843 who died of cholera 27 September 1852.  ,
August born 12 September 1841 who married Ernestine Kurtz and stayed behind in Kawiesezewo, Posen.

We are not sure when Caroline came to the USA. Her nieces came in 1896 and siblings by her father Friedrich Fermazin and Caroline Hartwig came in 1879 and 1880 to Aurora, Kane, Illinois.

Caroline married  William Steingraber about 1885 and they lived and raised their family in the farming community of  Yorkville, Kendall, Illinois. She was a housewife. It appears, Caroline was the second wife of William Steingraber and her step children resided in the household in the 1900 census. Prior to living in Yorkville Caroline and William lived in Aurora, Kane, Illinos with their children: Julius, Edward, Awiel, Minnie, Willie, Anna, and Johnnie.
Prior to this they lived in Minnesota.  Johnnie was born in Minnesota in 1893 so the family may have lived near Charles Fermazin who would have been Caroline's half brother. Charles and family were living in Minnesota in 1893.

According to the 1910 Aurora City Directory Carrie Steingraber was a widow living on Summit Avenue.
I am looking for more information on her and her family. Hopefully the 1940 census will give some more clues. Carrie's step mother-in-law was Carrie Fermazin living at 569 5th Avenue and her step brother Charles and wife Minnie were living at 265 N. 5th Avenue. Her sister in law Augusta Giese was living at 268 Hinman Ave.

City Directory: 

Aurora, Illinois 1910-11 City Directory. http://www.distantcousin.com/Directories/IL/Aurora/1910_11

Fermazin, Giese, Steingraber.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Aurora, Kane, Illinois; Roll: T623_310; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 61.

.1900 United States Federal Census about Carie Steingraber

Name: Carie Steingraber [Carie Sterisgraber]  Home in 1900: Aurora, Kane, Illinois [Kane, Illinois]  Age: 47 Birth Date: Aug 1852 Birthplace: Germany Race: White Gender: Female Relationship to head-of-house: Wife Father's Birthplace: Germany Mother's Birthplace: Germany Mother: number of living children: 7 Mother: How many children: 7 Spouse's Name: Wm Steingraber Marriage year: 1884 Marital Status: Married Years married: 16 Occupation: View on Image Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Wm Steingraber 44 Carie Steingraber 47 Julius Steingraber 27 Edward Steingraber 23 Awiel Steingraber 18 Minnie Steingraber 15 Willie Steingraber 12 Anna Steingraber 10 Johnnie Steingraber

Finding Family History Where It Happened: MINNESOTA

Finding Family History Where It Happened: MINNESOTA

By Genealogy Girl

From my diary: Vacation in 2004: On the Road Again
We traveled from California to Illinois, to Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Texas and Oklahoma doing research along the way.


...Today I stood in a Minnesota corn field owned by my great-grandfather, Karl Daniel Fermazin in 1895. Nearly 115 years ago. It is August and the corn is ready for harvest....


The field lies in Rost Township in Jackson County Minnesota.  

   Figure 1: Nancy by great-grandpa Charles Fermazin's land

My Charles was thirty-five when he arrived here in 1885 with Minnie, his wife, and four children. They came from Aurora, Illinois to farm in Minnesota. Charles was an immigrant from Schubin, Posen, Prussia who had experience farming in Prussia with his father. Minnie and Charles raised seven children in Lakeview, Rost Township, Jackson, Minnesota for 15 years 

  Figure 2:  Corn field on Great-Grandpa Karl Fermazin. Lakeview, Rost Township, Jackson, Minnesota

before they sold their land and moved back to Aurora Kane, Illinois. Three of the seven children were born on the farm in Lakefield, Minnesota: Lottie, Willie, and Harry.  


The family worshipped at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lakefield, Minnesota where the children were baptized. The children attended Public School, District No. 74 in Lakefield.

Figure 3:  Document depicting six of the Fermazin children who attended public school in Lakeview, Minnesota.

Below is  a photocopy of the auction sign that displayed the  farm equipment and livestock for sale at auction when they left the farm. The sale took place on the George R. Moore farm. George R. Moore was the banker in Jackson, Minnesota. 

Figure 4:  Auction of Livestock and farm equipment Charles Fermazin Farm, Lakefield, Jackson, Minnesota.

It was April 1907 when they moved by train back to Aurora, Illinois.

 Figure 5:  Charles and Minnie Fermazin House in Aurora, Illinois.  

I didn’t know what it was like to stand on soil that once belonged to him, filled with a jumble of thoughts about family, mortality, and the excruciating physical labor required to support a family of ten a century ago. I needed to walk the land, witness its expansive flatness, and observe the way the Des Moines River snaked through his landscape. Coming here, I feel better prepared to write about Charles Fermazin’s world than I was when I only knew facts.                                                     

I knew all that before coming to Minnesota in 2004. Libraries and Internet searches filled me with facts. I didn’t know what it was like to stand on soil that once belonged to him, filled with a jumble of thoughts about family, mortality, and the excruciating physical labor required to support a family of ten.  Coming here, I feel better prepared to write about Charles Fermazin’s world than I was when I only knew facts.

Of course, while I was there I combed the local libraries and archives, looking for “filler material” I couldn’t access from my home base. And I’ve found stuff—good stuff—that will help enrich my story.




© 2010, copyright  Nancy Fermazin