Klaiber Cousins
Compiled by Teresa
Martin Klaiber 2020
“Dutch Granny”
Marguretta Maurer Klaiber with Sophia Crum daughter of Maggie Klaiber Crum.
Maggie died age 18 months and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery in an unmarked
grave.
We
all start our quest about family as a “genealogy newbie”. We have to start somewhere. That first step
is what has become tagged as “grandma’s attic.” Start with what you know about
yourself, what family artifacts you discover in the attic and question relatives. I spent several early years of my journey
writing down all the wonderful tales about my “married into” Klaiber family. They had welcomed me with open arms and I am
very proud to be a member of this wonderful family.
And
while my first few publications leave a lot to be desired, from time to time
family members ask about them today.
With three little boys to raise, no extra money for self-publication, I
decided I wanted to share what I had gathered. In 1981, sitting at the kitchen
table in Burlington County, New Jersey, surrounded by answered questionnaires,
and piles of notes and interviews I began to compile Klaiber Cousins. With a cherished Klaiber family group picture
and a local printer who had never done a genealogy compilation I was proud of
my first endeavor.
Back
Row: John, Margaret, Charles. Elizabeth Fannin, Nelson. Seated: Dutch Granny,
John Andrew, Mary on lap of Miriam, Lorain “Raney” standing, James Matthew,
Harrison standing, Kate holding baby Anna.
In
1981, living in New Jersey, it was a long trip back to Kentucky where
progenitor John Andrew Klaiber had settled, to access records. With the help of established “genies” I
ordered microfilm after microfilm, cranking page after page to find census,
that today we readily tap on-line in a blink of an eye.
I
heard the wonderful stories about the bravery of John Andrew’s mother who
everyone simply called “Dutch Granny”.
John settled in what would become Boyd County, Kentucky. He came to America on the ship Brother
Jonathan in 1854. He married Mary
Ann McBrayer the following year in what was then Carter County, Kentucky. In 1859 he was naturalized in Greenup County,
Kentucky. Yes, you must learn the
genealogy of your family AND the history of countries and counties.
His
widowed mother Marguretta departed Hamburg on the Ship Silesia in June
1870. From New York she would follow her
son’s path to Cincinnati and come up river to Catlettsburg, Kentucky. She was 71 years old. This compiler is now 71,
with health issues, and am awed that she made this trip to America where they
lived out their remaining years.
Her
son was at that time living on Panola Street in Catlettsburg, a successful boot
maker in town. By 1883 he moved the
family out to Garner. Garner is now my home as well and God willing I will be
able to live out my remaining time here as well.
When
writing Klaiber Cousin’s we did not know “Dutch Granny’s” maiden
name. We knew the family was from Wurttemberg.
We now have established the family was from lovely Hausen Ob Verena in
Tuttlingen. Thanks to the wonderful diligence and advancement in technology and
placing digitized records on-line we know she is Marguretta Maurer daughter of
Johann Andreas Maurer and Anna Christina Glunz[i]
Maurer. She Married John Andrew
Klaiber’s father Matthais Klaiber 29 June 1829 in Hausen ob Verena, Tuttlingen,
Wurttemberg, Germany. We are honored to
be back in Kentucky, caring for the land and the cemetery where she lays at
peace in the on our farm.
Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd
County, KY
A wonderful serendipity is that we chose to
name our youngest Klaiber son Matthew in 1975, after James Matthew Klaiber not
knowing that we were also honoring his 3rd great grandfather. We
have three wonderful sons that carry on the Klaiber name.
With
better records and lots more experience I now have a documented tree from
Johann Andreas (John Andrew) Klaiber back four more generations. But for me it
will always be the stories and the history teaching me lessons along the way.
The chart is just a guide.
(For proper
documentation please contact compiler)
A
quick search at Worldcat.org shows Klaiber Cousins in local libraries as
well as the Library of Congress, FHL and New York Public Library System. The publication also got a mention in several
“Who’s who in U.S. Writers, editors & Poets”. I don’t feel like I can take
credit for any material in any genealogy. I did compile that is true. But no compilation could be done in genealogy
without all the wonderful gathered information and documents. It takes a family community.
If
you stop by to honor John Andrew, Mary Ann and “Dutch Granny,” in Klaiber
Cemetery please take a few minutes to come share your stories at our log home
across the road. Come sit a spell and
have a cuppa with me. The whisper of the
stories and the memories shared is truly the definition of genealogy.
