The Gugle Family History
The Christian Gugle Family
Christian Gugal (Gugle) was the youngest of the sons of Jacob and Catherine Gugal, being born on May 28, 1838 in Baden, Germany. He came over with the bulk of the family in 1856 when he was 18 years old. Christian married Katrina Wertz of Pulaski, White County, Indiana, in December of 1860. In April of 1862, Christian, William, and John Keis enlisted to fight in the American Civil War of the first two's adopted country. They were mustered (entered) into service in the 73rd Indiana Infantry, Company G and were sent off to Kentucky to fight the Confederate army in those parts. After the war, Christian came home and lived in Indiana until around 1870, when he moved his family, first to Big Rapids, Michigan and then to Leroy, Michigan. Leroy is where Christian now lies in an ancient cemetery as do other Gugles. Christian was the last of the original children of Jacob and Catherine Gugle to pass away, dying on March 16, 1937. He was a constant blessing to the town of Leroy, he was involved in the German Evan. Church in the area, and was entitled, "Leroy's Grand Old Man." He also the last of the Civil War veterans to pass away in his area.
Truely the most mysterious of the Christian Gugle family was his wife, Katrina Wertz. Very little is known about her and even from the older generations that knew her, did not know much. She was from Pulaski, Indiana and  married Christian Gugle on December 1, 1860. They continued to live in Cass County until 1862, when Christian enlisted in the Indiana volunteers to fight for the Union cause. She then moved back to White County and probably stayed with her family. After Christian's regiment was captured in Rome, Georgia, they were sent to Virginia to await their exchange for confederate prisoners. When Christian returned to Indiana with the rest of his regiment after the exchange, he visited her in White County and in which William Frederick, their first child, a boy, was the product. Before having William, Christian's regiment was sent back to the south to fight the disease and homesickness of garrison (fort) duty. Katrina would have William Frederick and Christian would have to wait until he was discharged  and could come home to finally see his first child. Katrina's last name, like the Gugle's also changed throughout the years. It was originated as Wartz, then was switched to Werts. The final spelling became Wertz. Her first name was also different from time to time depending on the relative. Catherine was used as well as Katrina. Katrina would die twenty four years before Christian in March of 1913.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Gugle was born on October 12, 1868 in Logansport, Indiana. Logansport has been the family's starting point from when they arrived in Indiana and is where Christian placed his residence on his Civil War Service card. Lizzie was the third child of Christian Gugle and Katrina Wertz and was the second daughter of the family. Out of the 11 or so children that Christian and Katrina has, Elizabeth moved the furthest away from the Leroy homestead. She was the product in which I like to call the original baby boomers. After the Civil War, the veterans began to have children as was the situation after World War II. She was married to a James Mathias Wilcox on September 12, 1887. This side of the family is the one that the author and creator of this website is a part of. After marrying James Wilcox, they began to have children as is the cusom of families to do so. After their children were grown, the couple eventually moved to the greater, Detroit area. Lizzie became fondly aquainted with her grandson, Marvin James Miller's family, in which she would visit them constantly in the Detroit area and later at their home in Romeo, Michigan. Elizabeth Gugle Wilcox died on October 17, 1953, in Detroit, Michigan and was brought to Leroy, Michigan to be buried with her parents and her husband that had died a year before her.
James Mathias Wilcox was born on April 21, 1860, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Nothing really is known to me of his parents, except his fondness for his father and mother-in-law. He married Elizabeth Gugle in September of 1887 and they raised their family in the small rural town of Leroy, Michigan. After years of living in the farm community that so many Gugles had lived and were living in, James and Lizzie decided to move to the city of Detroit. They lived there until the death of both James and Elizabeth. James Mathias Wilcox died on January 30, 1952, a year before Elizabeth. They were both brought back to the small town in western Michigan that they lived, raised thier children, and watched their family grow to be buried with other family members in the Leroy cemetery.
Contact: Andrew Miller
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