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| William Jacob Hahn was born 1Jan1847 to Wilhelm and Juliana Karolina (Keiper) Hahn in Niedermoschel, Pfalz, Bavaria, Germany. He traveled to America in 1864. Five years later in St. Louis, Missouri, at age 24 he wed the 16 year old daughter of Laomi & Matilda Potts, Elizabeth, on 10June1871. They made their home in Clinton County, Ill. William and Elizabeth had a growing family. Losing the occasional baby was a part of 19th century living; they burried their 2nd born with out giving a name or recording the sex of the child, indicating a still birth. But they already had Charles Arthur "Art" and soon Cora came along. Then there was John. February 12, 1878 they welcomed twins into their home; Lillie and Louis but Elizabeth fell ill. She was diagnoised with "milk fever" and died 6April, her twins not even 2 months old. ** It is very likely the illness that took Elizabeth from her young family was Porphyria which was yet unknown.** Heartache was compounded that August when Louis died at 6 months, 4days old. William laid his son next to his wife. |
| Over two years later he wed Mary Jane Casey, 8Oct1880. They had one child, Bertha and eventually moved their family to Fulton, Kansas. It was in Fulton that Mary died on 30June1912. After two years widowed again William married Ellen Keith with whom he had no children. Art and Lillie remained near Fulton when they married and William and Ellen were Grandma and Grandpa Hahn. William died 29Oct1928 and was burried in Fairview Cemetery, north of Fulton. |
| According to the records in my posession in the 17th century the sir name was spelled Haan. Since that time the spelling has been Hahn. It would be interesting to learn why Philipp and Anna Maria named their only son Johann Peter Hahn (not Haan). |
| ~~Translations of two letters William recieved from Germany ~~ |
| NEIDERMOSCHEL, DEC 16,1914 DEAR BROTHER! I HAVE TO WRITE TO YOU AGAIN AFTER A LONG TIME, AND IN VERY HARD TIMES. YOU MUST BE THINKING, THAT WE ARE NOT ALIVE ANYMORE. WHAT FEAR AND WORRIES DO WE HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH IN THESE WAR-TIMES, AND NOW WITH CHRISTMAS COMING, WE CANNOT SAY "PEACE ON EARTH". RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OUR LUDWIG HAD TO GO IN THE INFANTRY, AND ALSO KARL, OUR DAUGHTERS' HUSBAND, HAD TO GO TO WAR IN THE ARTILLERY. OUR LUDWIG HAD TO FIGHT IN MANY BATTLES FROM AUG. 18 TIL THE END OF SEP. AND OFTEN HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER. BUT THE GOOD GOD SAVED HIM AND SAVED HIM FROM THE ENEMIES BULLETS. BUT BECAUSE HE HAD TO SPEND SO MANY NIGHTS OUTSIDE ON THE GROUND, HIS THROAT-NECK-AILMENT CAME BACK AND HE HAD TO SEE THE DOCTOR. SO HE WAS DECLARED "UNABLE FOR COMBAT". SINCE NOV. 1, HE GOT HIS TEACHERS' JOB BACK, AND CAN BE THE HEAD OF HIS LITTLE SCHOOL AGAIN. KARL, OUR DAUGHTERS' SON, WAS INJURED ON HIS RIGHT FOOT ON OCT. 22. HE STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL IN HANBURG FOR 4 WEEKS, NOW HE IS IN THE HOSPITAL IN OBERMOSCHEL. HE HAS TO WALK WITH A CRUTCH AND CANE. HIM AND LUDWIG HAVE COME TO VISIT US SEVERAL TIMES. WE GERMANS CANNOT THANK GOD ENOUGH FOR THE BRAVERY OF OUR SOLDIERS, SO THAT THE ENEMY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO INVADE OUR COUNTRY. THE ALMIGHTY GOD HAS BEEN WITH US UNTIL NOW AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE AT OUR SIDE. THE WAR HAS TAKEN SO MANY LIVES BY NOW AND HAS BROUGHT SO MUCH SORROW BUT OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS. IF IT WAS ONLY GODS WILL TO SOON BRING PEACE TO ALL PEOPLE. THE GERMANS IN AMERICA HAVE ALSO SACRIFICED A LOT FOR US, MAY GOD THANK THEM FOR IT. THANK GOD WE ARE STILL HEALTHY AND HOPE THE SAME OF YOU. WE HAD A LOT OF WORK LAST SUMMER BUT WITH GODS HELP WE GOT IT ALL DONE. GODS BLESSING WAS IN THE FRUIT AND ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR ALSO IN THE CLOVER SEEDS, THE "ZENTNER" (=100 GERMAN POUNDS) BROUGHT 95ooMARKS, BEFORE IT USED TO BRING 65oo TO 70oo MARKS. WE HAD 4 ZENTNER TO SELL. WHEAT COSTS NOW 14oo MARKS PER ZENTNER, USED TO COST 10oo MARKS. BLEACHED FLOUR IS NOW 17oo MARKS. SO MANY THINGS HAVE GONE UP IN PRICE. POTATOES ARE 3-4 MARKS PER ZENTNER. APPLES AND PEARS ARE PLENTIFUL IN OUR COUNTRY, WE THANK GOD FOR THAT TOO. NOW PHILLIP IS PLOWING OUR FIELDS FOR THE NEXT YEAR WITH OXEN THAT BELONG TO OUR NEIGHBORS -WIFE. HER ONLY SON HAD TO GO TO WAR TOO. ALL SUMMER LONG WE HAD NO "TEAM" BECAUSE PHILLIP ~~~~ (LOST FROM COPY)~~~~. KARL SOLD THE HORSES SHORTLY BEFORE THE WAR STARTED. WE SOLD THEM TO A RELATIVE IN OBERMOSCHEL, HE IF PHILLIP COULD GET A TEAM OF OLD HORSES OR OXEN HE COOULD DRIVE HIMSELF. GOOD FRIENDS AND HEDWIGS' RELATIVES SEWED FOR NEXT YEAR, SO THAT THERE WILL BE HOPE AND A HARVEST NEXT YEAR, SO GOD WISHES. OUR SISTER JULCHENS' YOUNGEST SON IS WORKING AT THE TRAIN STATION DURING THE WAR IN LAUTERECKEN. AS FAR AS I KNOW THEY ARE STILL ALL WELL. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MUCH LUCK WITH YOUR 67TH BIRTHDAY. MANY GREETINGS FROM ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY FROM YOUR SISTER ELSIE KRUGER STEINALBEN NOV.26, 1915 DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER-IN-LAW! IT HAS BEEN A WHOLE YEAR, SINCE I WROTE YOU LAST. YOU MUST THINK WE ARE NOT ALIVE ANYMORE. HOW MANY TIMES DID I WANT TO WRITE BUT DID NOT GET TO IT, BECAUSE SUNDAYS I HAVE JUST AS MUCH WORK AS DURING THE WEEK, SINCE OUR DAUGHTER HEDWIG HAS TWINS SINCE FEBRUARY. SO I HAD THE JOB TO TAKE CARE OF THE TWO LITTLE BOYS. YOU STILL REMEMBER FROM YOUR OWN TWINS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAVE TO BE BOTTLE FED. THEY ARE SWEET, HEALTHY CHILDREN. NOW THEY ARE FAR ENOUGH, TO WHERE THEY CAN DO WITHOUT ME FOR AFEW DAYS. NOW I STILL WANT TO WRITE TO YOU FROM HERE SINCE I AM VISITING OUR LUDWIG IN STEINALBEN. HE GOT MARRIED IN SEPTEMBER TO A TEACHERS' DAUGHTER, SHE WAS A TEACHER HERSELF TOO. THEY ARE BOTH HAPPY AND CONTENT WHICH I WISH THEM WITH ALL MY HEART, AND WHAT I AM HAPPY TO SEE. FROM HERE I'LL TRAVEL TO THE GLONTAL TO VISIT OUR DAUGHTER ELISE AND WANT TO STAY THERE FOR A FEW DAYS TOO. HER HUSBAND LUDWID HOBEL HAS BEEN FIGHTING AT THE FRONT IN FRANCE NEAR VOGESEN, MAY GOD KEEP HIM AND PROTECT HIM. HE WAS NO SOLDIER, BUT THEY TRAINED HIM AS SO MANY OTHERS. THE TERRIBLE WAR HAS TAKEN A LARGE TOLL BY NOW FROM OUR RELATIVES, FIVE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ACTION. ONE OF THEM OUR SISTER KATCHENS' SON. HE WAS ALSO A TEACHER, HE WAS KILLED IN JUNE IN GALIZIENN (POLAND) AND WAS BURRIED THERE. THAT WAS A HARD TIME FOR OUR SISTER. WHAT A BLESSING THAT OUR OTHER SISTER DID NOT HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH ALL THIS ANYMORE. THE OTHER FOUR KILLED ARE NOT AS CLOSELY RELATED TO US. DEAR BROTHER, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR VILLAGE HAVE BEEN KILLED TIL NOW 4 HAVE BEEN KILLED, ONE IS MISSING, 4 WOUNDED, ONE VERY SICK AND ONE A PRISONER OF WAR. 3 OF THE INVALIDS RECEIVE A PENSION, ONE OF THEM IS OUR KARL. HE RECEIVES 30oo MARKS A MONTH. SINCE THE HARVEST KARL IS HOME BUT HE CANNOT DO THE FIELD-WORK PHILLIP HAS TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. WE HAVE A TEAM OF OXEN AGAIN. WE HAVE THE HAY AND FRUIT BACK IN THE HOUSE, ALSO THE POTATOES ARE LOOKING GOOD, EVEN THOUGH THE SUMMER WAS SO DRY WE ONLY HAD A THUNDERSTORM NOW AND THEN. BEFORE I CLOSE I WANT TO WISH YOU AND YOUR WIFE HAPPY HOLIDAYS. MAY GOD KEEP YOU, MANY GREETINGS FROM YOUR SISTER ELSIE KRUGER |