Jacob Sylvester Kreuz, Sr.

Born: 30 November 1861
Bliesen, Rhine Province, Prussia

Died: 05 June 1948
Spencer Township, Lucas County, Ohio
Jacob Kreuz

Jacob was the third of five surviving children of Peter Kreutz and Elisabeth Gillen.

He first married Elizabeth Schmidt (25 May 1861 - 30 June 1914) on 19 November 1884 in Alsweiler. She was born in Mauschbach, and was the daughter of Wendel Schmidt and Barbara Haab.

Jacob and Elizabeth emigrated with their oldest surviving child and Jacob's brother, Peter, in April 1889. They were passengers on the steamship Noordland, which departed from Antwerp, Belgium. The ship arrived at New York City on 21 April, after a voyage of fourteen days. Jacob and Peter settled in Raabs, Ohio.

Between 1885 and 1904, Jacob and Elizabeth had nine children:

  1. Nikolaus (13 Sep 1885 - 16 Apr 1886)
    He died at the age of seven months.
  2. Elizabeth Teresa (8 May 1888 - 26 Jun 1964)
    She married Jacob Joseph (J.J.) Bick (1882-1972)
  3. Jacob Sylvester (Jake) Jr. (22 Jul 1891 - 25 Oct 1971)
    He married Melvina Theresa Langenderfer* (1896-1983)
    Jake worked as a farmer and was elected clerk for Spencer Township in 1955.
  4. Peter J. (18 Jul 1893 - 18 Feb 1966)
    He married Mabelle (1903-1987)
    Pete worked as a chiropractor in Monterey Park, California. He was a WWI army veteran.
  5. Joseph Peter (Joe) Sr. (17 Jul 1895 - 22 Apr 1964)
    He married Mary Ann Dibling (1892-1977)
    Joe worked as a farmer and was secretary of the Lucas County Farm Bureau.
  6. Francis Joseph (Frank) (20 Oct 1897 - 30 Dec 1917)
    He died at the age of twenty from spinal meningitis.
  7. Wendell Anthony (30 Dec 1899 - 2 Apr 1981)
    He married Virginia Clare (Jeannie) Langenderfer* (1910-1998)
    Wendell was a farmer, carpenter, and president of the Spencer Sharples School Board.
  8. Rosella Mary (Sal) (15 Mar 1902 - 29 Jun 1989)
    She married Walter Ellsworth (Walt) Dowling (1898-1970)
  9. Barbara Frances (Barb) (30 May 1904 - 10 Apr 1990)
    She married Charles J. (Chuck) Vollmar Sr. (1902-1974)

    [* Melvina and Virginia Langenderfer were sisters. A third sister, Leona, married John Kreuz, Sr. (see iv.). He was Jacob's nephew.]

The family first lived on Bancroft Road near State Route 295. They then moved to a house on Raab Road, about a quarter mile from Immaculate Conception church. Jacob worked as a farmer.

He became a naturalized US citizen on 4 November 1895.

Elizabeth died at age 53 from a pulmonary thrombosis, and was buried on 2 July 1914 in the Immaculate Conception cemetery in Raabs.

Jacob remarried to Anna Engel Trockur (29 Sep 1865 - 21 May 1953). She had been his housekeeper. The marriage took place on 24 April 1918 at Immaculate Conception in Raabs.

Anna had three children from a previous marriage to John Trockur:

  1. Rev. (John) Emanuel Trockur (22 Dec 1890 - 8 Jun 1977)
    He was a Franciscan missionary priest. In 1917, he went to the Navajo Indian Reservation in St. Michael's, Arizona. He was the writer, editor, and printer of Traveling the Padres' Trail, a mission magazine.
  2. Anna E. "Annie" Trockur (19 Oct 1892 - Apr 1983)
    She married Joseph J. "Joe" Nagel (1889-1978)
    They moved to St. Michael's, Arizona and helped with the mission.
  3. Michael F. Trockur (16 Jul 1894 - Apr 1974)
    He married Clara (1900-1973)
    They lived in Peoria, Illinois.

Jacob died at age 86 from myocarditis and chronic intestinal nephritis. He was buried on 8 June 1948 in the Immaculate Conception cemetery in Raabs, next to Elizabeth.

Anna died at age 87 and was buried in Peoria, Illinois.