Our g-g-grandfather Melchior Joseph Iten from Oberaegeri, Switzerland

emigrated earlier than 1878 to Thuengen near Karlstadt in Lower Franconia.

He worked as a milker, this was a typical profession for a Swiss man, so this profession was also called "Schweizer" in Germany, I think that he was working for the von Thuengen Family, because they had some big farms there. 

 

In 1878 Melchior Joseph married Anna Barbara Weidner from Hesslar, a neighbour village of Thuengen. After the death of Melchior Joseph Iten in 1891 his widow and children had to go back to Switzerland. This was because they had the Swiss citizenship and so the Swiss authorities hat to look after them not the Bavarians.

 

In the birth certificates of the sons Joseph Anton (1885) and Franz Joseph (1886) the father’s profession was “gutsherrschaftlicher Schweizer” and he lived in the house Nr. 72 in Thuengen. In his death certificate of 1891 he was only a „Schweizer“ and he lived in a rented flat in the house Nr. 72 in Thuengen. He was born in Oberaegeri in Switzerland and his parents were: Anton Iten, Farmer, died earlier, and Rosa Iten, maiden name Bründler, still living.

 

I have got not only the certificates of the registry office but also some churchbooks entries: The marriage entry of Melchior Joseph Iten and Anna Barbara Weidner and also the death entry of Melchior Joseph Iten. In the last one he is mentionned as “Schweizer in Thuengen”, but with the address “Schlosshof Nr. 72”, which confirms my thought that he really worked on the farm of the von Thuengen family. The cause of death was tuberculosis and the funeral was one day after his death.

 

 

Melchior’s younger brother Joseph Anton Iten emigrated also to Thuengen and married 1887 Margaretha Keller, widow of Karl Johann Amthor, witness of this marriage was Kaspar Amthor. Margaretha's parents: Christian Keller and Kunigunde, née Schürger are mentionned in her death record (see below). As Joseph Anton was also a “Schweizer in Thuengen” I think he also worked for the von Thuengen family. In a list of the inhabitans of Thuengen in the year 1928 there is a Anton Ithen mentionned. He was then an “Oberschweizer”, means Obermelker (foreman of the milkers), and he lived at the Hauptstrasse 81, means Mainstreet 81. Whether this is Joseph Anton Iten or his son Johann Anton Iten, we don't know it for sure. In October 1939 this son started to work as Rep. Locksmith for the firm Kugelfischer in Schweinfurt. He lived with his family at the Hauptstrasse 55, means Mainstreet 55, in Thuengen.

 

On the Arolsen Archives online there are "Listen der Angehörigen der Vereinten Nationen und anderer Ausländer", lists of people with foreign nationality who lived in the American Occupation Zone in Germany after WWII. There are also the death records of the registry office Thuengen and the churchbook entries (parish records) of the roman catholic parish Stetten (near Thuengen) concerning Joseph Anton Iten and his wife Margaretha. Joseph Anton Iten, was born 10.10.1858 in Oberegeri, and died 17.07.1942 in Thuengen. Margaretha Iten, was born 14.05.1859 in Hesslar/ Karlstadt, and died 01.03.1943 in Thuengen.

Both were buried on the roman catholic cemetery in Thuengen.

 

 

 

Another Milker from Oberaegeri in Thuengen

 

At the same time as my g-g-grandfather also emigrated a Bonaventura Rogenmoser from Oberaegeri to Thuengen. He was the son of Christian Rogenmoser and Emma Müller, silk weavers from Oberaegeri. The research results of another researcher: Bonaventura Rogenmoser lived at some other places before he came to Thuengen. One son was born in Wolfskofen / Mintraching near Regensburg, two other children were born in Gelchsheim and only the youngest children were born in Thuengen. Now the churchbooks (parish records) of Mintraching, Regensburg are available online on Matricula. In this parish records I have just found the marriage record of 14th June 1878, the baptism records of two children and the death record of one child. Bonaventuras occupation was eather cheese maker or milker.

 

 

At the time of the birth of the daughter Maria Rosa in 1891 his occupation was “gutsherrschaftlicher Schweizer”  and he lived in a rented flat in the house Nr. 72 in Thuengen. He died in Würzburg in 1919 at the age of 68 years. There he lived with his daughter Margareta Rogenmoser who was an unmarried factory worker. His wife Anna Maria Zenther, born in Acholshausen near Ochsenfurt, died in Würzburg in 1926 at the age of 71 years. She lived at the Rotkreuzhof with her son in law Leonhard Kretzer, Oberschweizer. One son named Georg Rogenmoser was born on the 15th February 1880 in Wolfskofen and his occupation was Viehwärter. He was married to Maria Barbara Zahn who was born on the 23rd March 1880 in Rottendorf near Würzburg. Their children were also born in Rottenborf.

 

 

Bonaventura Rogenmoser was a halfbrother of Franz Paul Rogenmoser who was the father of Magdalena Crescentia Rogenmoser who was married to Oswald Iten in Unteraegeri. They were my g-g-grandparents on the side of my grandmother. Melchior Joseph Iten and Anna Barbara Weidner were my g-g-grandparents on the side of my grandfather.