Frederick John Kahre, 1865-1956

I mentioned in my previous post that while doing some updates to my research I felt a little mental nudge that maybe I should go back to blogging. I’m not sure why exactly that was. The work I was doing was fairly routine. I spent a day last week adding citations to the facts about my great-grandfather, Fred John Kahre. In fact, I now have at least one source (and usually more) for every fact about his life that I have recorded in my RootsMagic tree. I also updated his entry on WikiTree while I worked. Updating WikiTree is something I am trying to focus on a bit more than I have done in the past.

In any case, here is a brief overview of Fred John Kahre:

He is the 5th child of 8 of Karl (Carl/Charles) Kahre and Wilhelmine Freund. He was born on 21 Sept. 18651 in Knox County, Indiana, between Edwardsport and Freelandville. The family were members of the congregation of Bethel Church and Fred was baptized about 5 weeks after his birth on 30 Oct. 1865.2 He is enumerated in the 1870 Census3 with his parents, 4 older siblings and a younger sibling. Sadly, his father Karl (Carl/Charles) would die in 18724 leaving his widow with 7 children living and another on the way.

in 1880, Fred was both confirmed in the church5 and was enumerated in the census6. The family was “headed” by his eldest brother Charles and the household included: Charles, Wilhelmina (their mother), Caroline (sister), Louisa (sister), Henry (brother), Fred (age 14), John (brother), William (brother), and Gottlieb, the youngest brother who was born about 6 months after the death of their father. At the time of the next surviving census, in 1900, Fred, now age 34, is enumerated in his own household, but it directly follows the entry for his brother Charles.7

Fred and Emma, 1904

On 24 November 1904, Fred married Emma Kixmiller.8 Fred and Emma were both slightly older than usual at the time of their marriage. Fred was 39 and Emma was 35. No records have been found of any previous marriages, so they simply married a little later than some of their peers. A little over one year later, their son Norman was born. And 2 years after Norman, a daughter, Irma, was born.

The family are enumerated together in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses9 and in 1940,10 Fred and Emma are alone in the house, as both children have married. Fred and Emma continued to live on their farm until around 1950 when they “retire” and take up residence with their daughter and her husband in Sandborn, Indiana.11

Fred died in Sandborn at the home of his daughter on May 18, 1956 and is buried at Bethel Cemetery.12 He was the last surviving of his siblings. He was survived by his wife, Emma, his 2 children, and 5 grandchildren.

Footnotes:

  1. Bethel Church, The Baptismal Records of Bethel Church 1852-2008 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 2008), p. 59. Also, Indiana State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, #15755, Frederick J Kahre, Knox County, 18 May 1956; Death Certificates, 1956, vol. 32, Indiana Archives and Records Administration: Indianapolis; This image is technically available via Ancestry (Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011″) but due to poor filming, IARA was contacted for a readable image.
  2. Bethel Church, The Baptismal Records of Bethel Church 1852-2008 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 2008), p. 59.
  3. 1870 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Vigo Township, p. 32 (penned), dwelling 244, family 245, Charley Carl [Kahre] [household]; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 07 Feb. 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 331.
  4. Bethel Church, The Funeral Records of Bethel Church 1857-1998 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 1999), p. 22. Also, Knox County, Indiana, probate case files, box 84, Charles Kahre; Knox County Public Library, Vincennes.
  5. Bethel Church, The Confirmation Classes of Bethel Church 1851-2006 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 2007), p. 30.
  6. 1880 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Vigo Township, ED 117, pp. 235-D and 236-A (stamped), p. 20-21 (penned), dwelling 181, family 201, Chas. Kahr [household]; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 06 March 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 289.
  7. 1900 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Vigo Township, ED 49, p. 134-B (stamped), sheet 3, dwelling 64, family 64, Fred J Kahre; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 06 Mar. 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 381.
  8. Bethel Church, The Marriage Records of Bethel Church 1857-2001 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 2002), p. 16. Also, “Indiana, Marriage Index, 1800-1941,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 6 March 2021, F J Kahre-E B Kixmiller, 24 Nov. 1904; citing Knox County, Indiana, Marriage Records, book C-16, page. 562.
  9. 1910 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Westphalia, ED 67, sheet 7-A, dwelling 117, family 117, Fred Kahre [household]; image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : viewed 01 Jan. 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 360. Also, 1920 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Westphalia, ED 97, sheet 1-A, dwelling 6, family 6, Fred Kahre [household]; image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : viewed 01 Jan. 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 442. Also, 1930 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Vigo Township, ED 42-20, sheet 9-B, dwelling 18, family 18, Fred Kahre [household]; image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : viewed 01 Jan. 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 596.
  10. 1940 U.S. census, Knox County, Indiana, population schedule, Vigo Township, ED 42-20, sheet 12-A, household 254, Fred Kahre [household]; image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 06 March 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 1060.
  11. The Digital Archives of the Knox County Public Library, images and database (http://knoxcounty.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 03 Feb. 2020), “Fred Kahre, Pioneer, Dies,” Vincennes (Indiana) Sun-Commercial, 20 May 1956, p. 6.
  12. The Digital Archives of the Knox County Public Library, images and database (http://knoxcounty.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 03 Feb. 2020), “Fred Kahre, Pioneer, Dies,” Vincennes (Indiana) Sun-Commercial, 20 May 1956, p. 6. Also, Indiana State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, #15755, Frederick J Kahre, Knox County, 18 May 1956; Death Certificates, 1956, vol. 32, Indiana Archives and Records Administration: Indianapolis. Also, Bethel Church, The Funeral Records of Bethel Church 1857-1998 (Evansville, Indiana: Evansville Bindery, 1999), p. 97.

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