Earnest Damitz, Senior

Ernest Damitz, senior, was born in Prussia, Germany, January 6, 1805. He emigrated with his family from his native country and landed in New York, in September, 1847. From New York he went to Chicago where he stopped one week on account of the sickness of his son William. He met with two men in Chicago who resided near Greenbush and Berwick, Illinois. They were farmers who had gone to Chicago market with grain in their wagons. Mr. Damitz hired them to haul his family to Greenbush, Illinois, paying them sixty dollars for the job. Upon his arrival in Greenbush, he rented a house for one month. In a short time after this he bought a farm of John Sargent, consisting of eighty acres of farm land and twenty acres of timber land. This land was located on section 17. He paid seven hundred dollars for it. He afterwards bought eighty acres adjoining it on the north. This 180 acres he sold to a Mr. Collins. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 15, where he spent his last years. He was married in Germany to Pauline Wetzel. She was born in 1809, and died November 29, 1866. He died February 7, 1883.

To them were born the following-named children:

• Serephene, who died in Germany at the age of three years.
• John, died in Germany at the age of eight years.
• Ewald, died on board the ship when crossing the ocean to America. and was buried in the sea. He was about two years old.
• Carl, born March 15, 1832; married Emily Spencer, in February, 1865.
  Ernest, born January 31, 1834; married Rebecca M. Spencer.
• Francis, born August 4, 1835; married Almarine Holeman, April 2, 1866. She was born July 20, 1845; and died February 11, 1896.
• Pauline, born April 4, 1837; married Andrew Sailer, January 9, 1859. She died June 22, 1895.
• William Fredric, born December 1, 1841; married Mary Jane Palmer. He died in Hickory county, Missouri.