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Descendants of Gustav Adolph Weisert

The Weisert family Crest was located with the help of The Historical Research Center. Through their efforts and our persistent writing, we were able to find the History of the Weisert name, which also explains the Weisert Crest. We were very surprised to learn that Weisert is a common last name in Germany.

Picture of Gustav Adolph Weisert

Taken about 1890

From the 17th century until now every German parish has documented baptisms, marriages and deaths in Church records. Each parish has three different records lists, one for baptism, another for marriages and a third for deaths and funerals. We found that the Germans kept excellent records of all their people and are more than happy to share them with their American relatives. After writing to many parishes in Germany, we were able to put together this book of our German ancestors and Gustav's arrival in America.

Very little information was known about our Grandparents, Gustav Adolph and Maria Potra Weisert, so we had a lot of work and research ahead of us. Now 8 years latter, we feel as though we knew them.

Gustav's route of travel from Germany and port of entry into the United States in 1879 is still unknown. We found a few Weisert's on different ships leaving Germany for the United States from 1875 to 1885, however there was not a Gustav or any name even close. There are still many unanswered questions, such as whom if anyone came with him, possibly a wife or his parents. His State of residence after arriving in the United States is still not documented, however Chicago, Cook County, Illinois is where his application for citizenship was first applied for and Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio was where he became a citizen. Gustav arrived in America on or about November 25, 1879 from Germany. On March 27, 1887, he applied for citizenship in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and became a United States Citizen on October 20, 1891, in the United States District Court, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio on October 20, 1891.

Gustav was married to Catharine Genehr in about 1882, on April 23, 1885 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois a daughter was born to them, Maria Elizabeth Weisert, Aunt Mamie to us. On June 14, 1887 in Chicago, Catherine died leaving a husband and a two year old daughter, Catherine possibly died during another childbirth. The cause of death was not listed.

Maria Elizabeth Weisert and Virginia Rose Weisert "1929" Cleveland, Ohio

In 1891 Gustav and his daughter Maria were located in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. On June 16, 1888, Rev. J. B. Neustich married Gustav Adolph Weisert and Maria Potra, daughter of Matthew and Katherine Schmutzer Potra at St. Mary's Church, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. To them eight children were born, three still living according to the 1910 Cuyahoga County, Ohio census. Gustav died at the Cleveland State hospital in 1918 and his death certificate listed him as a widower. Maria was on the 1910 Cuyahoga County census, so between 1910 and 1918 she died, however a death certificate could not be found in Cuyahoga County or surrounding areas.

Picture of Maria Potra, about 1890

We have researched every document that could be found in Germany, Illinois, Ohio and many surrounding states. We believe the following to be a very accurate account of the Weisert family starting in Germany with Jakob Melchior Weisert born about 1738, traveling many years through time to the present, December 9, 1998. This seemed to be the appropriate day to start writing the Weisert Family Book, seeing it is dedicated to our parents, and this day would have been the 98th birthday of our mother, Ruby Pearl Reagan Weisert.

Our first clue on where to start our Weisert research in Germany came from the Application of Citizenship Gustav applied for in Cleveland, Ohio. This was also the source of information that led us to Chicago, seeing he first applied for Citizenship there. We were then able to locate the death certificate for his first wife Catharine Weisert, no maiden name given.

Caroline Rudolpina Louise Weisert, mother of Gustav was very hard to trace, all the records for Gustav, including his marriage certificate to Maria Potra, indicated his parents to be Gustav Adolph Weisert Sr. and Caroline Dug. Many letters were sent to Germany, however the only Gustav to be found born on March 28, 1857 in Halberstadt and surrounding areas was our Grandfather Gustav Adolph Weisert, son of the unwed Caroline Weisert. Gustav also had a brother, Rudolph Weisert born July 02, 1862, to the unwed Caroline Weisert only an X next to the father name, indicating the fathers name was not given. Rudolph died at 7 AM from sickness of the throat, at age 3 years, 10 months and 8 days. This, written on the death certificate, according to his mother, Caroline Rudolpina Weisert. He was buried May 13, 1865, at St. Johann Church Cemetery Halberstadt, Germany. Once you have a city and start your research in Germany each additional piece of information came with a new address and city of all elder Weisert's. Germany is about the size of Texas, so, sending a letter was easy once you have an area to start with and all their zip codes. Waiting one to three years for an answer was the hard part.

A marriage record was located for Caroline Rudolpina Louise Weisert and Fredrich Johann Christian Kroll, married on October 11, 1864. We were sent the transcript from the register of St. Martin's Church, Halberstadt, Germany. Married by Father Hoeckner, husband age 26(?), wife age 31. He was born October 11, 1833 in Kl. Ingersheim, Germany. This record was found at the same Church where Gustav Adolph Weisert had been baptized.

The following record was found on Fredrich Johann Christian Kroll, however we could not find any evidence of Fredrich being in the United States. According to his marriage date to Caroline we believe he did not leave Germany in 1854. Extensive research did not find Caroline or Fredrich in the United States, it is possible they came with Gustav. However this is only speculation, we tried to find them in the Chicago area with out success. We could not find any trace of Caroline in Germany after her marriage.

The Wuerttemberg Emigration Index: Volume One

Abbreviations of Oberaeter = District Towns, Page 111

Name: Kroll, Johann Christian, Birth Date: 11 Oct 1833, Birth Place: Kl. Ingersheim

District: Besigheim, Application Date: Jul 1854, Destination: North America, Number: 556841

Caroline was the second child of five born to Friedrich Wilhelm Weisert and Caroline Wilhelmine Christine Dieck. Their first child and only son, Rudolph born May 29, 1829 died April 01, 1832 at the age of three years 10 months and three days, leaving the only Weisert male his grandson, Gustav Adolph to continue the Weisert family Surname. One can only wonder if Caroline Rudolpina Louise Weisert named her second son after her deceased brother Rudolph.

The rest of our research in Germany indicated that the Weisert name would have stopped had it not been for Gustav. To Gustav and Maria Potra Weisert three sons were born, their second son John Matthias Weisert although married did not have any children. Their third son William Jacob Weisert, added five Weisert sons. From them many Weisert sons were born, now living in many parts of the United States, Gustav would be proud.

Friedrich Wilhelm Weisert, Caroline's father, had a brother named Karl Weisert. We do not have much information on Karl, however we do know he was born March 03, 1799 Heilbronn, Germany and had his First Communion in 1813, Heilbronn, Germany. One may wonder if we still have Weisert descendants living in Germany today?

The Weisert Home Page So Proudly they served: The Weisert Military Pages Meet our German Ancestors