Scheckel

by

James W. Neiers

14 July, 1998

Scheckel is not a commonly occuring surname. It has Germanic roots and early records indicate the national origin variously as Holland, Prussia, Dutch, Germany, and Luxemburg. While I have not identified specific roots to an area in Europe, family tradition places the area of origin as the current day Luxembourg. This is not inconsistent with contemporary Nation sovereignty. Many spelling variations are found in the 19th century records in America. These include: Schakel, Schackle, Sheckle, Schekales, and Schakels. Many of these variations relate to identified Scheckel family members.

While individual Scheckel families, usualy spelled differently, are encountered throughout the U.S. in the mid 1800s, the ones of particular interest to me are found in eastern Iowa in Jackson County. One of the earliest records is the marriage of my great-grandfather, John Scheckel to Margaret Gehlen.

"This certifies that on this 21st day of May AD 1860 J. M. Flamming a Catholic Priest united John Schekales to Margaret Gehlen in the Holy Bonds of Matrimony ---- my hand at St. Donates this 21st day of May 1860.
J. M. Flamming
C.P."

Three distinct Scheckel families lived in Jackson County, Iowa in the early 1860s. They generally lived on farms with post offices such as: LaMotte, Bellvue, Springbrook, and Preston. Descendants have since concentrated in Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, throughout Iowa, and Kansas. The family "party line" I always heard was "They are not related." I have not established a relationship but I am looking. The three Scheckel families I am concentrating on are :

Other Scheckel Links

Phil Scheckel, a steam boat captain operating on the Chippewa in Wisconsin. He built his first steamboat, the "Golden Start" in 1862. Further information on Phil Scheckel and the steamboat is available on the History page of Durand High School.

A recent contact with Scheckel descendants in Luxembourg provides the information that the Scheckels had came from the "Linster" area of Luxembourg. The Linster area is an area located northeast of Luxembourg city comprised of four small villages. Altlinster, Junglinster, Burglinster, and Graulinster. A Nicolas Scheckel was living in Reckange (Mersch). Nicolas moved to Gonderange, a small community of Junglinster near Ernster. Through this 2003 Luxembourg connection, I obtained a photo that they had of a Scheckel family in the US. This photo has the studio name Godfrey in Waukegan, Illinois.

Early Scheckel Ancestors

________ Scheckel . . . . . Father: _______________ . . . . . M other: ______________
Born: ___________
D ied: ______________
M arried: _________________________
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
John circa 1832 probably Luxemburg Margaret Gehlen
Francis Goetz		 21 MAY 1860
19 FEB 1873 		10 OCT 1884

John Scheckel . . . . . Father: _______________ . . . . . M other: ______________
Born: __circa 1832
D ied: 1884 OCT 10
M arried: Margaret Gehlen . . . . . 1860 MAY 21
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Peter 30 MAR 1861 St. Donates, IA Mary Philomena Klein 27 NOV 1883 17 SEP 1922
Johannes 17 FEB 1863 St. Donates, IA NO NA 18 MAR 1863
Theodore 24 JUL 1864 St. Donates, IA NO NA 3 JUL 1874
Nicholas H. 21 AUG 1866 St. Donates, IA Elizabeth Oswald 12 FEB 1896 9 APR 1899
Eugene JAN 1868 St. Donates, IA Ellen Loretta Clancy 30 OCT 1899 23 JAN 1937
John Felix 10 DEC 1869 St. Donates, IA Barbara Kern 3 FEB 1896 1 AUG 1962
Martin 22 AUG 1871 St. Donates, IA Maria Magadelane (Martha) Zeller 10 MAY 1904 22 SEP 1952
M arried: Francis Goetz . . . . . 1873 FEB 19
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Katherine 13 NOV 1873 St. Donates, IA _?_ __ __
Ferdinand 24 AUG 1875 St. Donates, IA _?_ __ __
Adolph (Otto) 23 JUL 1877 St. Donates, IA _?_ __ __
Margaret 26 DEC 1879 St. Donates, IA __ Becker __ __
Matilda 8 JUL 1884 St. Donates, IA __ Tufts __ FEB 1965

Second Generation

Peter Scheckel . . . . . Father: John Scheckel . . . . . M other: Margaret Gehlen
Born: 1861 MAR 30
D ied: 1922 SEP 17
M arried: Mary Philomena Klein . . . . . 1883 NOV 27
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
John 12 OCT 1884 __ Stella Young 14 MAY 1913 __
Francisca __ __ NO NA 2 JAN 1887
George Joseph 9 MAY 1887 __ Florence Winters __ __
Joseph 7 AUG 1889 __ Attla Ella Davis 17 SEP 1912 __
Christina Maggie 13 DEC 1891 __ Robert O. Bern __ __
(infant) __ __ NO NA __
Louis 5 MAR 1895 __ _?_ __ __
(infant) __ __ NO NA __
Raymond Peter 6 JUN 1901 __ Hazel Thompson 17 AUG 1929 __

Nicholas H. Scheckel . . . . . Father: John Scheckel . . . . . M other: Margaret Gehlen
Born: 1866 AUG 21
D ied: 1899 APR 9
M arried: Elizabeth Oswald . . . . . 1896 FEB 12
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Eugene Felix 3 DEC 1896 __ Viola M. Arensdorf 8 OCT 1919 23 FEB 1976
Lucille __ __ John Utzig __ __

Eugene Scheckel . . . . . Father: John Scheckel . . . . . M other: Margaret Gehlen
Born: 1868 JAN
D ied: 1937 JAN 23
M arried: Ellen Loretta Clancy . . . . . 1899 OCT 30
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Margaret Elizabeth 29 NOV 1900 Cascade, IA Raphael Peter Neiers 24 NOV 1936 2 APR 1975
Bridget Loretta 26 OCT 1903 Cascade, IA Morris Brown __ 27 JAN 1997

John Felix Scheckel . . . . . Father: John Scheckel . . . . . M other: Margaret Gehlen
Born: 1869 DEC 10
D ied: 1962 AUG 1
M arried: Barbara Kern . . . . . 1896 FEB 3
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Joseph Martin 25 NOV 1896 Hampton, IA Bertha Sullivan 23 OCT 1942 8 AUG 1957
William ?Joseph/John? 6 JUN 1898 Hampton, IA Mary Josephine Wolken __ 28 JAN 1982
Elmer Peter 23 JUL 1900 Hampton, IA Laura Anton 10 FEB 1931 __
Louise Marie 24 APR 1903 Anamosa, IA Fred William Ott 15 FEB 1928 __
Elsie Barbara 6 APR 1905 Hampton, IA Rexford Payton 10 SEP 1922 __
Leona Irene 26 JUN 1911 Olwein, IA Harold Holt 28 NOV 1932 11 MAR 1973
Alma Cecelia 20 MAY 1913 Olwein, IA David Kauten 23 NOV 1934 __

Martin Scheckel . . . . . Father: John Scheckel . . . . . M other: Margaret Gehlen
Born: 1871 AUG 22
D ied: 1952 SEP 22
M arried: Maria Magdaelane (Martha) Zeller . . . . . 1904 MAY 10
Children:
NAME BIRTH DATE BIRTH PLACE MARRIED DATE DIED
Jerome C. 13 MAR 1920 Hampton, IA Rebecca Hemmes 27 SEP 1941 __
Frances 29 JUL 1905 Hampton, IA George Porter 9 NOV 1930 22 NOV 1973
Alvina 23 FEB 1908 Hampton, IA _?_ __ __
Rosalia 16 NOV 1909 Hampton, IA John Bell 17 AUG 1937 __

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