I am assisting one of the descendants of a Joseph Anton Knecht b. 27 March 1891,
in Kreuzlingen, Lake Constance, Switzerland - He married Mathilda Stadele b. 28 Mar 1895 in Warthausen, Germany (Biberack-Wurttemburg). They had 3 sons: August b. about 1876 Switzerland,
Joseph Anton b. 27 March 1891,
Conrad b. about 1887 Switzerland.

Joseph Anton Knecht's Father, Stephen Knecht was born about 1855 in Steinach, Germany (we believe) and he married Louisa Feierstein b. about 1856, from Warthausen, Germany.

We are in need of a birth certificate or book from the birth of Joseph Anton Knecht.
Or the canton he is registered in. Am I close to being in the correct place to find that?

I thank all for any assistance that might be offered in guiding us to our goal.
Thank you for your time.
Evangelina M. Palmer
Assistant to Mr. Joseph Stephen Knecht III (b. 1954, Chicago, Illinois)

Hi,
one address which might be a help is the 'State Archive of the Swiss Canton Thurgaus' http://www.staatsarchiv.tg.ch/xml_14/internet/de/intro.cfm. I like to point out that you should include the religon of Joseph Anton Knecht in your inquiry.

Regards

Viktor

_________________
Forschungsgebiet
Büsingen a. H. Familie: Wabel,Wabl, Waibel, Waybel, Weibel etc.

Thank you for directing me to the links. I have been on the State Archives with not much luck but will continue to see if I can find mention of his birth. If not I will email them.
The information about town (kreuzlingen)came from a cousin of Mr. Knecht. (Andrea Knecht) Daughter of one of his father's brothers (5 sons born in Chicago, Illinois all deceased now). She had heard her parent's speak of the town and found
information about the wife of Joseph Anton Knecht in German records. Mathilda Stadele, and her parent's names Franz Stadele and Justina Rehm.

We are concerned with the KNecht line and the Swiss birth.
This Knecht family was Catholic.
Thank you again for your help in this.
Lina

The original source came in the form of Joseph Anton Knecht's World War I Draft registration card in the United States dated 5 June 1917, stating that he was born in Switzerland, but the town name was illegible (lloks like Thurgau). Later in 1942 in the World War II Draft registration card he again wrote Switzerland but no town. In the 1910 U.S. Census he stated that he was born in Switzerland and that his parent's were Swiss/German. He had his wife Mathilda and 3 sons August 34, Conrad 23, and Joseph 19. Conrad wrote in the 1930 US Census that he was born in Switzerland and that his mother and father were born in Switzerland. Conrad wrote in the 1942 WWII draft registration card that he was born in Switzerland 2 Feb 1889.
What we need is to obtain a family book or family certificate from where they came from (canton?) so as to proceed with the Swiss Consulate here in the United States.
Thanks again

Hi Lina,

Warthausen is close to Biberach an der Riss, and Steinach could be the Quarter of Bad Waldsee, which was an independent community at that time and is also not too far away from Biberach. This area was predominantly catholic, in line with the name Joseph Anton.

But the dates you indicate do not seem to match: if Joseph Anton Knecht was born in 1891, he couldn't have children born 1876ff. I suggest you prepare a chronological list of all names with the dates and locations you have. Most probably, you have to continue your research first in Germany, because the Knecht family can't be easily located in the Thurgau or in Switzerland - there are simply too many of them!

Peter

Thank you Peter-

The volume of paper and my inexperience sometimes confuses me.
Dates and names get mixed up when not directly in front of me.

STEPHEN KNECHTt b. abt 1855 Steinach, Germany or Switzerland
sons of Stephen and wife Louisa Feierstein b. abt.1856 Warthausen, Germany:
AUGUST b. abt 1876 switzerland
CONRAD b. abt. 1887 Switzerland
JOSEPH ANTON KNECHT b. 27 March 1891 Kreuzlingen Switzerland
ALBERT b. abt. 1892 Chicago, IL. USA

sons of JOSEPH ANTON and wife Mathilda Stadele b. abt 1895 Germany:
JOSEPH STEPHEN b. 1928 Chicago, IL USA
CONRAD b. abt. 1931 Chicago IL USA
WILLIAM b. abt. 1933 Chicago IL USA
GEORGE ? USA
RAYMOND ? USA
all deceased now

Thanks again for your input

Lina

O.K., Lina, I now got a better overview over this family.

Assuming that the birth in Kreuzlingen is correct, I suggest you to contact the Civil Registry in Kreuzlingen and ask them if they can find the birth in 1891. If yes, they should indicate you the Bürgerrecht (community of origin) of the family. This is the pivot element for all further research in Switzerland. They will only charge you something if they can find the entry.
All documents after 1876 are kept by the Civil Registry with only restricted access according to the law. For the time before 1876, you can later on contact the State Archives in Frauenfeld as indicated by Bongo earlier today.

Peter

Thurgau Staatsarchiv has found our man and proof of birth with his parents
information as well. Kreuzlingen was the place of birth!
We will continue with our quest in finding out more information on
His wife:
Mathilda Stadele b. 28 Mar 1895 in Warthausen, and her parent's
Franz Stadele of Warthausen, Germany and
Justina Rehm of Ringschneit, Germany.

His Father:
Stefan Knecht b. about 1855 from Steinach, Amt Waldsee, Germany
His Mother:
Louise Feierstein>Feuerstein b. about 1856 of Warthausen, Germany

Thanks to all of you we have been able to find many online places to assist us
in the search.

Lina,

Here the exact date of birth of Albert Knecht: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N7MN-R5P
Since he does not appear in the 1900 Census, it seems that he died before: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS33-488

And there was another son Friedrich/Frederick: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3CM-Y4Y
and probably two daughters, Mary and Lucy/Lizzie:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =72110355&
I found the girls with their husbands and children in the Censuses and also their marriages but no immigration record.

Anita

Great !
If they found his birth information, they will also have given you (or would be able to give you) his place of citizenship - as Kreuzlingen is not listed as place of citizenship for Knecht - it will be either another community in Switzerland - or the family was still German and only lived in Kreuzlingen.

This information would be vital for any further search in Switzerland ... if there is anything to search in Switzerland, of course, and not in Germany.

_________________
Wolf Seelentag, St.Gallen

Thank you so much Wolf---

We received birth certificate but it seems like they were
more German than Swiss, even though many other of their children
were born in Switzerland. The parents were on their way to USA from Germany and
lived in Thurgau before arriving in USA.

Your forum has been most kind and helpful...

Many thanks