Surname Saturday - 9: Fitzler

This week's Surname Saturday is the first of the maiden names for my 4 great-grandmothers.

1. Kevin Joseph HUIGENS

2. Joseph Anthony HUIGENS
3. Shirley Ann OGDEN

4. Joseph Andrew HUIGENS (b. 9 Mar 1891 near Creighton, Knox Co., NE, m. 18 Feb 1914 at St. Ludgers Catholic Church in Creighton, Knox Co., NE, d. 8 Nov 1957 in Rushville, Sheridan Co., NE)
5. Mary Julia KAIN (b. 19 May 1896 in Knox Co., NE, d. 29 Apr 1979 in Rushville, Sheridan Co., NE)

8. John Edward HUIGENS (b. 15 Jun 1862 near Henry, Marshall Co., m. 28 Jan 1884 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Henry, Marshall Co., IL, d. 12 Apr 1949 in Creighton, Knox Co., NE)
9. Mary FITZLER (b. 22 Feb 1866 in Marshall Co., IL, d. 6 Feb 1949 in Creighton, Knox Co., NE)

18. Johan Wimer "Wymer" FITZLER (b. 23 Jul 1832 in Wolperath, Rhein Province, Prussia, m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, LaSalle, LaSalle Co., IL, d. abt 1888 in Marshall Co., IL)
19. Anna Helene SCHMITT (b. 17 Aug 1833 in Eischeid, Rhein Province, Prussia, d. 20 May 1904 in Creighton, Knox Co., NE)

36. Wimar FITZLER (b. 29 Dec 1774 in Wolperath, Palatinate, HRE, m. 25 Aug 1820 in Neunkirchen, Juelich-Cleves-Berg Province, Prussia, d. after 1834 in Prussia)
37. Anna Margaretha FELDER (b. 9 Apr 1798 in Wiescheid, Palatinate, HRE, d. after 1834 in Prussia)

72. Heinrich FITZLER (b. 11 Jan 1750 in Neukirchen, Palatinate, HRE, m. ? in ?, d. ? in ?)
73. Anna Margaretha SCHMITZ (b. 15 Sep 1760 in Neukirchen, Palatinate, HRE, d. ? in ?)

144. Johan Wilhelm FITZLER (b. 11 Dec 1718 in Neukirchen, Duchy of Berg, HRE, m. ? in ?, d. ? in ?)
145. Anna Maria SÖNTGERATH (b.11 Apr 1717 in Grossscheid, Duchy of Berg, HRE, d. 10 Feb 1774)

288. Bernard FITZLER (b. ? in ?, m. ? in ?, d. ? in Neunkirchen, Palatinate, HRE)
289. Christine ACKERMAN (b. 30 Mar 1693 in ?, d. 9 Nov 1747 in Neunkirchen, Palatinate, HRE)

Most of this information comes from Josef Schnieder's research in the records of the Catholic church in Neukirchen, Germany. I am indebted to James Mattern for sharing this with me several years ago.

The Fitzlers and Schmitts came from the Rheinland, southeast of Köln. Wymer and Anna Helene married in 1858, a few weeks after she arrived in this country. I don't yet know when he arrived. Anna came over with Wymer's sister, Anna Christina, who married Johan Schloesser at the same time as Wymer and Anna Helena. It's possible that these couples all knew each other back in the Old Country. They most likely left Prussia to escape the persecution of Catholics. I have not yet tracked down the details of Wymer's death. Family lore is that he fell from a bridge while drunk.