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- [S8]  Information from an informant - Auskunft eines Informanten - Information d'un informateur.
 
Dear Ursula, 
 
I am so very excited about your database! I forwarded your web site 
address and your e mail on to my parents. 
 
 
 
I recently found the Ellis Island  listing for my father's Grandfather, 
coming to America from Czechoslovakia, which started me on this 
genealogical journey. I had been having little luck finding information 
about Louise Nicol's  family, partly because the united states census has 
a different spelling of the last name almost every time it was taken, 
until I stumbled across your website. You have an amazing amount of 
information! 
 
 
 
I only have a small amount of information so far and am fuzzy about some 
of it, but, I will be happy to share any thing I come across. My parents 
called me today to tell me they had found a box of photos and information 
about my mother's family so, I will be making a trip to see them (they 
live about 3 hours away from me ) next week. I also have recently 
requested information from my Uncle and Aunts so, I'm hopeful of getting 
more information soon. 
 
 
 
As for Louise Nicol, This is what I have for her husband Alvin Meier: 
 
 
 
Alvin C. Meier 
 
Birth: about 1907 or 1908 
 
Death: 1963 
 
Parents: Theodore H. & Ella (Kalbfliesch) Meier 
 
Spouse: Louise Marguerite (Nicol) Meier 
 
Children: Helen Louise (Meier) Wagner born. August 25, 1938 
 
                Charlotte Grace (Meier) Gruner born. June 
28, 1940 
 
                Lois Lavern (Meier) Kendellen born. 
December 29, 1942 
 
                Keith Alvin Meier February 18, 1944 ~ April 
20, 1944 both in Vandalia, Illinois. Buried at Holy cross cemetery, in 
Collinsville Illinois. 
 
                 Arthur Meier 
 
 
 
Helen Meier Married Jim Wagner, I believe in 1962, I know it was shortly 
before My parent's wedding. They had two sons, Keith Wagner, born 
September 2nd.  and Christopher Alvin Wagner; born  April 8th,. 
 
 
Keith Wagner Married Missy Gibson, on December 4, 1992. they had one son, 
Mark Allen Wagner on August 31, 1993. 
 
Christopher got married in 2009, I believe it was in October. His wife's 
name is on the tip of my tongue and I'm afraid I can't remember it right 
now. My Mom: 
 
Charlotte Grace (Meier) Gruner 
 
Birth: June 28, 1940 
 
Death: 
 
Parents: Alvin & Louise (Nicol) Meier 
 
Spouse: Charles Joseph Gruner Jr. born. July 23, 1941 
 
Wedding: October 10, 1962 
 
Children: Jon Arthur Gruner.  August 2, 1963 ~ December 17, 2008 
 
                Katherine Elizabeth (Gruner) Jeralds, 
Jacobs. born. February 19, 1965 
 
                Josephine Louise Marie (Gruner) Misch. 
born. July 10, 1976 
 
 
 
Jon was never married and died as a result of a car accident in 2008. 
 
 
 
Katherine's first marriage was in March of 1982 to Kenneth Earl Jeralds. 
Together they had 4 children: 
 
Krystal Erin Jeralds August 1, 1982 to August 2, 1982 
 
Joseph Scott Jeralds born. october 29, 1983 
 
Tiffany Lauren Jeralds born. October 8, 1985 
 
Elizabeth Rose Jeralds born. June 13, 1987 
 
Katherine and Kenneth divorced in 1987 
 
Katherine's second marriage was to Gregory Jacobs on December 9, 2009. 
together they have one son: 
 
Noah Marshall Jacobs born August 23, 2001 
 
 
 
Tiffany married David Matthew Vollmann September 29, 2009. They had one 
miscarriage late in 2010 and are now pregnant and due October 19, 2011 
with a boy they plan to name Eli. 
 
Elizabeth Married Joshua Donald Olson On February 29, 2008. They have not 
yet divorced but also no longer live together. Elizabeth had a daughter 
named Sadie Elizabeth in November 2010 with a man named seth, I don't know 
his last name. 
 
 
 
I (Josephine Louise Marie) married Mark James Misch on October 7, 1995. 
Together we have two sons: 
 
Samuel Aaron Misch born. October 14, 2000 
 
Keagan Charles Misch born. June 6, 2003 
 
 
 
Lois Lavern married Nicholas Kendellen in 1969 or 1970. they have no 
children. 
 
 
 
Arthur married Doris Anne Neuhaus on February 7, I believe in 1969 though 
I'm not sure. They have no children. 
 
 
 
I have further names and dates for My Father's (Charles Gruner) and for my 
Grandfather's (Alvin Meier) ancestors if you care to go down those 
lines. 
 
 
 
I was Just looking again at the listing for Mary Catherine Tribout (person 
ID 129037) and Gustav George Casper Nicol (person ID 129038)  and noticed 
a few discrepancys within the list of their children. 
 
 Child #5 Erwin M. Nicol.  I have only known his name to be spelled 
"Irwin" though that may or may not be official. He is on the United States 
census for 1900 so he could not have been born in 1903. The census lists 
his birthday as December 1893. Also, He could not have died in Missouri in 
1964 because I remember him living at my grandmother's house, in 
Collinsville Illinois,  and I wasn't born until 1976. I believe he still 
lived in Collinsville at the time of his death. 
 
Actually, I just now found his death record (which spells his name as 
"Irvin" to further confuse us all). His birthday was December 22, 1893 
and he died in Illinois in December 1981. 
 
 
 
There is also a child missing from  from your list (rather amazing to 
me that eleven children made it to adulthood!) His name was Royal Nicol 
and he was born in January of 1900. 
 
 
 
I do hope some of this may be helpful and or interesting to you. If 
there is further information about any of these people you would like to 
have, I'm sure I can come up something. Would you be interested in any 
family "stories" I come across or, are you hoping more for names and 
dates? for instance,  I have a photo of Mary Catherine Tribout and Gustav 
George Casper Nicol along with all eleven of their adult children on the 
occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary, I know the Nicol family had a 
sand mineing company they owned in Collinsville Illinois for a while about 
which, I believe, I once read an article or something, My 
grandfather, Alvin C. Meier, was a Lutheran pastor and preached his 
sermons in German, the Nicol family was large enough that they had their 
own baseball team and they played against another large family in the 
neighbour hood who's last name was spelled one letter differently ( I 
don't remember if it was "Nichol" or Nicols"). Also, I have web site links 
for quite a few of the family's United States census listings (which were 
taken once every ten years )  I'd be happy to forward to you if you'd 
like. I don't want to throw to much at you that you couldn't use. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I would very much be interested to know anything about the villiage of 
Birkenhördt and, the reasons or ways that people left. Did any of them 
come through Ellis Island or was there a "more popular" route? 
 
 
 
 I know there is plenty more information I will think of as soon as I 
send this but, this is something at least. 
 
 
 
~Josephine 
 
Sycamore, Illinois. USA 
Josephine 
  
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