John Herscher - 1842 - 1885
John Herscher was born in Vogelgrun, Alsace France on 24 May, 1842. John and his mother, Catherine, arrived in the US (as well as 2 of his 3 siblings) around 1852. One brother, Frederick, came 2 years later. Interestingly, John’s father and step-father were both named Andreas Herrscher (which made for interesting research puzzles!)
John was the founder of Herscher, Illinois, although his brother, Frederick had more of a leadership position within the town government. John and his wife, Caroline Wesemann, had no children. John’s sister, Mary, was my husband’s great-great-great grandmother. All three brothers served during the Civil War. The third brother, Jacob, was killed during that war.
John’s tombstone is located in the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church cemetery near Herscher, Illinois.
