Peter Klaes 1780 — 1870

Source: The Wisconsin Magazine of History: Volume 4, Number 3, March, 1921, Albert O. Barton

Peter Klaes 1780 — 1870

We will concentrate on the soldier identified as “Class” or “Clause.” We are able to identify the soldier by the reference to his daughter, identified as “Mrs. Staler” in the article. The soldier referred to in the article is Peter Klaes, and his daughter Anna Maria Staeler/Stahler was quoted in the article.

Peter Klaes, also known as Peter von Klaes, was born 7 May 1780, at Endenich, Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, to Jodocus Clees (1755-1821) and Maria Agnes Wallbruehl (1756-1814). He married Agnes Bungart/Bungardt on 7 September 1816 at Bonn. She was born in 1784 in Prussia to Jacob Bungart/Bungardt (-1787) and Catharina Heppenstritch (1754-1832).

Six children were born of the marriage of Peter Klaes and Agnes Bungardt:

Jodocus Klaes (1819-1890), died in Germany, did not immigrate to America

Unknown Klaes (born 1822-unknown death date), died in Germany

Gertrude Klaes (born 1823 in Germany, died 1910 La Crosse, Wisconsin), m. Jacob Rosche 10 September 1846 in Sauk County, Wisconsin

Anna Maria Klaes (born 1825 in Germany; died about 1885, probably in Wisconsin). m. Franz Staeler/ Stahler 1848

Wilhelm Klaes (born 1828 in Germany; died 1908 in Hebron Nebraska), m. Crescentia Franziska Beischel 4 November, 1852, Roxbury, Dane County, Wisconsin

Heinrich Klaes (born 1830 in Germany; died after 1850 probably in Wisconsin)

Peter Klaes, his wife Anges Bungardt/Bungart, and their four children immigrated to America in 1845. They departed Rotterdam/Antwerp on 3 June 1845 on board the Tremont. Their journey appears to have taken them from Rotterdam-Antwerp-Liverpool. The manifest for the Tremont indicates they left from Liverpool. This was a stopping point for more passengers to board. The voyage did not originate in Liverpool.

On the following page is a portion of the manifest of the Tremont. We note that Peter Klaes is listed as being 48 years old. In reality, he was 68 years old. We must remember that language barriers, minor education, and dialects made recording of the manifests difficult. We appreciate the record. We see that four of their children accompanied them on the journey. The arrived in New York on 16 July 1845. Their children were grown or mostly grown, and none of them were married. Although she was not the eldest, Anna Maria is listed first as being 20 years old. She would be the daughter quoted in the vintage article by Albert O. Barton as “Mrs. Staler,” as she eventually married Franz Staeler.