----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 Florian Rasch II (picture) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birth Date: November 22, 1819 Birth Place: Overdorf, Germany Religion: R. Catholic Occupation: Farmer Death Date: February 12, 1891 Death Place: St. Florian, Alabama Burial Place: St. Michael's Cemetery, St. Florian, Alabama (Row 17, Plot N2) Father: Florian Franz Rasch I Mother: Carolina SchindlerNotes: He lived at Kraubitz, Germany, where his occupation was listed as a gardener. The manifest for the ship named "Stephani" arriving in New Youk from Bremen, Germany on August 1851, lists Florian Rasch,age 32 and occupation as baker; Carolina Rasch, age 24, and Paul Rasch, age 9 months. The manifest states that he came from Frankenstein and was headed for Boston. In 1852 he returned to Germany to bring his father to the U.S. After coming to America with his small family, he farmed the land he purchased in Michigan. In an 1869 Michigan farm census for Warren Township, Florian owned 40 acres of farm land and 95 acres of woodland. His farm was valued at $4,000. One of the reasons that he moved his family may have been because more land was available in Alabama. With 10 of their 11 children they moved from Michigan to northwest Alabama in April or May 1873. He purchased land from Fr. Hueser on which the John Wilson plantation home was located. The reason he moved his family to Alabama was that his wife was in poor health and he believed the warm climate would help her. He grieved bitterly over the death of his beloved Caroline, going to the cemetary daily and weeping at her grave. The paster arranged for him to spend some time with his son, Fr. Luke, in Wisconsin. All sources agree that St. Florian, AL, is named for Florian Rasch. The family legend is that he was a very holy man who went to daily Mass, and died in the church. Another version of the origin of the name of the town is found in the booklet about the 100th anniversary of the parish which cites the donation of the bell for the first church as the reason the town was called St. Florian in honor of its donor.Spouse: Caroline Nickel Birth Date: March 8, 1827 Birth Place: Germany Death Date: December 8, 1880 Death Place: St. Florian, Alabama Burial Place: St. Michael's Cemetery, St. Florian, Alabama (Row 17, Plot N1)Spouse Notes: Her children's generation believed that Caroline had tuberculosis. Her last child was born when she was 45 years old. She died at the age of 53.Marriage Date: 1849 Children: Paul Joseph Florian (R/S 1.1.1) Edward John (R/S 1.1.2) Robert Florian (R/S 1.1.3) Annie (R/S 1.1.4) Clara (Twin) (R/S 1.1.5) Julius (Twin) (R/S 1.1.6) Catherine (R/S 1.1.7) Elizabeth (R/S 1.1.8) Emma (R/S 1.1.9) Anthony (R/S 1.1.10) Francis Allen (R/S 1.1.11) References: 1 3 12 20 23 69 139 156 176----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2 Joseph Rasch ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birth Date: 1821 Birth Place: Germany Father: Florian Franz Rasch I Mother: Johanna Josepha Carolina SchindlerNotes: Immigrated to the United States, possibly arriving on the ship Celle in 1853. The name of wife unknown. Moved to California. Had one unmarried daughter.References: 1 20 156----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3 Franz Rasch ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birth Date: 1823 Birth Place: Germany Father: Florian Franz Rasch I Mother: Johanna Josepha Carolina SchindlerNotes: Arrived in the US with family on May 19, 1852. Disappeared some time thereafter. He may have gone to New Orleans and joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War.References: 1