hegnauer.family
hegnauer.family
H2191 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Dorothea Grest

Probably baptised at Zizers in 1775 and died at Igis in 1830.

born before 20 Jul 1775 at Zizers, Graubünden died 26 Jun 1830 at Igis, Graubünden

From Igis to the Pacific
Also written Maria Dorothea Grest, Dorothea Bernet

Igis from the air, 1 Sep 1947. Werner Friedli, ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Stiftung Luftbild Schweiz, LBS_H1-010091, CC BY-SA 4.0

Dorothea Grest was the mother of Anna Margreth Bernet, who married Luzius Hegnauer at Igis, in the Rhine valley of Graubünden, Switzerland, in 1840 and went with him and their five children to America in 1856.1–3 She was very probably the Dorothe Grest, daughter of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin, who was baptised at Zizers on 20 July 1775.4

Marriage and family

Dorothea married Johannes Bernet of Igis, probably in 1797, and their first child, Christian, was baptised at Igis on 18 December that year.5–6 Over the next twenty-six years she had ten more children baptised there, among them Anna Margreth, the tenth, in February 1819. At three of the baptisms, in 1810, 1812 and 1815, she is called Maria Dorothea.1, 6 Her first son and her second daughter, Christian and Barbara, bore the names of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin.4, 6

Five of her children died young: two boys named Jacob, in 1808 and 1824, each within weeks of his baptism; both of the girls named Elisabeth, in 1811 and 1814; and the first Johannes, at fifteen months, in 1801.7

Death

Dorothea died at Igis on 26 June 1830, aged fifty-five, and was buried three days later. The register of her burial calls her Dorothea Bernet Grest, the wife of Johannes Bernet.8 Anna Margreth, her youngest surviving child, was then eleven. Johannes lived on at Igis, very probably until 1858.9 Two of their daughters later went to America with their husbands and children: Anna Margreth in 1856, and Barbara, whose family was living in Madison County, Illinois, as Tontz by 1860.3, 10

What we know

Proven

  • Death at Igis, 1830
  • Burial at Igis, 1830
  • one home, from the census and other records

Probable

  • Birth at Zizers, 1775
  • Baptism at Zizers, 1775
  • Marriage to Johannes Bernet at Igis, 1797

What's still open

  • Her family (not entered). Christian Grest and Barbara Marin(i) had children baptised at Zizers from 1772 to 1789: Jooss (1772, buried 1848), Elisabeth (1777; later the wife of a Bandli, buried 1858), Barbara (1779, buried 1839), Christian Hartman (1782, buried 1849), Chatrina Margreth (1785, buried 1833), Christian (1787, buried 1868) and Maria Chatrina (1789); an Anna Maria Meier-Grest (buried 1852, born about 1790) and a Michel Grest (buried 1852, born about 1797) may also be theirs.
  • Parents. Not yet identified.

Sources

Sources 1–3

1 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1819
2 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1840
3 New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1856

Source 4

4 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1775

Sources 5–6

5 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1797
6 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1797

Source 7

7 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1801

Source 8

8 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1830

Source 9

9 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1858

Source 10

10 Barbara Bernet, 1860

Life in time

before 20 Jul 1775

Birth, Zizers, Graubünden, Switzerland

probable Sources 4, 8

How we know

  1. 1775 Birth before 20 Jul 1775 · Zizers, Graubünden · probable

    Probable: if she is the Dorothe Grest baptised at Zizers on 20 Jul 1775, daughter of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin (see Research Notes). Her age at burial, 55 in June 1830, fits a birth in 1774 or 1775.

    No record names her parents. Her burial at Igis in June 1830 gives her age as 55, a birth in 1774 or 1775. The only Dorothea Grest baptism in FamilySearch's index for 1768–1782 is Dorothe, daughter of Christian Grest and Barbara Marini, baptised at Zizers on 20 Jul 1775; Grest was a Zizers family, and no Grest is a principal in the Igis index. The identification is probable.

    Sources 4, 8

  2. 1775 Baptism 20 Jul 1775 · Zizers, Graubünden · probable

    Probable identification. Parents Christian Grest and Barbara Marin (indexed Marini).

    The Zizers baptism register (FamilySearch index) records Dorothe, daughter of Christian Grest and Barbara Marini, on 20 Jul 1775 (DGS 8014188, folder 001, image 135).

    Source 4

  3. 1797 Marriage, with Johannes Bernet Igis, Graubünden · probable

    Probable: the Igis marriage of "Johanes Berent" and "Maria Torether" [Maria Dorothea], 1797; no day or month is indexed, and the bride's surname is not given. Their first child was baptised at Igis on 18 Dec 1797.

    Johannes Bernet and (Maria) Dorothea Grest are named together as parents at the Igis baptisms of eleven children, 1797–1824. The only Bernet-like groom among the Igis marriages indexed for 1796–1797 is "Johanes Berent", 1797, whose bride is indexed "Maria Torether", a reading of Maria Dorothea; she is Maria Dorothea Grest at three of the baptisms. The entry is very probably theirs; the image (DGS 8014188, folder 002, image 348) has not been seen.

    Sources 5, 6

  4. 1797 Residence between 18 Dec 1797 and 8 Aug 1824 · Igis, Graubünden · proven

    The baptisms of her eleven children with Johannes Bernet, from Christian (1797) to Jacob (1824).

    The Igis baptism register names Johannes Bernet and (Maria) Dorothea Grest as the parents at eleven baptisms from 18 Dec 1797 to 8 Aug 1824.

    Sources 1, 6

  5. 1819 Daughter born: Anna Margreth Bernet family event

    Their page →

  6. 1830 Death 26 Jun 1830 · Igis, Graubünden · proven

    Burial register: "Dorothea Bernet Grest", died 26 Jun 1830, aged 55; spouse Joh. Bernet.

    The Igis burial index (two entries) records Dorothea Bernet Grest, wife of Joh. Bernet, who died on 26 Jun 1830 aged 55. She is the only Dorothea Grest married to a Bernet in the Igis index, and Dorothea Grest is the mother of Johannes Bernet's children to 1824.

    Source 8

  7. 1830 Burial 29 Jun 1830 · Igis, Graubünden · proven

    The Igis burial index, as for the death.

    Source 8

  • proven
  • probable
  • family event

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Places in this life

2 places, in order
1 2
  1. 1 Zizers, Graubünden Birth before 20 Jul 1775 · Baptism 20 Jul 1775
  2. 2 Igis, Graubünden Marriage 1797 · Residence between 18 Dec 1797 and 8 Aug 1824 · Death 26 Jun 1830 · 1 more

Family

This page Dorothea Grest 1775–1830
Husband · m. 1797 Johannes Bernet 1768–1858
Daughter Anna Margreth Bernet 1819–aft. 1884
Compare with… Pan, zoom and follow the family through the whole study, or see how Dorothea Grest is related to anyone else in it.
Family tree

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Records

Search the archive →
Births and baptisms 1 record · 1775
  • 20 Jul 1775 probable Baptism “Dorothe Grest” Zizers, Graubünden FamilySearch · O05917
Deaths and burials 1 record · 1830
Also cited as evidence: 11 records filed under relatives
The evidence 6 facts with their grades, 11 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth before 20 Jul 1775 Zizers, Graubünden, Switzerland probable 4 , 8
Baptism 20 Jul 1775 Zizers, Graubünden, Switzerland probable 4
Marriage with Johannes Bernet 1797 Igis, Graubünden, Switzerland probable 5 , 6
Residence between 18 Dec 1797 and 8 Aug 1824 Igis, Graubünden, Switzerland proven 1 , 6
Death 26 Jun 1830 Igis, Graubünden, Switzerland proven 8
Burial 29 Jun 1830 Igis, Graubünden, Switzerland proven 8

Research notes

  • Sources: Every record of her is from FamilySearch's index of the Zizers and Igis Reformed church books (DGS 8014188 to 1813; the 19th-century Igis register for her burial). The images can be viewed only at a FamilySearch Center or affiliate library and have not been seen.
  • Mother of Anna Margreth (proven): Her daughter's baptism (1819) and the bride's entry of her marriage (1840) name her parents as Johannes Bernet and Dorothea Grest.1, 2
  • Name: Dorothea in her daughter's entries of 1819 and 1840 and at her burial; Maria Doroth or Maria Dorothea Grest at the baptisms of 1810, 1812 and 1815, so her full name was probably Maria Dorothea.6 The index also reads her surname Grost (1819) and Graf (one entry of 1810). The FamilySearch tree calls her "Maria Dorothes Grest".
  • Marriage (probable): see her husband's profile. The Igis entry of 1797 indexes the bride as "Maria Torether", a reading of Maria Dorothea, without a surname.5
  • Baptism (probable): "Dorothe", baptised at Zizers on 20 Jul 1775, daughter of Christian Grest and Barbara Marini (DGS 8014188, folder 001, image 135).4 Why it fits: (1) Grest was a Zizers family, and no Grest is a principal in the Igis index; (2) her age at burial, 55 in June 1830, gives a birth in 1774 or 1775 (if she was born in July 1775 she was a few weeks short of 55); (3) it is the only Dorothea Grest baptism in the index for 1768–1782; (4) her first son, Christian, and her second daughter, Barbara, carry the names of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin. The image should be read.
  • Her family (not entered): Christian Grest and Barbara Marin(i) had children baptised at Zizers from 1772 to 1789: Jooss (1772, buried 1848), Elisabeth (1777; later the wife of a Bandli, buried 1858), Barbara (1779, buried 1839), Christian Hartman (1782, buried 1849), Chatrina Margreth (1785, buried 1833), Christian (1787, buried 1868) and Maria Chatrina (1789); an Anna Maria Meier-Grest (buried 1852, born about 1790) and a Michel Grest (buried 1852, born about 1797) may also be theirs. Her father was possibly the Christian Grest baptised at Zizers on 22 Dec 1745, son of Joos Grest and Maria Elisabeth Castelli, and a Christian Grest "born 1745" was buried at Zizers on 23 Jan 1830. The marriage of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin (about 1771) has not been found.11
  • Death: The burial index gives "Dorothea Bernet Grest", died 26 Jun 1830, buried 29 Jun 1830, aged 55, spouse Joh. Bernet (two entries).8 This agrees with the date in a member tree (see Anna Margreth's profile). The FamilySearch tree's "after 1780" for her birth is contradicted by her age at burial.
  • This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study.

Working notes

  • Mother of Anna Margreth Bernet H0036 (her 1819 Igis baptism and 1840 marriage entry) - direct ancestor of the owner; also Maria Dorothea (baptisms 1810-1815); bur. Igis 29 Jun 1830 as Dorothea Bernet Grest, aged 55, spouse Joh. Bernet (6F8D-974X); probably bapt. Zizers 20 Jul 1775 (66VM-VHZ2), daughter of Christian Grest x Barbara Marin(i) ; index only, images not seen

Sources

  1. 1

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Anna Margreth Bernet, 27 February 1819, Igis, Graubünden; parents Johannes Bernet and Dorothea Grest. FamilySearch record 6F8C-15HN; also FamilySearch record 6F8C-RJDT

    In the archive: O05920 , O05921

  2. 2

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, marriage of Luzius Hegnauer and Anna Margreth Bernet, 14 June 1840, Igis, Graubünden; bride's parents Johannes Bernet and Dorothea Grest; groom's parents Jakob Hegnauer and Christina Pleisch. FamilySearch record 6F84-C4C5; also FamilySearch record 6F84-C4CV

    In the archive: O05922 , O01367 , O01376 , O01442

  3. 3

    "New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820–1957," database with images, Ancestry.com, manifest of the ship Chase [Chace], Le Havre to New York, list dated 30 September 1856 (the ship arrived 29 September), lines 155–161, "Hegemann" family: Lucie 36, Marguerite 37, Johann 15, Leonhard 13, Christian[e] 10, Martin 8, Christian 5, Swiss (her line is indexed "Margarite Hegemann", 39); citing NARA M237, roll 167; image NYM237_167-0280 (ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7488/images/NYM237_167-0280).

    Ancestry

  4. 4

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Dorothe Grest, 20 July 1775, Zizers, Graubünden; parents Christian Grest and Barbara Marini (DGS 8014188, folder 001, image 135). FamilySearch record 66VM-VHZ2

    In the archive: O05917

  5. 5

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, marriage of "Johanes Berent" [Johannes Bernet] and "Maria Torether" [Maria Dorothea (Grest)], 1797 (no day or month indexed), Igis, Graubünden (DGS 8014188, folder 002, image 348). FamilySearch record 66VW-FKZ7

    In the archive: O05915

  6. 6

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, Igis (Graubünden) baptisms of the children of Johannes Bernet and (Maria) Dorothea Grest: Christian, 18 December 1797 (FamilySearch record 66VM-L9YZ); Johannes, 28 July 1800 (FamilySearch record 66VM-JFWL); Dorothea, 24 July 1802 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-KMVB); Barbara, 15 September 1804 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-TNWR); Johannes, 18 February 1807 (FamilySearch record 66VM-ND2R); Jacob, 14 November 1808 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-L4YZ); Elisabeth, 23 April 1810 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-PDJB); Elisabeth, 25 January 1812 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-GQVG); Martin, 24 February 1815 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-B8ZC); Jacob, 8 August 1824 (FamilySearch record 6F8C-GQBZ). The mother is indexed Maria Doroth or Maria Dorothea Grest in 1810, 1812 and 1815.

  7. 7

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, Igis (Graubünden) burials of children of Johannes Bernet: Johannes, 23 October 1801, born 1800 (FamilySearch record 66V7-NJ9R); Jacob, 6 December 1808 (FamilySearch record 66V7-XYGC); Elisabeth, an infant, 28 July 1811 (FamilySearch record 66V7-FHML); Elisabeth, 30 April 1814, born 1812 (FamilySearch record 6F8D-3LJV); Jacob, 24 September 1824 (FamilySearch record 6F8D-MG5V).

  8. 8

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Dorothea Bernet Grest, 29 June 1830, Igis, Graubünden; died 26 June 1830; aged 55; spouse Joh. Bernet. FamilySearch record 6F8D-974X; also FamilySearch record 6F8D-32GN; husband's entry FamilySearch record 6F8D-974F

    In the archive: O05918 , O05919 , O05916

  9. 9

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Johannes Bernet, 26 November 1858, Igis, Graubünden; died 24 November 1858; aged 90; parents Johannes Bernet and Susanna Nuttli; no spouse indexed. FamilySearch record 6F8D-9QDF; also FamilySearch record 6F8D-41DJ and FamilySearch record 6F88-1GRG

    In the archive: O05912 , O05913 , O05914

  10. 10

    Barbara Bernet (Mrs. Christian Dönz) in Illinois: "United States Census, 1860," database, FamilySearch, Township 4 North Range 5 West, Madison County, Illinois, Barbara Tontz, born about 1805, in the household of Christian Tontz, born about 1802, with John, Christian and Elizabeth (FamilySearch record MXCC-ZTG); and "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch, Barbara Bernett Tontz, born 6 November 1804, died 26 August 1881, Highland Cemetery, Highland, Madison County, Illinois (FamilySearch record QVKY-B5BL).

  11. 11

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, Zizers (Graubünden) baptisms of children of Christian Grest and Barbara Marin(i): Jooss, 24 October 1772 (FamilySearch record 66VM-NMK3); Elisabeth, 18 July 1777 (FamilySearch record 66VM-2DGF); Barbara, 12 October 1779 (FamilySearch record 66VM-FC75); Christian Hartman, 20 April 1782 (FamilySearch record 66VM-PFBS); Chatrina Margreth, 6 November 1785 (FamilySearch record 66VM-G317); Christian, 20 June 1787 (FamilySearch record 66VM-QJYF); Maria Chatrina, 13 December 1789 (FamilySearch record 66VM-KW6T); and the baptism of Christian Grest, 22 December 1745, Zizers, son of Joos Grest and Maria Elisabeth Castelli (FamilySearch record 66VM-47N8), and the burial of a Christian Grest, "born 1745", Zizers, 23 January 1830 (FamilySearch record 66V7-FHHF).

Cite this page H2191

Evidence Explained

Hegnauer One-Name Study, “Dorothea Grest (H2191, 1775–1830),” hegnauer.family (https://hegnauer.family/people/h2191-dorothea-grest/ : accessed 28 September 2026).

Chicago (notes)

“Dorothea Grest (H2191, 1775–1830),” hegnauer.family, Hegnauer One-Name Study, accessed September 28, 2026, https://hegnauer.family/people/h2191-dorothea-grest/.

H2191 is this person's permanent number in the study. Names get respelled; the number never changes, so the link and the citation keep working.

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