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Martin Hegnauer Sr.: abstracts of records viewed in the Ancestry survey

· 15 min read · 7 people named

Record hints and search finds for tree person 102705375567, viewed on screen with images read where they exist. Nothing was saved, accepted, ignored or changed on Ancestry, and nothing was downloaded or clipped. Readings in [brackets] are editorial. The 1895/1912 will and the 1927 newspaper items are public domain and are transcribed in full where they bear on Martin.

Surname spellings met: Haegnauer (1877 directory), Hegnah (1878 directory), Gignorer (1880 census index; the image may read "Gignoer"), Haganauer / Hagmanier / Hazawar (1910 index), Hegnauer (1900, 1920, will, newspapers).

Pending hints (2)

Hint 1: U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, "Martin Haegnauer", St. Louis 1877

  • Record ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/629200714; image ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/11497356 (image 365 of 1262), "St Louis, Missouri, City Directory, 1877", p. 395 (running heads HAE / HAG; banner advertisement "Lewis & Croshon").
  • Index (AI-extracted): Martin Haegnauer; 1877; 604 S 2d; St Louis; Laborer.
  • Image line: "Haegnauer Martin, lab. r. 604 S. 2d" (between Haeger Herman, carpenter, and Haehner Charles F., butcher).
  • Match: strong once combined with the finds below. The 1878 directory has the same man at the same address, and the 1880 census puts Martin, Mary and the three daughters at 602 South Second Street. His daughter Maggie was born in St. Louis on 15 Jun 1877. Evidence: residence St. Louis 1877, laborer.

Hint 0: member tree, Daniel Oelschlaeger ("Martin Hegnauer")

  • Claims: born 20 Feb 1848 Schnottwil, Solothurn [wrong: the Igis register]; died 27 Mar 1927 Rockville, Bates, Mo.; father "Luzius Lucius Hegnauer"; mother Margareth Bernet; children Elizabeth Hegnauer, "Margaret Bertha (Maggie) Hegnauer" [this merges two daughters, Margaret/Maggie b. 1877 and Bertha b. 1878] and Martin Hegnauer. No spouse is shown.
  • Decision per BRIEF: Ignore (member tree). Leads: the Schnottwil birthplace is wrong (the same tree family seen on H0003 and H0036); the child "Elizabeth" is confirmed independently (1880 census, 1895 will, 1910 census, obituary).

Records found by search (not hints)

1880 U.S. census, St. Louis: "Martin Gignorer" — the missing 1880 census

  • Record ancestry.com/search/collections/6742/records/34596804; image ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4242099-00008 (image 52 of 69).
  • Citation (Ancestry): Year: 1880; Census Place: Saint Louis, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: 726; Page: 2d [sic]; Enumeration District: 001. Sheet header: Page No. 4; Supervisor's Dist. 7[1?]; Enumeration Dist. 1; inhabitants of St. Louis, enumerated on the 8th day of June 1880 by Henry Palmer.
  • Index: 602 South Second Street, dwelling 14. Image (street written in the margin as "South Second"), family 45:
    • Gignorer [Gignoer?], Martin, W M 32, married, Laborer (a tick in the months-unemployed column), born Switzerland, father born Switzerland, mother born Switz[erland].
    • Mary, W F 29, wife, married, Keeping house, marked as unable to read and unable to write, born Pennsylvania, father born Switzerland, mother born Pennsylvania.
    • Lizzie, W F 4, daughter, born Missouri, father born Switzerland, mother born Pennsylvania.
    • Margreate, W F 3, daughter, born Missouri.
    • Bertha, W F 2, daughter, born Missouri.
    • Neighbours: family 44 Barr, John (Württemberg), with a Paul household; family 46 Keller, Henry M., 34, musician (Russia).
  • Match: strong. Given names and ages of all five fit (Martin b. Feb 1848; Maggie b. Jun 1877; Bertha b. Oct 1878; Lizzie b. about 1876), Mary's Pennsylvania birth fits Maggie's death certificate, and the address is next door to the 1877–78 directory's 604 S. Second. New: Mary's father was Swiss-born (fits Gambler/Gempler), and Mary was illiterate in 1880.
  • Found with an 1880 household search: first name Martin, spouse Mary, child Maggie, born 1848 ±2, Missouri.

St. Louis city directory 1878: "Martin Hegnah"

Will of Katharina Gambler, St. Joseph (Buchanan Co., Mo.): proves Mary's maiden name

  • Index ancestry.com/search/collections/9071/records/7493334 (Missouri, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988; indexed under "Mary Hegnauer", daughter; principal "Kathrina Gambler"; others: Elizabeth Karrasch, dau.; Bertha Gambler, dau.; John Gambler, son; Wm Gambler, son). Citation: "Wills, Bonds and Settlements, 1839-1921; Author: Missouri. Probate Court (Buchanan County)". Images ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9071/images/007631965_00332 (image 332 of 414, pp. 548-549) and 007631965_00333 (pp. 550-551); volume "Buchanan > Wills and Bonds, Vol I, 1908-1913". It was first seen in the H0036 survey and dismissed as "another Mary"; it is in fact Martin's mother-in-law's will.

  • Transcription, p. 549:

    WILL OF KATHARINA GAMBLER, DECEASED.

    I, Katharina Gambler of St. Joseph, in the County of Buchanan and State of Missouri, being of sound Mind and Memory and considering the Uncertainty of this frail and transitory life, do hereby make and publish this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking any and all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

    First I give and bequeath to my Daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Karrasch the sum of Thirty Dollars also one Wardrobe.

    Second. I give and bequeath to my Daughter Bertha the sum of fifteen Dollars also one Bed & Bedding, one Bureau and one kitchen safe.

    Third I give and bequeath to my son, John Gambler, the sum of Ten Dollars.

    Fourth: I give and bequeath to the children of my deceased Daughter Mary Hegnauer viz: Lizzie, Margareth, Bertha and Martin Hegnauer together the sum of twenty dollars.

    Fifth All the rest and residue and remainder of all my estate and Property, Real, Personal or mixed with which I may be possessed at the time of my death, or which shall in any wise be owing or coming to me after the Payment of my just Debts and funeral Expenses I give and bequeath and devise unto my son, Wm. Gambler to have and to hold unto him, his heirs and assigns forever.

    Sixth I hereby appoint my son, Wm. Gambler, Executor of this my last Will and Testament, and my Will is that he be not required to give Bond as such Executor, as I know that he will pay the legacies above mentioned without any Bond.

    In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighth day of October 1895.

    Katharina Gambler (Seal)

    Signed, sealed and declared by the above named Katharina Gambler as and for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereto.

    U. Schneider St. Joseph Mo. / Anna Spenner / K. U. Schneider

    IN THE PROBATE COURT. STATE OF MISSOURI, County of Buchanan, ss. A. J. Albrecht, being duly sworn, on his oath states that he knew U. Schneider during his lifetime and was well acquainted with his handwriting and his signature; that he has seen and examined the signature of said U. Schneider as one of the attesting witnesses to the Will of Katharina Gambler, deceased, and that said signature is the genuine signature of said U. Schneider; that said U. Schneider is now deceased. Albert J. Albrecht. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of June, 1912. Esther Eberhardt, Clerk of Probate (Seal)

  • p. 550 (abstract): Proof of Will, "In the matter of the last will and testament of Katharina Gambler, late of Buchanan County, deceased": on 3 June 1912 K. U. Schneider swore he saw her sign and that U. Schneider, the other witness, is now deceased. Certificate of Probate by Esther Eberhardt, Clerk of the Probate Court, 18 June 1912, adjudging it her last will. (The right-hand page is George W. Welty's will; the left of p. 548 is Leander Miller's.)
  • Match: strong. The four grandchildren named, Lizzie, Margareth, Bertha and Martin Hegnauer, are exactly Martin's children in birth order (1880 census plus Martin Jr. b. 1884), and "my deceased Daughter Mary Hegnauer" fits Mary's death in 1885. This proves Mary's maiden surname as Gambler (the "Gambler" of Maggie's 1926 death certificate) and names her mother Katharina Gambler of St. Joseph and her siblings Mrs. Elizabeth Karrasch, Bertha, John and Wm. Gambler. Katharina was alive on 8 Oct 1895 and dead by 3 Jun 1912. It fits the obituary's marriage "in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1875".

Appleton City Journal, Thu 31 Mar 1927, p. 6: the obituary

  • newspapers.com/image/863945723 ("Rockville" department, Mary S. Lane, Editor; columns 1-2). Read on screen. A public clipping by another user, "Martin Hegnauer Obituary (1927) [1 of 2]", already covers column 1; none made.

  • Transcription:

    Martin Hegnauer Dead

    Martin Hegnauer, one of six children and son of Lucius and Margaret Van Barnett Hegnauer, was born in Grau-Bunten County Switzerland, Feb. 20th, 1848. He came to the United States with his parents in 1854, settling in Highland, Ill., later moving to Gasconade County Mo.

    He was married to Mary Gambler in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1875, settling in St. Louis, Mo., where four children were born, Elizabeth, Margaret, Bertha and Martin, Jr.

    Mr. Hegnauer and family resided in St. Louis until 1885, when they came to Pleasant Gap Township, and in August of that same year the wife and mother was called home. In 1910 he purchased and moved to the present home, where he resided until his death Sunday morning March 27th, 1927, making his sojourn on earth a perio[d] of 79 years, 1 month and 7 days.

    To mourn his departure he leaves one sister, Mrs. Christina Krattley, of Carthage, Missouri, one brother, Christian, in Oregon, two daughters, Mrs. A. J. Harden, of Rockville, and Mrs Troy Brown, of Appleton City, one son, Martin Jr., of Rockville, and two granddaughters, Arlene and Wilma Brown.

    One daughter, Margaret preceded him on May 27th, just ten months ago.

    Mr. Hegnauer was not old enough to enlist in the Civil War so remained at home to help provide for the mother and younger children while his father and two brothers served. He became naturalized in his early manhood and always remained true to our flag which was his flag, a quiet and peaceable citizen, a generous neighbor and a kind father.

    While he never had any church affiliations, he was a believer in the One True and Living God, and attended the Zoar Reform Church, north of Prairie City, while he lived in that vicinity, ever living by the Golden Rule— Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

    The above was sent to the writer by Dr. Troy Brown, son-in-law of Mr. Hegnauer, with request that we add anything we thought proper. Since coming to Rockville deceased had led a retired life, and as his home was two miles out, he did not mingle much with the life of the town, but was known to be a good and substantial citizen. He was in his usual health on Saturday night, when he retired, but on Sunday morning his daughter, Mrs. Hardin, who kept house for him, found him unconscious and breathing heavily and in a short time he passed away, without regaining consciousness. His funeral was held Monday afternoon at his home, and was attended by a very large concourse of old neighbors and friends from his old home vicinity near Prairie City, which attested to the high esteem in which he was held. The funeral was conducted by Rev. Swann, after which he was laid to rest by his beloved daughter, Miss Maggie, in the city cemetery, there to await the Resurrection Day.

    "Oh, how sweet it will be in that beautiful land, / So free from all sorrow and pain. / And with songs on our lips, and harps in our hands, / To meet one another again." M. S. L.

  • Also in the same column: "Mrs. Troy Brown and family of Appleton City, attended the funeral of her father, Martin Hegnauer, Tuesday." and "Rev. Whitner and family have returned from China where they were missionaries, and are at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hegnauer. They were driven out by the hostilities in China." [about Christian's son Christian, H0007 line, not Martin.]
  • Match: strong (birth date, parents, children, death date and place). Informant: son-in-law Dr. Troy Brown.
  • Conflicts to note: arrival 1854 and first settlement at Highland, Ill. (the Chace list gives 30 Sep 1856 and the 1860 census puts the family in Gasconade; Leonhard's 1916 obituary says Gasconade first, then Madison Co. in 1865); mother "Margaret Van Barnett"; "one of six children" [seven known]; "his father and two brothers served" (Luzius, and two of John/Leonhard). The funeral was on Monday 28 Mar (the certificate's burial date) at his home, and the burial was at Rockville ("the city cemetery"). Daughter Maggie died 27 May 1926.

Sedalia Democrat, Sun 3 Apr 1927, p. 15, "Rockville News (By Miss Evelyn Hitt)"

  • newspapers.com/image/74381916
  • "Robert Kamm and daughter, Miss Maggie of Rich Hill attended the funeral of Martin Hegnauer Monday." / "Mrs. Rose and Miss Kratly of Carthage attended the funeral of their uncle, Martin Hegnauer Monday."
  • Match: strong. Confirms a Monday funeral and the kin: his brother-in-law Robert Kamm (widower of Barbara, H0008) and nieces, Christine Krattly's daughters (Mrs. Flora Rose and a Miss Krattly).

Appleton City Journal, Thu 26 May 1927, p. 2 (Rockville)

  • newspapers.com/image/863945972 — "The Rockville Cemetery has just been mowed, flowers are in bloom, and a number of new monuments have lately been erected, notably, the Woodberry monument, one for Martin Hegnauer, and one at the McGee lot, and others."

Other newspaper items naming Martin (read on screen)

  • Rockville Booster, Fri 11 Sep 1908, p. 8 (newspapers.com/image/1000726752): "Martin Hegnauer of Pr[airie] City who, in company with [his] daughters, Mesdames Troy Br[own] and Lizzie Johnson, went [on a] visit to relative[s] and friends [at] Carthage, returned Satur[day]." (He lived near Prairie City in 1908; Bertha was already Mrs. Troy Brown; the Carthage relatives are the Krattlys.)
  • Appleton City Journal, 12 Jun 1924, p. 2, Rockville Department (newspapers.com/image/863323039): "Mr. Hegnauer, son of Martin Hegnauer, who lives with his father, has been in very poor health for some time and has been taken to Rich Hill to a hospital, to be operated on for appendicitis." (Follow-ups on 19 and 26 Jun and 3 Jul 1924, images 863323059/083/107, not read.)
  • Rockville Leader, 25 Nov 1926, p. 1 (newspapers.com/image/1000817079): "Jess Harding and family spent Sunday at the Martin Hegnauer home in the country."

Censuses already on the tree (index details and images read for the new data)

  • 1900 (7602/28794995): Pleasant Gap, Bates; sheet 6, dwelling 115, family 118. Born Feb 1848 in Switzerland, immigrated 1856, 44 years in the U.S., naturalized, widowed, farmer, rents the farm; Bertha, daughter, 21; Martin, son, 16. (Index only.)
  • 1910 (7884/14137334; Roll T624_768, p. 9B, ED 20, FHL 1374781; image ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/31111_4330351-01035, lines 99-100): dwelling 166, family 172; "Haganauer, Martin", head, M W 62, Wd, born Switz[erland]-German, immigrated 1856, Na, farmer, general farm, owns the farm free; "Johnson, Lizzie", daughter, F W 34, Wd, born Missouri, father born Switz-German, mother born Pennsylvania, dressmaker.
  • 1920 (6061/78188036; Roll T625_905, p. 6A, ED 21; image ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4312392-00430, image 11 of 17): Rockville Township, farm, family 8; Hegnauer, Martin, head, O[wns] F[ree], M W 71, marital status written "M" [an error; he had been widowed since 1885, and the tree fact copies "Married"], immigrated 1856, Na, naturalized 1868, born Switzerland; Maggie, daughter, 41, single; Martin Jr., son, 35, single.

Find a Grave and cemetery index

  • Martin: memorial 142891158 (see H0006-member-media.md). Mary: memorial 69271861, and Bates County, Missouri, Cemetery Index 1823-1959 (Ancestry 5639/15281), Mary Hegnauer, b. 1851, d. 1885, age 34, Prairie City. The only other H*gn*r in that index is Christopher H. Hegnaur (1853-1943, Zion Lutheran).

Fold3

  • Keyword "Hegnauer" (237 results): Martin appears only in the 1860 census (Gasconade, b. 1848). A WWI draft card for Martin Hegnauer, b. 28 Jan 1884, Missouri (Martin Jr., H0015) is a lead. There is no Civil War record for Martin Sr., which agrees with the obituary.

Negative searches (2026-09-26)

  • Marriage, 1865-1885: "Martin Hegnauer" exact (0); Martin H*gn*r (only NY/European Hegners/Hagners); bride Mary G*mpl*r with spouse Martin (Mary Gampler m. Anton Florin, Sauk Co., Wis., 1869, 4997/3305196; Mary Goempler m. Joseph Wiegand, Henderson Co., Ill., 1884; neither ours); Mary G*m*l*r in Missouri 1868-82 (only M J Gortermiller, Cedar, 1882); surname Gambler 1868-80 anywhere (no U.S. match); Missouri Marriage Records (1171) Gambl* 1872-78 (32, none in Buchanan); Martin H* 1874-76 in Missouri (11, none ours). Missouri surname H*gn*er 1865-85: Barbrie Hegnauer, Bates, 28 Mar 1883; Mary C. Hegnauer, Bates, 12 Mar 1885 (4474/90016055; a Hegnauer bride, not Martin's wife); Harry J Hargnauer, Carthage, 1885. Illinois H*gn*er 1865-85: the Madison Co. Hagnauers (C. G., Robert, Charles Gottfried, Emil), John Haegnauer and Catharina Appel 1869, Leonard Hagnauer and Susan K. Hirschi 1866, Christian Hegnauer and Nellie Conzett (Cook) 1884. The 1875 St. Joseph marriage is not indexed on Ancestry under any spelling tried.
  • 1870 census: Swiss-born Martins b. 1846-50 in Missouri (Maltalla, Kleimer, Meyer, St. Louis; "Heines, Martin", 24, dairy hand in Fred Legler's household, Central Twp, St. Louis Co., 7163/8871228, image 4273859_00358 p. 175A, clearly written "Heines", not ours) and Illinois (Stocker, Bridge, Ackeler, Meyer). Not found.
  • St. Louis directories: the index (2469, Missouri 1874-86) has only 1877 "Haegnauer" and 1878 "Hegnah". The 1880 volume (first image 11524905; Heg page image 11525131, image 227) was browsed: Hegerling … Hegney, Hegnoff Mary wid. Charles, Hegwein; no Martin under Heg- (the "G-" spelling of the census was not checked). The year list skips 1879.
  • Newspapers.com, Missouri, 1884-86, "Hegnauer": 3 hits, none on Mary's death (Butler Weekly Times 12 Nov 1884 p. 5 is an official vote table with a "Hegnauer" for Treasurer; KC Journal 15 May 1885 p. 7 unread; Globe-Democrat 16 Nov 1885, Galveston).
  • Rockville Leader: the 1927 issues online are 3, 10, 17 and 24 Mar, then June; 31 Mar 1927 (the obituary week) is not on Newspapers.com.
  • Missouri death certificates (60382): Bertha Brown b. 1878 ±2 (3 hits, none ours); cert. 2502 cited on Find a Grave not located.
  • Indexed County Land Ownership Maps (1127): Martin Hegnauer / Hegnauer / H*gn* returned no matches.
  • Ancestry all collections Martin H*gn*r b. 1848 ±3: nothing new (Find a Grave, 1860, 1900, 1920 only). No military record.
  • Gambler family in censuses (lead work only): 1900 St. Joseph Ward 2, John Gambler b. May 1864 Wisconsin, married 1883, with Sarah, Homer and Bertha (7602/28896444); 1880 St. Joseph, "Lizey Gambler", 19, b. Pa., married, cook, parents b. "Holland" (6742/24835060); Katharina not found under Gambler in 1880/1900 Missouri.

Leads

  1. Marriage record, St. Joseph (Buchanan Co.), 1875, Martin Hegnauer and Mary Gambler: Buchanan County Recorder's marriage books; browse the 1875 Buchanan images in Missouri Marriage Records (1171) or FamilySearch "Missouri Marriages".
  2. Gambler family of St. Joseph: Katharina (will 1895, d. before Jun 1912), children Elizabeth (Mrs. Karrasch), Bertha, John (b. 1864 Wis.?), Wm.; Mary b. about 1851 in Pa., father Swiss. Look for the family in 1860 (Pa.), 1870 (Wis. or Mo.) and 1880 St. Joseph; Katharina's death and burial in St. Joseph; the probate case file (Buchanan Co.). The surname may be Gämpler/Gempeler in Swiss form (Bertha's DC 2502 reportedly gives "Marie Gempler").
  3. Lizzie/Elizabeth (H0053): b. about 1876 in St. Louis; widowed Mrs. Johnson by 1910 (dressmaker, living with her father); later Mrs. A. J. Harden/Hardin of Rockville, who kept house for Martin in 1927; Find a Grave 142891193, Elizabeth Hegnauer Harden, 1877-1947. "Jess Harding" (1926) may be her husband or a relative.
  4. Bertha (H0013): Mrs. Dr. Troy Brown of Appleton City by 1908; daughters Arlene and Wilma Brown; her Missouri DC 2502 reportedly names mother "Marie Gempler".
  5. Naturalization 1868 (1920 census); the 1900 and 1910 censuses say "Na". Look for a naturalization record in Gasconade, Madison (Ill.) or St. Louis courts, about 1868-69.
  6. 1910 land purchase near Rockville (obituary): Bates County deed books.
  7. 1870 census still missing (possibly St. Joseph, St. Louis or Madison Co., Ill.; not under Hegnauer variants).
  8. Directory years 1876 and 1879-1884 in St. Louis (browse the G- and H- pages; the census indexed him as "Gignorer").
  9. Mary's death, Aug 1885, Pleasant Gap Township: no newspaper found. Missouri Death Records 1850-1931 (1172), M* H* b. 1851 ±2 d. 1885 in Missouri: 19 hits, none in Bates (St. Louis, Perry, Cape Girardeau, Gilead only), so the Bates register on Ancestry does not index her. Try the Prairie City Cemetery records or a Bates County probate/guardianship file for the minor children (1885).

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