KERN-L Archives

From: Chet Swanson <>
Subject: Kern, Johann, b ca 1822, Germany
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 12:08:52 -0800

Here's one of my two John Kerns. I descend through Johann to Rev John
through Coy through my parents (not shown).

First Generation

1. Johann Kern was born in Wurtenberg, Germany, about 1822. He married
Christena (-----) before 1845. Christena was born in Wurtenberg, Germany
about 1824. John Kern is shown with his family in Dodge County, Nebraska in
the 1870 Census. He is shown to be a farmer. The family was somewhere in
Ohio by 1845 when the oldest known son, George was born. They moved to
Nebraska about 1869. Johann Kern and Christena (-----) had the following
children:

+ 2 i. George Kern was born about 1845.
+ 3 ii. John W. Kern Reverend was born 1852.
+ 4 iii. Julia Ann Kern was born about 1855.
5 iv. Ernest Kern was born in Ohio, about 1858. In the 1870 Census for
Dodge County, Nebraska, Ernest is shown as a student living at home with
his family.
+ 6 v. Solomon Kern was born about 1860.
+ 7 vi. Dan Kern was born about 1862.
8 vii. Charles E. Kern was born, about 1864. Charles died 1 July 1949 in
Dodge County, Nebraska, at 85 years of age. He married Catherine T. (-----)
about 1890. Catherine was born about 1865. Catherine died 22 November 1965
at 100 years of age.
+ 9 viii. Katie Kern was born about 1866. 10 ix. Mathias H. Kern was born,
about 1868. Mathias died 7 August 1950 at 82 years of age.

Second Generation

2. George Kern (Johann) was born in Ohio, about 1845. He married Anna
Thrush before 1870. Anna was born about 1845. George is shown on the 1870
Census for Dodge County, Nebraska with his father's family. He is shown as
a farmer. George Kern and Anna Thrush had the following children:

11 i. Charles W. Kern was born, about 1870. Charles died 10 February 1966
in Boyd County, Nebraska, at 95 years of age. He married Antonia (-----)
about 1895. Antonia was born about 1870.
12 ii. Clarence C. Kern was born, about 1882. He married Ida Noh before
1907. Ida was born about 1885.
13 iii. John Kern was born, about 1885.

3. John W. Kern Reverend (Johann) was born in Ohio, 1852. John died 26 May
1935 in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington, at 82 years of age. His
body was interred 25 December 1881 in LaConner, Skagit County, Washington,
Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. He married twice. He married Nora Viola Conner in
Nebraska, 25 December 1881. Nora was born in Boscobel, Grant County,
Wisconsin 11 July 1861. Nora was the daughter of John Conner and Martha J.
(-----). Nora died 25 March 1927 in LaConner, Skagit County, Washington, at
65 years of age. Her body was interred March 1927 in LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. In the 1870 Census for Omaha,
Douglas County, Nebraska, her name is shown as Viola. When three years of
age she moved with her parents to Nebraska. She joined the Methodist
Episcopal Church when she was 14 years old. Nora married the Reverend John
W. Kern. According to her obituary in the 1927 Puget Sound Annual
Conference Journal of the Methodist Church, she was a woman of strong
convictions and intense in her emotions. Her joy was in revival meetings,
she was said to be mighty in prayer and to assist a seeking sinner at the
altars of the church to believe through to victory was her supreme delight.
She was a lover of her home and family and was ever trying to beautify it.
Nora was highly honored when the Church granted her a local preacher's
license at the last church which she and her husband served. Her departure
on 25 March 1927 was as sudden as a flash of light. It was simply a
translation from earth to Heaven while talking to her daughter and bending
over to fondle the flowers which she loved so well. She had been suffering
from heart trouble for several years, and may have suffered a fatal heart
attack. The funeral services were held in the LaConner Baptist Church, it
being larger than the Methodist Church. It was filled to overflowing with
sympathizing friends. The service was conducted by the District
Superintendent and he was assisted by the Reverends P. H. Raymond, E. J.
Bates, Richard Oates, and B. V. Bradshaw. He married Luella Walker 1932.
Luella was born about 1855. Luella died of a heart attack. Other
information on her death is not known at this time. Reverend Kern moved
with his family to Nebraska in 1869, and in 1881 married Nora Conner. He
was shown with his father's family in Dodge County, Nebraska on the 1870
Census. He was shown to be 18 years of age, and his occupation was shown as
Farm Lab. After her death in 1927, he married Mrs. Luella Walker of
Bellingham, a family friend for many years. He was first mentioned as a
Methodist minister in the 1893 North Nebraska Conference Minutes when he
was reported for the Mineola and Paddock Methodist Churches, Holt County,
Nebraska. The statistical record in 1893 shows, "some good revivals,
resulting in 35 conversions and 19 accessions...with 45 full members on the
charge and 35 enrolled in the Sunday School. He was paid a salary of
$286.00. He continued in the Methodist ministry in Nebraska until 1899 when
he and his family moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington State. From
then, until his retirement he served the Pacific Northwest Conference of
the Methodist Church in several communities. His first church in Washington
State was at Mount Vernon from 1900 to 1902. He last served the
congregation of the La Conner Methodist Church. Among his other pastorates
were Issaquah, Bothell, Lynden, Ronald, DesMoines, Burlington, Sultan and
Hillman in Seattle. His family was the first to live in the parsonage in
Burlington, built in 1904. He died at the family home on a Sunday morning,
26 May 1935 after suffering a paralytic stroke on 15 May from which he
failed to recover. In the 1910 Polk Directory for Everett and Snohomish
County he is shown as a resident of Arlington and pastor of the
Methodist-Episcopal Church. Besides the children shown, Rev Kern and Nora
had three other children on whom I currently have no other information.
John W. Kern Reverend and Nora Viola Conner had the following children:

14 i. Coy Roscoe Kern was born in Cedar Bluffs, Decatur County, Kansas, 3
August 1887. Coy died 7 December 1967 Mount Vernon, Skagit County,
Washington, at 80 years of age. His body was interred December 1967 in
LaConner, Skagit County, Washington, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. He married
Ethel L. Jones in Arlington, Snohomish County, Washington, 20 August 1911.
Ethel was born in Little Caney District, Chautauqua County, Kansas 8
October 1886. Ethel was the daughter of Lewis Newton (Newt) Jones and
Caroline Luella (Carrie) Stearns. Ethel died 21 July 1964 Mount Vernon,
Skagit County, Washington, at 77 years of age. Her body was interred 23
July 1964 in LaConner, Skagit County, Washington, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery.
Ethel was a member of the Coral Chapter #150 Order of Eastern Star in
LaConner, holding several Chapter offices. She was also a member of the
Daughters of the American Revolution (#368766), Court #28 of the Order of
Amaranth, Lodge 32 of the Esther Rebekah in LaConner, and the First
Methodist Church of Mt Vernon. Ethel talked about traveling with her family
from Stanwood to Arlington up the Stillaguamish River in an Indian canoe.
She and her family arrived in Arlington before it was a town. She attended
Bellingham Normal School (now Western Washington University), graduating in
1906, and held a teacher's certificate from the State of Washington. In the
1910 Polk's Directory of Everett and Snohomish County she is shown as a
resident of Arlington, and a teacher at Garfield School. She also taught
school in Getchel. Her and her husband, Coy operated a funeral home in
LaConner, and then in 1937 opened the Kern Funeral Home in Mount Vernon
which they operated until their retirement in 1950. Funeral services were
held at the Kern Funeral Home with the Reverend Earl Poindexter of the
First Methodist Church in charge. Born in Northwestern Kansas, Coy moved
with his family to Skagit County, Washington in 1900, settling in
Burlington. His father was a methodist minister. The family later moved to
Arlington, where he enlisted in the U. S. Navy. In the Navy, Coy served as
an enlisted yeoman on a cruiser on the China Station from 1905 to 1908. The
majority of Coy's service was on the USS Concord (PG-3) which was
commissioned 14 February 1891. The USS Concord served during this period on
the Yangtze Patrol and as station ship at Shanghai and Canton. He returned
to Arlington after his Navy service, where he met his future wife, Ethel
Jones. After marriage Coy and Ethel settled in Redmond, King County,
Washington where their first son was born. They then moved to LaConner,
Skagit County, Washington, where Coy was active in Republican politics. He
served as the Postmaster in LaConner and spent time as City Clerk along
with other town duties. He worked at the Dunlap Hardware Company in
LaConner. Coy and Ethel started in the funeral business in LaConner at this
same time. Coy and Ethel also founded the Kern Funeral Home in Mount
Vernon, Washington in 1937, managing the business until his retirement in
1950. While living in Mount Vernon, Coy served two terms on the City
Council and on the Draft Board during World War II. In the Polk Directory
for 1910 of Everett and Snohomish County, he is shown as a resident of
Arlington and bookkeeper for A. H. Moll. He was a member, and past master
of the Garfield Lodge, F&AM in LaConner, member and past patron of the
Coral Chapter of Order of Eastern Star in LaConner, the Mount Vernon Elks
Lodge and the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club. With his wife, he was a member of
the First Methodist Church of Mount Vernon. While in the Navy, Coy had
numerous tatoos applied to his body. C. V. Swanson, one of his
grandchildren, remembers that Ethel always made Coy wear a long sleeve
shirt with the collar and sleeves buttoned so the kids wouldn't see the
tatoos. It was always considered a realtreat when Ethel was away for awhile
and the kids could talk Coy into lifting up one of his shirt sleeves and
showing some of his tatoos. There were dragons and many other decorations.
His daughter, Marian, says that he had tatoos from at least his waist up to
his neck, including (as she remembered) at least one lady with little or no
clothing and possibly a ship. According to her all the available area from
his waist to his neck and wrists had tatoos. He died of complications of a
stroke and a heart attack.
15 ii. Bertha Kern was born, about 1889. She married Silas Tilden Coombs
about 1910. Silas was born about 1885. Silas was an insurance salesman. He
was married previously and had a son, Harold.
16 iii. Francis Kern was born, 1897. Francis died 1919 in Washington, at
22 years of age. His body was interred 1919 in LaConner, Skagit County,
Washington, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. According to family tradition, Francis
was a U. S. Navy veteran of World War I. He apparently died of
complications of appendicitis.

4. Julia Ann Kern (Johann) was born in Ohio, about 1855. Julia died before
1 July 1949. She married (-----) Mumford about 1875. (-----) was born about
1855. Julia is shown as a student, living at home in the 1870 Census for
Dodge County, Nebraska. Julia Ann Kern and (-----) Mumford had the
following children:

17 i. Bertha Mumford was born, about 1885. She married (-----) Bunnell
about 1910. (-----) was born about 1885.
18 ii. John Mumford was born, about 1887.
19 iii. Ernest Mumford was born, about 1890. Ernest died 13 May 1963 in
Mercer County, Pennsylvania, at 72 years of age.
20 iv. Lee Mumford was born, about 1892. Lee died 6 June 1942 at 49 years
of age.
21 v. Sara Mumford was born, about 1894. Sara died 20 September 1928 at 34
years of age. She married (-----) Vorous about 1916. (-----) was born about
1894.
22 vi. Fay Leora Mumford was born, about 1896. She married twice. She
married (-----) Shanks about 1920. (-----) was born about 1896. She married
John H. Turnbill about 1930. John was born about 1896.

6. Solomon Kern (Johann) was born in Ohio, about 1860. Solomon is shown on
the 1870 Census for Dodge County, Nebraska, as in school and living at
home. Solomon Kern had the following children:

23 i. Emma3 Kern was born, about 1887. She married (-----) Todd about
1910. (-----) was born about 1885.
24 ii. Mattie Kern was born, about 1890. She married (-----) Jones about
1915. (-----) was born about 1890.

7. Dan Kern (Johann) was born, about 1862. Dan Kern had the following
children:

25 i. Hattie Kern was born, 1887. She married (-----) Carroll about 1910.
(-----) was born about 1885.
26 ii. Ida Kern was born, about 1890. Ida died 12 May 1952 in Wayne
County, Nebraska, at 61 years of age. She married Guy W. Albert about 1925.
Guy was born about 1890. Guy died 19 November 1960 at 70 years of age.
27 iii. Edward M. Kern was born, about 1892. Edward died 12 May 1952 at 59
years of age.
28 iv. John D. Kern was born, about 1894. John died 14 April 1956 in
Fairfax, Missouri, at 61 years of age.

9. Katie Kern (Johann) was born, about 1866. She married (-----) Mick about
1890. (-----) was born about 1866. Katie Kern and (-----) Mick had the
following child:

29 i. (-----)3 Mick was born, about 1900.

--
Chet Swanson
Eastmont Aviary; ABS (28S), WBS, & BS
Everett, WA
mailto:
http://www.premier1.net/~swanson/index.htm
"My kid had sex with your honor student"
Copyright 1998, Chester Swanson, all rights reserved

This thread:

• Kern, Johann, b ca 1822, Germany by Chet Swanson <>