Henry (Heinrich) Earl Rassi was born in Falkenstein, Bavaria, Germany July 17, 1847 to Jacob Rassi (born March 15, 1813) and Magdalena Maria Musselman Rassi. It was May 17, 1840 when Jacob and Marie were married. In all they had 5 children. Magdalena, born February 9, 1841, Johannes, born July 21, 1842, Jakob, born May 20, 1844 (he died in Germany of diphtheria in 1871, his children were born in 1871 and 1872. Jakob was the only one of Jacob and Marie’s children who did not immigrate to the U.S., however, he had a son, Jacob, who did immigrate-now are you thoroughly confused?), Elisabeth, born June 10, 1845, and Heinrich (Henry), the subject of this essay, born in 1847. Falkenstein is located in northern Bavaria near the city of Schweinfurt. The Catholic religion was prominent in the area. Jacob Sr. was a Mennonite minister and a tenant farmer in the Falkenstein area for the “royal domain of Ottelmannshaus.” Mennonites were not allowed by the government to own land and were therefore relegated to tenant farming. Because they didn’t have their money tied up in land they were able to invest in technology that they brought with them to the United States when they immigrated hence we have benefited thru their advanced farming techniques. Also, because they were not tied to the land it made immigration easier. When the government pressed young men into military service many Mennonite men sought to leave Germany rather than have their belief in pacifism violated by the government.

There is another Falkenstein that is also part of the Rassi family history. Falkenstein was also the name given to a section of Oedheim, Wurttemburg, Germany. Thru research done at the Mennonite Historical Library at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana and inquiries made to the government of Oedheim, Wurttemburg, Germany, it was learned Rassi families lived here. It is here that Heinrich lists as his birthplace on his immigration application. There are documents in Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany that place the Rassi family in that area as well. Linda Egle (a Rassi cousin in Morton, Illinois) has information that has been passed down by the Rassi elders in her area that place the family at Falkenstein, Bavaria. Hopefully, additional research will reveal the significance of both these locations in Rassi history.

It was previously thought that Jakob was married twice. This was not the case. It was Marie Musselman, in fact, who was twice married. Her first husband was a Mr. Hunziker, by whom she had the following children: David, Anna, Christine, (she married David Muselman on November 25, 1851 and they were baptized November 1, 1853) Veronica, and Christian. The death record for Christine was recorded by the catholic church at Oedheim, Wurttemburg, Germany and can be found on microfilm though the LDS Family History Center. Christine Muselman died on August 31, 1854 in Neuhof-Falkenstein from some illness that exhibited flu like symptoms, vomiting and diarrhea. She was 21 years old. That would place her birth around 1833. She died at 10:30 (1/2 11). The record did not specify a.m. or p.m. She was buried September 2 in Oedheim.

Ancestry.com records Heinrich’s application to immigrate to North America as June of 1867. It lists his birthplace as Oedheim in the district of Neckarsulm. Linda Egle of Morton, Illinois, believes there may have been a problem with draft age males trying to immigrate from Wurttemburg if they weren’t born there, so the birth place was listed as Oedheim. It may have been a clerical problem as well. Whoever answered the 1900 census for Iroquois County, Illinois stated that Henry immigrated in 1870 (it seems at this point that is a census mistake). Documentation from the Mennonite Historical Library shows Henry Rassi on the ships passenger list of the Fulton, which sailed from LeHarve, France and docked in New York 8/20/1867. This information is also on microfilm at Allen County Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Linda gives the following as a possible scenario: In 1866 Bavaria fought a short war with Prussia. Prussia won and forced all the German states except Baden, Wurttemburg and Bavaria into the German confederation. The inhabitants of these states knew it was just a matter of time before Prussia, led by Bismark, came after them. Was Henry concerned about being conscripted and applied for immigration so he could leave in case of a war with Prussia? Henry decided it was time to leave. This is only conjecture.

I do have copies of Henry’s naturalization papers that show he applied for citizenship in the United States on August 12, 1871 but did not complete the process until June 29, 1885. Jacob Zuercher was a witness to Henry’s taking the oath of citizenship at the court house in Pekin, Illinois (Tazwell County).

The Ellis Island web site does have a record of his brother Johannes Rassi immigrating through there. Hulda Martin’s genealogy states that Johannes Rassi and his family left Germany in February 1894 and arrived in Peoria, Illinois March 3, 1894. According to Linda, Johannes never applied for naturalization. In those days we believe that if the husband were naturalizied that status was automatically applied to the wife and children. In a letter, transcribed by Linda Egle, that is her Uncle Arnold Muselman’s History; it appears that David Muselman (the step grandson of Jacob Rassi’s ) lived on a farm just north of Morton, Illinois with Henry Rassi. The letter states that the farm was later the John Belsley place. David immigrated to the U.S. in 1876. I have attached copies of plat maps that give some possibilities for the location of the farm.

An interesting note in Henry’s obituary in the Morton News stated that he had several plow shops in the Morton area and a Mr. William Voelpel Sr. had been his partner in the business. The shops had been torn down by the time of the article, November 27, 1913.

Another mile marker occurred in Henry’s life when he married Mary Ackerman on September 28, 1873. The wedding took place in Morton, Illinois. Mary, who was born February 22, 1853 in Morton, Illinois, was the daughter of Christian Ackerman Sr. (born December 25, 1813 in Switzerland and died March 29, 1903) and Anna Belsley Ackerman (born May 1820 in Morton, Illinois and died May 2, 1903). The Ackermans were married in 1839.

By the 1900 census, Henry had relocated his family to Cissna Park, Illinois. All the children are listed in the census except for John and Anna who both were married and lived away from home, Elias who was killed when a wagonload of hay overturned smothering him underneath, and Christian Edward. The next family listed in the census under the Rassi family was the Goins family. In 1902 Christian Edward married Effie Goins. Henry moved his family to Milford, Indiana in 1904 and they located on a farm about three miles west of town.

As a side note, I was puzzled by the early death of Henry and Mary’s son William. After some inquiries I found out that William had suffered with tuberculosis for about a year before going to Colorado, probably looking for treatment. He was there for about a month before he passed away.

Henry and Mary Rassi had 16 children. Statistics regarding them are as follows:

Henry and Mary parted this world in 1916 and 1913 respectively. Henry passed away July 18, 1916 of Cerebral Thrombosis. C. R. Brittasan Funeral Home in Milford handled the arrangements and burial was in the Milford Cemetery. Mary had passed away three years earlier, November 23, 1913, of a perforated gall bladder. The C. R. Brittasan Funeral Home had also handled her arrangements.

I would like to conclude this essay with a challenge. Perhaps you have some information about Henry Rassi, maybe a story or an incident you have been told. Maybe you have some corrections to the information presented herein. Maybe you have some letters written by or about Henry or maybe some photos. Maybe you know about his farm, the crops he grew or the animals he raised. Maybe you have information about the farming techniques he used. Maybe you have information about other family members you would like to share. Maybe you have questions for me.

I can be contacted by mail:

Gary Rassi

2416 Southdale Dr.

Elkhart, IN 46517

or email:

or by telephone:

574-522-2265