Tracking there Residence of Andreas Michels

1820 - Born in Sommerhausen. His family resided at house number 125 1/3.  
1835 - Confirmed in Sommerhausen. This marks the last record for Andreas in Bavaria

1853 - Immigrated to America aboard the _____ and arrived in New York on ____
1855 - Shows up in the New York Census as living in Brooklyn. 
1855 - New York City Directory (from New York Public Library) shows Andreas working as a basket maker and residing at ------

Andreas Michels Obituary

The Pittsburg Headlight 
(Pittsburg, Kansas)09 Aug 1888, Thu

Obituary

Andrew Michels was born in Sommerhausen, Bavaria, in March, 1820, [February 29] and in the company with his wife and children emigrated to America in July, 1853, and located in New York, where he worked at his trade as a brick mason and basket maker. In the spring of 1863 he removed to Illinois and settled in Effingham county, where he resided till 1868 at which time he emigrated to Kansas and located in this county, near where the city of Pittsburg now stands. With the discovery of coal in this district he sold his farm, on which coal had been found. He built the brick hotel at the corner of Broadway and Third streets, and retained the ownership of the building to the hour of his death. His was a familiar figure on our streets, and he enjoyed the friendship and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. He leaves four children living, two sons and two daughters, George and William and Mrs. Albert Alterman and Mrs. Kasper Doille [Casper Dolly].

This is the newspaper article which led me to Andrea's baptismal record in Germany and 42 of his direct ancestors. I will be forever grateful to his children for including his birth city of Sommerhausen.

The hotel mentioned in the article is not longer standing. 

Immediate Family of Andreas Michels

The Family of Johann Valentin Michels

Andreas' father, Johann Valentin Michels was born 16 November 1779 in Sommerhausen, Würzburg, Bavaria. Johann Valentin was a master baker in Sommerhausen. His mother, Elisabetha Barbara Leipert, was born on 13 June 1778 in Sommerhausen.

Before his marriage to Elisabetha Barbara, Johann Valentin was married to Maria Magdalena Fuchs on 20 February 1804 in Sommerhausen. Two children were born to this union, Anna Elisabeth Michels who was born on 30 April 1805 and died on 22 May 1805, and Johann Wilhelm Michels who was born on 3 April 1806 and died on 4 October 1833. There was a note added next to Johann Wilhelm's baptismal entry that states he died in 1833 in Negroponte, Greece and was a soldier. Historical side note, Otto, the second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, ascended the newly created throne of Greece in 1832. He took a contingency of Bavarian soldiers with him. I assume Johann Wilhelm was one of those soldiers.

Maria Magdalena Fuchs died at just 18 years of age on 18 July 1806 in Sommerhausen of a fever, leaving Johann with a three-month-old baby to raise.

Johann Valentine then married Elisabetha Barbara Leipert on 11 May 1807. Together they had five children. An unnamed infant son is marked in the records as stillborn on 10 March 1808. Eva Barbara Michels was born on 27 May 1810. Wilhelm Christian Michels was born 2 September 1812. Johann Christoph Michels was born on 13 March 1815. Their youngest son, and the topic of my research, George Andreas Michels was born 29 February in 1820.

Sometime after 1820, the Michels family moved from Sommerhausen, as there are no further records of the family included in the Lutheran records. Of note, the church knew of Johann Wilhelm's death in 1833 so the Michels could have moved after 1833.

The Beautiful City of Sommerhausen

Sommerhausen is a city on the Main River in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany. It is directly across the river from Winterhausen where Andreas' grandfather was born. The little muncipality of Sommerhausen dates back to the 16th Century and is a Protestant enclave a predominantly Catholic part of Bavaria.

Sommerhausen is embedded in the Valley of the Main among the vineyards. The medieval city wall has been preserved. All buildings in the town center feature narrow, winding streets.

Andreas Michels Record of Baptism