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Located on M-21(E Fulton St) halfway between Lowell and Ada Mich on the south side. Only about 30 stones total in the cemetery. Wunsch stone is the big one in the center above the sign.

A large portion of our Herr Family is not familiar with the story of  Fidel’s oldest daughter, Karolyn, about whom I’ve been corresponding with some of our newly found cousins and her descendants the past few years. . 

Recently, cousin Gerald Wisner sent me a photo of Karolyn’s tombstone in Rolfe Cemetery, Ada, Kent County, Michigan and told me the old Wunsch farmhouse is still standing proud and in good shape  down the road from the old cemetery, where they were buried.  

I’ve also learned much about the Wunsch Family in correspondence with cousin Donna Rogers, and Phil and Marge, who have  published an informative “Wunsch Descendants.,”  web page. 

The second of eleven children born to Fidel Herr and his first wife Maria Anna Schmidt and the first of only four by that couple to live beyond infancy, Karolyn Herr was born December 16, 1803 in Achern, Germany..

Her father Fidel arranged a marriage contract for her with Anton Wunsch, the son of Joseph Wunsch and Margaretha Ullrich, and a potter from nearby Oberdorf near Kuppenheim, on April 24, 1823.   

The happy couple made Fidel a proud grandfather in rapid succession with the births of Appolonia (1824), Sebastian (1827), Agnes (1829) Karl (1830) and Genovefa (1832).  

However, they disappointed old Fidel, when they stayed back in Oberndorf, rather than sail on the General Hamilton with him, his new wife, Maria Anna Hauser, and her brother and sisters, Jane, Fidel, Maria Theresa, Marianna, and Maria Theresa on a six -week voyage to the New World in the Fall, 1831.  

Anton and Karolyn attended the funeral and were at the reading of the will of Karolyn’s maternal grandmother, Johanna Burger in Achern in March, 1832.

I think the silver legacy the couple received from Grandma Burger and father Fidel’s encouraging letters from America finally  influenced them to cross the Atlantic Ocean to join the rest of the Herr Family, sometime between the birth of their daughter, Genovefa on January 3, 1832 in Oberndorf and John Anthony Wunsch in Plymouth, Wayne Country, Michigan on October 10, 1837 (I have not found a passenger record yet for them).

They lived in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan until they bought a 40-acre farm in Ada, Kent, County, Michigan on June 17, 1850.

The family, which  is listed in the Ada, Kent County, Michigan Federal Census records for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900., grew by leaps and bounds to ten children with the Michigan births of Charles, John Anthony on October 10, 1837, Barbara on March 15, 1839, and Mary in 1843.     

All of the children married, Sebastien to Martha Champlain, Agnes to Thomas Barr, Genovefa to Adam Umlor, Charles to Ida A. Haight, John Anthony to Anna Peplow, and Barbara to Mathias Snyder.

Karolyn died on July 30, 1876 and Anton 4 years later on January 31, 1880 on the old farm in Ada, Kent County, Michigan 

Much of the family and descendants have stayed and still live in the Grand Rapids and Grand Traverse Michigan areas today  not too far from the old Wunsch family homestead, where their American Dream all started.

Our cousin Nancy Harper Fullerton  was nice enough to send us Joseph Herr’s obituary shown below, which was published in the Plymouth Mail in 1917.

Born in Nankin Township in March, 1834, Joseph Herr was the youngest son of the original Michigan Herr emigrant, Fidelius Herr and his only son to be born in America. 

He never married, choosing to live his entire life as a bachelor with his older bachelor brother Enos and spinster younger sister Clarissa  on the old Herr homestead, in Nankin Township.

He was a dashing young man in his day, as described in the obituary, riding into Plymouth with his brother Enos on a couple spirited stallions. It sounds like the townspeople were quite impressed with our young cousins, Joseph and Enos Herr.

It is surprising that Joseph and his brother were not combatants in the Civil War as they were definitely of military age, 26 and 29 years old, and sound like they would have been worthy cavalry men., but then maybe Fidelius sheltered them from the draft or enlistment somehow. He had to be tired of the military having survived Napoleon’s antics back in Achern before he left for America..

Other children by Fidelius’ and second wife, Maria Anna Hauser, who survived infancy and came over on the USS General Hamilton with their parents, were: Maria Barbara (born 1824 and married Anthony German), Marianne (born 1824 and married Francis George), and Ignatius Enoch (born 1831 I think on board the USS General Hamilton on the way to America).

 Thanks Cuz Nancy, for sending us this interesting piece.

Compiled by Rodger M. Wood

Coincidence or John’s Spirit?
I have another scary story about our family history.

In August 1967, my then three old son Mark and I went to the National Cemetery, Marietta GA to visit the grave of our fallen Civil War family hero, an 18 year old boy, John Herr, who enlisted in Sherman’s Army on February 11, 1864, so his father Fidel Herr would not have to and could stay home on the farm with John’s mother and four younger siblings.

John was a cannonaire in Battery A, 1st Michigan LA, which supported Sherman’s Army in his famous Siege of Atlanta and subsequent March to the Sea, but our John made it only to Marietta GA before he contacted bloody disentery and died on August 31, 1864, less than a year before the end of the Civil War.

On that hot sunny day near to the 103rd year anniversary of John Herr’s death on August 31, 1864, Mark and I drove up to the entrance to the National Cemetery at Marietta, GA, walked into the cemetery without a clue where John’s grave was in this big spacious cemetery, walked about 25 yards forward, about ten steps to the right, happened to look down to find out we were standing over John’s grave. Coincidence or John’s spirit drawing us to him, we‘ll, never know, but understandably, we were convinced it was John’s spirit
which drew us to the grave, and we’ll never forgot the experience. .

Pension Index: Mother Joanna E. Herr, Applied for Pension: November 12, 1890, Mother, 487433 341591 Michigan.
Battery A, 1st Michigan Light Artillery
Born: June 23, 1845, Nankin Twp, Wayne Co, Michigan
Parents: Fidel and Joanna Herr
Died: August 31, 1864 at Marietta GA
Buried: Section A, Grave 35, National Cemetery, Marietta, GA
Tombstone reads, “Jno Hern, Michigan, and is right by the entrance to the cemetery, to right of the gate in Section A. I was there in August, 1965 with my young son Mark to pay our respect to this fallen family hero. (There is a memorial tombstone for John H. Herr next to his parents’ grave in Newburgh Cemetery, Westland MI, but he is buried at the National Cemetery, Marietta, GA.

Military Records:
Was a member of Battery C, 1st Michigan Light Artillery.
Enlisted on February 11, 1864 at Nankin, MI for three years, aged 18, Mustered February 11, 1864. Died of disease at Marietta, GA August 31, 1864.
Battery C during John’s time of enlistment took active part in Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, joined in the siege of Atlanta until it surrendered to General Sherman. Battles included: Dallas GA, May 27, 1864; Resaca GA, May 14, 1864; Decatur Ala, Big Shanty, June 15, 1864; Kenesaw Mountain, GA June 25, 1864; and the Siege of Atlanta, July 22 – August 25, 1864.
John was a cannonaire, pvt, and enlisted instead of his father Fidel. He died of colera according to my great uncle John Herr.

Affidavits:
March 2, 1891: by Ebenezer Hubbard
He knew Joanna E. Herr for 30 years. She and her husband owned 36 acres of land valued at $1,500 dollars; $125 furniture, and had $100 annual income.
Joanne’s husband Fidel Herr was 80 years old, disabled for Shematism.
Lived in Township of Nankin, Wayne Co, Michigan.

Affidavit by Edwin J. Norris of Nankin dated March 2, 1891 (same as Ebenezer Hubbard above)

Affividavit by David F. Norton, PO Pikes Peak – medical – dated March 2, 1891
Has known Joanna for 30 years. Lived 1 mile away for 15 years. Her husband Fidel and father of John has been unable to do any manual labor for 3 or 4 years. Hart Trouble. Norton was a medical doctor for 40 years and was over 80 years old himself.

Claimant Affidavit: March 2, 1891 and April 17, 1891:
John Herr was born June 23, 1845, Nankin Township, Michigan.
Joanne listed her children:
John H. Herr botn June 23, 1845
Theresa H. Herr, born June 11, 1848
Marrett C. Herr, born April 3, 1850
Malvina H. Herr, born June 29, 1852
William C. Herr, born December 23, 1853
Husband: Fidel Herr, 80 yeats old
Joanne was 64, resident of Nankin County, Michigan.
John wnrolled at Detroit, February 11, 1864, died disentery or bloody flux incurred near Atlanta GA July 31, 1864.
Joanne died May 19, 1910, pensioner dropped, $12/mo.